What's Happening in the Dressage World?

October 2007

Jan Brink and Catharina Svensson got married on October 6, 2007. The Swedish magazine Tidningen Ridsport was there to report on the marvellous day while Lotta Gyllensten photographed all the magical moments. View more photos on Tidningen Ridsport. The couple will go on honeymoon to Ireland where they will stay at a castle.

Hold your horses!!! Anky van Grunsven is having trouble staying in the saddle. During the prize giving at the CDI Flyinge on September 28, her winning Grand Prix horse Painted Black spooked and reared and Anky lost her balance, falling off and hurting her leg. On Sunday October 14, 2007, her small tour horse Nelson launched her from the saddle during a clinic in Groningen, The Netherlands. The Weltmeyer son started bucking and, even though Anky stayed in the saddle for a while, she eventually lost her balance and got thrown off in the corner of the ring. She hurt her ribs and legs but fortunately, Anky is doing fine.

Anky's trainer Sjef Janssen told the Dutch magazine Paardenkrant that she was unable to properly warm up her horse in the tiny warm up ring in Groningen. "The announcer got the crowds enthusiastic and Anky was welcomed with a deafening noise. This is good when you are able to properly prepare yourself, but now Nelson flipped and bucked her off," Janssen said. "If we had known this, we would have warmed up Nelson better somewhere near the stable, because it was necessary. Anky was unable to ride him for three days because of her trip to Oslo. This is not good for Anky's confidence," he added.

A video of Anky getting launched by Nelson was posted on YouTube on Sunday evening, but the clip was removed on Tuesday as the poster had to remove the video clip under pressure. The video was also posted by the RTL tv-station. Anky wrote a very nice column though in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf explaining the situation. "I get more publicity from a fall than from winning a show," she concluded.

Bad luck for Jackie Sui. Her recently acquired 13-year old Grand Prix horse, Mariola, passed away begin October in England. The Flemmingh offspring foundered and had to be put down. The Hong Kong team rider Sui was in training at Anky van Grunsven's stable in Erp, The Netherlands, until August. She bought the mare in hope of competing her at the 2008 Olympic Games.

British Dressage (BD) has appointed communications manager Jo Bagnall as its first deputy chief executive. BD approaches its 10th anniversary with ambitious plans to increase further participation across the country. Following the development of a comprehensive strategic plan, this position was created to strengthen the management team. Jo combines eight years of marketing and communications experience with a lifelong love of dressage

One of Germany's most successful Trakehner mares has been sold to the United States. The State and Verband Premium mare In Zukunft (by Buddenbrock out of Elite Mare Insterfee VII by Kennedy) has been sold to Pamela Duffy of Sunsprite Sporthorses in California. In Zukunft was champion of the mare inspection (59 points, highest scoring Trakehner mare in Germany in 2003) and mare performance test and was third at the National Mare Championat in Neumünster. In Zukunft is bred by Hans-Joachim Scharffetter. She is a full sister to the champion mares In Farbe and In Vita and the two approved stallions In Petto and In Flagranti.

Back to the What's Happening Index