2004 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses

Paul Schockemohle Buys Share in Florencio

July 12, 2004

It took only one hour after Florencio's victory in the first qualifier for the rumor to spread on the Verden show grounds that Florencia has been sold to Performance Sales International (PSI). This news was led to believe because P.S.I. purchased Poetin last year after the World Championships. So why wouldn't they buy this year's highlight.

"It's something P.S.I. could do," PSI spokesperson Dr. Ulf Möller said. However Möller denied the rumours on the show ground Friday evening. "Florencio has not been bought by P.S.I. Mr Kassellmann has told me that on the phone."

Where there is smoke, there usually is fire. So two days later, the news has been confirmed that Paul Schockemohle has in fact purchased a 50% share in Florencio. The owners of the Westfalian stallion were the Dutch Henk Nijhoff and Eugene Reesink, and not Stallion Station Kathmann as listed in the official programme.

Eugene Reesink set the record straight. "I have sold my half of Florencio to Paul Schockemohle and not P.S.I. The stallion will not be sold over the auction in December. Henk Nijhoff still owns the other half," Reesink said. "Schockemohle has bought the stallion for his own mares, but Kathmann will still be collecting and distributing his semen." On Saturday evening, Schockemohle did make an offer to buy the stallion for the auction, but the Dutch owners did not accept it because if he were to go to the auction, the offered money was not enough.

Eugene Reesink, a renowned horse dealer in the Netherlands, has had a financial hausse this year with his business. A couple of months ago he sold his Pavo Cup winning Robin Hood to American Grand Prix rider Susan Blinks, and he has now sold his share of Florencio to Schockemohle.

"We don't have a stallion station, so we preferred to have the money now instead of getting it through breedings," Reesink clarified, stating that he sold Florencio purely for financial reasons. "We're talking about a mega-amount of money."

Text and photos copyrighted Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No reproduction allowed!

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