Dutch millionaire and horse fanatic Willem Cordia passed away at age 70 in Verbier, France, on 31 March 2011. For years Cordia was the chair and organizer of the CHIO Rotterdam and he established his own breeding farm Jewel Court Stud in Wuustwezel, Belgium. Cordia owned the 1992 Olympic show jumping gold medal winning Classic Touch. The mare produced several successful offspring, including the licensing stallion Jewel's Carat and the the brood mare A Jewel's Touch, who just gave birth to a chestnut Totilas foal named Touch of Totilas.
Jessica Greelish's talented 13-year-old Westfalien gelding Riverndell Parador (by Paradiso x Zalin), suffered an aneurysom near his heart on 3 April 2011 and sadly passed away.
Swedish Patrik Kittel's first Grand Prix horse, the 23-year Oldenburg gelding Santana (by Strohmann xx x Luciano) had passed away. "Santana was a special horse," Kittel said. "He took me to my first ever international Grand Prix win. Together, we were reserve for the 2001 European Championships and the 2002 World Equestrian Games."
Already back in January the 2011 VSN Trophy winner TC Celanique (by Ravel x Cabochon) switched owners. Tim Coomans sold the dark bay mare to Dutch rider Gabriëlle Röst, who competed her in the IBOP mare test in Brummen in February, scoring 82 points. Congrats.
European double silver medal winning junior rider Cathrine Dufour has found two new riders for her junior rider's horses Cadillac and Don Dino. The 13-year old Oldenburg gelding Cadillac (by Old Timer xx) has been wining pretty much everything in Denmark but has now received a new rider. Louise Zinglersen will make a new combination with the impressively scoring chestnut gelding. Dufour's rising junior's horse Don Dino (by Don Cardinale) sold to junior Pernille Teidor Olesen.
Patrick van der Meer's 15-year old Grand Prix horse Ogami has been euthanized. The chestnut KWPN gelding (by Cabochon) was suffering from an injury which deteriorated significantly. "Last week he we incredibly lame. His bone was affected and then one has to be realistic. To spare Ogami from further suffering, I made the decision and had him humanely put down," Van der Meer told Horses.nl.
Belgian Dressage Talent of the Year 2010 and Grand Prix rider Julie de Deken has launched her official website. You can discover her horses which are beautifully photographer by Belgium's professional equestrian photographer Dirk Caremans. Check it out!
Tidningen Ridsport reported that the breeding stallion Friendship (by Florestan x Diamantino x Goldlack) will not be available this 2011 stud season as the colt has been operated on his meniscus. Owner Anna Bjorkman Wallin decided to give him a break from breeding as mounting the phantom strained the meniscus too much. A recovery period of at least six months is estimated.
The Hanoverian stallion Wenckstern (by Weltmeyer x Western Star) is currently standing at stud at Woodlander in Great Britain. The Grand Prix horse was formerly ridden by Jonny Hilberath and Nathalie Hobday and then sold to Hong Kong's Jacqueline Siu, who has now standing the stallion at stud at Lynn Crowden's station.
For those wondering about Totilas' new shoes. They are the heart bars and Linsenhoff's in-house farrier, Franz Helmke, has put these on. See a photo of Totilas' heart shaped shoes here
Italian World Equestrian Games dressage horse Flourian (by Savoy x Sultano II) has been sold to Finland. Pierluigi Sangiorgi lost the ride on the Italian bred dark bay gelding right after Kentucky and the horse was sold through a dealer to a Finnish GP rider Kikka Suomio under whom a new career awaits him.