U.S. FEI rider Jeremy Steinberg, who recently resigned as USEF Youth Team Coach, signed up for a new partnership when he proposed to his girlfriend, New Zealand high performance dressage rider Britta Pedersen, back in November 2013.
A date for the wedding has not yet been set but Steinberg revealed they are contemplating on having a Hawaii wedding, meeting in the middle for the American and New Zealand families. Pedersen plans on moving to the U.S. to pursue her dressage career where more competition opportunities are available.
Fieke Houwen has lost her home bred Grand Prix horse Miss Loxley. The chestnut mare died from an anyeurism on 9 June 2014. Houwen and Miss Loxley made their Interermediaire II debut in March 2014. The mare was home bred by Lord Loxley out of Margo van Meerkus (by De Saint Urus d'Olympe).
Eurodressage's classical dressage specialist Silke Rottermann has won the 2014 Valiant Human Animal Bond Award for the article The Legendary Balagur, which was published in Dressage Today. Rottermann had written the protype version of that story for Eurodressage already back in 2012. Rottermann stated, "having been awarded the Valiant Human Animal Bond Award from the American Horse Publications is a great honor in itself. Having been awarded this honour for a text on such a very special animal like Balagur makes it all the sweeter."
In a meeting on 2 July 2014, the board of directors of the Swiss Equestrian Federation have appointed Martin Wyss as new Sport Chef Dressage. Wyss is succeeding Christian Pläge who resigned from the position following team selection and dressage promotion disagreements within the federation. The 45-year old Wyss has been active in equestrian sport for 15 years. His life partner Christa Bächer is an S-level dressage rider. Wyss is the director of a local bank in Olten, Switzerland. Wyss will now start the search for a replacement for Grand Prix chef d'equipe Michel d'Arcis who also resigned mid May.
Congratulations to Urs Schweizer, managing director of the Lodborgen Dressage Stallion Station, for marrying his long-time girlfriend Barbara Palajos in Makati on the Philippine Islands on 8 June 2014. Schweizer and Palajos celebrated their marriage in intimate circle with family and closest friends at a Spanish colonial restaurant in Makati.
The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation lost a dear friend and leader yesterday, July 2. Vice President R. Bruce Duchossois passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Elected vice president of the organization in 2013, Duchossois has long been an invaluable supporter of the USET Foundation, giving generously of his own time and resources for the betterment of the high performance equestrian sport in the United States. He served as a member of the USET Foundation Executive Committee, as the Chairman of the Development Committee and as a trustee of the foundation for 16 years.
The dates have been set for the Barcelona Dressage Tour 2015. The dates have been officially approved by the FEI through the Royal Spanish Equestrian Federation (RFHE). The Barcelona Dressage Tour is back on the calendar in 2015 after its excellent début this year. The CDI3* is scheduled for March 17 to 22, the CDI 4* for March 24 to 29, 2015.
New Zealand Grand Prix rider Shiwon Green has relocated to Great Britain to aim for the 2016 Olympics. Now based at Ampney Park in Cirencester (right near Laura Tomlinson's yard), she has set up an independent business. Green has already qualified her young stallion F1 (by Floriscount x Sandro Hit x Roadster) for the British 4 year old championships with a score of 88%.