The 2012 CDIO Saumur got inundated with torrential downpour of rain. Check out British pony team rider Phoebe Peters braving the elements on SL Lucci.
During Easter stallion station Wehrmann's 23-year old licensed Trakehner stallion Amatcho (by Matcho AA x Flaneur x Apollonius xx) passed away. The black stallion, which is out of Arogno's full sister, has one licensed son, the 2005 born Canzier which is competed at S-level dressage. The Amatcho offspring Miss Meller TSF competed with Michael Jung at international top eventing competitions.
Carola Koppelmann has a new FEI level horse to ride. The Hanoverian premium stallion Wilkens (by Waterford x Falkland x Lanthan) has moved from his Danish base at Helgstrand stud to Koppelmann's barn in Warendorf. The 2006 licensed stallion was ridden by Anna Blomgren in Denmark but will continue his FEI career in Germany. The stallion has one licensed sond, Wilson Skovvang. Besides her 18-year old Le Bo, Koppelmann has a second Grand Prix horse, Desperado OLD, at her barn.
On 17 April 2012, Belgian Grand Prix rider Philippe Jorissen's former GP horse Pikante Pia van de Bergerhoeve (by Donnerhall) gave birth to a colt by Special Agent Amour. The sire is a Westfalian branded San Amour x Polidiktus van de Helle, which was also home bred by Jorissen.
Swedish dressage rider Theresa Nilshagen has been appointed new head rider at the Lodborgen Dressage Performance Center. She will be replacing Jan Steiner who has decided to go independent as of 1 May. Nilshagen will be in charge of the daily training of several of the Lodbergen stallions, including Dante Weltino, Velvet Touche, Flake and others. Nilshagen is trained by Johannes Augustin and worked for many years with Falk Rosenbauer.
Look at Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein on the cover of The Horse Rider's Journal. She looks absolutely smashing !!
For his second freestyle for Totilas, Matthias Alexander Rath turned to the Dutch Joost Peters, who originally designed Gal's Totilas Kur called "Totally Totilas" in 2009. In an interview with a regional television station, Peters said that Rath was the person suggesting to use Michael Jackson music. On his website, however, Peters stated the following in 2009: "Since I started making kur music in 2000 I have one golden rule, never use the same artist twice." Peters however broke his own rule twice so far. In 2009 he designed a Michael Jackson freestyle for his life partner Mischa Koot and her small tour horse U2. The same year, he used Jackson again (with Mischa's consent) for a freestyle for Dutch young rider Angela Krooswijk. And in 2012 he turns to Michael Jackson once more for Matthias Rath.
Salinero's full sister, the 13-year old Hanoverian mare Savai (by Salieri x Lungau), has been sold to The Netherlands. Savai was owned by the famous stud farm Haras de Hus in Petit-Mars, France, where she was used to breed show jumpers. This year, however, the mare is in foal to Don Juan de Hus (by Jazz x Krack C).
Akiko Yamazaki, owner of Steffen Peters' top Grand Prix horses Ravel and Legolas, became the proud (half) owner of a Ravel baby, born at Henrik Brinkmann's Hülsdau Stud in Germany. Rhapsodie was born in 23 March 2012 and is by Ravel out of State Premium Mare Riva del Garda (by Rubin Royal x Burggraaf). Akiko had suggested to brinkmann to put his mare Riva del Garda in foal to Ravel. "We had met Akiko through the sale of our Grand Prix mare De La Noche whereupon a friendship developed," Henrik stated. "Burggraaf is the grandfather of SPM Riva del Garda as well as the sire of Akiko’s first Grand Prix horse Kranak. We are very proud and happy that this exceptional idea was rewarded with such an exceptional colt."
Dutch FEI rider Joyce Lenaerts and her partner Marcel Sterrenburg became the parents of son Stan on 25 April 2012. Congratulations!
The British newspaper The Telegraph reported that Captain Mark Phillips is to divorce for second time after falling for 35-year-old American show jumper Lauren Hough. Phillips will be divorcing his wife Sandy Philips-Pflueger, who was a British 2006 WEG dressage team rider. Hawaiian-born Pflueger was also part of the US dressage team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and went on to help coach the US team alongside her husband. Mark and Sandy have a 14-year-old daughter Stephanie together.