What's Happening: December 2020 - Part III

Season's greetings from Isabell Werth, her son Frederik and top groom Steffi Wiegard. See the video embedded on the right (or bottom of this page if you are on mobile).

German young rider Marie Heckendorf lost her number one ride, Santander. The 20-year old rider had to put down the 14-year old Hanoverian (by Sandro Hit x Weltmeyer). Heckendorf, who bought Santander from Wolfgang Strizke after he was competed at international small tour level by Danish Martin Christensen, competed Santander at one CDI at junior level, the 2018 CDI Exloo.

German Young Rider team member Luca Collin has welcomed a new young horse to her string. She acquired the 3-year old mare Verona Diamond (by Vivaldi x Zauberhaft).

Stallion station Gut Schönweide purchased the 2.5-year old Trakehner licensed stallion Hanke (by Ivanhoe x Freudenfest x Exclusiv). Bred by Björn Hanke and presented at the 2020 Trakehner Licensing by Pascal Kandziora, the black stallion has now joined the Schönweide line-up.
Schönweide's owner Adrian Gasser made a funny and to the point comment on Facebook about his new purchase. "I'm happy about the Christmas child in our station. This stallion was stuck in my head (since the licensing). For me he has the ideal riding horse points and we are excited how he develops under the saddle the next few weeks and months. I'm sure Hans Richelshagen will have something to write about." Richelshagen is a blogger, who in a very pompous and old fashioned German style, writes critiques on Facebook about dressage and breeding in Germany. He notoriously dislikes Trakehner horses. 

British Grand Prix rider Nikki Barker (née Crisp) is 11 weeks out from delivering her baby, a girl. Barker competed highly pregnant at the 2020 British Grand Prix Championships on her 12-year old KWPN stallion Durable (by  Spielberg x Tango), which she acquired as a 6-year old. Barker combines her equestrian career as a rider and trainer with freelance photography. She will turn 43 on 13 January 2021. She is married to veterinarian Will Barker, who works at Newmarket Equine Hospital.

KWPN breeder Wim van der Linde has lost one of his foundation mares. Lady Texel (by Farmer x Caritas) was put to sleep at the age of 27 as she started to suffer from old age. Lady Texel produced no less than 11 foals, including Grand Prix mare Belle Lady Texel (by Krack C) and 2006 KWPN reserve mare champion Wonderlady Texel (by Ferro). The latter sold for 155,000 euro in the 2006 Performance Plus Auction to the Van der Zwan family (which temporarily owned the 2.5 million mare Poetin). She ended up with Dutch youth rider Veronique van der Panne before returning to Van der Linde for breeding. 

Even at the end of year the online auctions keep coming one after the other. In the latest auction, organised by horse owner Ernst Kemper, the 4-year old licensed stallion Romantic Prinz OLD (by Rock Forever x Stedinger) was the price highligth. He stays in Germany for 85,000 euro. Americans bought the 4-year old mare Fasionable (by Fursten-Look x Don Primero) for 68,000 euro.