British Team Horse Liebling II Sold to Canada

Dressage

British Dressage News

Donald MacTaggert's Holsteiner gelding Liebling II, who was a silver medal winning team horse at the 2009 European Championships, has been sold to Canada. The 13-year old gelding by Lorentin x Königspark xx will be a 2010 World Equestrian Games hopeful for Canadian Cheryl Meisner.

Liebling II came to fame under Anna Ross-Davies at the 2007 European Championships in Turin, Italy. In 2008 MacTaggert moved the horse to Hester's yard, initially to be sold. However, Hester produced good scores on Liebling II and became a contender for a British team spot. At the 2009 European Championships the combination won team silver and finished 10th in the Kur to Music with 75.900%.

The news of Liebling II's sale broke on Dressage News. "I could tell from the start he was the right type of horse for me,” Cheryl told Dressage News. “It was just perfect. I rode him for two weeks and started to develop a very good partnership. I plan to take it day by day and build a strong partnership with the help of Bert Rutten, Carl Hester and Robert Dover, I am very lucky and grateful to have an opportunity to ride such a fantastic horse."

Hester won't be horseless with three more irons in the fire for the 2010 World Equestrian Games. The sympathetic Brit will be making his Grand Prix debut with Sasha Stewart's Uthopia at the Sunshine Tour CDI this weekend. He will also make his come back with the 16-year old Dolendo (by Donnerhall), who recovered from injury, and is taking on the ride on Anni Macdonald-Hall's Danis warmblood Rosso (by Robin).

Carl Hester told Horse & Hound: "The horse has done an incredible amount for me and the country this past year and it's been a pleasure to ride him. Donald and I had been discussing his future and when Cheryl approached us about buying the horse it seemed like the perfect opportunity, particularly because they clicked straight away."