Finnish small tour rider Olivia Vliek got injured in a car accident on 18 February 2025. The 25-year old Vliek wrote she had a "bit of a scare. We were in a car accident. I walked out of it with just a broken arm and fractured wrist. Thank you so much to all my amazing friends who came to help and to everything at the stable for helping with Ana." Between 2014 and 2021 Vliek competed as a youth rider, first on ponies with Diendonne, then as a young rider on Rosentanz and Schaipur. She rode two CDI's between 2021 and 2024 with her 11-year old Oldenburg mare Annamira (by Fiderbach x Argentinus). Vliek is studying Law.
The internationally competed FEI pony Schierensees Midnight Blue (by Schierensees Marillion x Highway N) has found a new Belgian pony rider. The 13-year old German bred gelding made his international show debut under Belgian Manon Pauwels in 2021. The pair showed in CDI's until the end of 2022. In 2023 Midnight Blue was once shown by Elisabeth Leduc (BEL) at the CDI Deauville. He has now moved on to a new rider, the 13-year old Amber Joosten who trains with Belgian junior rider Liezel Everars.
German junior rider and former German pony team rider Antonia Roth has bought a new young horse for her string. She welcomed the rising 6-year old Lusitano Plomo-Sol (by Alagado x Xangai x Lidador), who is bred by Fernando Sol in Portugal and who was in a sales barn in Denmark. Roth recently made her come back on her junior horse, the 14-year old Oldenburg Santo Dottore (by Sir Donnerhall x Rubinstein) who had a long break due to injury. Roth purchased the black from Katrin Burger and showed him until April 2022. On 3 January 2025 they made their long awaited come back at S-level. Roth filled her "junior years" riding the 10-year old Hanoverian Finest Star K (by Finest x Sir Donnerhall) which she took over from Claudia Rassmann in the summer of 2023.
My love, My life, My always… we’re ready to take on our biggest adventure yet," Dertell took to Instagram. The couple got acquainted in 2021 and hit it off after the 2022 PSI Dressage and Jumping with the Stars. The couple first had a long distance relationship travelling back and forth between Victoria and Adelaide before Reed moved down to Dertell's Future Farms. He proposed in Zwolle, The Netherlands, when the couple was based in Europe (Dertall at Stal Krom, Reed at Stall Ramsbrock). "We can’t wait to see what the future holds while we continue to combine the sports and training," Jessica told Eurodressage.
Austrian horse investor Ulrike Bachinger made two significant purchases in 2024. Not only did she buy an ownership share into Charlotte Dujardin's Grand Prix mare Alive and Kicking, but she also bought the Lusitano Incrivel (by Pioneiro x Oasis). The grey was trained to Grand Prix level by Manolo Rodriguez Gonzelez and then sold to Katrin Burger in Germany, who showed him internationally before handing over the ride to Severo Jurado Lopez as a Paris Olympic hopeful. Jurado showed him in Lier, Aachen Festival 4 Dressage, Hagen and Compiegne. The latter show in May 2024 was the stallion's last so far. Bachinger purchased the Lusitano as her own fun ride. At the 2025 DSP Stallion Licensing she presented a colt by Vitalis x Desperados for licensing. He was accepted and sold at auction for 51,000 euro.
British Paralympian Natasha Baker and her husband Marc Jaconelli are expecting. The baby is due in June and will be the second child of the couple who welcomed Joshua in 2023. Baker won double bronze at the Paris Paralympics aboard Keystone Dawn Chorus.
Madeleine Witte-Vrees' latest Grand Prix horse, the 14-year old Hanoverian gelding Tostolany (by Totilas x Sandro Hit x Don Schufro) sold to Mexico. The black is bred by Paul Schockemohle, was licensed in Mecklenburg, but spent the majority of his life in Holland. Owned by Joop van Uytert, he was competed by Isabell van Leeuven in 2015-2016. In 2021 he was registerd as co-owned by South African Ingrid Malan. The horse was shown by Hans Peter Minderhoud in 2022. Full ownership went back to van Uytert according to the FEI database. As of 2023 the gelding was shown nationally by Madeleine Witte-Vrees. He has not competed internationally.
The regional court in Bochum, Germany, has convicted dressage trainer Uwe R. from Witten (GER) to 4 years and 6 months in prison for sexually harassing two students. WDR reported that the accused exploited two students which he gave privileges, such as breaking in young horses, but also slapped them on the bottom or touched them in private areas. In court the victims said they kept quiet for so long out of fear that they would no longer be able to ride. The 64-year-old accused denied the allegations during the trial. However, the court believed the accounts of the two young riding students.
The recently approved Dutch Welsh pony Top Gun (by Top Champion x Top Zento x Dressman I) became the price highlight of the Elite Dressage Pony Sales on 7 February 2025. He sold for 62,000 euro to a Dutch bidder. The 3-year old Amalia's Pixie (by FS Nummero Uno x Heitrak's Marvin x Orchard Boginov) went for 23,500 euro, the approved Ruby's Figo (by Amalia's Pieter x Westerhuis Cupido) for 13,000 euro and the approved Jack (by Anjershof Shadok x Nieuwmoed's Mr. Right) for 11,500 euro