What's Happening: October 2022

The community of Wellington has started a campaign against Mark Bellissimo's plans to expand the horse town of Wellington with more residential areas, commercial property including a hotel, etc. Led by the grand dame of Wellington, amateur Grand Prix rider Janne Rumbough, stickers were made to show their viewpoint to the plan. On Facebook Janne wrote, "All Horsefriend’s, we all have to protect the Equestrian Preserve! Horses, Not Houses ! Wellington was developed to be a horse mecca of the World! Horses, Not Houses !'

Swedish equestrian photographer Ronald Thunholm celebrated his 80th birthday on 3 October 2022. He was honoured for his work and lifetyme committment to Swedish equestrian sport on Saturday 1 October 2022 at the  Swedish Warmblood Young Horse Championships in Flyinge. Thunholm has been working 50 years for the publication "Ridsport" and the evergreen is still very actively photographing, most recently at the World Championships in Herning. Congratulations !

Canadian Olympian Lindsay Kellock got married on 8 October 2022. She and her partner of two years, Drew Duckworth, tied the knot in a lavish, country style ceremony in attendance of family and friends. Duckworth popped the question on South Beach, Miami, on 7 February 2022. He manages the farming operation part of dressage rider Eliane Cordia-van Reesema's Millstone Farm in Wilton, CT.

German national junior rider Zoe Wortmann has taken over the ride on the 8-year old Oldenburg gelding Found a Hit (by Foundation x Sandro Hit). Bred by Diedrich Wiggers and owned by Beate Rickert, the gelding was competed in the Nurnberger Burgpokal qualifiers this year by Lukas Fischer. Found a Hit recently received the OLD suffix from the Oldenburg breed society because of his achievements in sport. The horse will now continue its sport career under the owner's daughter, 15-year old Zoe Wortmann.

Dutch dressage rider Geert-Jan Raateland has sold his 14-year old Grand Prix horse Don Bravour (by Painted Black x Chronos) to Australia. Raateland premiered the bay at international small tour level in 2016 and took him to Grand Prix level in 2019. This year he competed him at three CDI's in the spring: Lier, Sint-Truiden and Compiegne. Don Bravour will continue his career in Australia with Jayne Lawrence, who trains with Mary Hanna. 

American young rider Christian Simonson has sold his 12-year old Hanoverian gelding Hemingway (by Hendrix x Maurice) to Kam Chan from Macau. Simonson acquired the horse in 2020 from Helgstrand Dressage and competed him internationally for two years. They were part of the European Dreamers' tour which gave him the opportunity to ride him at the 2021 CDI Hagen in Germany. it was the combination's last international show.  Chan trains with Mary Haskins in the U.S.A. and aims for the Asian Games in Huangzhou (CHN) in September 2023.

Breeding News reported that Ewa Jakubowska, the editor-in-chief of Hodowca I Jezdziec (The Breeder and Rider) – the official quarterly magazine of the Polish warmblood society –  passed away at the age of 54. "Ewa was a highly respected horse and breeding enthusiast and a writer who contributed a great deal to the growth of equestrian journalism in Poland. As a member of the PZHK team she was also involved in organizing breeding events and competitions. Although she was well-known for her writing skills, she will perhaps be best remembered for her kindness and great smile, and will be sorely missed."