It is a string of success for Markus Gribbe since he's back in his old home of the Oldenburger Munsterland: Not only did he become champion of the west German professional riders and Weser-Ems-Meister on the stallion Farewell III, but he has also won the qualification for the Nurnberg Burgpokal at Vlotho-Exter with the Fidermark-son, who is based at stallion station Klatte of Lastrup.
“The conditions were not easy, the weather was bad but Farewell did his job really good. I am very happy that he got the ticket for the finals. It should be very exciting and interesting to ride in Frankfurt”, remarked Gribbe.
At the moment the three-time winner of Nation Cups for Germany doesn’t have plenty of time to enjoy his wins. On July 18th his new home, called “Dressurpferde Leistungszentrum Lodbergen,” will begin with a big ceremony and an open day, starting at 4pm.
“Everybody who is interested in the new barn is warmly welcome to visit us on this day. We will show the new possibilities we can offer and are very happy and proud in which short time we can present them”, Gribbe told Eurodressage.
The center will offer the whole package of raising, training and presenting horses at shows. “We offer the raising of foals, training young stallions for the license and young mares for their shows and performance test. Our focus is based on the individual training of horse and rider up to Grand Prix. With a total of 22 stables and nine stallion stables we want to keep our business in a good size to be able to offer high quality work and complete service”, said Gribbe.
The centre offers an indoor arena of 60 metres, an outdoor arena of international size, a brand new walking machine in an oval-course, pastures for summer and winter, paddocks and all the equipment of a professional barn.
“Everything is new or has been rebuilt totally. This gives us excellent conditions for our work”, Gribbe is happy announce. Together with Peter Baron von le Fort he officiates as managing director of Dressurpferde Leistungszentrum Lodbergen.
Founded by the circle of friends around the successful Oldenburg breeder Harli Seifert, the new barn is based on the former stallion station of Seifert. Her own-bred dressage stallion Rubin Royal and his son Rubin Cortez are trained and shown by Hendrik Lochthowe at the stable of Swiss rider Silvia Iklé. They just returned from CHIO Aachen where they competed successfully. These stallions and the international jumper Couleur Rubin, who is ridden by Ludger Beerbaum and also bred by Seifert, will be offered to the breeders from Lodbergen.
Four successful stallions will move to Lodbergen after the breeding saison 2009: “We had the chance to buy Rohdiamant, Royal Diamond, Don Gregory and Dylano from stud Vorwerk”, Gribbe explained. “We are very happy that we can offer these famous stallions to the breeders. They belong to this region and can be named as the silver plate of Oldenburg dressage breed. We want to offer the whole management of stallions including training, presenting at shows and collecting and shipping the semen. We are lucky to have a fully equipped EU-station here”, explains Gribbe who is responsible for the stallion station and training.
Gribbe just recently came back from several years in Great Britain, where he had trained Laura Bechtolsheimer for the World Championships in 2006, and also worked as head rider at the barn of Sarah and Tony Pidgley. “The time at the Pidgley stables have also been great for me. It is one of the most beautiful barns I have seen in the world”, says Gribbe. His former station had been the dressage stable of Toni Meggle where he competed internationally with Meggle’s Biagotti and Plaisir d’Amour. In March he returned from England to Germany. “We have many ideas and goals, and hope of an exciting future based at Lodbergen.”
Photos copyrighted: Ruchel - Wentscher - Beelitz
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