What's Happening: May 2025

American Grand Prix rider Hope Cooper (29) and her long-time boyfriend Robert Armani Celado got married on 10 May 2025. The couple got engaged in the summer of 2023. They are now on honeymoon In Italy.

Swedish Grand Prix rider Carl Hedin confirmed to Eurodressage that he and his partner Filip Holmström got engaged at the start of 2025. The 33-year old took a year off from international competition between March 2024 and February 2025 to pursue the limelight on television by participating in the TV-show "Race Across The World." He returned to the international arena in Gothenburg with Van der Veen and in March 2025 switched disciplines and competed in a string of CSI's with two horses in Oliva Nova, Spain. Holmström is not involved in the horse world but works as a reporter for Swedish TV4.

Danish Grand Prix rider and former youth team trainer Dennis Fisker is getting pampered when spending time in South East Asia, coaching his Malaysian students at Qabil Ambak's 3Q Equestrian Center in Kuala Lumpur. The fun-loving rider shared this photo on Instagram. 

Some top international Grand Prix mares who are now retired from sport have been put in foal. Double Olympic champion Dalera (by Easy Game x Handryk) is in foal to Vitalis, while Lyndal Oatley's mare Elvive (by Tuschinski x Don Schufro) is in foal to Dante Weltino. Both are carrying their own foals.

Tragic news from Dutch Olympian Emmelie Scholtens. The rider shared on her Instagram that she and her husband Jeroen Witte lost their second child, a boy named Max. He was premature stillborn. Scholtens received thousands of condolence messages on her Insta from all across the horse community. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her and her family.

Zac Miles has been unanimously elected as the new Chair of the Equestrian Australia's Board of Directors effective 12 May 2025. "Zac brings extensive experience in governance roles, particularly in membership-based organisations and elected bodies and has served on our board since 2022 as one of the first cohort of member-elected Directors. His leadership will be invaluable as we navigate our next phase of growth and reform," EA posted. Stephanie Lyons has been appointed Deputy Chair of the Board. 

Canadian Olympian Lindsay Kellock and her husband Drew Duckworth are expecting a baby boy. This will be the second child for the couple, which welcomed girl Madison on 13 June 2023. Lindsay and Drew have been married since October 2022 after getting engaged in March of that year.  Kellock represented Canada at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. This year she competed Incredible (by Desperado x Sandreo) in one CDI so far, in Wellington, in March. She has two Grand Prix horses lined up: Tu Le Merite and Kensington.

Irish dressage rider Fenella Quinn and her husband Lewis Quinn welcomed their first baby, a boy named Theo, on 27 May 2025. "It’s been a whirlwind few days but were smitten as can be with him & excited for our new family chapter," said Fenella. Quinn owns former British team horse Hawkins Delicato (Carl Hester) and Farell which Abi Lyle competed for Ireland at the 2023 European Championships in Riesenbeck.

Dressprod reported that Emmelie Scholtens became the co-owner of a new young stallion, Rockstar Millionaire (D’Avie x Sandro Hit). He is bred by Rebecca Dudley and was co-owned by Yvon Kaptein and MT stables. He was licensed in Den Bosch in 2024 but has not yet done the KWPN performance test. Under Bart Veeze he did the shortened suitability test in Vechta and scored 7.8.