What's Happening: October 2008 - Part 1

Fri, 10/10/2008 - 00:00
What's Happening in the Dressage World?

Former German international dressage rider Christine W, who was condemned in Germany for animal abuse, is continuing her gruesome behaviour in a riding stable in Denmark. Christine W was forbidden by court order to handle animals for two years. Back then, she was caught on camera abusing her horse with spurs and whip. The German magazine St. Georg uncovered this horror story which led to Christine W being sued. The abusing woman has now moved to Denmark where she is doing the same torturous acts on horses. Through the help of the equestrian magazines St. Georg and Ridehesten, Hamburg on Air caught her once more on camera whipping a horse continuously on the lung line with blood marks as result. This torture takes place at least five times a week and a "training" session lasts 30 to 40 minutes. One can count 470 whippings in a session of 32,5 minutes. Christine W has to appear back in the Kiel courthouse on November 18, 2008. 

The Israeli rider Roy First has taken over the ride on Karachi (by Warkant) until the 2009 European Junior/Young Riders Championships. Karachi was competed internationally by British Richard Davidson who sold the horse to Elise Swanenberg in The Netherlands as a Grand Prix schoolmaster. Swanenberg has now given the horse to First for one year.

Coby van Baalen also announced that there are two new puppies at her stable. Minka and Zina are three-month old Caucasian Shepherd Dogs. At Ulla Salzgeber's barn two new kittensHoney and Nanni, have become part of the family. A total dog fanatic is American photographer Terri Miller. Check out all the dogs she shot at the 2008 Dressage at Devon CDI.

Anky van Grunsven wants to participate in the 2010 World Equestrian Games for Reining. On an Olympic celebration party with her family she got a Western saddle as present and decided to take reining lessons with her friend Rieky Young. In the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Anky wrote, "I think it would be super to ride at the 2010 WEG in Kentucky both in dressage and reining." Van Grunsven lives only 10 minutes from Rieky Young's place and said that she was training there after she had finished her own riding and lessons. "I don't have my own reining horse. I'm testing a few horses at Rieky's. I first want to feel which horse fits me. The sliding and turning, which make the sport so spectacular, are easy to teach. The hard bit is the basis and that everything happens only with one hand. I notice that I think too much when I train with Rieky. The fun bit is that Rieky is not afraid to shut up. Besides Sjef, not many people dare to correct me when I'm riding a horse. Rieky is not bothered by that."

 

Former reserve European Dressage Champion Arjen Teeuwissen has a new website. Part of his site is quite different from all other equestrian sites: it contains a section withcooking recipes. This month's recipe is "chicken filet a la Frank" (Frank being Arjen's husband).

Five time Olympian Robert Dover has announced his retirement from his teaching and training business, "After 30 years, it is time for me to move my life to its next phase." Dover told DressageDaily. "I am writing a book and working on my non-profits, the Equestrian Aid Foundation and Well Wish International, for which I am extremely passionate. Needless to say, I intend to remain quite busy."

The former Dutch team horse Wempe Jewel has passed away at age 23. The Westfalian bred mare by Weinberg x Gottwalt suffered from a heart attack, owner Annemiek van der Vorm confirmed. With Leida Strijk Wempe Jewel won team bronze at the 1993 European Championships in Lipica, Slovenia. The mare then had a show career in Germany under Christoph Koschel. Her last years she was a brood mare. She gave birth to a Dolany filly five years ago (which is now a brood mare herself) and was in foal this year.

Dr. Cesar Parra recently sold one of his primary Grand Prix prospects, Cinnco de Mayo owned by Roanne Denny, to an amateur German rider in training with international rider and trainer Jean Bemelmans. Cinnco de Mayo is a nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Coriander out of Ipsa, an Alcatraz mare