Just read a very interesting quote by Steffen Peters in the Horse Magazine which I had to share as it sort of recaps what many dressage enthusiasts are thinking nowadays while certain clubs are trying to restrict access to warm-ups in order the "protect the image of the sport".
Steffen said: "You know I just read an article by a German reporter about a certain black stallion that was ridden in rollkur, ridden in a way that was excessive and too strong and the reporter was actually defending the situation by saying that the spectators just don't understand the sport. I think we are really, really going the wrong way when we train in such a way that the untrained eye doesn't understand it."
A great evening of freestyle competition at the 2013 CDI Orange in Australia included a "friendly" competition between the riders, volunteers, owners, sponsors and officials. The male rider team was disqualified after it was noted that Mark Kiddle was the only member of the team to actually use hula! Mark may need some physiotherapy this morning as he was able to keep the hoop rolling for the entire competition! Tor Van Den Berge & Jeremy Janjic were shamed into performing solos for the crowd before the winning team (the hard working grooms) was announced. Judges Gustaf Svalling, Ricki MacMillan & FEI vet Grant Poolman were very competitive but the crowd was not impressed with their attempt to bribe the panel with their sign "you need us"! (Photo © Jenny Carroll)
Check out the video embedded in the top right corner: It was a spontaneously generated dressage flash mob celebrating Axel Steiner's retirement as an international judge with a Macarena dance at the 2013 Palm Beach Dressage Derby. The Derby was just the beginning of Axel's year long Grand Good Bye Tour. At the end of 2013 he's retiring from judging FEI competitions but he will continue to judge nationally in the U.S.A.
Horst Eulich has sold his 10-year old Grand Prix horse Hickstead (by Hohenstein x Walt Disney I) to Ullrich Kasselmann. The Baden Wurttemberger bred Hickstead was trained and competed by Hans Peter Bauer, who also rides a 7-year old named Floyd for owner Eulich.
The 19-year old Hanoverian mare Sunrise, a multiple Dutch team medal winning horse, will be bred to the Hanoverian super stallion De Niro (by Donnerhall x Akzent II) in the spring. Sunrise is by Singular Joter x Werther. She was competed by Imke Schellekens-Bartels and owned by the Smarius family.
Anky's 18-year old Dutch warmblood gelding Nelson (by Weltmeyer x Sultan) has started off a new career. The bright bay gelding was briefly competed at small tour level but never made it to Grand Prix. He then become a substitute for Salinero for the prize giving ceremonies and clinics. Nelson is now being ridden by the Taiwanese Kuo Li Yu who aims to qualify for the 2014 Asian Games.
German Under 25 Grand Prix rider and former multiple German pony, junior and young riders team medallist Annabel Frenzen has lost her junior riders horse Royal Rubin due to colic mid January 2013. Frenzen and the Oldenburg gelding Royal Rubin (by Rubinstein x Rouletto) were the 2008 Rhinelander Regional Junior Riders' Champions. While Annabel's focus shifted to the Holsteiner Cristobal in recent years, she continued to compete Royal Rubin nationally up to PSG level in 2012. Royal Rubin would have turned 17 in the spring.
German news magazine BILD posted that the 13-year old Dutch warmblood stallion Totilas sustained a minor injury while breeding. The black stallion strained his knee jumping on the phantom and has to be walked for two weeks before he can pick up work again. "It's crazy, I think we experienced all the bad things that can happen," Rath told BILD.
The KWPN licensed stallion Fair Play passed away at age 26. The chestnut stallion was euthanized on Sunday 24 February 2013. Fair Play was born in 1987 and was by Ulft out of Osca (by Fresco x Uron). He did his stallion performance test in Holland in 1990, finishing 6th out of 30 participating colts. In 1993 he moved to the United States but returned to Holland in 1997. In 2001 the stallion jumped the puddle once again to permanently move to the U.S. He was put on the 'Watch List' in The Netherlands due to insufficient number of foals. In the U.S.A. he competed at fourth level in 2001. He was owned by Kelly Paige.
Generations of the wider equestrian community were saddened to hear of the passing on Friday, 22 February of long time supporter of our sport, Les Taylor. Les was an Honorary Life Member of Equestrian SA and served as Vice -Chairman of the organisation from 1983 to 1986 and as Chair from 1986 to 1988. Les was a Life Member of the Gawler 3 Day Event Committee which he served on for 19 years from 1988 to 2007 in his role as dressage coordinator. His other roles in the sport are too many to mention and we are thankful to have had such a tireless volunteer who was always ready to lend a hand to anyone that wanted it. Les was a dedicated supporter of his wife Erica, a member of Equestrian Australia's Hall of Fame, who competed for Australia at the 1986 World Championships in Canada and the 1988 Seoul Olympics.