All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Eurodressage had tons of fun at the 2005 Palm Beach Dressage Derby in Loxahatchee, Florida, last March. After a good day's work, there is nothing more enjoyable than a glass of wine, and in case of our friends John Zopatti, Jacqueline Brooks and Michael Shondel, it's imported Heineken. Next time, we'll bring Belgian beer and let those North Americans taste the REALLY good life! Did you notice that Michael is trying to hide the evidence?
At the General Assembly of the Austrian Equestrian Federation, a new board of directors has been chosen. Elisabeth Max-Theurer remains president of the Federation (BRFO - Fena), and Herbert Gugganig and Dr. Heinz Jungwirth are vice-presidents. They will be assisted by treasurer Ing. Franz Kager and secretary Dr. Richard Schmitz.
Did you notice that the Hanoverian stallion Feiner Stern (Freiherr x Goldstern) is probably the most successful dam sire of the moment (surpassing even Weltmeyer)? In one licensing cycle, Feiner Stern was dam sire of the Champion of the Swedish Warmblood testing Figaro R (by Friendship x Feiner Stern), dam sire of the Danish Warmblood Licensing champion Valloes de Baron (De Niro x Feiner Stern), dam sire of the second reserve champion of the 2004 Oldenburg licensing (Donnerhall x Feiner Stern) and dam sire of the top selling, fifth placed stallion (by Depardieu x Feiner Stern), also at the 2004 Oldenburg licensing. Feiner Stern is up for stud in the United States at Heike Albert's GW Ranch.
The thoroughbred breeding stallion Sevillano xx passed away at age 21. He was bred by Mr Schulz-Botenwerfen and was by Derby winner Alpenkönig xx out of a Chief xx dam. Sevillano sired three licensed offspring: Sarastro, Donaufischer and Showtime.
Coby van Baalen announced that she and her trainer Johan Hinnemann have bought a foal by His Highness out of a Hanoverian State Premium Mare by Brentano II. Van Baalen asks the visitors of her website to help her find a name for this foal, which has to start with the letter "H". We loved the suggestion that appeared in her guestbook: "Hinnemann".
In an interview with Dutch journalist Claartje van Andel,Anky van Grunsven said that she was "dreaming of scoring 90%". At the CDI-W Dusseldorf, Van Grunsven had artistic scores already reaching 90,5% (from judge Katharina Wust) and 89% (from German judge Volker Moritz). If the marks for her rides on Salinero keep sky rocketing like that, she will soon break her own world record of 86.05% set aboard Bonfire at the 2000 Olympic Games.
We picked up the news that Debbie McDonald has barn-hopped down in California. She is no longer based at Guenter Seidel's Albert Court, but has moved to Linda Fowler's Epona Farms.
Dutch Young Horse Master Hans Peter Minderhoud stated that he will be trying to qualify four horses for the 2005 World Young Horse Championships in Verden July 1-3, 2005. He will take Tango (Jazz x Contango), Sandreo (Sandro Hit x Flemmingh) and Sensation (Jazz x Blanc Rivage) to the Dutch selection trials, the Westfalian branded Florencio (Florestan x Weltmeyer) will go through the selection procedure in Germany.
On the Sprehe website, one can read that star stallion Furst Heinrich (Florestan x Donnerhall) is currently back in training. Ever since his victory at the 2003 World Young Horse Championships, Furst Heinrich has been lame and was only presented in hand at stallion shows. At the moment, one can read that "Furst Heinrich is being prepared for the international dressage sport by double European Junior Riders Champion Kristina Sprehe."
At the national dressage show at Peter Engel's barn Gut Gluckauf in Hunxe, Germany, Klaus Husenbeth made his come back aboard Piccolino. The bay Hanoverian gelding by Prince Thatch xx got injured in the summer of 2004 by breaking his splint bone. Piccolino, who was a 2002 WEG team gold medal winning horse, underwent an operation and a long recovery and now seems to be fit again. In Hunxe he scored 73.30% and placed second behind Isabell Werth on Apache (by Alabaster).
Oh, we forgot to tell you that at that same Palm Beach Dressage Derby, Robert Dover's apprentice Kathrine Bateson competed Aperol, the horse we've all seen in the show ring under Christoph Koschel. Aperol is an 11-year old Oldenburg gelding by Argentinus x Barsoi xx. As a youngster, Aperol was sold over the P.S.I auction and under Koschel, he competed at Grand Prix level since 2003. The bay gelding has been in Florida for a year now, but only made his appearance in the show ring in the winter of 2005. The combination Bateson-Aperol had some communication problems going on in the ring, but they are a lovely, promising pair for the future.
All photos copyrighted: Derby pictures by Astrid Appels - Stallion Photos by Werner Ernst.