The Dutch magazine De Hoefslag reported that the 19-year old KWPN licensed stallion Gregor (by Uniform x Rinaldo) has passed away following a severe colic attack. The grey stallion stood up for stud in The Netherlands till 2000 and was then sold to Martijn and Sarah Schuurman in the United States. Hoefslag wrote that "the stallion seemed to carry a history due to a forced career in dressage. Sarah took on the Gregor project and via clicker training she was able to get good results from him." Schuurman tried everything to save the stallion, but there was too much damage to the intestines and too much pain. He was humanely put down.
Search for Australians Working Overseas!!! Lec Bruggisser is looking to interview Australian grooms and riders who are working overseas. If you are or know of an Australian rider (any discipline) who is or has worked in a stable overseas and would be willing to discuss their experiences and have them published in The Horse Magazine please contact Lec Bruggisser -a.bruggisser.10@scu.edu.au 0407959501
De Hoefslag also published that the world famous mare Poetin has been successfully cloned by the French cloning company Cryozootech. The French Xavier Marie, the last owner of the Brandenburg mare Poetin (Sandro Hit x Brentano II), contacted Cryozootech to store cells of the mare after her death in 2005 due to acute laminitis. On March 30, a healthy filly was born, which is genetically identical to Poetin. This filly is the first cloned famous dressage horse in the world.
Annemiek van der Vorm is leaving stable De Watermolen as owner Jan Greven has is contemplating stopping the dressage section in his stable. Van der Vorm, who rode the KWPN stallion Scandic (by Solos Carex) at national level, has decided to leave and will be renting a few stalls near her home town Distelbergen and working from there. According to Horses of the Dutch, she's also contemplating taking up a normal job again in the afternoon in office management.
Hubert Schmidt, father of German team rider Hubertus Schmidt and founder of Schmidt's farm "Fleyenhof" in Borchen-Etteln, Germany, has passed away. Hubert died of old age in his sleep on Sunday August 5, 2007. Hubert was a great inspiration for Hubertus and will be greatly missed.
Iron Spring Farm purchased a new Dutch warmblood licensed stallion to add to their roster. They acquired Riverman (by Kenwood x Voltaire) from the Van Manen brothers in The Netherlands. The 9-year old bay stallion flies to the States on Sunday August 19, 2007. In the U.S.A. he will be called "Riverman-ISF" to prevent confusion with Hilltop Farm's Riverman. Riverman-ISF will be stable mates with UB40, Sir Sinclair, Consul, Rampal and Judgement.
Carl Hester has had a disappointing few weeks. Besides having to withdraw from the British team competing at the 2007 European Championships because Lecantos injured himself, Hester lost his former ride and three-times national champion Legal Democrat. The horse was put down last month at the age of 22. Carl was on the team with Marcia Kelsey’s Dutch-bred gelding in 1999, finishing 13th at the European Championships, and they were national champions from 1997 to 1999.
Much bad luck for Dutch junior rider Lotte Janssen. Horses of the Dutch reported that she recently lost her junior riders' horse Mondego to colic. The 13-year old KWPN gelding by Contango x Irco Polo died during colic surgery. Janssen and Mondego were members of the Dutch Junior Riders B-team. Janssen's FEI ponyOosteind's Rocco is recovering from surgery as well and is not yet back in training. Janssen herself currently suffers from the Pfeiffer disease, better known as glandular fever. We wish her a speedy recovery!
Horses of the Dutch also wrote that Rien van der Schaft's small tour horse Indiana Jones (Saros xx x Onyx) has been humanely put down. The bay Dutch warmblood gelding suffered from multiple colic attacks and it was in the horse's best interest to be euthanized. The 17-year old Indiana Jones was retired this year after having competed under Rien's daughter Romy at junior riders level in 2006. Indiana Jones' show name was Icarlin.