Irish Grand Prix team rider Abigail Lyle got engaged to her partner, Mark McVicar. She announced her engagement on 4 October: "All’s well that ends well to end up with you," she wrote. "I simply cannot describe how happy I am! So all I will say for now is….Thank you thank you thank for asking me to marry you." Lyle is originally from Bangor (IRL), but has been based in the U.K. since 2009. She started at Pammy Hutton's Talland, was then based with Fenella Quinn in Aberdeenshire, but relocated to Morpeth, Northumberland, in 2020. In 2022 she briefly moved to Robbie McNeil's yard in Chippenham before basing herself with McVicar in Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds. The couple met over a year ago at Abi's trainer Carl Hester, for whom Mark worked at the time. Lyle was previously married to British GP rider Charles Hutton, who got remarried to Sandie Robertson in August.
Swiss Grand Prix rider Philine Brunner (née von Bremen) is expecting her first child. Brunner married five years ago on 29 September 2018. As Philine von Bremen she was member of the Swiss Young Riders team and competed at the 2006-2009 European Junior and Young Riders Championships with Alesi, Cacharel and Bocelli and at the 2011 European Young Riders Championships with Konradi TSF. With Hiscox Artemis she made the transition to Grand Prix level. Since 2018 her top horses are Straight Horse Don Tamino (by Totilas x Don Schufro) and Gaston (by Grand Galaxy Win x Furstenball). Brunner is also an avid runner and hiker, sharing this passion with her husband.
At the 2023 NRPS stallion licensing and first phase of the performance test, three dressage stallions were approved for breeding: the 4,5-year old Fabiano (by For Romance I x Diamond Hit x Matcho AA, breeder: Gertrud Höckesfeld), the 4,5-year old Grolloo (by Glamourdale x Uptown x Jazz, breeder R. Enting), and the 5-year old Niro’s Enjoy (by De Niro x Lord Leatherdale x Negro, breeder Van Olst Horses).
Horses.nl reported that Amey Wagenaar's Grand Prix horse El Macho Malo (by Jazz x Focus) has passed away. The 14-year old KWPN gelding was put to sleep due to a career ending injury that made a humane life impossible. Wagenaar bought the bay gelding as a hot, unruly youngster and turned him into a reliable Grand Prix horse. El Macho Malo was only competed twice internationally. In 201(< at the CPEDI Roosendaal by Wagenaar herself in the Grade IV division and five years later in 2020 at the CDI Le Mans at Grand Prix level by trainer Thamar Zweistra. That year the horse sustained an injury that despite all treatment and care did not improve.
Cathrine and Rasmine Laudrup-Dufour have acquired the 2.5 year old young stallion Robinson B (by For Romance x De Niro) from breeders Joyce Lenaerts and Marcel Sterrenburg in The Netherlands. The young colt is a relative to the KWPN licensed stallion Iconic B with grand dam Niniek in the his dam line. Lenaerts announced the news on social media.
Former Danish Grand Prix team rider Rikke Svane has given birth to twins on 19 October 2023, a boy and a girl. Their names have not yet been disclosed. Father is Svane's partner, architect Kristian Knorr. Rikke is also a mom to Rebecca, Jessica and Oliver from a previous relationship. The 49-year old Svane made her career aboard the Trakehner stallion Finckenstein, whom she competed internationally from 2012 till 2018. They represented Denmark at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon.
Equitaris reported that the Baden-Wurttemberger regional pony team trainer Rudolf "Rudi" Brügge has passed away following a long illness. He was 67 years old. Brügge began his job in 1993 and was the regional team trainer till the very end.