What's Happening: April 2005 - Part 2

Sat, 04/30/2005 - 00:00
What's Happening in the Dressage World?
Minna Telde at the 2003 World Cup Finals

In an interview with the Swedish magazine Aftonbladet, Swedish Olympic dressage rider Minna Telde confessed having suffered from anorexia. "At one point my weight went down to 42 kilograms, but I have a fantastic family and they have helped me through it," Telde told the magazine. Currently, Telde will not let her weight go under 53 kilograms. "I eat breakfast every morning, whole wheat bread with fruit and a cup of tea." At 10.30h she eats another piece of fruit and has lunch between 1 and 2 PM. Round 4 o' clock she grabs a quick snack and dinner is at 7 PM. Besides riding horses, Telde also works out. She tried aerobics, step aerobics, swimming and thai boxing, but likes Taekwondo the most.

On their way to Las Vegas, Anky van Grunsven and Sjef Janssen witnessed a high speed police pursuit and hold up right in front of them. All of a sudden in the middle of the dreser, police cars appeared from everywhere and blocked the car that was driving right in front of Janssen and Van Grunsven. Two men were pulled out of that car, forced on their knees and hand cuffed. "It was like in a movie," Janssen commented. Welcome to America!

Bad Karma for the German stallion station Birkhof. In two weeks time they lost two of their stallions. First their thoroughbred Heraldik xx passed away, this past weekend they had to put down Tullamore because of severe joint inflammation. The Oldenburger stallion Tullamore (by Torero x Harald x Aladin) competed at Grand Prix level and only started breeding in 2003. Tullamore was owned by Willi Schetter and became 18 years old.

Nadine Capellmann's black Oldenburg stallion Rion (Rohdiamant x Futuro x Aktuell) can now be seen in the show ring under her boyfriend Martin Schaudt. Capellmann purchased Rion from Mariane Moetefindt in January 2004 and competed him a couple of times in Germany, but did not force an impressive break through on him. At the local show in Landshut, Germany, last weekend, Schaudt and the beautiful Rion finished second in the Intermediaire II and seventh in the Grand Prix.

Christine Peters has been appointed the new Dressage Coordinator for Dressage Canada. Peters, who has been riding since the age of 5, has been with Equine Canada since 2000 as the Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director as well as Assistant to the Olympic disciplines of Eventing and Dressage. Her experience and knowledge will prove to be a valuable asset to Dressage Canada in her new role.

Canada will host three new international dressage competitions in 2005, all organized by O-judge Cara Whitham. All three shows are sanctioned by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) and will be held in Ottawa and Toronto, ON. The CDI3*/CDIY/CDIJ Ottawa Spring Classic, presented by Las Marismas Sport Horses, will be held from May 19-22 at the Nepean National Equestrian Park. The CDI3* Toronto Classic will take place August 4-7 at the Royal Canadian Riding Academy (formerly York Equestrian Centre) in Cedar Valley, ON, while the CDI3* Ottawa Fall Classic will be held August 25-28, again at the Nepean National Equestrian Park.

Spanish Olympic dressage rider Rafael Soto was keynote speaker at the British Horse Society's Instructors Convention held at Addington Manor mid April. The convention featured a clinic, in which Soto trained riders and horses from novice to advanced level. One of the attendees at the convention commented that Rafael's teaching was "very clear, concise and helpful." Soto apparantly stressed calmness, the horse being in front of the rider, straightness and preparation. 

And there is more news from Albion. At the British Winter Dressage Championships at the Solihull Riding Center, Damian Hallam rode himself in the picture with three victories and numerous top placings aboard Team Berkeley (read: Tony Pidgley) horses. With the Verden auction price highlight Wolke Sieben(Weltmeyer x Wendeburg) Hallam scored 70.45% and became Medium Level Champion. Aboard Spirit Freedom (aka Sympatico - Sion x Figaro) he became the Novice Champion with 76%. Nicola Jourdain became Intermediaire I winter champion on Sancerre II.

German trainer Johann Hinnemann will be speaking in the Münster Horse Museum on April 28, 2005, at 19.40h. His speech is called "In the Old Days Everything Used to Be Better?" ("Früher war alles besser?") and Hinnemann will discuss the development of dressage.