Robbie Sanderson, personal groom of Sönke Rothenberger's Olympic team gold medal winning ride Cosmo, has decided to leave the Rothenberger's Gestut Erlenhof in Bad Homburg, Germany, and accepted the position as head groom at Blue Hors stud in Randbol, Denmark.
Sanderson has been a long-time groom for Beatriz Ferrer-Salat and the Rothenberger family but will now head to Denmark to assist main rider Daniel Bachmann with the care taking of his horses.
Jacqueline van Grunsven had to make the tough decision on 11 October 2016 to put down her 18-year old Dutch warmblood gelding Roemer (by Vincent x Roemer). The chestnut gelding was competed from small tour level to Grand Prix by Van Grunsven. She competed once at international GP level at the 2011 CDI-W 's Hertogenbosch.
The carroussel continues for German Grand Prix mare Rock 'n Rose. The 12-year old Westfalian mare (by Rockwell x Pinocchio), registered with the FN as owned by Lisa Günther, has gone through an incredible switch of riders. She was started as a 5-year old by Hans Peter Bauer and two years later Ann Kathrin Wilting took over the ride. One year later Emma Kanerva was on board and showed her from small tour level to Grand Prix. In 2014 Dorothee Schneider competed her to Grand Prix level twice. Then Oliver Luze came on board in March 2016. Then the horse moved to junior rider Anna Casper, who won bronze at the 2016 German Junior Riders Championships, and now the horse has moved to the yard of Oliver Granicky and Jacqueline Koser.
Jenny Schreven's youth rider's horse Kennet W (by Goodtimes x Leraar x Glavius) has passed away at age 24. Both Jenny and Kennet moved up the levels together and their partnership lasted for almost twenty years. The pair began competing at junior riders level in 1999 and they represented The Netherlands at three European Junior/Young Riders Championships. Schreven continued her international career on GP schoolmaster Krawall and small tour horse Winghs H but has not been out to a CDI since August 2014.
The Dutch stallion keeper Anton Geessink has passed away. The 71-year old suffered from a severe brain aneurysm 14 months ago and was paralyzed on the left side of his body, even though he continued to work with his horses as much as he could. Anton stood licensed dressage stallions such as Democraat. He succumbed to the consequences of that aneurysm on Friday 14 October 2016.
Tahnee Meyssen's FEI dressage pony Matcho D van Prinsenshof's has been sold to the Dutch pony rider Pem Verbeek. Meyssen and her 8-year old Belgian sport pony (by Kulberg's Lancelot x Diogenes Kay) represented Belgium at the 2016 European Pony Championships. The pony was owned by Ilse Palmans and the pair trained by Jorinde Verwimp. Matcho D will now continue his pony career under the Eindhoven based Verbeek.
Susanne Barnow's 10-year old Oldenburg bred small tour horse Radondo (by Romanov x Don Schufro) has been sold to Andreas Helgstrand. The dark bay gelding was bred by Blue Hors and discovered as a youngster by Laila Aarrejärvi Bilstrup, who took him up to M-level. A year ago Barnow took over the ride and competed Radondo at small tour level and trained him to Grand Prix.
German Grand Prix rider Stefanie Weihermüller got married and is now competing under the name Stefanie Schatz-Weihermüller. She also recently made her show come back aboard her number one horse Wunderkund, who had been out after colic surgery for almost one year and a half. Their last show was in July 2015 but now she and her 13-year old Dutch bred Sydney x Elcaro gelding returned at the local event at Gut Aichat this weekend.
Victoria Michalke's trainer of 12 years, Stefan Munch, has parted ways with his student after she decided to set up her own independent business with her show jumping boyfriend Denis Nielsen. Munch has now relocated to Maxhof in Munich.