Former international Spanish youth team rider and professional young horse rider Alba Abollo Fontela (27) got married to her partner Manu Sanchez at the end of June 2026. Abollo competed Elvillar CS at the 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021 European Youth Championships (from junior to U25 level) and since then has mainly focused on showing young horses internationally. The 26-year old Sanchez is a physiotherapist by education but works as a professional footballer. Heplays as a left-back for Levante UD, on loan from RC Celta de Vigo. He is also closely involved with PRE breeding farm Yeguada Dharma.
Ralph van Venrooij has resigned from his position of seven years as Manager Commerce & Breeding for KWPN and from his post as Executive of the WBFSH Marketing Department to take up a job as CEO of Horsetelex as of 1 September 2026.
FBW Dantes Zazou, a 12-year old Baden Wurttemberger gelding by Dante Weltino x Florencio, has been returned into the hands of his original rider and owner Timo Kemmerer. In March 2026 the horse sold to Swiss Adrian Gasser as a ride for Bianca Nowag, but the German struggled to connect with the horse. They posted 52.30% in their first and only show in Vreschen-Bokel. Gasser and Kemmerer agreed to take the horse back. Timo made his come back to the arena on the black gelding. At the CDN Ichenheim on 16 - 19 July he was 4th in the Inter II with 70.820% and 15th in the short Grand Prix with 65.070%.
Danish Martin Klavsen and his partner Julie Kruse Hansen got engaged on 20 July 2026. Klavsen, the former breeding director at Blue Hors, and Julie welcomed their first child, Thilde, on 5 May 2026.
American Grand Prix rider Adriane Alvord has also fallen for the Wellington pull and decided to base herself in Florida year round. She will no longer make the summer trek back north, where she used to be located. "This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life," she said, "but after much soul searching, I have decided to stay in Wellington, Florida full time , and say good bye to Virginia (at least for the time being)." Alvord recently obtained the ride on a new Grand Prix horse, Kensington (by Johnson x Houston), previously shown by Caroline Colby.
Belgian Grand Prix rider Alexa Fairchild gave birth to her first child at the start of August in Brussels, Belgium. She and partner Xavier named the baby girl Charlie. Mother and daughter are in excellent health.
Dutch professional dressage rider Joyce Lenaerts and her husband Marcel Sterrenburg have sold their yard, De Beukenvallei, in Leende (NED° to Turkiesh show jumper Tolga Comertoglu. The Dutch couple was based in Leende for 26 years.
The Equestrian Sports New Zealand board announced the appointment of Emily Downes as the new chief executive. Emily is an experienced senior executive and sporting system leader who brings more than a decade of experience across high performance sport, athlete development, organisational leadership and stakeholder engagement. She is currently general manager – wellbeing and leadership at High Performance Sport New Zealand, where she is a member of the senior leadership team and has helped shape and deliver strategy across New Zealand’s high performance sport system. Emily will start the role on October 7, 2026. Until then, current chief executive Julian Bowden will continue, providing leadership and stability to the organisation and supporting a seamless transition.