Jane Bredin's Grand Prix horse Cupido died age 22. Owned by Susie Cumine and ridden by Bredin, Cupido (by Kommandeur x Monte Carlo x Apollo) led the British team to third place at Aachen CDIO in 1995 and represented Britain at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
One a more happy note, Jane Bredin and her partner Aram Gregory got married in December 2006. Gregory, who has a Hong Kong passport, was member of the Hong Kong dressage team at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. Gregory is also known for purchasing many price highlights at the Oldenburg Sport Horse Auctions in Vechta, Germany.
We read in the Dressagedaily Dish that American dressage riders and trainers Monica Sinks and Ed Borreson finally ended their 28 year engagement by getting married last week, in an intimate ceremony in Wellington. Congratulations!
British Dressage reported that Arun Tor, the long-time international dressage ride of Ferdi Eilberg, died in January 2006 aged 23. Vivienne Sturt bought the part-bred Cleveland Bay in 1986 and sent the then three-year-old to Ferdi. The pair represented Britain through the 1990s, winning team silver at the 1993 European Championships.
Dressagedaily wrote that American Grand Prix rider Suzanne Dansby-Phelps fractured her knee on a skiing trip in Austria. "Within the first hour of our arrival, I slipped and fell on the ice and one of my legs slipped forward, the other folded behind me, and my knee went "snap!"," Dansy-Phelps told Dressagedaily. The injury requires surgery, which has been scheduled upon Suzanne's arrival back into the States, January 5. "Meanwhile, I am hobbling around on crutches, and resting with my knee propped up on pillows. I am really bored," Suzanne added.
Danish horse dealer Hasse Hoffmann purchased the Flyinge owned and Hanoverian bred stallion Wetano 976. The 12-year old chestnut Wetano is by Weltmeyer out of a Brentano II x Woermann dam and is licensed for the Swedish warmblood society. Under Susanne Gielen, Wetano placed 9th at the 2000 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses. He was Swedish Champion as a 5-year old and reserve champion as a 6-year old.
Many dressage enthusiasts spent Christmas abroad on vacation. Chris Hector and wife Roz Neave, the editors of the Australian Horse Magazine, were in Paris for the holidays. British Olympic team rider Emma Hindle and her partner Thomas Hoffmann went to Antigua for some sun. Team mate Wayne Channon travelled to the South of France with his wife Debra Channon for a getaway. Dr. Ulf Möller took wife Eva and their kids to Disney World in Orlando, Florida.... and equestrian photographer Dirk Caremans is already dreaming of his next skiing holiday in the Alps.