What's Happening in the Dressage World

April 2004

Bad luck for German young horse specialist and Junior riders' team trainer Hans-Heinrich Meyer zu Strohen. In March, Meyer zu Strohen went to the Flyinge State Stud in Sweden as guest judge for the stallion test and fell of a young stallion. Meyer zu Strohen got back in the saddle, but when driving home to Germany he got an ache in his back. When he checked with the doctors he was diagnosed with a small fracture in the cervical spine. There has been no news so far whether Meyer zu Strohen was operated on or not. He has been wearing a brace to keep his neck immobile.

Ai Carramba, Paul Schockemohle's brood farm in Neustadt-Glewe (in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern area) has caught fire again. Fortunately, only the building has been damaged, and no horses were injured. It is the second time in three years that there has been fire in Schockemohle's Neustadt barn, where he rears about 2000 foals, yearlings and two-years old. The cause of the first fire was never solved. The police considers malicious arson.

Still injured is 2002 World Champion Farbenfroh. Unfortunately, Nadine Capellmann keeps postponing his comeback. The March comeback at the CDI Dortmund was cancelled as Farbenfroh (Freudentanzer x Aarstein) injured himself during a training session. Capellmann then announced that she would make her return in the Grand Prix ring at the CDI Olfen mid April. That was cancelled again. Hopefully she'll be third time lucky. The newest comeback is scheduled for the CDI Norten-Hardenberg May 14-16, 2004.

Three hoorays for Cesar Parra and his students Katie Riley and Michael Shondel. At the CDI Port Jervis (Port Jervis, NJ, USA), Parra finished first with Pik L, Shondel second with Wallaby and Riley third with Adonis in the CDI Prix St Georges class.

2000 KWPN Licensing Champion Paddox (by Ferro) has a new rider. Diederik van Silfhout, son of former rider Alex van Silfhout, has taken over control of the reins. Diederik competed Paddox last weekend at fourth level at the national show in Ermelo. The duo scored 67.71% and won the class. For their second fourth level ride that day, they earned 62.06% and finished fourth.

Dutch equestrian photographer Arnd Bronkhorst has moved his business from Amsterdam to Garderen, The Netherlands. Bronkhorst and his girlfriend since 2000, Irene van Seggelen, have bought a house in the countryside. Arnd will operate his photography business from there, while Irene van Seggelen will be managing a small training farm, called Areion Stables, which is attached to their new house.

Angelique Hostyn's Oldenburg breeding stallion Royal Jubilee has a new rider. Stefan van Ingelgem will be competing the dark bay licensed sire by Rohdiamant x Andiamo x Welt As in the FEI Young Horse classes in Belgium. Angelique has not been riding since January because she is pregnant with her first child. Angelique's two other young licensed stallions Likoto Hit and Sandrohall both returned from their 30-day Stallion Testing in Vechta with positive reports. Especially Sandrohall stood out in the testing, scoring top marks for his gaits and rideability. Royal Jubilee, Sandrohall and Likoto Hit are all up for stud at Angelique's farm in Middelkerke, Belgium, at very reasonable stud fees.

Good old Tannenhof's Garçon (by Gardeoffizier) is back in the ring. Since the beginning of 2004, Garçon has been competed by Belgian young rider Amandine Prevost, who is trained by former Pony chef d'equipe Carine Baton. Prevost and Garçon scored 64% at a Belgian selection trial in February and are currently in the running for a place on the Belgian Young Riders Team. Tannenhof's Garçon is a licensed Hanoverian stallion who was previously competed by Nadine Capellmann and Klaus Balkenhol.

We want to wish our American business associates Mary Phelps and JJ Hathaway a great vacation. Mary and JJ leave on Friday April 30 for an exclusive sailing trip in the Grenadine Islands with their dearest friends Irwin and Marge Gaffin. The Gaffins have been close friends of Mary since her hippy days in Woodstock, NY. They own the Ameribag Healthy Back Pack company.

Images copyrighted: Roz Neave - Dirk Caremans

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