Richard Davison will be hosting a dressage masterclass at the British Open Show Jumping Championships on 7-10 April 2010 at the Birmingham's NEC.
Davison will show the diversity of dressage together his wife Gillian, a Grand Prix dressage rider, and his youngest son Joe, currently British national under-18 showjumping champion. "The aim is to take dressage to a wider audience and actually over the years the audience has built up a big interest in dressage," Davison told Eurodressage. "Obviously by using our own show jumpers and dressage horses we want to show the connection."
Davison's connection with show jumping might not be so well known in the dressage world. "I have worked with our World Class show jumpers and senior team members for eight years plus (they come for squad training sessions at my yard every month) and I am at jumping shows almost every week these d
Former Dutch Young Rider Marrigje van Baalen has received the rider on her aunt Coby van Baalen's Grand Prix horse Kigali (by Wolfgang x Voltaire). The bay licensed KWPN stallion is owned by Coby, Henk Krooswijk and Piet De Vries and will be Marrigje's partner for the "Future Test" Under 25 Grand Prix classes.
According to De Hoefslag, the 18-year old KWPN stallion Krack C is making his come back to the show ring while he was officially retired as a competition horse in 2008. The dark bay stallion, who competed internationally under Anky van Grunsven, will now be ridden by Dutch young rider Brigit van der Drift. The new duo will make its show debut next week at the national Dutch show in Harmelen.
Edward Gal's second Grand Prix horse Sisther de Jeu (by Gribaldi) has been submitted to the Dutch A-team following his 72,27% Grand Prix score at the 2010 Dutch Indoor Championships.
Swiss FEI pony rider Estelle Wettstein has two new ponies at her disposal. Dressage Task Force member and Austrian Equestrian Federation president Sissy Max-Theurer offered her two ponies Championess and Nice Blue Eyes to the Wettstein family. The 5-year old Championess was a reserve champion at the 2009 Bundeschampionate and Champion at the 2008 Bundeschampionate. Nice Blue Eyes is a former Munster auction pony and was Bundeschampion in 2008 as a 4-year old. Wettstein will also continue to ride her current FEI pony Rhythm N Blues.
At the Marbach Riding Horse Auction the 5-year old stallion Ricanto (by Riccione) sold for the top knock down price of 24,500 euro to Herrmann Schweizer in Canada. Olympian Martin Schaudt acquired the 4-year old Woody (by Worldly) for 15,000 euro.
The Oscar son, which became the 2010 KWPN Licensing Champion, has been given a name. The bay stallion owned by Van Norel is now called "Cover Story".
Horsus.nl reported that Jurgen Wirths' Grand Prix horse Souverän W has passed away. The dark bay Hanoverian gelding by Salut x Wohlgemut became 25 years old. Wirths and Souverän were highly succesful in the late 1990s and became German Champion. In 2000 he finished fifth at the World Cup Finals. The amateur dressage rider and business mogul Wirths acquired his horse at the Verden Elite Auction for 25,000 euro. After Wirths retired, his daughter Nadine briefly showed the gelding.
Top British dressage riders and judges are planning a June "Dressage Extravaganza" to raise money for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. The idea stemmed from a British Dressage forum discussion in snowy January. "Everyone was moaning about how difficult things were," recalls Dressage Extravaganza show director and BD judge Gloria Leverett. "So I suggested we stop complaining and do something for other people for a change. The response was amazing and it grew from there." Carl Hester has agreed to be patron of the event on 26-27 June at Hartpury College, which gave the venue free of charge. "It's a chance for people to do something," said Carl. "So come and support us. It should be a great show." Classes run from preliminary to grand prix and Saturday night will host a gala featuring top riders such as Carl Hester and GB Chef d'Equipe Richard Davison. There will be a Grand Prix Challenge, compered by David Pincus and featuring an X Factor-style judging panel. "Riders ride against each other and the audience will be asked to join in the judging," explained David. ays, it's the other side of my life," he confessed to Eurodressage.
Nicola McGivern's Hanoverian mare Walera, a full sister to her former British Grand Prix team horse Walero (by Wanderer), has been accepted for breeding to Totilas. She will be trailer to Holland for insemination in April. Congrats.
Australian Grand Prix rider Lyndal Oatley compared dressage competition to chess in her blog on the Australian website On the Bit. "Riding is beginning to feel like a game of chess. With so many Aussies going for positions in the WEG team, it has become more important than ever to use that thing between your ears. What shows to do? What CDI's? Which warm up competitions? I can tell you now that the next few months are not going to be dull!"
For her 16th birthday British FEI Pony Rider and pony team member Claire Gallimore won a lesson with Laura Bechtolsheimer at the British Equestrian Federation Fundraiser. "My sneaky parents had managed to win an auction prize to raise money for the GBR teams to go to Kentucky and the prize was a lesson with Laura Bechtolsheimer," Gallimore wrote in her blog on Horse Hero. "I was stunned and totally excited! I can’t wait to go there in April and experience Laura’s expertise first hand!"
Our pretty spicy write up about the peculiar judging on the first week of competition at the Sunshine Tour CDI caused quite a stir. In Lynne Crowden's blog on Horse Hero, the British dressage horse owner and breeder addresses the exact same issue (so we are definitely not the only ones out there who are puzzled by it). Crowden wrote: "Maria (Eilberg) has had great success with Rocky and Two Sox although it is clear that mystery judging takes place the world over. In the first GP that I saw she was given an incredible 61% by the French judge who was clearly out of synch with all the others who were between 68 and 70% plus. What was going on there? He was also out of synch with the French horse… this time in the opposite direction, when his colleagues had it on 60 and 61% and he had it on 64%. I know that this is a sport but it is a competitive and professional sport and it is hard to be philosophical when there are such glaring issues with judging. Let’s hope some sort of appeal system will come along."
Following a banner year in 2009 for the Markel U.S. Young Horse Dressage Program, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) announced the continuation of Markel Insurance as title sponsor as the 2010 Championship season gets under way. Markel Insurance has been a steadfast supporter of the USEF Young Horse Dressage Program since 2002. A long time supporter of equestrian sport in many disciplines, Markel Insurance’s commitment to dressage helps ensure the development of a strong future generation of horses through the Young Horse Program. DressageDaily's Mary Phelps Hathaway has been a long time Markel Equine Insurance Agent and has covered the Young Horses Championships since its inception.
Woodspring Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, will host the Canadian Dressage team as the official pre-WEG training facility. Woodspring Farm is a 300-acre facility owned by Kathy Priest and her husband Dr. Gary Priest, DVM.
Don't forget to read Karen Robinson's blog of this week. Here you read about some REAL horse abuse happening in the show ring in front of everyone.. and no yellow cards or FEI stewards taking action!!!