What's Happening: May 2020 - Part II

Mon, 05/25/2020 - 08:34
Bits 'n Pieces
David O' Connor, Sabat Zada and Joe Zada in 2000

Corona times also seems Crime Times!

Dressage-News reported that Joe Zada, who was sentenced to prison for 15 years for defrauding U.S. Olympian Robert Dover and Russian hockey player Sergei Federov, amongst others, will be released from jail after having served four years. He will move into house arrest in his million dollar mansion near Detroit. Zada was a big sponsor of the Wellington show circuit in the 2000s and owned million dollar properties in the Wellington area. He was also the owner of David O'Connor's 2000 Sydney Olympic gold medal winning horse Custom Made.  The 61-year old Zada was incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institute at Milan, MI, but is now released early, a decision triggered by the Covid-19 virus spreading throughout the prison population. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons notified victims of the Ponzi scheme of the decision to release Zada.

The Indonesian entrepreneur Titan Wilaras (also know as Chris or Titian) Wilares has been arrested in a Dutch 5* star holiday on 12 May 2020 as he is wanted in his home country Indonesia for major bank and tax fraud. Wilaras owned Platinum Stables in Riel, The Netherlands. For years financial woes surrounded the yard with numerous creditors suing Wilaras for unpaid bills. In April 2019 a blow out sale of all the horses took place. Indonesian authorities had been looking for Wilaras since December 2019. Titan was the ceo of Legian Credit Bank from 2017 till 2018 but used the money for personal enrichment. His night club Sky Garden in Bali had already been closed due to tax evasion, drugs, criminality and prostitution in the club. Wilaras has been extradited to the police in the Balinese capital of Denpasar, where he will be detained for 20 days, as the prison in Kerobokan is full. He will be awaiting trial.

Thieves broke into Laurens van Lieren and his girlfriend Devenda Dijkstra's stable in Schaijk, The Netherlands, in the night of 13 May 2020. They stole 9 saddles, of which 7 were owned by the couple (brand Award & Tribal), as well as Devenda's Toyota Yaris, a quad and much more. "The good news is that the horses are all ok and healthy, but after today nobody will get and if so, they won't get out in one piece," Devenda wrote on Facebook adding a dog and lion emoticon behind her statement.

And then the legal battles continue through corona times

The Dutch newspaper Brabants Dagblad reported that the neighbours in the street of Dutch para rider Sanne Voets are objecting the legalization of the equestrian yard of Dutch paralympian Sanne Voets by the town of Oss and presenting their case to the Council of State, reporting "inequality in justice". Voets' horse facilties were built without planning permission, but are in the process of being legalized. Her neighbour Mart van de Velden, who also built an outdoor school, paddocks and a horse walker, was forced by the town to tear everything down in 2018, just like some other neighbours, because it was built without permit. Van de Velden ended up selling his entire property. These neighbours now claim that the town is much more lenient to Paralympian Voets. According to them the town is giving preferential treatment to Voets because she's a "famous" athlete and her father works for the town hall.

The FEI Tribunal, chaired by José Rodriguez Alvarez, of Mexico, has rejected the appeal Edda and Wenzel Schmidt have lodged against Sissy Max-Theurer for conflict of interest. Max-Theurer is the president of the Austrian equestrian federation, 5* dressage judge and show organizers of several CDI's. A legal battle between the two parties has been going on since 2013 after the Austrian Equestrian Federation posed a nine month ban on Schmidt's rider Ulrike Prunthaller for animal abuse. Dressage-News reported that the Schmidts lost their appeal with the FEI Tribunal because aside from allegations they were unable to present enough evidence. Read more about it here.

And now some more optimistic news!

American WEG team rider Kasey Perry-Glass went online shopping while in lockdown in Wellington, Florida. The Olympic and WEG team rider purchased the colt MSJ Jaxson at Mount St. John stud in Great Britain. Jaxson is by Jameson out of  Viva (by Vitalis x Don Schufro) and a distant relative of Kasey's top horse Gorklintgaards Dublet.

Equitaris reported that the 15-year old internationally competed FEI pony Don Miguel (by Don Joshi) has found a new rider in the 10-year old Malin Schmorleiz. The chestnut Don Miguel is bred by Jurgen Felstehausen and was a licensed stallion. He gained his first big successes in the arena under Lucia-Anouk Baumgurtel. In 2018 he became the ride of Marlene Maria Binder and as of April the pony has moved to the Schmorleiz family. 

Dutch dressage rider Jessica Leijser gave birth to a baby girl named Lauren on Thursday 14 May at 8h44 in the morning. Jessica and her partner Niels Valkenburg are first time parents.