Dutch FEI Pony rider Shanna Baars is anticipating the future and has acquired her junior rider's horse at her trainer Coby van Baalen's stable. The Baars family purchased the small tour horse Farzana (by Ampere x Florencio) which has been competed internationally by Mara de Vries at the 2017 World Young Horse Championships in the 7-year old division.
Check out the season greetings from Frank Kemperman, FEI Dressage Committee chair and CHIO Aachen show organizer, in the video on the right ;)
Dutch team farrier Gerrie de Crom has handed in his resignation with the Dutch Equestrian Federation. The farrier has indicated he no longer wishes to combine his daily job with the team function. De Crom has been Dutch team farrier since 2011.
Signe and Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, sister-in law and the brother of Danish Olympian Agnete Kirk Kristiansen, have decided to call their business "Kirk Arabians" quits. They started their business of rearing and training dressage Arabians in 2007 and they will close their activities in the spring of 2018. Their most successful horse was Zonyx ox, which they bought in 2010. The couple has decided to spend more time in other areas. Thomas will be more involved in the family business (LEGO). The Kirk Arabians' yard will be taken over by Stutteri ASK, the show jumping division of Blue Hors Stud (which is owned by the Kirk Kristiansen family).
Dutch former pony team rider Jitske Prosman has sold her FEI pony Charina du Bois. The 14-year old Dutch Welsh mare (by Danny Gold x Idzard) competed at international FEI pony level from 2014 till 2016. The pair became a member of the Dutch B-team in 2014 and of the A-team in 2016. They won team bronze at the 2016 European Pony Championships in Vilhelmsborg, Denmark, and bronze at the 2016 Dutch Indoor Pony Championships. Charina du Bois will be a schoolmaster for a rising Dutch pony rider. Trained by Coby van Baalen, Prosman will now move to junior level aboard Rom Vermunt's KWPN bred Gio (by Bretton Woods).
The 41-year old Kristina Ankerhold has been appointed the new managing director of the Warendorf State Stud. The investigation and lawsuit for fraud against the former director Susanne Rimkus as well as Bernhard Gerdemann and Peter Borggreve is still ongoing. Ankerhold is a state government official and has been working for tax inspection and fiscal police. She has a background in horses and had her education as "Pferdewirtin" in the 1990s.
Jennifer Gilchrist of Romanno Stud in Scotland had to say goodbye to her stud foundation stallion Rubin Star N (by Rubinstein x Ramino x Weltmeister). Born in 1991 and bred by Franz Josef Niemöller, Rubin Star N was the 100-day performance test winner in Munich in 1994. He was initially competed in Germany by Dorothee Lehan, Ingrid Berger, Monika Jethon, Ruth Kleine Stuve, Ilke Gartner and lastly by Anja Engelbart in 2003. He finished 12th at the 1997 Bundeschampionate as a 6-year old. Rubin Star N sired one licensed son in Germany: the show jumper (!) Rock Star. The 26-year old Rubin Star N was put to sleep due to old age and health related issues.
Danish European Championship bronze medal winner Cathrine Dufour has acquired the 4-year old Stald Majbøl’s Fürstin (by Furstenball x Romanov). The dark bay mare is bred by Hans og Rita Bonde and was in training with Maria Falkner Hansen at HP Horses in Denmark. See a video of the mare in the top right corner.
Merry Christmas!