Eurodressage wants to wish its readers a very prosperous 2006. May the year be filled with happeness, joy and much bliss for you and your horses!
We picked up the following news items through our colleagues:
German magazine St. Georg wrote that Ulla Salzgeber has two new FEI horses at her disposal. Gisela Carstens offered Salzgeber the ride on the multi-champion Wanesco, who was previously competed at Intermediaire I level by Holga Finken. The chestnut Hanoverian gelding Wanesco (Weltmeyer x Werther) sold to Carstens in May 2005 and the horse will now be trained and competed at Grand Prix level by Salzgeber. The former German dressage champion will also be riding the former Bundeschampionate participant Finley.
De Hoefslag reported that the 2005 P.S.I. Auction dressage horse price highlight Legamento (by Lord Sinclair x Donnerschwee) sold to Gemma Green. It was previously known that Dutch trainer Henk van Bergen bought the horse for 550,000 euro for one of his clients, but the client's name was not released. Hoefslag, however, wrote that "Jamy" Green bought the horse (they actually meant Gemma Green). Green is a regular horse shopper in Holland, recently buying there O'Brian and the AES Licensed stallion Showtime. Green was a former British Young Riders Team member, competing the Grand Prix horse Argentile Gullit at that time.
Karin de Haan wrote that the Dutch stallion station Broere in Ablasserdam, The Netherlands, acquired the 5-year old licensed stallion Valdez. This dark bay KWPN stallion will be trained and competed by Broere's head rider Kirsten Beckers. Valdez is by Houston out of Oase (by Jazz).
Horses of the Dutch stated that the KWPN stallion Uptown was scratched from the results lists of the KWPN/KNHS Stallion Competition in Zuidbroek, where the bay Kennedy x Ubis son finished second under Hans Peter Minderhoud. Apparently, Uptown was not yet chipped (which is required in Holland). A veterinarian was immediately called to the scene to chip the horse, but Uptown's score was nevertheless scratched.
The Belgian website Galop proudly reported that a Belgian stallion is gracing the cover of the current edition of the German magazine Reiter Revue. The magazine did a report on the Belgian Grand Prix dressage rider Johan Zagers and shot the young stallion Urban van de Stuyver (by Coriolan x Irish Taxi xx) in the snow. This picture is now on the cover of the magazine. Urban is owned by Karel van Zele.
More Belgian news. Pikeur has become the third official sponsor partner of the Flemish Equestrian Society (VLP, part of the Belgian Equestrian Federation). At the CDI-W Mechelen, Brockx firm (international distributor of Pikeur) signed a contract with the VLP to sponsor the society in 2006. Pikeur, Pavo horse feed, and Ethias insurance are now the three official sponsors of the VLP.
The Australian Horse Magazine wrote that Ricky MacMillan, multiple Australian dressage champion and team member, no longer wants to be considered for the team. MacMillan's Hanoverian gelding Crisp (by Consul) is turning 18 years old in 2006 and will no longer be put under pressure of competing at international championships.