What's Happening: April 2025 - Part II

Luxembourg 5* dressage judge Christof Umbach got married to Ralph Hombücher on 22 April 2025. The couple celebrated their union at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. Umbach was previously long-time linked to Luxembourg dressage rider Sascha Schulz, while Ralph Hombücher was married to Arnd Erben until Arnd's sad and untimely passing in December 2023. Christof announced the news of their wedding on Facebook with "A journey into new beginnings. Love is in the air. We did it!"

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl has allocated client's horse Del Sogno, a 6-year old Hanoverian by Dante's Junior x Lauries Crusador xx), to her student Carla Süss. Owned by Sönke Rothenberger, Del Sogno was licensed in Munster-Handorf in 2021 and first competed by Anna-Giulia Savic before Philly Giesselmann (née Roberts) took over the ride in 2023. She competed him at three shows and finished 8th in the 4-year old challenge that was held at the 2023 World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo. The bay moved to Werndl in March 2024 and only showed once with Jessica, in September 2024, at L-level. Süss has now taken over the reins. Süss began her show career in 2021 on ponies and most recently has been showing Finest Beat (by Furstenball x Simply) and Valentin (by ). She has not yet competed internationally.

Swedish Grand Prix rider Sanna Nilsson had to be taken to the emergency room in Eskilstuna, Sweden, on 19 April 2025 after suddenly falling at night. She explained, "I had extremely low / poor values when I came to the emergency room but still felt a little better already then, when I got just the right help in the ambulance. Thank you to the great ambulance drivers who listened and took care of me absolutely correctly, even though I spit down your entire ambulance (apologize once again for that." She has been hospitalized and is testing a new round of penicillin. 

Austrian Grand Prix rider Diana Porsche announced that she is pregnant with her first child. She and husband Philipp Stadlmann are expecting a baby boy in October 2025. "I couldn’t be more excited to begin this new chapter together," Diana posted. She competed at the CDI Fontainebleau before going on an extended baby break. Her show debut with Imhotep, which she took over from Charlotte Dujardin in November 2024, will have to wait as well.

Dutch dressage rider Marten Luiten is sidelined for a short while with his arm in a cast. "Yesterday I made a not so graceful tumble," Luiten took to Instagram. "A little while out of the running and super happy with the team here that keeps things going."

Christian Simonson made his show debut aboard Heidi Humphries' KWPN stallion Indian Rock at the national show in Wellington, Florida, on Saturday 26 April 2025. He rode the Grand Prix test and received a winning score of 76.794%. There were two combinations in that class and the judges were Natalie Lamping and William McMullin.