What's Happening: August 2023 - Part II

Sun, 08/27/2023 - 11:43
Bits 'n Pieces

American Grand Prix riders Devon Kane and Kevin Kohmann got engaged. The German born 35-year old Kohmann got down on one knee and proposed on a boat on Lake Geneve during their stay at the 2023 CDI Crozet nearby. The 37-year old Kane, who owns and runs Diamante Farms in Wellington, Florida, said yes. 

Ridehesten reported that Højagergaard's 12-year Danish warmblood stallion Antobello has been sold as a schoolmaster to Nora Kerppola in Finland. The black is by Ampere out of Fleur (by Furst Heinrich) and was owned by Jorgen Steen Jensen. He was a premium licensed stallion at the 2014 DWB Stallion Licensing and has sired 182 offspring in Denmarj. He was competed nationally by Maria Anita Anderson, Emma Ahlberg, and Kenneth Damgaard up to Intermediaire II level. He was last shown by Josefine Hoffmann at small tour level. 

Westfalian based dressage rider Falk Schubert has joined the team of riders at stallion station Gut Schönweide in the north of Germany. Schubert took up the position at the start of August.  His life partner Katharina Föwe joined him there.

Former Olympic and world champion Christine Stuckelberger posted on Facebook that she has been robbed by her own staff. In capitalised letters she posted, "WARNING: CRIMINAL GEORGIO, FROM ROUMANIA, has worked for me as held and has stolen everything, all decorations, engraved silverware, trophies and other valuables from two closets, drawers, treasures, from two offices and the bedroom. Please report to the POLICE and inform me. Thanks."

Newly engaged Robert and Hope
American Grand Prix rider Hope Cooper got engaged to her long-time boyfriend Robert Armani Celado. "So crazy and so excited," Cooper shared on Instagralm. Celado proposed with a diamond solitair, previously worn by Cooper's mom, Grand Prix rider Jane Karol. The 27-year old Cooper has been competing Flynn PCH in the U.S.A.

The KWPN licensed stallion Westenwind has passed away at age 20. The horse has had a huge string of riders, starting with Emmelie Scholtens, who rode him twice at the World Young Horse Championships in Verden. They won the Dutch Championships at Z1 level and in 2011 he became Dutch Champion at ZZ-Zwaar level. Then Belgian Tom Franckx rode him, followed by Kirsten Brouwer and her assistent Ellis Halbmeijer. In 2015 he sold as a sport horse and was competed by Ireen de Leeuw under the name "Watch Me" and in 2018 he sold again, initially announced to Manon Claeys but it was Saudi Arabian para dressage rider Ahmed Sharbatly who became his owner and who last competed him at age 19 at the 2022 World Para Dressage Championships. At the start of 2023 he sold again to Marjon Lems Wensveen for Dutch Dewy Lems to ride. On 10 August he unfortunately had to be put to sleep. At the equine clinic in Ghent (BEL) they discovered the horse suffered from the degenerative dental condition EOTRH (Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis).

Finnish dressage horse breeder Gunnel Forsström of New Hill broodfarm has passed away. Named the Finnish Sport Horse Breeder of the Year in 2017, Gunnel was best known for having bred international Grand Prix horse New Hill Julitrea (by Revan - Alcatraz),  who competed with Stella Hagelstam. Gunnel also bred, for instance, New Hill Rossellini (by Rousseau - Rosenkavalier) and New Hill Letitia (by Rubinstein I - Sandro Hit) amongst other horses. She bred 23 horses in total at her yard in Päivölä and stopped breeding in 2017 due to her age. "Will always remember and appreciate everything you taught me about horses and breeding," Hagelstam posted. "New Hill will live on in the wonderful horses you bred."

Kirsten Brouwer is engaged
Dutch professional dressage rider Kirsten Brouwer and her long-time boyfriend Onkie de Senerpont Domis got engaged. The 34-year old Brouwer runs her own sales and training business with her parents and is a highly decorated, multiple medal winning World Young Horse Championship rider. Her partner Onkie is a truck and trailer sales agent. Congratulations!

Patrick van der Meer announced that he has bred his internationally competed Grand Prix mare Sephora (by Sir Donnerhall II) to the stallion Vitalis. Foal on the way...

Zuchterforum reported that the public prosecutor's office has brought charges against Holsteiner horse breeder Manfred von Allwörden on 3 July 2023. Von Allwörden is "accused of violating the Animal Welfare Act, specifically it is about the death of several horses that had to be euthanized as a result of a severe parasite infestation that was not or inadequately treated," Zuchterforum wrote. Von Allwörden is based with his horse business at Gestüt Grönwohldhof. He made his "fortune" by selling off a part of his bakery business to the super market chain Edeka. In November 2022 the German tabloid Bild also ran an article on the neglect case.

The Warendorf state stud reported that their young stallion Diamantenglanz has successfully undergone colic surgery and is now back on the road to recovery at home at the stud farm. Diamantenglanz is a 4-year old Oldenburg stallion by Diamond First x Bon Coeur