Black Horse One Merges Tradition with Technology to Transform Equestrian Events
By Timo Elliott | December 19, 2025
Equestrian sports, with origins tracing back to ancient Greece and featuring in the Olympics since 1912, epitomize tradition, grace, and skill. Among these, dressage stands out as what the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) calls “the ultimate expression of horse training and elegance,” where horse and rider perform intricate routines evaluated by judges worldwide.
Bringing such a deeply traditional sport into the digital era was a formidable challenge—one that Black Horse One embraced starting in 2016. Under the leadership of CEO Daniel Göhlen, the company partnered with SAP to quietly revolutionize equestrian competitions, turning manual, paper-based processes into streamlined, digital experiences.
Digitizing a Tradition-Bound Sport
At the heart of Black Horse One’s initiative was the need to modernize and integrate equestrian event management. The company, comprising a dedicated team of 12, introduced digital scoring systems to replace cumbersome paper methods, streamlined event operations, and enhanced engagement for trainers, athletes, judges, federations, event managers, and fans alike. This fusion of technology and tradition supported the sport’s community’s diverse needs while preserving the essence of dressage.
But Göhlen and his team saw even greater potential for innovation, particularly in overcoming the operational complexities of large-scale equestrian events and breaking down the industry’s highly siloed data systems.
Unlocking Potential with SAP Business Technology Platform
With SAP’s “consistency, affordability, and proven reliability” becoming indispensable, Black Horse One took its digital transformation further by leveraging the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP). This next-generation digital event management system offers real-time, end-to-end oversight and simplifies workflows across the board. Event organizers and national federations now benefit from a comprehensive 360-degree software solution, which has impressively halved the time needed for event preparation.
The impact of this innovation has been transformative. Black Horse One expanded from managing 100 shows annually in 15 countries to about 300 shows across 32 countries, while monthly unique users skyrocketed from 50,000 to nearly 3 million. Remarkably, this surge in scale has been sustained without expanding beyond the original small core team.
Breaking Data Silos and Supporting Expertise Sharing
Equestrian sports involve a wealth of data from multiple sources—judges’ real-time scoring, federations’ separate horse records, and live updates from event organizers. Black Horse One’s digitization efforts have dismantled these data barriers, ensuring all information is instantly updated and accurate to meet fan expectations and uphold competition integrity.
Göhlen, a former equestrian athlete himself, highlights a vital benefit: many seasoned trainers and riders have difficulty preserving and transmitting their deep, arena-earned expertise. The platform facilitates real-time recording and global sharing of performance data, scoring analyses, and training techniques, thereby revolutionizing how the dressage community sustains and passes on its collective knowledge.
Additionally, with animal welfare a cornerstone of the sport, technology offers enhanced tracking and monitoring capabilities that contribute to happier, healthier horses.
Embracing Artificial Intelligence in Equestrian Sports
Black Horse One is also pioneering the use of artificial intelligence (AI) via SAP BTP to deepen its digital impact. AI applications now analyze performance and biomechanical data, delivering personalized training insights. The company has even developed AI-generated announcers to fill gaps when human commentators are unavailable. Though still in early stages, Göhlen sees “tremendous” AI potential to innovate equestrian sports in effective and responsible ways.
Addressing concerns about technology potentially replacing people, Göhlen emphasizes the importance of showing that digital tools are designed to support, not supplant, human participants in the sport.
Lessons in Sustainable Innovation
Black Horse One’s journey offers valuable insights for businesses—regardless of size or sector—considering digital transformation. Göhlen recommends starting by identifying inefficient or fragmented processes ripe for improvement, then selecting technologies that enable meaningful change. Earning and maintaining customer trust is crucial, especially in mission-critical environments where errors can’t be undone.
Most importantly, innovation must be viewed as a continuous process rather than a final goal. “Never stop learning,” Göhlen advises. “Each project should push you and your team to grow technically and strategically. This is how innovation stays real and sustainable.”
Explore More
For a deeper dive into Black Horse One’s transformation of equestrian sports, watch the feature video and listen to Göhlen’s conversations on the Better Together: Customer Conversations podcast series on demand. The discussions provide fascinating perspectives on merging tradition with technology to enhance both the sport and the experience for everyone involved.
About the Author: Timo Elliott is Vice President and Global Innovation Advocate for SAP BTP at SAP.
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