Where Are They Now? Governor

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F.O.C.U.S.

Governor, one of Holland's most successful young horses, a popular breeding stallion in his younger days and a Dutch team horse at the 2021 European Championships, has disappeared from the show scene after the Euros in Hagen in September 2021.

His absence of almost 3.5 years is noted. Where is Governor?

Reserve Licensing Champion

Governor STR is a 14-year old Dutch warmblood gelding by Totilas out of Orleans (by Jazz x Ulft), the full sister of Adelinde Cornelissen's Parzival.

The black is bred by 2020 KWPN Breeder of the Year Jan Streppel and is

from the first crop of Totilas' foals born in 2011.

He was licensed at the 2014 KWPN Stallion Licensing in Den Bosch, where Glamourdale was named champion of the crop and Governor reserve champion. Governor became the high scorer of the 2014 KWPN Autumn stallion performance test. He scored 85.5 points; the same amount of points scored by Glamourdale in the spring test, in which Glamourdale placed second behind Giovanni and Toto Jr.

Governor at the 2014 KWPN Licensing
(Photo © Dirk Caremans)

As one of first licensed sons by Totilas, Governor attracted wide interest from the breeders as Totilas' stud fee was astronomically high at the time. Governor's popularity as a young breeding stallion showed in the fact that he was the best represente sire at the KWPN stallion licensing pre-selection days both for 2018 and 2019 with the most offspring entered.

As a breeding stallion he has sired 20 licensed sons including KWPN licensing champion Kremlin MD, Keano RS2 (Marieke van der Putten), Koning (Emmelie Scholtens), and Kayne (Adelinde Cornelissen). His most successful offspring in sport are Golden Romance de Malleret PS (Helen Langehanenberg), Gardenart (Csaba Szokola), and Kind Pleasure (Femke de Laat).

Sport Career

Owned by Ger Korbeld, Governor was put in training with Adelinde Cornelissen and the pair was very successful in the young horse classes.

The duo finished 11th in the 2015 Pavo Cup Finals when Governor was four. He did not show in the 2016 Pavo Cup semi-finals. They did represent The Netherlands at the 2016 World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo, where they finished fifth int he 5-year old finals.

A year later they won silver at the 2017 World Young Horse Championships in the 6-year old division and in 2018 there was another silver in the 7-year old category. Governor won the national PSG class at Jumping Amsterdam in January 2019 and the exhibition class "VHO Trophy" at the KWPN Licensing in February 2019.

Three years after the 2018 WCYH in Ermelo Governor made his international show debut at Grand Prix level at the 2021 CDI Opglabbeek in Belgium, posting 74.978%. They did not make the cut for the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. At the first Dutch Olympic selection trial at the Dutch Championships in Ermelo, the combination did not appear as fit and fresh in the first round, placing 10th with 71.872% in round 1 (GP Special), and 8th in the Kur with 75,505%. Cornelissen withdrew Governor from the second Olympic trial in Rotterdam due to a colic attack.

At his international GP debut in Opglabbeek 2021

The pair was picked up for the Dutch team for the 2021 European Dressage Championships in Hagen, where they placed 23rd in the Grand Prix (72.484%), 18th in the Special (72.143%), but were eliminated from the Kur because of blood in the mouth.

Where Is He Now?

Governor disappeared completely from the show circuit after the 2021 Europeans.

A first bit of news came out on 3 October 2022 when owner Ger Korbeld confirmed that Governor had been castrated. "What shall I say, sport takes priority. We never made a secret out of that," Korbeld stated at the time.

Governor, however, has not returned to sport. Eurodressage wondered if the stallion was injured and got in touch with Adelinde Cornelissen, who still has the stallion in her care, even after the sad passing of the owner in March 2024.

"He's doing very well," Cornelissen told Eurodressage. "He's not been injured. I will compete him again when we are allowed to ride in a snaffle."

With Luqiedo at the 2024 CDI Kronenberg Indoor

Competition in a snaffle at Grand Prix level has been allowed in The Netherlands since 2010. Internationally snaffles are only allowed up to small tour level.

When asked why she hasn't shown him in a snaffle nationally the past 3.5 years, Adelinde replied, "to what end? I will compete him again when we are allowed to entered the ring in a snaffe. In the meantime I will train him at home in all quiet. I can enjoy the training at home as much as competitions."

Cornelissen is a highly decorated Dutch team rider, 2009 and 2011 European Champion, 20111 and 2012 World Cup Winner and 2012 Olympic silver medal winner all aboard Parzival. Adelinde last competed internationally at the CDI Kronenberg Indoor in December 2024. She rode Luqiedo (by Aqiedo x Stedinger) in a snaffle to win the Prix St Georges and Intermediaire I. Fleau de Baian, her seccond Grand Prix horse alongside Governor, sold to the USA in December 2023.