What's Happening: April 2023

Mon, 04/17/2023 - 11:11
Bits 'n Pieces
Welcome to the world, Lotta Schatz

German Grand Prix rider Stefanie Weihermuller-Schatz has given birth to her first baby, a girl, on 29 March 2023. The 38-year old Steffi and her husband Philipp Schatz have named her Lotta. Stefanie last competed internationally in July 2022 with C'est La Vie and Wyndigo. She made her career with Grand Prix horses Wunderkind and Fantomas.

American Grand Prix rider Codi Harrison has joined the riders' team of Helgstrand U.S.A.. Harrison had already worked as an assistant rider for her coach Lars Petersen and his wife Melissa Taylor but then went solo for a while. She has now accepted a part time job at Helgstrand U.S.A., which has been under Petersen/Taylor's management since May 2022.

Christian Springborg, breeding manager and consultant at Helgstrand Dressage, has resigned from his position. Springborg first worked at Blue Hors stud as a handler and in the insemination center and moved to Helgstrand in August 2017. After almost six years on the job, he has decided for a change in atmosphere and returned home to his family's breeding farm. At Helgstrand Springborg handled the stallions going to the insemination centre as well as prepared the unbroken mares and stallions for presentation at the shows and licensings.

Maria Falkner Hansen, head rider at Lone Boegh Henriksen's HP Horses in Denmark, has fractured her collar bone in a fall. She is temporarily sidelined as she recovers from her injury and Selina Solberg has stepped in to train her horses for the Open House day that was scheduled for the beginning of April. 

Amelie Scholz
More baby bliss in the family of Fabian and Carina Scholz. They welcomed their second child together, Amelie, on 7 April 2023. The couple is already parents to Elena Sophie, born on 31 January 2021.

With the departure of Finnish Grand Prix rider Terhi Stegars as head rider and general manager of the Contern Dressage Center in Luxembourg, Sarah Scheuermann has moved into the head position. Scheuermann began working at Contern in April 2022 and "will bring her experience and passion to the development of the stable in the future. Working with our rider Justin Ludot, Sarah will shape the future of the stable and we look forward to the further development of our horses." Stegars has accepted the main rider position at Gestut Bartlgut in Austria and hopes to return to the international competition arena.

Michael Sorg, chef d'equipe of the Swiss senior show jumping team, has been appointed the new managing director of the Swiss Equestrian Federation. He will take up his position on 1 May 2023 and succeeds Sandra Wiedmer. The 37-year old Sorg is a renaissance man in Swiss equestrian sport, having worked as speaker, journalist, vice chair of the CHI Geneva, technical director of jumping in the Swiss federation, chef d'equipe and project leader of the "Youth Academy". 

Ben and Claire got married. Congratulations!
Former British dressage youth team rider and U25 rider Claire Gallimore (30) got married to Ben Attenborough (28), a commercial leader at the software startup company Attest. After having lived and trained in The Netherlands at Bartels Academy and with Tristan Tucker, Claire returned to the U.K. and focused on natural horsemanship training in combination with dressage. She also coached British paralympian Natasha Baker at the 2021 Paralympics. She got married and the union has prompted her to follow her husband Ben to the U.S.A. "Ben got an exciting job opportunity, that we couldn’t refuse, to transfer from the London office to the New York office," Claire told Eurodressage. "We are living in Brooklyn and I will be building up my coaching business - focussing on training the mind and body of the horse for peak performance."

Dressprod reported that the French Grand Prix horse Sultan has passed away at age 24. Bred by the Van Stee family in The Netherlands, Sultan was by Gribaldi x Aktion. He was trained and competed from young horse level to Grand Prix by Michel Mouré. Between 2010 and 2012 they competed internationally. In 2013 Remy Bourgeret took over the ride and made his CDI debut on him. The horse was retired from sport at Anne Sophie and Jean Claude Leterrier's yard in Normandy.