What's Happening in the Dressage World?

November 2003

Even though the Rusty Doping Case has been settled by the FEI judicial committee, more legal turmoil is taking place in Horse World. Anky van Grunsven and Sjef Janssen are being sued by Henk van Aalderen, grand father of Anky's young rider student Danielle van Aalderen. Reason of this legal dispute is the sudden death of the 13-year old Gestion Idool who dropped dead in the field April 2003. Henk van Aalderen bought the horse for his grandchild only two months earlier. He claims that "the horse had been paid for, but was not delivered." Though Van Aalderen does not want to mention the exact amount of the claim, it concerns several hundred thousands of euro's.
Related Link: Gestion Idool Died Unexpectedly

Former World Champion Roval Investment is back in training. The chestnut Investment offspring had to take a two-month break due to an injury but is now back in training with Marlies van Baalen. Owner Julie van Eeuwen Roval Investment took Roval back home after he injured himself in August at the CHIO Rotterdam. Marlies will be preparing the chestnut to show him at Intermediaire I level the upcoming 2004 show season.
Related Link: Roval Investment, Investment For The Future!

The 4-year old Stradivarius is in training with Leida Strijk in England. Stradivarius, a KWPN registered gelding by Krack C out of a Contango dam, finished third in the 2003 Pavo Cup Finals under Edward Gal.
Related Link: Pavo Cup Results

The 6-year old Hanoverian stallion Fabuleux has been sold to Bridlewood Farm in Kentucky, United States. Fabuleux, who is by Fabriano out of St.Pr. St Auguste (by Augustinus xx x Absatz), got licensed in Verden in 1999 and was sold at auction as the third most expensive horse to Sonja and Gerd Knoop of Gestut Höftehof in Meppen, Germany. In 2000, Fabuleux did his Stallion Performance Test and finished sixth with 121,94 points. Fabuleux was bred by Inge und Klaus Kuhn.

By the way, according to Horse Gate the reason why Relevant didn't perform well at the CDI Stuttgart was because he had injured his teeth after having bitten on the iron rails of his stall in Stuttgart. There was no jaw fracture, as rumour had it, but Relevant did need to have his teeth treated by a vet.
Related Links: Scores CDI Stuttgart

Images by Arnd Bronkhorst and Dirk Caremans