St Georg editor Jan Toenjes, who's moonlighting as an announcer at stallion shows and other horse extravaganza's, whispered into our ear that the stallion who produced the best mares at the 2005 Oldenburg Elite Mare Show in Rastede was Diamond Hit, an Oldenburg branded Don Schufro x Ramino offspring, owned by Emma Hindle's Brookhouse Stud. Diamond Hit sired the Rastede Champion Loxana, and runner up Diamantina.
British world class performance rider Emile Faurie is having an open house at his yard in Guildford, Great Britain, on July 7, 2005 where spectators can see Emile "training his horses and also experience the enhancement of the Art of Dressage using live musicians!". Faurie will launch the Emile Faurie Foundation-"Reaching with Horses the Youth of Today" that evening. The charity is targeting inner city schools by taking horses to these schools and giving young people the opportunity to experience what it is like to be around horses. Due to their urban surroundings or lack of finances, these children never had to chance to be around horses.
Sad news from Germany. The young Hanoverian stallion Sir Savoy (Sandro Hit x Lanthan) has been diagnosed with ataxia in the equine clinic in Hamburg, Germany, and can, of course, no longer breed. Sir Savoy's owners Doug and Louise Leatherdale are very concerned for the welfare of their stallion. "We are now trying to determine what is best for the horse, which is always our first concern. There are some surgical possibilities that have been done here in the US with some positive results, but this is always a very individual result and may not work for this particular situation. We are consulting with veterinarians here in the US as well as in Germany to come to a conclusion as to what is best for Savoy. Needless to say, this has been heartbreaking for us as well as Jens and Susanne Meyer, the stallion keepers. Sir Savoy has had such great potential as both a breeding stallion as well as a performance horse we feel. The breeders in Germany have been wonderfully supportive and we do appreciate that very much," Louise told Eurodressage.
Spanish Olympic, World and European medallist Beatriz Ferrer-Salat will be giving dressage fans in the UK the benefit of her experience when she takes the 2005 British Dressage National Convention at Addington Manor, Buckinghamshire, 26 -27 November 2005. Beatriz and Beauvalais have spearheaded an unprecedented era of success for Spanish riders, being placed in the top three in every major championship in the last three years. The Convention is a two-day course run by British Dressage, which has previously hosted famous trainers and riders such as Ulla Salzgeber, Conrad Schumacher and Johann Hinnemann
Edward Gal will be premiering his new trance freestyle at Outdoor Gelderlandmid June, 2005. Gal, who is closing the gap in between himself and Olympic champion Anky van Grunsven, wanted to have his new kur ready for the 2005 European Championships. His trance kur is designed by Jochen Miller and Boy van Lamoen. Gal will be doing one test ride at the show in Arnheim.
The renowned kur composers Cees Slings and Victor Kerkhof (who composed all of Anky van Grunsven's freestyle) have been busy designing two new kurs for international riders Kirsten Beckers and Wayne Channon. For Beckers, they created "Soul Collective", a freestyle based on soul music from the 70s-80s and 90s. Beckers placed fifth in the kur to music at the 2005 Dutch Dressage Championships in Nijmeghen. Brit Wayne Channon rode his Slings & Kerkhof kur "Il Passeggiato" for the first time at the CDI-W Lipica and placed second with a 74.475%.
Vera Zegwaard's 10-year old Dutch warmblood Neon (Goodwill x Wisconsin) has been sold to Swedish Peter Markne. Neon is a chestnut gelding who has been competed at Prix St Georges level in The Netherlands. A sponsor, who wished to remain anonymous, acquired Neon as a Grand Prix prospect for Peter Markne.
Former Belgian Grand Prix dressage champion Arlette Holsters has a new horse in training. Solo Dancer is a 4-year old Oldenburg licensed stallion by Sandro Hit x Rubinstein x Tin Rocco. He is owned and up for stud at Haras de la Vie.
Talk about looking further than the horse's nose. Irish equestrian journalist Grania Willis has become the first Irishwoman to scale Mount Everest by its more technically demanding north ridge. Grania Willis (49) climbed with the Himex commercial expedition run by New Zealand guide Russell Brice, and aimed to raise €200,000 on behalf of St Luke's and the Irish Hospice Foundation through her climbing endeavours. A former international three-day event rider, who is equestrian correspondent of The Irish Times, Grania Willis reported on the equestrian competitions of a number of Olympic Games and attended numerous FEI championships and international events over the years.