The Oldenburg Promotion Society has decided to sponsor the Oldenburg Grand Prix horses Diego and Sancisco. In the future they will carry the OLD suffix behind their name.
Diego (by Don Larino x Angelino) is a former auction horse and the reserve champion of the 2009 Piaff Forderpreis. Under owner Marion Engelen, he is now making the transition to Grand Prix. Sancisco (by Sandro Hit x Rohdiamant) is owned by Ira Denkaus from Gestut Kempke Hoof. He competed in Nurnberger Burgpokal Finals and has achieved his first placings at Grand Prix level under Ronald Luders.
Kerri McGregor has been named a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee’s (COC) Sport Partners Relations committee. Sport Partners Relations is responsible for the COC’s rapport with national sport organisations (NSO), augmenting the role and experience of COC Session Members, fostering Canadian presence in international sports federations and the COC’s and NSO’s relationships with local sport agencies and organisations. In addition to increasing the equestrian presence on COC committees and sport partners,McGregor’s new committee activities will also strongly complement her role as theCanadian Equestrian Team Leader at the Olympics, Pan American Games, and at the World Equestrian Games.
On Tuesday night, 23 March 2010, the Greenwich Council's Planning Committee voted in favour of the planning application submitted by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) for the temporary use of land at Greenwich Park, the National Maritime Museum, the Old Royal Naval College and Blackheath Circus Field for the London 2012 Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon events. “The FEI is thrilled by the decision of the Greenwich Council's Planning Committee in regard to the planning application for Greenwich Park,” FEI President HRH Princess Haya declared. “Greenwich Park is a spectacular venue which places equestrian sport right at the heart of the 2012 Olympic Games. With just over two years left until the Games open we are looking forward to working with LOCOG to showcase the sport to the world from this spectacular location in London,” FEI Secretary General Alex McLin further commented.
Jan and Anna Schuil, the breeders of Totilas, have been awarded the "Doruto Memorial," a trophy in recognition of high quality Trakehner breeding offered by Trakehner Contact Nederland. Though Totilas is only half Trakehner through Trakehner sire Gribaldi (by Kostolany), the stallion promoted the use of Trakehner blood for top quality dressage horse breeding. Jikkie den Bieman-Willemsen was proclaimed TCN Breeder of the Year 2009. Her mare Evita (by Schwadroneur x Cannon Row xx) is one of the most influential Trakehner mares in Europe.
The liver chestnut Dutch warmblood O'Brian is back in Holland. The Flemmingh offspring competed at the World Young Horse Championships under Seth Boschman and then sold to Great Britain. One year ago his British owner no longer wanted him and returned him to his breeder in Holland, Margie Ansems. She made her come back to the show ring with him at PSG level last week in Nieuw en St. Joosland and won the class.
Tidningen Ridsport reported that Swedish Grand Prix rider Charlotte Haid-Bondergaard sold her Grand Prix horse FBW Lonevan (by Lagoheidor x High Life) to Danish horse dealer Jens-Erik Markussen as part of her purchasing project of the 4-year old KWPN stallion Bellagio. Lonevan made his FEI break through under Ingrid Klimke and sold to Haid in 2007. Jim Rasmussen will now be riding Lonevan. Haid will continue her GP career with her other horse Lydianus.
Sidelines reported that Shawna Harding will be marrying Brian Quackenbush."After four years of courtship they’re going to march down the aisle April 3rd," Sidelines wrote.
The Swedish owned licensed stallion Danzas (by De Niro x Weltmeyer) will becompeted by German young rider Kathleen Keller. The Grand Prix schooled black stallion did his first show with Keller at the CDN Hildesheim-Marienburg and won the Intermediaire I and St. Georges Kur to Music.
On March 21, Manfred Lopp, retired head rider of the Celle National State Stud, died at the age of 80. Manfred Lopp was born on June 19, 1929. He started to work for the Lower Saxonian State Stud Celle in 1946. In 1955, he completed his exam as certified riding instructor and in 1958/1959, he continued with a four-month further education at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. From 1965 until his retirement in 1994, he was the head of the stallion performance testing station in Adelheidsdorf.He contributed considerably to improving and enhancing the importance of stallion performance tests in the German sport horse breed. In recognition of his excellent accomplishments for the Lower Saxonian horse breed and for the Celle National State Stud, he was honoured with the Lower Saxonian Order of Merit in 1992. Following his retirement, Manfred Loop contributed his sound expert knowledge to lots of examining boards, judges' commissions and to Hannoveraner Verband. He was a fantastic ambassador of the Hanoverian horse in many different countries all over the world. Hanoverian breeders all over the world grieve for an outstanding horse expert who was not only popular and admired because of his expert knowledge, but also because of his straightness, combined with modesty and humanity. Manfred Lopp leaves behind two daughters and four grandchildren.
Former British Olympic team horse Argentile Gullit (by Ulft x Apple King xx) haspassed away. Carl Hester competed him at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and the bay gelding was officially retired in 2007.
The Australian Dressage Committee vacancies have been filled by Kim Thomas,who has returned to the the committee for a further two year period, and new member,Karen Herald from Queensland.
The 25-year old Dutch warmblood Darwin (by Tangelo xx) also died. He was a schoolmaster for Dutch junior/young rider Wendy Fokker. In 2002 they were Dutch junior rider champion, in 2003 they were team gold medallists at the European Junior Riders Championships and in 2004 they won team gold at the 2004 European Young Rider Championships, but they had to withdraw after the team test.
Dutch journalist Claartje van Andel published a lovely booklet "A tribute to the FEI World Cup Dressage 1986-2010" which was officially unveiled at the 25th World Cup Finals in Den Bosch last weekend. Illustrated with photos by Arnd Bronkhorst, the booklet was printed with the support of RICOH, a long-time sponsor of Indoor Brabant (formerly as Nashuatec). "I had to do the book in a jiffy but I'm extremely happy with how it turned out," van Andel told Eurodressage. "I have express my thanks to RICOH associate Annie de Bree, who worked nights and weekends on the layout." The 62-page booklet is in English and contains the history of the World Cup as well as statistic information and interviews with twelve World Cup winners. The booklet is a limited edition and can be ordered atwww.mediaboek.nl.