Wow, we're not used to seeing famous dressage riders all dressed to a tee, without their frocks and top hats on. If you usually encounter a dressage riders, it's in breeches and sports jackets sponsored by an equestrian brand. Adelinde Cornelissen, however, revealed another side to herself when she accepted her Athlete of the Year award at the FEI Awards Gala. Dressed in a tailormade Reem Acra gown, Cornelissen looked like a princess. The dress is actually a bridal gown from Reem Acra's Spring 2012 collection, but Adelinde received a golden version to make it an evening gown. Check out a close up of the dress here.
German WEG team rider Anabel Balkenhol has cancelled her entry at the 2011 CDI Stuttgart next week. The German team bronze medallist fractured a bone in her foot and can not ride to her fullest potential. Balkenhol was supposed to compete her bay gelding Rubins Royal in Stuttgart. With Dablino she aims to make an outdoor come back in the spring of 2012.
The Oldenburg licensed stallion So What a Feeling OLD (by Sandro Hit x Ex Libris x World Cup I) has moved from owner Katja Galmbacher's stallion station to Kathrin Meyer zu Strohen's yard in Hoya, Germany, where he will be trained to FEI level by Kathrin. So What a Feeling was the Bundeschampion of the 3-year old stallions in 2009.
Westfalian based Grand Prix rider Katrin Bettenworth was tapped on the fingers and fined to pay a 100 euro fee by the Westfalian Equestrian Federation after she wrote her disagreement with her student's judging score at a certain show. Bettenworth pointed out an unfair assessment as one judge was considerably lower in marks than his/her two other colleagues. When the Westfalian equestrian federation noticed Bettenworth's disgruntlement on her website they asked her to remove the text from her website (censorship?) and later on fined her for 100 euro. Read the complete story on Betttenworth's site (in German).
Australian stallion owner David Shoobridge had a pleasant visit of three Dutch dressage greats at his booth at 2011 Equitana Australia in Sydney. GP horse owner Emmy de Jeu and clinicians Hans Peter Minderhoud and Edward Gal dropped by. Roz Neave took this photo.
Ridehesten.com reported that Danish Ditte Mikkelsen has filled up the position Thomas Lassen left empty at Stallion Station Højagergaard after he went to work for Blue Hors. Owned by Bente and Jørgen Steen Jensen, Højagergaard stands stallions such as Prinz K3 (by K2 x Hohenstein), UNO Don Diego (by Dressage Royal x Falkland) and ERA Dancing Hit (by UNO Don Diego x Sandro Hit). Mikkelsen is a former double Danish Young Riders champion and has trained with Bjarne Nielsen, Lotte Straarup and Palle Thisted. Mikkelsen will ride the Højagergaard stallions but keep her own stable in Skanderborg, where she rides her own horses and those of clients.
Stallion Station Ludwig Kathmann announced that there will be a change in the management of the stud. Long-time employee Martin Determann will take up the total management and directing of the stallion station, while Lutz Kathmann, son of founding father Ludwig, will focus on the rearing, training and selling of horses. The station is in the process of being modernized and already boasts a brand new 20 x 60 m indoor arena. The stallion centre will also be renovated. Kathmann has been standing legendary sires such as Akzent II, Freiherr, Feiner Stern and Feinbrand, as well as Florencio, and runs in co-operating with the Danish Blue Hors stud.
Austrian breeding station Auheim lost its 10-year old Oldenburg stallion Smashing Hit (by Sandro Hit x Justinian xx). The black stallion suffered from a severe colic attack and could not be saved. The stallion first made his career as a dressage stallion in Sweden before moving to Austria. "The death of our first Auheim stallion is a tragedy to us," said the owner. "We will never forget him and he will live on his offspring."