Anna Kasprzak officially retired her double Olympic ride Donnperignon (by Donnerhall x Mozart) from sport in a special ceremony at the 2018 CDI-W Herning on 20 October 2018. Check out the video on your right.
Finnish Grand Prix rider Henri Ruoste and his long-time life partner, German FEI rider Senta Kirchhoff, have become the proud parents of a baby boy, Nicolas Matias Kirchhoff, on 3 August 2018. Mom and baby are doing fine. "He is absolutely amazing and all is super! Senta is riding her horses again it seems I did not mess anything up too much while she was not riding," proud father Henri joked. At birth Nicolas weighed 3940g and measured 56 cm. Ruoste and Kirchhoff run the training and sales facility Gut Bertingloh together in Menden, Germany.
De Hoefslag reported that the 8-year old Dutch warmblood Ferrari, ridden at small tour level by Dutch under 25 rider Jeanine Nekeman, will make his come back to the show ring in Exloo with one eye less. The beautiful liver chestnut, bred by J.A.M. van Deurzen and sired by Apache out of keur mare Vivaldi (by Jazz), was the 2010 KWPN Foal Champion. In July he began suffering from a teary eye, which quickly developed into a white glaze over the eye. It turned out to be a fungal infection. The horse was treated at the Utrecht equine clinic, but unfortunately Ferrari had to be operated on and lost the eye.
De Hoefslag also covered that Demy Kurstjens' former international FEI Dressage pony Nina van de Beekerheide has made her return to the national show ring under a new rider Britt Buijzen. The 15-year old NRPS mare by Neptune van de Beekerheide x Koojhuster Folkert competed internationally between 2012 and 2014. As she did not sell afterwards, the mare was used as a broodmare. However in 2018 she did not catch and she was brought back to sport as a schoolmaster for Buijzen.
Former Dutch team rider Marjan Hooge had the highest bid on the price highlight of the 2018 KWPN The Final Foal Auction in Exloo, The Netherlands. She bought the auction best seller Narzar (by Glamourdale x Jazz) for 6,500 euro.
Theo Hanzon has received the ride on the 4-year old KWPN licensed stallion Johnny Cash (by Bon Bravour x Flemmingh). The dark bay is owned by Joop van Uytert, Team Nijhof and stable Brouwer and bred by the Gijsbers family. Hanzon aims to compete the youngster on the 2018-2019 KWPN Stallion Competition circuit.
A big blow for German Grand Prix rider Thomas Wagner and owner Rainer Knabbe. Wagner's 10-year old developing Grand Prix horse Silvester Stallone K (by Sandro Hit x Weltmeyer x Boroschino) died unexpectedly at the regional show in Guxhagen-Dörnhagen. Wagner was schooling the horse on Friday morning 19 October, there when he suddenly reared. The rider jumped off and the horse died from an aortic rupture on the spot.
Former Canadian dressage chef d'equipe Alison Martin has acquired the 4-year old Dutch warmblood mare Jaquar Utopia (by Lord Leatherdale x Negro x De Niro). The KWPN keur mare was trained by Bart Veeze, who co-owned her with breeder Rik van Gils and Christine Puttevils.
Dutch Grand Prix rider Kim Schmid is expecting her first baby with boyfriend Daniel Mosterdijk. The baby, a girl, is due the beginning of May 2019. Aboard the now 18-year old Theodoor (by Democraat), Schmidt competed internationally at Under 25 and Grand Prix level. Her last CDI, however, was a year and a half ago in June 2017. The couple runs a young horse sales facility in Holland.