What's Happening: February 2024 - Part II

Hannah Laser will be leaving her employer of seven years, Klosterhof Medingen, effective immediately. "Seven incredible, education and road paving years (..)  which were made possible by Ingrid and Burkhard Wahler lie behind me and have been ended," she took to Facebook. Her most successful horses were Damaschino (WCYH Verden) and Va Pensiero (Bundeschampion). Christoph Wahler, who is the general manager of the stud, has appointed Jakob Schenk has her successor. 

The 4-year old Danish warmblood stallion Solution Unik (by Revolution x Don Juan de Hus) has been sold to dressage investors Fisker/Obel. Bred by Morten Skov, the chestnut was licensed at the 2023 Danish Warmblood stallion licensing as a premium stallion and sold to Blue Hors. He successfully completed the 35-day stallion performance test in the autumn and has now been sold to Fisker/Obel. 

Beth Jenkins, NEDA Director of Competitions and R dressage judge, has passed away on 22 February 2024.  For decades Beth managed the NEDA Fall Festival of Dressage. The show included Open classes, qualifier classes, Adult Amatuer and Junior/YR classes, a breed show; later The Northeast Breeders Championship and eventually the Region 8 Championships. Adding the Regionals forced a move to HITS, a much larger facility with great stabling, enough rings and more amenities. "She was a rock that established a solid foundation upon which successful competitions have been built. She went to great lengths to make sure it all worked through thick and thin, hurricanes, systems failures, floods and all the hazards of running a show." Read the full obit here. 

The former international junior rider's horse Sam has passed away at age 25. The Dutch warmblood stallion by Ferro  out of Utopia (by Porter x Cartoonist xx) was bred by M. Gerritsen and owner by Spanish team rider Jordi Domingo. With Laura Domingo Sam competed internationally at junior level from 2012 till 2014. He then sold to The Netherlands to Engie Wallace (née Kwakkel) and got NRPS licensed, which made his name change into Fidelio. He has competed in The Netherlands up to small tour level and was retired from sport seven years ago, according to Horses.nl. He passed away following a colic attack.

Russian Under 25 rider Olga Ivanova's main horse Avans has passed away. He was an 18-year old Latvian warmblood by Aromats out of Gagra (by Gudvils). He was bred at stud farm Burtnieki in Latvia. The bay gelding sold to Olga Ivanova in 2018. The horse was meant to be her Tokyo team hopeful. He took her to the 2018 European Young riders Championships in Fontainebleau, where she was 19th in the Kur to Music finals. They didn't make it to Tokyo even though they competed on the senior GP circuit in 2020 and 2021, so instead rode at the 2021 European Under 25 Championships in Hagen, where they were 50th with 58.256%. It was the horse's last international after having competed 11 years non stop at CDI's.  Dressage Stars Russia posted that Avans died on 10 November 2023 "due to unforeseen circumstances."

Helen Langehanenberg has received the ride on Nicola Ahorner's Facilone FRH, a 12-year old Hanoverian by Furstenball out of Dorina (by De Niro x Weltmeyer x Bolero).  Bianca Nowag rode her to an 8th place at the 2016 Bundeschampionte. They were reserve champions at the 2017 Hanoverian Young Horse Championships. The horse sold to Austrian Ruth Wimpissinger-Kerky and under Stephanie Dearing she was 8th in the consolation class at the 2018 World Championships for young dressage horses in Ermelo. The bay sold to the Ahorner family and  Dearing returned to WCYH and finished 14th in the consolation finals for 7-year olds. Facilone then moved to Marcus Hermes to be produced to GP level. He was 8th with him in the 2022 Louisdor Cup Finals. In 2023 Ahorner gave the ride to fellow Israeli Eyal Zlatin in an attempt for Israel to qualify a team for the Olympics, but the pair never competed. The horse sustained an injury, was treated by Dr. David Lichtenberg and then moved to his wife, Helen Langehanenberg's farm.

American FEI rider Rebecca Cohen has added a new horse to her string. She acquired the 8-year old KWPN gelding Ladavion B (by Apache x San Remo x Wanderbusch II) in Sweden. The bay gelding started his show career in Denmark under Belinda Elmholt Jeppesen who first showed him in 2020 and then rode him to a 12th place as a 6-year old at the 2022 Danish Young Horse Championships. He then sold to Swedish horse dealer Patrik Hannell and was produced by Marina Mattsson. She rode him to a 7th place in the 7-year old division in Falsterbo in the summer of 2023. Ladavion B will now join Cohen's barn. Rebecca spends winters at her home base in Florida and summers training with Jan Brink in Sweden.