What's Happening in the Dressage World?

August 2009

In her blog on Horse Hero, Laura Bechtolsheimer described her experience competing Mistral Hojris for the first time against Edward Gal on Totilas at Hickstead. She said, " riding against Edward Gal on Totilas seems a bit like running against Usain Bolt!!"

Franz-Peter "Pit" Krautwig has passed away. Krautwig was the PR-chef for the Westfalian breed society and manager of many competitions, including Berlin and Dortmund. Born in Cologne, Krautwig was initially a banker by profession but he gradually started to focus more on the horse world. In 1973 he founded the world famous Equitana horse fair together with Wolf Kröber. Since 1975 he was the PR chef for Westfalen. Last year he was forced to retire due to bad health. Krautwig had a weak heart and eight weeks ago he was operated on. Even though he recovered from the operation, his body weakened. He died of organ failure at age 66.

With the imminent departure of Emmelie Scholtens from Stal Laarakkers, a position has been open for a new rider at Christa and Sjak's stable. Christa, who is the Dutch pony chef d'equipe, and Sjak, a stalllion selector for the KWPN society, have announced that they hired two new riders. Vai Bruntink will start Septeber 1 and Cindy Stooker will start October 1. Bruntink has ridden up till fourth level and competed in the KNHS Stallion Competition, Cindy Stooker worked at Hans-Peter Minderhoud's place. The riders will first train the horses before permanent combinations are made. Christa will also be taking over several of Emmelie's rides.

Dutch young rider Floor Vos and Jacob Pepping, the owner of her horse Tornaxs P, are involved in a legal dispute which has led to Vos being unable to compete at the 2009 European Young Riders Championships in Ermelo, The Netherlands. When Vos started riding Tornaxs for Pepping agreements were made over the sale of the horse. Both parties agreed on a basis price and any money generated on top would be split by the two. Vos became Drenthe Regional Champion with the horse and at that time Pepping said he could have sold the bay gelding for 200,000 euro. Vos, however, did not agree on a sale (both parties had to agree) because she hoped to compete Tornaxs internationally. Pepping also hired Vos to train and ride his other horses but instead she started to ride horses for different owners and teach students at his facility. Vos got fired though she claims that Pepping was never at his own stable and she had to do all the work together with her mom. Currently Pepping has been offered the ride again on Tornaxs though the judge believes that a sale of the horse would settle the dispute. Both parties do not want to sell as an executorial sale usually does not produce the desired cash. The judge will reach his verdict on September 1 unless both parties come to an agreement before that. (source: Stegen.net)

Following results achieved with Wie Atlantico, British team rider Fiona Bigwood has been invited on to the World Class Performance Programme for Dressage. The Programme is funded through UK Sport by Lottery and exchequer funding. Fiona will benefit from the full support of the Programme which will aim to help her ensure Wie Atlantico reaches his full potential. Richard Davison, Team Captain, commented “this is an exciting combination for the future and they have demonstrated significant improvement in many areas of their work.”

It's baby time! Dutch former Young Rider Wendy van der Helm and her husband, show jumper Maurice van Vliet, have become the proud parents of a baby girl named Candy. She is born 13 August 2009 at 12.20h and weighed 3660 grams at birth. Even though the delivery took 24 hours, mom and baby are doing great. Dutch kur composer Cees Slings and his long time partner Mirjam Madiol, a photographer by profession and law school student in Nijmeghen, have become the proud parents of a daughter named Vera Anna Madiol Slings. Their baby girl was born on 12 August 2009 at 8.32 AM in Ede, The Netherlands. Mom and daughter are in excellent health.

Joop van Uytert of the Dutch stallion station Van Uytert has won the award of Dutch Equestrian Entrepreneur of the Year. Van Utert won ahead of three more nominees, including Stal 't Hofsee, Stables Snorrewind and Onder de Kastanje. Van Uytert received a check of 2,500 euro from Ton Kuipers of Meeus Insurance. Van Uytert's stallions inseminated about 2600 mares this year (with an average breeding price of 1000 euro per stallion you can do the math!).

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