What's Happening in the Dressage World?

April 2006

Lisa Wilcox made her American Debut at the Gold Coast Grand Finale on April 15, 2006. It was Lisa’s first show in the United States since returning from a 12-year stint abroad. A crowd was gathered around the warm-up area and spectators were securing spots in the covered viewing area to watch her performance aboard Cindy Snowden's Oldenburg bred Dolomit in the FEI Test for 6-Year-Olds. Wilcox aims to qualify Dolomit for the 2006 World Young Horse Championships in Verden. Read More about Wilcox at Dressagedaily

The Bundeschampionate finallist Lamborghini has been sold to German young rider Anna Katharina Luttgen. The Holsteiner bred Lamborghini is by Lavaletto x Feldherr and finished 10th at the 2005 Bundeschampionate. Luttgen purchased the horse already a few months ago and is currently competing it in Germany at M level.

A miracle has happened: Belgium is hosting a CDI competition again! After Schoten stopped hosting a CDI in its beautiful castle park, no international competition offering Grand Prix level classes has been hosted in Belgium. The CDI Hansbeke is going to change that and it is rumoured that a highly attractive field of competitors will be present there. More info can be found at www.cdihansbeke.be.

More news from Belgium. There will be a big new national show/championship for the FEI pony, junior and young riders, called "Cup of Belgium". Dirk Hooghe, former Belgian jr/yr chef d'Equipe and chairman of the dressage committee of the Belgian VLP equestrian federation, is organizing this youth riders' Cup of Belgium at Het Zilveren Spoor in Moorsele on September 3, 2006. The Cup can be won by winning the individual test and a kur to music. More info at www.v-d-r.be.

Irish junior rider Bill Delahoyde from Marlton Stud, County Wicklow and his new horse Leonardo Austria scored 62.58% in the FEI junior team test at the CDI-J in Stadl Paura, Austria which qualified him to represent Ireland at the Junior European Dressage Championships at the same venue July 19-23, 2006.

Caroline Kottas-Heldenberg had to withdraw from competing at the CDI Stadl Paura as her horse Exupery got injured a few days before the trot up. The 13-year old Oldenburg Ex Libris son kicked himself in the paddock and a small cut on the coronet band got nastier than expected. "He was really in top shape and I wanted to ride the big tour for the first time again this season in Stadl Paura," a disappointed Caroline Kottas told Steckenpferd. The pair will be back in the ring very soon though.

We heard through the grapevine that British Olympian Emma Hindle and her partner Thomas Hoffmann nipped off on a little relaxing holiday a while ago. The pair travelled to Dubai on invitation and went to watch the races at Nad al Sheba. The horse they rooted for, the multichampion Ouija Board, finished fourth.

The 3-year old Danish Warmblood stallion Teglvangs West Point (by Willemoes x Master x Leonardo II), who surprisingly did not get accepted at the 2006 DVB Stallion Licensing, sold to the 36-year old Danish Grand Prix rider Karin Skovmand one week after the licensing.

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