What's Happening: April 2015 - Part 1

Sun, 04/12/2015 - 11:50
What's Happening in the Dressage World?

The 7-year old Dutch warmblood stallion Dark President (by Wynton x Ramiro Z x Pion) has been partly sold by owner Carolyn de Roo to the Kruiniger family, whose daughter Charlotte owns Utility (by Jazz, previously known as Ulysse and competed by Stephanie Kooijman) and Chinook (by Vivaldi x Havidoff).

Dark President was previously known as Dark Boy and Dream Theather but under his current name he has been shown by Lotte Jansen, Marieke van der Putten and Hans Peter Minderhoud.

Dubliner David Keane was elected chairman of Dressage Ireland at the first board meeting after the 2015 AGM on 19 March 2015. It is the first time the position has been held by Mr Keane, who defeated former chairman Robert McCormick in a vote. Anne Cahill retired as the chairman of Dressage Ireland at the end of last year. Joan Keogh was appointed as interim chairman earlier this year. David Keane is originally from Skerries in Co. Dublin and lives in Collon, Co. Louth with his wife and family. He is chairman of the Leinster region and competed successfully up to elementary level, on the national circuit.

Brit David Holmes has returned to the U.K. to fill the position as Chief Executive for British Eventing. David Holmes will take over on 1 May 2015 from Mike Etherington-Smith, who is leaving to concentrate on course-designing and general consultancy work. Holmes was Chief Executive of British Dressage for nine years and was Director of Sport at both the FEI (May 2008 - December 2009) and at the Italian Equestrian Federation (since May 2010).

Check out a lovely video clip which Slings Music Cast has made about Tinne Vilhelmson's groom Sarah Lord. Grooms are the hardest working persons in the horse industry and deserve full credit for their dedication! Video embedded in the top right corner of this page!

Every wondered what happened to Canadian Shannon Dueck's 2010 World Equestrian Games team hopeful Ayscha? Well we did! She only did one show in 2013 and has not been out competing internationally ever since. However, now we have the answer. The wonderfully talented bay Oldenburg mare (by Welt Hit II x Rouletto) is now 14 years old and a new mum.  Ayscha popped up at Jen Vanover's Maplewood farm with a newborn filly on the ground by Franziskus.  "Ayscha took a baby break. (She will be) back to work this summer," Vanover explained.

The 17-year old Dutch warmblood gelding Ridderkerk (by Kennedy x Glendale) has been sold to Dutch youth rider Corinda Luttjeboer. Ridderkerk was initially competed internationally at small tour level by Joyce Lenaerts and then briefly by Hans Peter Minderhoud who became bronze medallist at the 2010 Dutch Small Tour Championships with him. In 2010 he sold to the Nekeman family and became a junior and young riders' horse for sisters Denise and Jeanine Nekeman.

Zuchtforum reported that German FEI rider Karin Lührs has received the ride on the 6-year old Trakehner stallion Zauberlord (by Lord Luciano x Friedenfurst). Bred by Simone Bell, the black stallion finished 17th in the 5-year old consolation finals at the 2014 Bundeschampionate. He will no longer stand at stud but be focused on dressage sport.