German Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer Joana Peterka, runs her own business teaching horses and riders up to Grand Prix level from her base in Düsseldorf, Germany. The twenty seven year-old started her business in August 2025, prior to that she worked for the Belgian Grand Prix rider and trainer Johan Zagers for over ten years.
What training do you do and what does a typical day look like for you?
Joana with Vitus CDI 3* in Peelbergen. “Born to become a Grand Prix Horse”
I am a passionate dressage rider, having a big dream to be a successful international rider and building up my international business. I love to train horses by myself up to Grand prix level. Together with Johan Zagers we have already brought eight horses to Grand Prix level.
I love to be in the stables every day. I wake up every day at 5.15am to be early enough in the stable to work with the horses. I ride and train 8-12 horses every day. I also love going to competitions. I am a really ambitious person.
How did horses come into your life and your dressage journey transpire to where it is now?
Horses came to my life when I was a little child. Thanks to my mum. My whole life is about horses. When I was younger, I wanted to do eventing. Eventing really fascinates me, although we never had the opportunity to buy a horse for that and actually I never had a good eye for the distance. After a few falls in jumping, I lost the fun and got also kind of scared, so I put all my power and focus into the dressage world, and I am glad. After leaving school I was sure that I wanted to become a professional rider, so I started my career working for Johan Zagers. Thanks to him – I am who I am.
Who do you train with?
Joana and Dvorak as U25 champions
My current trainer is Johan Zagers, always and forever. We still train almost every day and training up our horses. It was not always easy with us together as we are both super passionate and ambitious with a strong mind, and I am really emotional. But we also know that together we can be unbeatable.
What do you love about dressage?
I love the process and the development of each horse. Every horse has a have a different journey. Dressage is a communication and is really something special. Sadly, a lot of people don’t see how long it takes and how hard it is to train up a Grand Prix horse. They don’t see how many solutions we are trying to find and how often we fail. We all love our horses but it’s not always easy. I love the feeling when finally, the right “click” comes and it feels like surfing on clouds. I can never get enough of a good dressage training session. There will be always bad days, but I don’t worry about that.
Which horses hold a special place in your heart and have helped you on your journey?
Joana and her “baby” horse
Davidoff ter Kwincke (Owned by Paul Verschueren) – He is a really once in a lifetime horse. With him I was super successful in the U25 tour.
I was for a few years part of the “Piaff-Förderpreis”, with him. I was in the German team U25 and we won a few Grand Prix’s together. A crazy horse but a fighter. We retired him last year at 16 years old. He changed my life – he gave everything for me, and I tried to give it back. We love each other. I am so thankful that he never got sold and I still meet him as often I can.
Vitus 95 – He was born to become a Grand Prix Horse. He was not that easy as a young horse, super sensitive and hot. Nobody believed in us, but we made it up to Grand Prix. I was super successful with him – my best placement with him was in Münster 2025 with a 4th place above 71% in our first S**** test. After that he got sold and of course I was really sad. He taught me that good things take time and that it’s worth it to believe in your horse even if the others don`t.
Dvorak 6 – This horse also meant a lot to me. He was really special as a young horse – and he was super easy and safe at competitions. Also, we had a lot of success up to Grand Prix level. We won the Championship of “Rheinland” 2019 and 2020.
Sir Robinson – He was the very first horse I got to ride for Johan Zagers, he was a baby at four years old and I was eighteen years old. We learnt a lot together – with him I made it up to Grand Prix level. He was also sold.
Proudest achievements to date?
The final of “Piaff-Förderpreis in Stuttgart with Davidoff. The first international senior debut with Davidoff in Lier and with Vitus in Peelbergen. First S**** placements with Vitus in Münster 2025. My personal highlight is already producing more than eight Grand Prix horses for my age (hopefully more to come)
Challenging moments?
Joana with Dandeilino. “A new Grand Prix Horse in the making”
Everyday I have challenging moments on my dressage journey. If you work with horses, there will always be problems which need to be solved. I have had nights I could not sleep, days I didn’t want to go to work, horses I didn’t want to ride because I thought I couldn’t or because I was scared. Horses make you crazy in good and in difficult ways.
Over the years I have learnt that this is a part of this job and we are responsible to find solutions. Solutions for the horses and solutions for us. In the past I thought that I needed to solve every problem by myself – now I know that this is not true. It’s fine to ask others for help.
I also learned that there is a solution for every horse – we are the ones who need to find the right one for each horse. Every horse is different to work with, a different tempo and a different limit. We must accept this and then it will work.
What advice can you offer to a rider who wants to reach and compete at Grand Prix?
NEVER give up. Work hard and certainly it will never be easy. And that’s okay.
What are your future goals and aspirations?
Joana with Dvorak and her trainer, Johan Zagers
My biggest dream is to make it to the Olympics for Germany. I know it will be very hard, Germany is really strong. But I will not give up and I also know if I ever meet the right horse its possible.
Your Top Tip
Give your horses time. Be open minded. Never stop thinking and learning by doing – it’s okay to make mistakes but don’t do them twice.
What is the best piece of advice that you have ever been given?
Shoulder in position in riding! Inside leg to the outside rein, trot and canter transitions and a strong hindleg. That’s always a good key and it works for every horse. And for life… Don’t trust everyone, stay with the people who believe in you. Keep on going and believe in yourself.