Grand Prix riders Sune Hansen and Emily Ward got married on Saturday 14 August 2010 at a family friends' place in Borgo di Carpiano, Umbria, Italy. Forty-two guests of family and close friends attended the wedding.
Dutch rider Kebie van der Heijden caught the bouquet. Emily looked gorgeous in her white lacy dress. "The dress was really fitted so when I tried to sit down for dinner, it was so tight I could hardly eat a thing," an ecstatic Ward told Eurodressage. "Which was a shame as the food looked really good! I made up for it though the next day we had a lunch party with everyone and that was great, the sun came out and we could all relax by the pool, the wedding day there was a huge thunder storm!
Hansen, a Danish WEG team candidate, and Ward, a Grand Prix rider for Antigua, could not stay for a short honeymoon in Italy as Hansen has to compete at the CDI Copenhagen 20 - 22 August 2010. "Sune got a message two weeks before the wedding that he had to ride in Copenhagen so we flew back on monday, went straight to the stables and started riding! I am also going to do small tour there. I wanted to keep busy so wouldn't get after wedding dip! We're going to have proper honeymoon at beginning of January in Barbados."
Imke Schellekens-Bartels has received the support of her sponsor Hunter Douglas (the manufacturer of Luxeflex-Velux windows) for her upcoming Grand Prix horse Toots (by Jazz). The gentle giant has been extremely successful at the CDIO Rotterdam and Aachen and Hunter Douglas decided to secure Imke's future on this black Dutch warmblood by sponsoring her. "Because the 2011 European Championships are hosted in Rotterdam, the city where our headquarters are based, we want to stay involved in dressage," said Hunter Douglas CEO Aad Kuiper. "We are pleased with Imke's good performances and want to keep her as sports ambassador."
Schellekens-Bartels recently had to face a serious cut in her collection of horses. Her PSG mount Voice suddenly moved to Edward Gal's stables and her 6-year old rising star Zan Tropez passed away. But when a door closes, a window opens. The 2006 World Young Horse Reserve Champion Hyperion's Tanirma (by De Niro x Inspekteur) has moved to Bartels' Academy and will be prepared for the Grand Prix. The elegant black mare was trained from novice to small tour level by Sarah van Fessem, but she will now be ridden by Schellekens to get her into the Grand Prix ring.
Former French team rider Constance Menard is pregnant with her first child. The father of the baby is Tony Ecalle, a carriage driver. The baby is due during the first week of the 2010 World Equestrian Games. After the retirement of her Grand Prix horse Lianca (by Tourist), Menard now has two horses coming along.
In the wake of the British WEG Team selection, controversy has arisen about the appointment of both Carl Hester and fourth team member Fiona Bigwood. Initially three team members were selected and three riders had to battle for a fourth spot. Fiona Bigwood, Emile Faurie and Henriette Andersen were asked to compete again in Germany this month, but in a sudden change of heart, Fiona Bigwood was named as the fourth member of the team. Furthermore, Carl Hester only competed at two home CDI's with Liebling II. At one he was eliminated as the horse bit his tongue, at the other he scored a 70+% score. Horse and Hound wrote that, "BD's selection policy states that shows are “weighted” so that some results carry more significance than others. Some riders feel it unjust that Carl was able to prove himself at a less atmospheric home international. Richard Davison, who is not a selector but team manager, admitted there are “harder and easier CDIs [top-level shows]”, but argued: “Carl and Liebling scored 75% at the Europeans last August and plus-70% on his only grand prix this year. Would you not take that horse and rider?” He added: “It's not about being fair, it's about winning medals.”"
The Danish bred licensed stallion Gefion has passed away at age 32. The chestnut sire was born in 1978 and bred by Jens Peter Pedersen. Sired by Go On Then xx out of a Solist dam, Gefion became the licensing champion in Herning. He was trained to S-level dressage by Nis Valdemar Hansen and produced over 300 registered offspring in Denmark. He sold to Carol Baker in England. Gefion is the dam sire of Danish Grand Prix horse Seduc (ridden by Anne Troensegaard).
We recently heard one of the silliest jokes ever!! Do you now the name a very jittery mushroom? A jumpingnon.
However, in case you are getting bored by all the seriousness in our sport, a new website has been launced called Haha Horses. Each week it displays a funny photo to which visitors can add a caption. A winner is chosen each week and he gets a gift certificate. www.hahahorses.com is closely related to Eventing Nation, which is also quite funny, at least if you're into eventing.
On Wednesday 18 August 2010 the IDRC will elect a new president. With the resignation of Margit Otto-Crepin, the IDRC needs a new captain and the vote is open to all full members. Most of the top international dressage riders are members and a new president could come from that group.
The news spilled on Facebook but U.S. dressage rider Ashely Fornell Daliessio and her husband Jason are expecting their first child together, a a baby girl. Fornell competed at the 2003 World Young Horse Championships in Verden in 2003 aboard Rykaard (by Kimberley). In 2004 the combination became reserve U.S. young horse Champions.
According to Lynndee Kemmett's Dressage News Notes posted on Mary Phelps' Dressagedaily.com, Steffen Peters' sponsor Akiko Yamazaki will have two horses competing in the upcoming WEG. One will be Ravel, the well-known partner of Steffen Peters. The other will be her Grand Prix schoolmaster Kranak (by Burggraaf). Yamazaki’s loan of Kranak to para-dressage rider Jennifer Baker, 46, of Loveland, Ohio. Baker originally qualified to compete with Duel, but she had to withdraw him because of an injury. Yamazaki came to the rescue and shipped Kranak to Ohio. So what’s the link between Baker and Yamazaki? Well, according to the news report, Shannon Peters was trained by Baker’s mother, Nancy, years ago and Shannon Peters is now the younger Baker’s coach. Check out Dressagedaily's News Notes!