Ulrich Kasselmann became the recipient of the 2013 Courage Prize at a special ceremony in Bad Iburg, Germany, the two next to his home Hagen am Teutoburger Wald. "Mr Kasselmann shows exemplary dedication also to people, who are not in as fortunate a position as himself and his family," said Herd Schöwing of the Courage committee. Ulrich was also praised for his "visionary work in the equestrian sport." Kasselmann donated the 5,000 euro Courage prize money to the charity "Riding Against Hunger".
Top Iberian reported that the 7-year old small tour horse Diego (by Don Frederico x Weltruhm) has been sold to Finnish dressage rider Sussi Avellan, who is based in Hamburg, Germany. Under Juan Antonio Perez Pulido the black Hanoverian gelding was the 2012 Spanish Young Horse reserve champion in the 6-year old division and he made his small tour debut in the spring of 2013.
Jane MacElree and Hilltop Farm purchased the recently licensed, 3-year old Hanoverian stallion Sternlicht GGF (Soliman de Hus x Rascalino). The black stallion was bred by Rachel Ehrlich of Massachusetts and is the second stallion from her well-established breeding program to be approved by the American Hanoverian Society. Rachel was also the breeder of Donarweiss GGF. "It was important to us to find another top US-bred prospect for us to develop," says Jane MacElree. "Sternlicht has all the qualities we were looking for as a breeding stallion and a future competition horse."
It's wedding bells for Spain's number one Grand Prix rider Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz. Fuego's rider married Maria Clerc de Lasalle Rubin de Celis in Ronda, near Malaga, Spain, on Friday 11 October 2013. Approximately 400 guests attended the lavish wedding ceremony, including riders such as Beatriz Ferrer-Salat, Claudio Castilla Ruiz, and Diana Ostariz, as well as former Spanish chef d'equipe Bobby Fernandez de Bobadilla and team trainer Jan Bemelmans.
It's holiday time for some international dressage riders and equestrian journalists. Spanish Olympian Morgan Barbançon Mestre and her family are enjoying an 8-day stay on the Maldives. Morgan brought along her boyfriend, internationally acclaimed show jumper Nicolas Philippaerts. Danish journalist Thomas Bach Jensen, who works for Ridehesten, the company that ran the press centre at the European Championships in Herning, is taking a well earned 3-week holiday in South Africa.
British FEI rider Harry Payne has lost his top horse Sir Real in the morning of 10 October 2013. The 14-year old bay Dutch warmblood gelding (by Clavecimbel) collapsed during training and died of a suspect heart attack. His rider sustained a broken collar bone. "This is a tough one to swallow," Payne commented on the tragic loss of the horse he described as his "soul mate." Payne and Sir Real represented Great Britain at the 2011 CDI Vidauban and 2013 CDI Vierzon and Pompadour.
More wedding bells are ringing! German based Portuguese dressage rider Antonio do Vale (31) married the 26-year old Joana Serra Lopes on 28 September 2013 in a special wedding ceremony held in Estoril, Portugal. Do Vale lives in Lastrup, Germany, and is currently riding famous stallion Fidertanz at stallion station Bockmann. He also rode Bailarino at the 2013 Bundeschampionate in Warendorf. The former Cascais based Joana, who joined Antonio in Lastrup, is also a dressage rider
Florida real estate agent Matt Johnson acquired the 4-year old Danish warmblood stallion Petersborg Qasanova (by Quaterback x Calypso II) from Andreas Helgstrand. Bred by Jannie Groot in Denmark, Qasanova was qualified for the 2013 Danish warmblood licensing but not accepted. He has now been sold as a sport horse to Florida.