Olympic riders Guenter Seidel and Robert Dover stripped to raise money to Help Send U.S. Dressage Team to the 2008 Olympics. The two former Olympians went bare chest to show off their Olympic rings tattoos and raised 80,000$ of a grand total of 200,000$ with their Go Go act. The 'A Salute to Hong Kong' fundraiser was held Saturday evening during the final weekend of the 2008 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions.
"The two riders both have five Olympic rings tattooed on their bodies and in an effort to up the bids for a portrait session with photographer Elma Garcia, "auctioneer" Brian O'Connor told bidders if they offered enough cash, Seidel just might remove his shirt to show his tattoo," photographer Mary Phelps told Eurodressage. "Seidel responded that "no one over 40 should remove his shirt in public," at which point, fellow Olympian Robert Dover was called upon to show his tattoo causing Jane Clark to quip, "I'll pay $30,000 to see this." Dover responded that he'd take it off for $50,000 and that was all it took to set off a hilarious bidding war. A compromise was reached when Garcia offered to do two portrait sessions and when two bidders offered $40,000 a session for a total of $80,000, Seidel and Dover disrobed to wild cheers and a standing ovation for the two veteran Olympians who showed good sportsmanship and a whole lot more."
It can hardly get any cornier, but the German Olympic dressage, show jumping and eventing riders have recorded a song for the Olympic Games with German pop song writer Joachim Witt. The song is called "Golden Riders" (Goldener Reiter) and will be premiered at the CHIO Aachen. A video of the recording of the song can be seen here.
Not Anna Ross-Davies, nor Wayne Channon, but British Grand Prix rider Maria Eilberg and her father Ferdi Eilberg's Two Sox have been confirmed as thetravelling reserves for the British Olympic Team. Maria will travel with the 14-year-old 16.2hh gelding by Ehrentusch to Hong Kong with team members Laura Bechtolsheimer, Emma Hindle and Jane Gregory.
The University of Liverpool has set up a website specially dedicated to equine colic. Probably the biggest cause of death amongst horses, colic is a disease most horse owners are sadly acquainted with. Check out the Liverpool website on colic
Sad news from Great Britain. Renowned dressage sponsor Vyvien Randall has passed away. The news of the death of dressage horse owner, competitor and sponsor Randall has shocked and saddened the dressage world. It was thanks to Vyvien that her family business, Blue Waters Hotel, became the main sponsor of the British National Championships in 2006 for a three-year term. British Dressage sponsorship manager Maggie Jackman said: “Vyvien has been a true friend to our sport for many years as a competitor and a sponsor. She was committed to developing dressage, giving much valuable help and advice on improving the nationals, and was passionate for the true amateur 's achievements to be recognised. She will be greatly missed."
The legal dispute between Canadian dressage riders Evi Strasser, Cheryl Meisner, Christilot Boylen and Meisner's sponsor John Risley and Equine Canada for the legal cost both have incurred battling against Equine Canada to get the Olympic qualification procedures changed has finally come to an end with the decision of Arbitrator Richard Pound. Potentially affected parties in this lawsuit were Ashley Holzer, Chris von Martels, Lori and Stephen Racioppo, Jacqueline Brooks, her parents Eric and Mary Brooks and sponsors Anne and John Welch as well as Simone Williams. So, three parties of the original dispute (the European based Canadians, Equine Canada itself as well as Jacqueline Brooks and Co.) asked arbitrator Pound to be reimbursed for their costs. The applicants used the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada to legally obtain a reimbursment for the costs they spend on attorneys to get the Canadian Olympic qualification rules changed. Pound, however, ruled against them and neither of the three would get reimbursed. Judge Pound stated: "having considered the outcome of the proceedings, the conduct of the Parties and their respective financial resources, intent, settlement offers and each party’s willingness to resolve the dispute prior to arbitration, together with the representations of the parties (and one affected party), I come to a more informed confirmation of my initial inclination to award no costs to either party, nor to the affected party." (source: SDRCC)
In June 2006, Martin Schaudt announced that he had a new talented FEI horse in training, the Hanoverian stallion Epikur, but after the sale of Weltall, Schaudt disappeared from the scene and was no longer in the picture nationally. Now the news was posted on his website that Epikur sold to Amy Swerdlin from Wellington, FL. When will Schaudt be back in the FEI ring....?
Trakehners International reported that on May 29th, the Trakehner stallion Bütow passed away at age 27. Bred by Wolfgang Kiau in Germany, he was a premium stallion at the Neumünster approvals and passed his 100 day test at Klosterhof Medingen in the Top 5 of the field. He really came to fame after his export to the United States, where he stood most of his life at Rollingoak Farm with the Cornelison family in Elgin, IL. Bütow was a typical son of the great Mahagoni out of Barina II by Ricardo - Flaneur. Bütow *E* was ranked in the top 5% of stallions of all breeds for producing dressage horses in the U.S. by the Sporthorse Owners and Breeders Association. He has four sons approved for breeding by the ATA: Tribute, Tradition *Ps*, Tigre and Degen (now gelded).