On Sunday 9 February 2014, Edward Gal's former Dutch international Grand Prix horse Sisther de Jeu became a dam for the first time. Sisther did not carry the foal herself.
A dark bay embryotransfer filly named Jubilee de Jeu (by Charmeur) was born out of surrogate mare Fabelle de Jeu (by Furst Romancier). Four more ET-foals out of Sisther de Jeu are expected in the spring, two by Jazz, one by Zonik and another one by Charmeur.
Horses.nl reported that the 2014 KWPN reserve licensing champion Governor STR (by Totilas x Jazz) will go in training with Adelinde Cornelissen after the black stallion has completed the 2014 KWPN Stallion Performance Test. Governor STR is owned by Gerald Korbeld and is bred out of a full sister to Adelinde's Parzival.
American junior rider Rebecca Cohen has retired her junior Region 3 team horse, the 17-year old chestnut Westfalian gelding Downtown (by Delmar x Joachim). The pair finished 8th in the Kur Finals at the 2012 North American Junior Riders Championships. They were also 2012 U.S. reserve junior rider champion. "He taught me everything I know to this day and he is the horse that put me on the map to have a future in this industry," Cohen commented. "Thank you to all the people, team mates and sponsors that have helped me through the years and most of all thank you to the best horse in the world, Downtown!"
The 2011 Trakehner reserve licensing champion Herakles (by Gribaldi x Michelangelo) has moved in training with Dorothee Schneider. The stallion is bred in Denmark by Mette Hansen and is previously trained and completed by Mareike Peckholz.
The 15-year old Hanoverian licensed stallion Don Crusador (by Don Bosco x Lauries Crusador xx) has been leased to France for a 6-month period. Bred by Imke Eckert and owned by the Celle State Stud, Don Crusador has 9 licensed sons, including Don Inde and Don Lanero. The black stallion was the 2000 Hanoverian Licensing Champion.
Arjen Teeuwissen's 16-year old Grand Prix horse Rivaldi T (by Gribaldi) has been euthanized. The tall horse got injured and developed arthrosis on the injured leg. The Belgian based Teeuwissen acquired Rivaldi T in 2005 and competed him last at the 2013 Dutch Dressage Championships, where they finished 23rd.
Hoefslag.nl reported that Adelinde Cornelissen has the ride on the Dutch bred stallion Aqiedo (by Undingo x Metall) four months ago. She became half owner of the black stallion and he is currently schooling the beginning of the Grand Prix. "He has only done the Pavo Cup and afterwards had a few light injuries," Cornelissen told Hoefslag. "He has little mileage on him. At the moment we are just playing, but he also ready does the start of the tempi changes and pirouettes and he can do passage." Adelinde also disclosed that she will be riding her home bred Zephyr (by Jazz) at Grand Prix level this season and has Zizitop (by Scandic) also coming along. The 2011 Dutch European Champion did lose the ride on the 7-year old stallion Dante Delux, which has returned to his owner in Austria.
DIXIT
Canadian Olympian Jacqueline Brooks made quite an interesting statement during the USEA's Instructor's Certification Program Ocala Symposium: "Shortcuts, like rollkur,” Brooks explained, “are lazy. Sure you can get the shoulder to lift by driving down the head and neck and leaving the horse no options, but there is nothing admirable about that. Correct training is about having a partnership, not a dictatorship.”