What's Happening in the Dressage World?

It has been quite a while now since Eurodressage last came out with a "What's Happening". But the new year is a symbol of a fresh start, and that's what we are going to do too.

Biggest news tidbit lately is the blowing off of the World Cup Finals in Sao Paulo, Brasil. Apparently, the organisation of Sao Paulo was unable to get sufficient money together for the show. Plus, many riders already told the press that they weren't going anyway as the flight to Brasil is too long for the horses. According to Anky van Grunsven's website, London and Moskow are the new discussed locations for the World Cup Finals. Rudolf Zeilinger, by the way, is in the lead in the provisional WC rankings.

Dutch Olympic gold medallists Anky van Grunsven and Jeroen Dubbeldom appeared on television in a special christmas program round the Olympic Games. All seven dutch gold medallists, including 2 swimmers, 1 cyclist, 1 hockeyplayer, 1 judo-player and 2 equestrians, were interviewed on their experiences at the Olympic Games. When Dubbeldam was asked if he had to chose between his horse De Sjiem and his son Rik, he would chose Rik. Anky, however, decided to take both: Gestion Bonfire AND Sjef Janssen. Anky also said that she didn't regret that the Bonfire-era is over. "I'm ready to start afresh, to move on with my young horses."

Arjen Teeuwissen is out for a while as his horse Gestion Goliath (acclaimed by the international (Dutch) press to be the best dressage horse in the world, but he didn't even ride the freestyle at Olympics) lightly pulled a tendon during transport. The injury is not severe and the combination can be expected to appear soon in the show circuit.

Dutch show jumping rider Jos Lansink has been asked by employer Leon Melchior to change his nationality. Lansink is the main rider at the Zangersheide breeding station in Lanaken, Belgium, owned by millionair Leon Melchior. Although Zangersheide is a studbook on its own, Melchior decided to give his horses Belgian registry papers from 2001 on. If Lansink were to see his contract renewed, he was kindly asked by Melchior to become a Belgian. Jos Lansink was the Dutch Show Jumping Champion 7 times, but in the future he will be riding for the Belgian flag. "My collegues already gave me the text of the Brabaçonne, the Belgian anthem," Lansink joked. Jos is mainly aiming at a spot in the Belgian Olympic Show Jumping team for Athens in 2004.

And there is more Dutch news: Gestion Stock Brockers, Inc. decided to lengthen the contract with the Gestion Equestrian Team for two more years until the World Equestrian Games in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, 2002. The Gestion Equestrian Team consists of Anky van Grunsven, Imke, Bartels, Ellen Bontje and Arjen Teeuwissen.

Belgian FEI Pony rider Valerie Janssen, who competed with Ronny Livens' Cupido for almost two years, is now training with Stefan van Ingelgem and decided to make the transition to horses this year. Janssens purchased the Rhinelander Pro Sieben RP (by Pro Ratio - photo), formerly competed by Peter Pieters. Peter Pieters was also in the news with his five-year-old KWPN Kennedy-offspring Onassis. De Paardenkrant (www.paardenkrant.nl) published an article on Pieters and Onassis, as his black dutch warmblood gelding is Kennedy's first born son. Onassis became fourth at the Belgian Young Dressage Horse Championships.

We also heard (and saw) that our equestrian photographer Dirk Caremans had a great time Wednesday 27th December 2000 at the Flanders Christmas Horse Show in Mechelen. Together with Belgium's Number One Show Jumper Ludo Philippaerts and some other enthusiasts he tasted the Belgian delights (beer) until 4 AM. The day after, he had to shoot the CDI-W Grand Prix freestyle. We wonder how the pictures turned out...

Anne van Olst also suffered a serious set-back. Her Hanoverian gelding Any How had to be put down due to a severe colic attack. Van Olst already lost her previous Grand Prix horse, the Trakehner stallion Chronos, due to colick. Any How was featured in Eurodressage's Focus. Any How used to be named "Asti" before he got sold to Denmark, via the Verden auction.

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