The Olympic Dream for Dutch riders Laurens van Lieren, Stephanie Peters and Kirsten Beckers is over. All three Olympic short listed riders had to withdraw from the final Dutch Olympic Selection trial to take place next week in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Beckers' KWPN keur stallion Jazz is not in shape yet after an injury. The injury of Van Lieren's Hexagons Olright, which he sustained in the warm up at the CDI De Steeg two weeks ago, has not sufficiently healed, and Stephanie Peters had to cancel because of a sud passing in her family. German Isabell Werth has also announced that she will not be showing in Rotterdam. She gave no reason for withdrawal.
World renowned top less model and British celebrity high-roller Katie Price (also known as Jordan) Made her show debut at a regional show in Hickstead, Great Britain. Price scored 63.7% in the preliminary 17 test and placed sixth in a field of 23 competitors. Jordan is trained by Andrew Gould at Priory Dressage in Sussex who met the vip lady through mutual friends.
"Her two horses are based at our place," Gould told Horse and Hound. "She only began learning dressage in March of this year but she's quite passion about it. She sometimes has two lessons a day. She's serious about it but now has to understand how the sport works." But, he added: "She's not planning for the Olympics."
Price's debut got some media attention with camera's on the scene unusual for a regional show. Show director Dane Rawlins was impressed by Price's first show ride. "She did a bloody good job. She didn't hype it. She got a good round of applause. She just wanted to do it properly. Everyone was quietly impressed. She was very pleasant and friendly to everyone and has set her sights firmly on improving," Rawlins told Horse and Hound, adding that "She's good news for the sport, as everyone likes a touch of glamour."
At the 2008 CDI-W Lipica June 9-12, 2008, directors of Europe's largest state studs met to found a new association: The European State Studs Association (ESSA). Twenty-five state studs from five countries in Europe agreed to co-operate more closely. Selected for the ESSA board of directors are judge Bernard Maurel, president of the French Haras Nationaux;Dr. Astrid von Velsen-Zerweck, director of the Marbach State Stud; Matjaž Pust, director of the Lippizaner State Stud in Lipica; Dr. Dominik Burger, director of the Swiss State Stud in Avenches, and Dr. LenkaGotthardova, director of the Kladruby State Stud in the Czech republic.
The head office of the ESSA will be in Marbach, Germany. Dr. Helmut Gebhardt, stable manager in Marbach, will enforce the board. One of the goals of the ESSA is to get the majorEuropean state studs recognized as European cultural heritage. In its foundation statement, ESSA, for instance, recommended the Hungarian goverment to prevent privatisation and closure of the Babolna State Stud. The next ESSA meeting will take place in 2009 at the Slovakian Topolcianky state stud. In 2010, Neustadt/Dosse will open its doors for a meeting.
The 54-year old George de Jong, director of the Dutch Equestrian Federation (KNHS) has handed in his resignation. As of September 1, 2008, De Jong will be the director of InnoSportNL, a company which tries to be innovative for Dutch athletes, sport organisations, and companies to advance sport in The Netherlands. De Jong has worked for the KNHS for 13 years and helped in the fusion of 16 equestrian organisations to become the current KNHS. For the next two years, De Jong will stay involved in the development of some projects by the KNHS. (source: De Hoefslag).
At the 2008 CDI Achleiten, organizer Sissy Max-Theurer held a charity auction for theSt. Anna Children's Hospital as well as for a project which rescues stray dogs in Greece. Prizes up for auction were three breedings: one to any of Paul Schockemohle's stallions, one to Schmidt's Belissimo M and one to Sissy Max-Theurer's Rosandro. The auction raised 8,650 euro in total which goes to the forementioned charities. Great to hear some good is done for society at international dressage shows.
German chef d'Equipe Holger Schmezer has nominated the German team that will compete in the nations' cup at Aachen, the final station of the German Olympic selection process. Nadine Capellmann on Elvis, Heike Kemmer on Bonaparte, Matthias Rath on Sterntaler and Isabell Werth on Satchmo are the German team riders. "If the Olympics were to start today, this would have been my Olympic team," Schmezer commented. Unfortunately, one of these four will drop of as only three riders can compete in the nations' cup at the Olympics.