Tough luck for Belgian young rider Noemie Goris. Her top young rider's horse Ucelli T (by Olivi) knocked himself during a training session at the 2011 Sunshine Tour CDI in Spain and got injured to his front leg.
The dark bay gelding, who was praised by the judges for his spectacular gaits, needs three months off to make the best recovery. Vet Tim Samoy of equine clinic De Morette has ensured full recovery, so owner and rider Goris wants to play it safe and give her horse all the time he needs to recuperate. Ucelli T is already schooling piaffe and passage and the long term goal is to make the transition to Grand Prix with him. We wish him a speedy recovery.
According to Sidelines News Canadian dressage rider Jacquie Brooks and Mason Phelps are teaming up for a website next year. The focus of the site will be all about Wellington events and happenings and it will give you the opportunity to keep up with the social schedule, event schedule and even a chance to blog on the Wellington events. Stay tuned for more details.
Check out the video in the top right corner. Laura Bechtolsheimer did a commercial for VISA credit cards riding a buckskin Lusitano stallion. Is that Miguel Ralao Duarte's Regalo she's aboard??
European Pony Champion Jessica Krieg travelled to Saumur in style with her brand new Ketterer Professional Double Pop Out. The lorry fits five horses (or ponies in her case at the moment) and has luxurious living quarters. Krieg is not the only one who recently invisted in a fantastic Ketterer lorry. Spanish Olympian Beatriz Ferrer-Salat has also invested in an jaw-dropping new lorry, as well as Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff, who now has new wheels to transport Totilas
At the beginning of April Isabell Werth has competed Der Stern in his first national Grand Prix test. This takes Isabell's string of Grand Prix horses to a total of six. Which other Grand Prix rider is actively competing six Grand Prix horses at this moment??? Satchmo, Warum Nicht, Don Johnson, El Santo, Der Stern and First Class. The latter is now being shown by Werth's in-house rider Matthias Bouten but was introduced to GP level by Werth herself. Impressive achievement.. Wait until next year when Isabell will add Laurenti and Rhapsody Queen to that list!
Canadian Karen Robinsen is quite a sleuth when it comes to digging out the truth. She was wondering why Princess Haya was not present at the 2011 World Cup Finals in Leipzig, this historic first-time event that saw four World Cup titles contested under one roof. Haya preferred to attend the horse races in England instead of making an acte-de-presence at the Finals in Leipzig. "Turns out HRH was with her husband at the 1000 Guineas Classic in Newmarket, where Sheikh Mohammed’s filly Godolphin’s Blue Bunting won her race," Robinsen wrote. 'There is even a photo of the happy couple dated May 1 on the Sheikh’s website. Family does hold a legitimate first place in the personal value systems of many people, but a day at the races instead of attending the most important event of the year in the sport of which you are the elected boss? She made it to Badminton the week before, so why the cold shoulder to Leipzig? I don’t imagine her friend Reem Acra was very pleased, particularly since this was the first WC dressage final to be sponsored by the designer of outrageously fabulous gowns."
Horses.nl reported that Belgium based Dutch Grand Prix rider Willem Jan Schotte lost his former Grand Prix horse Karmijn (by Michelangelo). The black mare colicked and was operated on, but did not make it through the surgery. She was humanely euthanized as the colic had been too damaging. Her one week old foal by Belissimo M is fine and a foster mom is being sought for it.
The CDI Hagen is certainly the place to people watch and to be seen. Michael Ripploh and Fran Goodsell brought their brand new dachshund to the show and she was at her best behaviour. We also saw young Grand Prix rider Geertje Hesse school a super talented 5-year old dark bay mare (by Moosbends Ricardos). French judge Mariette Almasy is always decked out in the most stylish outfits and wore eye-catching turquoise blue from head to toe on Thursday. Talking about fashion.. Danish Fie Skarsoe is always dressed to the tees when riding her horses. She schooled One Night Stand (by Olivi) in cognac brown crocodile leather boots, a matching Hermes belt and even her Ralph Lauren polo shirt reflected the colours of her accessories.
We certainly hope that the FEI will make it mandatory for riders to wear a helmet in the ring at international competitions !! We were shocked to see that 99% of the riders competing at the CDI Hagen did not bother to wear a helmet while training or warming up their horses, not even young mothers who recently gave birth to babies, nor even American Jan Ebeling who could have felt a bigger obligation after U.S. Olympian Courtney King-Dye's accident. For many it's just plain lip-service (or they get sponsored to wear a helmet and do it in the public eye for 10 minutes). The only ones really setting the example were some of the "younger" riders! Hallelujah! Fie Skarsoe, Mirelle van Kemenade, Patrik Kittel and youth riders Annabel Frenzen and Katharina Winkelhues all were exemplary wearing helmets while riding their horses. Come on, you're at a public competition and role models for other riders. Set an example for crying out loud!!!
On Saturday, July 16, 2011, an Equine Art Auction will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Showplace for Saddlebreds. This is the seventh year for the Auction, which is conducted by the American Saddlebred Museum, but the first time it will be held at the Horse Park. Sixty-six lots of items will be sold, including artwork in all media, antiques, collectibles and rare books. Works by the following artists are being offered: George Ford Morris, Paul Brown, Edwin Bogucki, Cecil Aldin, Edward Penfield, W. S. Vanderbilt Allen, Max F. Klepper, Gladys Brown Edwards, Francis Eustis, Walter Brown, Helen Hayse, Marie DuBarry, Doris Linder, Gwen Reardon Marino, Douwe Blumberg, Sally Jackson, Jeanne Newton, James Walls, Pat Mitchell, Andrea Johns, Kathleen Chism, Denise Peterson, Janet Crawford, Dimaro, Mark Shohayda, Barbara Warner, L. Sutton Collins and Kenna Al-Sayed.
