Straight from the dressage arena in Devon to the tennis court in Middelburg, Virginia: German O-judge Peter Holler, dressed in a tennis skirt (?!), takes up a match against Peruvian I-judge Marian Cunningham.
Renowned U.S. dressage rider Edith Master passed away in August at age 80. She was a multiple Olympic dressage rider and won team bronze in 1976. Her most successful mount was the Hanoverian Dahlwitz. He was by the Trakehner Impuls out of Doublette, Willi Schultheis' most successful dressage horse, which was a multiple winner of Hamburg Derby and 1960 Olympic dressage under Rosemarie Springer.
One of Great Britain's most successful FEI ponies, Erin Williams' German Riding pony mare Dynasty (by Deinhard B), has been sold to a new home. The extravagantly moving palomino mare has been sold to the Ahorner family in Austria.
Kirsten Brouwer, who has made a name for herself this year by riding Dancer to a 4th place at the 2013 World Young Horse Championships in Verden, has received the ride on the KWPN licensed stallion Dark President (by Wynton x G. Ramiro Z) and will be competing him in the 2013-2014 KWPN stallion competition circuit.
Adelinde Cornelissen revealed another new horse in her barn when she took Zizitop (by Scandic x Belisar) to the CDI Vienna. Owned by the Roefs family Zizitop has been with Adelinde for almost 10 months. The horse is still very green and has never been to a show in his life.
Dutch A-team rider Patrick van der Meer has received the ride on the Belgian bred Floris van de Helle (by Fiderhit x Weltart). The duo made its show debut at small tour level at the regional show in Oud-Beijerland and won the Prix St. Georges with 72.50%. The black was previously competed by Belgian Grand Prix rider Ona Dewaegenaere. Van der Meer also added the 6-year old KWPN licensed stallion Chagall D&R (by Jazz) to his string of horses.
Having just read British Dressage Annual General Meeting report, British based Irish Grand Prix rider Dane Rawlins had an interesting statement to make on Facebook. "I would like to suggest further improvements in the wake of the new rule permitting rising trot at medium and extended trot rule. How about standing walk, dismounted canter and riderless tests? maybe remote controlled horses? for sure a member less committee could easily decide on this? #worldsgonemad."