We just heard that Shannon Peters, wife of U.S. team rider Steffen Peters, is currently training and competing Laurie Browning'sFlor de Selva. Shannon showed the Florestan gelding at the LA Equestrian Center national competition and will also be riding him at the Dressage Affaire show in San Diego next month. Laurie Browning purchased Flor de Selva, a 2005 Bundeschampionate finallist under Dr. Ulf Möller, at PSI in partnership with Shannon Peters in November 2005.
So what's up with the 2007 European Dressage Championships in Torino, Italy? So far the only information available about this show is the date and the locationg of the Championships. No official website, no updates so far, not even on the Italian Federation's website www.fise.it. We truly hope Torino will not repeat the Moscow disaster of two years ago!
Blue Hors Stud in Denmark has renamed the 2007 KWPN Stallion Licensing Champion Zagred (by Rousseau x Jazz). The bay stallion will now go through life as "Blue Hors Zack".
Last weekend, the 2007 Swedish Warmblood Stallion Performance Test concluded and the winner became First Wish, by Furst Heinrich out of Annika (by Welton). The 4-year old black stallion is bred by Uwe Marken from Westerstede, Germany, owned by Helena Lindmark, Ålspånga Säteri, and trained at Jan Brink's Tullstorp Dressage Stable AB. A picture of First Wish can be seen here
We can hardly control our excitement, but Eurodressage will be coming up with a super cool new article on equine physiotherapy. Eurodressage's editor-in-chiefAstrid Appels is writing a story on a fantastic, young and talented Belgian equine physiotherapist, Sarah Vermeerbergen (www.paardenkine.be), and Appels is using her own horse Grace as "test animal" for this exclusive case-study. Astrid is keeping a journal and traces the effects of physiotheraphy on her Westfalian mare Grace. A first instalment of the article will appear mid March in which Eurodressage's readers will get an introduction to Sarah and how Grace responded to her very first massage.
According to Horse and Hound, the 2012 London Olympic Games' organizing committee is looking for an equestrian competition manager. The Olympics' official website has an extensive job description but responsibilities include being the focal point for International Federation/International Paralympic Sport Federation (IF) contact in relation to competition issues. They have to ensuring that the competition is conducted in accordance with IF rules and regulations and help to work with other areas to organise the test event. Detailed knowledge of relevant Olympic/Paralympic requirements and experience in event management and operations is essential. The term of employment will run from December of this year.
Horse and Hound also disclosed additional details on the sale of Richard Davison's Karachi to Elisa Swanenberg, who now trains with Anky van Grunsven. HH quotes Davison: "Anky's always liked Karachi, especially for his engine," said Richard. "Elisa wanted to do the new FEI under-25s grand prix, and Anky and I though Karachi would be ideal. "He's really matured into a grand prix horse in the past year, Elisa has been coming over to ride him since before Christmas and she gets on really well with him." More British news at www.horseandhound.co.uk
We had to chuckle a little bit when we read on Equinet that Cesar Parra's Furst Fabio supposedly sold for 4 million euros to an American sponsor. A quick call to Parra solved the matter. Though "Fabio", a Rhinelander gelding by Fidermark x World Champ, has been for sale for a period of time in the autumn of 2006, he currently is still owned by Cesar Parra, who still trains with Hubertus Schmidt (Schmidt was coaching Parra last weekend at the Florida Dressage Classic). After his split with Horses Unlimited, Parra is looking for a new sponsor who wants to join him in his equestrian endeavours, but Fabio is still fully owned by Parra, who purchased the chestnut gelding in Germany two years ago.
Eurodressage received an email from Ulla Salzgeber which clarifies her current role in the whole Salzgeber Spa Hotel / dressage trainer situation: "I couldn`t understand why I had so many phone calls congratulating me on starting up my new business." The Salzgeber family do own a hotel offering spa treatment but the internet news is a little bit behind the times. - They're celebrating its 50th Jubilee this year! Ulla`s husband Sebastian is very pleased with all the complimentary advertising for his hotel buisiness although he points out: " Regretfully, anyone who was hoping for a spa treatment from Ulla might have to wait a little longer. She has four clients with six Grand Prix horses between them staying at Stall Salzgeber for the season and she is preparing them all for international competition. I think we`d better keep her in the horse business for now!" She has Australian squad riders Kelly Lane and Ann Serrao staying with her this season, as well as Anna Ross-Davis from England and Michaela Beer from Germany. This as well as regular clinics in Austria, England and the USA, and her plan to qualify her amazing "Herzruf`s Erbe" for the "Nürnberger Burgpokal, means a very busy year ahead for the international trainer/"