Horses.nl reported that Dutch Grand Prix mare and current Young Riders horse Madorijke has been retired from competition and will be a brood mare as of now. The 17-year old dark bay Contango x Voltaire offspring returned to her owner and breeder J.A. van Venrooij in Schijndel. Madorijke was trained and competed at Grand Prix level by Madeleine Vrees and then moved to the stable of Rien van der Schaft, who continued her GP career. Afterwards junior/young rider daughter Romy took over the reins. At their last competition together, the 2011 CDI Zwolle in January, the combination was excused from the test because the mare was unlevel.
Dutch kur composer Cees Slings recently returned from a successful visit to Wellington, Florida, where he met new clients and friends. The news is that the composer, who arranged all three of Anky van Grunsven's Olympic gold medal winning freestyles, is currently slaving at SIX new productions which means that the man is fully booked for 2011. We heard through the grapevine that Cees is working on freestyles for young riders Noemie Goris and Sanneke Rothenberger, Grand Prix riders Victoria Max-Theurer (Augustin OLD) and Beatriz Ferrer-Salat (Delgado). He is also brain storming on a possible new freestyle for Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral Hojris (this looks promsing for the Olympic Games in Laura's home country!!) and is in the beginning phase of producing two freestyles for a top Swedish Grand Prix rider. Wow. This, of course, raises questions who will design Matthias Rath's new freestyle for Totilas as Slings seems to be unavailable this year!
BYRDS South West trainer Mrs Helen Margaret Sisson from St. Day, Cornwall passed away on Sunday 6 March 2011, aged 58. Jeanne Hooper from Badgworth Arena, Gloucestershire competed with Helen for many years and said, "She will be very sadly missed by a lot of people and of course by British Dressage. I particularly remember her sense of humour, even when she had a problem with her pacemaker in the middle of a test!" South West Regional Development officer Mandy Heath said, "Helen was an integral part of BYRDS South West for many years. She has trained many of our young (and senior ) riders. She was a kind and thoughtful lady who is irreplaceable. She will be greatly missed."
In 2010 Karin Offield, owner of the KWPN breeding stallion Lingh, launched a Lingh Story Contest and the winner has been announced. Offield didn't sleep when all kind of stories and poems arrived, from the USA of course, but also from Sweden and The Netherlands. Karin Offield explains: "It was an amazing experience for me!." Writers sent in multi lingual submissions, stories and poems about the passion of Breeding. The judges panel consisted of two American breeding experts, Tish Quirk and Kathy Hickerson. The European panel consisted of Claartje Van Andel and Maucca Karki. The Winner is Mary Bahniuk Lauritsen! Her story is entitled 'Entranced'
The tenth annual Challenge of the Americas competition and Gala were held Saturday evening, 12 March 2011, at the beautiful International Polo Club Palm Beach. Held as a benefit for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Play for P.I.N.K., the event raised approximately $275,000 in support of research to help find a cure for this disease that has affected so many lives.
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) are offering two exciting equestrian roles at their headquarters in Canary Wharf, London. LOCOG is looking to appoint a Dressage Manager who will report to the Equestrian Sport Manager and will coordinate preparations for and the management of all competitions of the dressage discipline as part of the London 2012 Olympic Games as well as the para-dressage competitions of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The Equestrian Admin Group Leader is a key member of our Equestrian team due to start in April 2012. There is a requirement for the successful applicant to be present at our Equestrian Test Event from 20th June 2011 - 8th July 2011 (event takes place on 4th - 6th July 2011). Please be sure you would be available for these dates. Want the job, click here!?
Karen Pavicic of Richmond, BC, has been named the Dressage Canada Red Scarf Equestrian Athlete of the Month for February following excellent results at the CDI Burbank Mid Winter Dressage aboard Don Daiquiri, the nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding sired by Don Cardinale. “I am delighted to be named as the Dressage Canada Red Scarf Equestrian Athlete of the Month for February,” said Pavicic. “I am really excited about the future with both Don Daiquiri and London Z. I am very proud of how well they performed overall at the competition.”