Dressage News from Eurodressage

Since the 1980's Monica Theodorescu's name has listed firmly on German junior, young rider and Grand Prix senior teams. Stepping into the footsteps of her legendary parents George and Inge Theodorescu, Monica is one of Germany's most prominent dressage riders despite her demure and reserved composure. After having been the reserve on the German Olympic Team in 2008, Monica and Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff's Whisper are giving it another go this year in the Olympic race. More than time to send out Silke Rottermann to pay Monica a visit at her charming farm in Sassenberg, Germany:

As the final touches are made to the impressive arena of the former Munich Olympics, 1400 kms away long-time British dressage star Richard Davison is making his final preparations too. He is refining the training of his equine partner, the gorgeous looking Hiscox Artemis, owned by the Countess of Derby and John Dodd. The 12-year-old gelding has carved out reputation on the European show circuit and has amassed his own band of loyal fans and followers.

German pony rider Semmieke Rothenberger, junior rider Vivien Niemann and young rider Charlott-Maria Schürmann became the grand champions at the 2012 Preis der Besten in Warendorf on 12 - 13 May 2012. The annual Preis der Besten is an inofficial German youth riders championships and important qualifier for team selection for the 2012 European Pony, Junior and Young Riders Championships.

Researchers V. Fowler, M. Kennedy, and D. Marlin, of the Institute for Animal Health, Anglia Ruskin University, and Hartpury College made a scientific comparison between the Monty Roberts technique and a conventional UK technique for initial training of riding horses. Their study describes the efficacy of the Monty Roberts horsemanship technique (MRT) in comparison to a UK conventional training technique (CT) for initial training of horses.

In an area famed for its Barolo and Spumante, a different type of wine is paving the way for a new kind of vintage emerging from within the sprawling vineyards of the Asti hills. Chablis, a famous white from Burgundy, has a legacy in these parts too, albeit a four-legged one: he is the horse with whom Valentina Truppa celebrated her first big successes as a Young Rider, and who kick-started her ascent in senior international dressage.

Dutch Stephanie Kooijman celebrated her 19th birthday on Sunday 6 May with her third consecutive victory of the weekend in the Young Riders division at the 2012 CDIO-PJYR Roosendaal, held at equestrian centre Den Goubergh on 4 - 6 May 2012. Aboard her impressive black gelding Winston (by OO Seven x Rhodium), Kooijman showed she's on form for the season with this hattrick.

Swedish based Danish rider Anna Zibrandtsen was in charge of the junior riders division at the 2012 CDIO-PJYR Roosendaal, held at equestrian centre Den Goubergh on 4 - 6 May 2012. Riding her two horses Capriciella and Gorklintgaards Domello in the CDI-JR tour, Zibrandtsen won  the CDI Team Championship Test, Individual Test and Consolation Class as well as the combined CDI & CDIO Kur to Music.

Take advantage of this amazing offer!!! Eurodressage is holding a May Super Sale, offering deep discount prices for one month on an advertisement for a foal or horse for sale.

Right after earning the first ticket for the 2012 Bundeschampionate in Warendorf -- Tessa Frank qualified Earl of Nymphenburg for the 6-year olds at the qualifier in Bremen -- part of Nymphenburg's Team loaded 12 horses onto the lorry to start the long journey from Bad Zwischenahn to Munich.

The late Hans-Heinrich Isenbart, probably Germany’s most famous equestrian journalist, was legendary for his metaphoric language when it came to describing the relationship between man and horse. Nobody explained the passion and love for horses better than him: “Some people are even born with “bacillus equus caballus” which produces a permanent inflammation of the soul. This lifelong inflammation is not curable (…) because the patient doesn’t want to be cured," he said about innate passion for horses.

The 2012 CDI Mannheim was able to attract a considerably larger group of Grand Prix riders this year because of its beneficial calendar date in the qualification period in the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games. An official selection event for the Australian Olympic Shadow team as well as a paralympic selection trial, the CDI Mannheim started on Friday 4 April with a national Nurnberger Burgpokal qualifier.

In 2011, the Purebred Spanish Horse Stud Book registered 13,137 new inscriptions; this totaled 199,159 horses registered on the 31st of December. Of these, 108,547 are mares and 90,612 stallions or geldings.

Samantha Brown is a young British international dressage rider as well as a producer and breeder of sports horses and ponies. Gaining international experience and exposure as a British team junior rider, Brown has now established her own training, sales and breeding facility Samantha Brown Dressage based at Leamside Equestrian in the U.K.

A regular columnist for Eurodressage, IDRC secretary-general Wayne Channon attended the inaugural FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne where the very "Blood Rule" was up for discussion by the FEI Veterinary Committte. Wayne provided a debrief of the forum focusing on the aspects important for dressage.

The 19-year old Spanish Grand Prix rider Morgan Barbançon Mestre swept the board in the Kur tour at the 2012 outdoor season opener CDIO Saumur, held at the French National equestrian centre in Saumur, France, on 26 - 29 April 2012. Aboard the 15-year old licensed KWPN stallion Painted Black (by Gribaldi x Ferro) Barbançon won the Grand Prix and Kur to Music.

Veterinary issues were the focal point for the afternoon session at the inaugural FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne (SUI) today, which was attended by over 180 delegates from National Federations, the veterinary community, the International Jumping Riders Club and members of the media.

The 5-year olds Revolverheld and San Francesco and the 6-year old Earl of Nymphenburg were the big winners at the first Bundeschampionate qualifier of the season held in Bremen, Germany, on 28 April 2012. The 5-year old division was split into two groups and a total of seven horses achieved the necessary qualification score of 8.0 or higher to compete at the Bundeschampionate in Warendorf in September.

Sunday morning at the 2012 CDI Hagen was pure magic. Charlotte Dujardin rode a world record score in the Grand Prix Special thanks to a phenomenal performance. Her star ride unchained a score inflation which carried through in the Grand Prix Kur in which unrealistically high scores were given for very good rides. While Totilas frenzy continued, Bechtolsheimer consolidated her power position with a second place.

British Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester and Roly Luard's 10-year old Dutch warmblood gelding Valegro set a new world record by scoring 88.022% in the Grand Prix Special at "Horses and Dreams" 2012 CDI Hagen in Germany on Sunday morning 29 April 2012. With an immaculate ride in which each single movement was marked by energy and precision, Dujardin made history in international dressage sport.

After an eight month break from competition Matthias Rath and the 12-year old Dutch warmblood stallion Totilas returned to winning form at the 2012 CDI Hagen in Germany. Scoring a smashing 83.809%, Rath dominated a field of 30 competitors in the Grand Prix for Kur at the Horses and Dreams CDI Festival at Hof Kasselmann on Saturday noon 28 April 2012.