Swedish professional dressage rider Marina Mattsson is expecting her first child, a baby girl. She and partner Alex Andersson, a racing car driver who drives for Marina's employer Patrik Hannell's team, will welcome the baby at the end of the year. Mattsson last competed internationally with Quatermain as an Under 25 rider in June 2019.
American Grand Prix rider and trainer Michael Barisone, who was a 2008 U.S. Olympic team reserve rider, will go to trial on 7 February 2022 for attempted second-degree murder of former student Lauren Kanarek, who was also a tenant at his New Jersey farm. The shooting took place in 2019. Barisone pleaded not guilty in January 2020 to two counts of attempted murder and two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Nancy Jaffer reported that “he intends to present evidence of insanity and self-defense at trial.” Kanarek was critically wounded by two bullets to the chest in a scuffle with the trainer at his property. Her fiancé, Robert Goodwin, also was involved in the fray.
Marcus Hermes' former international Grand Prix horse Cabanas FH has been retired from competition sport. Hermes developed the now 15-year old Oldenburg gelding by Carabas x Partout during his time as a rider at the Baumgurtel family's Freiberger Hof. The dark bay made his international Grand Prix debut at the 2016 CDI Mannheim and was competed at CDI's in Odense and Falsterbo that year. Two years later they turned at the CDI Aachen dressage days and went to Wiesbaden, Deauville, and Zakrow that year. Their last show was the CDI Lier in March 2019. "Unfortunately we couldn't bring him back (to full fitness) from his injury nor to competition sport," Freiberger hof stated.
Marjan Hooge's 6-year old KWPN gelding Kadans SW (by Vivaldi x Lancet x Herannus), bred by the Breukink couple, has been sold to Japan. The chestnut gelding competed in the 4-year old pilot project at the 2019 World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo and finished third in the consolation class. Kadans has arrived at the Baji Koen equestrian center of the Japan Racing Association under the care of Japanese Olympian Hiroyuki Kitahara.
Irish Grand Prix team rider Kate Dwyer and her partner Alan have welcomed a baby girl on 27 October 2021. Congratulations.
Small set back for German professional Ann-Christin Wienkamp who fell of her horse and injured a tendon, which requires a small operation next week. We also picked up the news that Alexandra Bimschas had a nasty fall of her horse a month ago with multiple fractures. Get well soon!
Dutch Grand Prix rider Romy van der Schaft (31) has announced that she is expecting her first child in March 2022. She and partner Eelke de Haan will be welcoming a boy to their family. Romy is daughter of Finnish team trainer Rien van der Schaft.
After a successful inaugural edition of Dressage by the Lake in May 2021 as a replacement for all the cancelled CDI's in New Zealand in 2021, the organizers sadly informed riders that a 2022 edition will not be taking place. "We were unable to secure new dates for the show with Takapoto (the venue), as at this stage the Takapoto team are not taking event bookings until 2023.
St. Georg reported that Jürgen Loesdau, the founder of the famous German horse tack company Loesdau, died unexpectedly at age 80. He established his small tack shop with his wife Heide in 1966 in Bissingen, Germany, and from there the company grew into one of Europe's biggest tack shops with 6000 products in its online shop and 400 employees. He also established the riding club in Ontsmettingen and briefly sponsored Olympic dressage Martin Schaudt.
Daniel Delius will be auctioning the stallions at this week's Oldenburg Stallion Licensing in Vechta. The regular auctioneer, Thorsten Castle, got severely injured in an accident at the Iffezheim race track. We wish him a speedy recovery.