The 2014 World Equestrian Games will be an incredible competition in the most beautiful location, so why not come with the experts!

The Horse Magazine and Organisation Unlimited have prepared a fantastic trip and even have a “my partner doesn’t like horses” option!

If you haven’t booked and would like information email either: info@horsemagazine.com or reception@organisationunlimited.com.au

For the latest news on THM/OU 2014 WEG Tour head to:

Aussie rider Alison Rowland, riding Bickley Brook Bella, took out the 3* Grand Prix at  La Boissière beating a field that included top jumpers Eric Navet and Jos Lansink. Is this the first time a purpose-bred Australian horse has won a European Grand Prix?

I really didn’t have to worry too much, Ted was well-loved, and when I cranked up my facebook page, next morning, I found that my work was done for me.

Led by Peter Imran Winton, who posted:

Very sad to hear of Ted Dwyer’s passing this week. There are many of us who owe much to his work. He got the Showjumping World Cup to Australia and commanded it mercilessly for 25 years. The World Cup turned the sport around for riders. The level of our sport jumped dramatically after that and gave us something regular to aim for. Not just the unlikely lucky chance to get in an Olympic team every four years.

Those of us who worked with him often scrapped with him too. He could be a crusty and dogmatic fighter and quick to air his views… but his interest was for the sport always and we can only respect and admire all he gave for it.

He, with me helping from the side, made an unsuccessful bid for the FEI World Cup Final to come to Canberra, thwarted by the Jumping Riders Club, who had promised to support Helsinki’s bid. So when I organized the Final in Kuala Lumpur in 2006, I invited him to come as a guest and sit on the Ground Jury.
I think he loved it.

Or, Melissa Asimus who posted:
l remember him as a dedicated, lovely grumpy old shit. And he’d probably agree. Say hi to DA up there for me Ted. Actually do you reckon you could give him a big hug & pash from me ….. Just one?
RIP xxxx

Irish International rider, Gerry Mullins joined the conversation:
Well said Peter – I too have good memories of Ted – since the Sydney Festival Way back when u were a boy in short pants – my condolences to Judy and Family. – Gerry

And then you had to remember that Ted was instrumental in making the best showjumping event Australia has ever seen, at Wentworth Park, only to have it wrecked by the arrogant administration of the Bond/Swan showjumping series… Ted was a good hater too.

From KL comes this appreciation from Peter Abisheganaden:
I bid a very fond farewell to my friend Ted Dwyer. Ted was the Coordinator of the Pacific League of the FEI World Cup and a course designer who gave us all a lot of help in SE Asia. If not for Ted, South East Asia would not ever have had a World Cup League. Ted, I know you are building them on a long stride with the wall as the last fence up there in the arena in the sky. I’ll be up there one day to assist you. Till then…

 
Yes, mate, we’ll miss you but it was a full life, a good life. Bye
- CH

Because the two events clash, Ahlmann decided to sign up to both.  On Wednesday and Thursday he will be in the Osnabrück region at Hof Kasselmann, which is an easy 106 kilometres from Marl – so almost down the road.  On Friday the showjumper will jet off to the Peking tournament before returning to Horses & Dreams on the Sunday.  The time difference could prove itself to be a real advantage.  Once the Longines Grand Prix has been decided in the “Bird’s Nest” 2008 Olympic Stadium in Beijing, Ahlmann should make it back “comfortably” to the Deutsche Kreditbank AG Grand Prix, which will be decided from 12.30pm in Hagen…

And we find going to ONE event a bit tiring!

Chris decided he wanted to go somewhere different this autumn, and well we did, but I’m not sure we wanted it quite so different.

The showjumping was great, but the rest, not sure I will reserve my judgement until after the dressage this week end.

When we arrived at the equestrian park, our resident friend, Kenneth Braddick, partner of long term Horse Magazine friend, Ilse Schwarz, showed us around the amazing grounds. There’s a map in the story in the magazine in May, fantastic, we said as we rounded every corner to come to another arena of amateurs, or ponies or hunters, punctuated with trade stands, bars and food stands. We pushed our way through the crowds of doting parents and husbands armed with cameras, dealers on their phones, ‘yes, I have just the one for your daughter/son/wife’.

Then Kenneth suggested a drive to Grand Prix Drive, OK we said, having no idea what he was talking about.

We exit the grounds in our golf cart, alongside a beautiful hedge lined horse track, and there we are in a housing estate, with lovely houses, of various themes, but lots of Spanish influence. All surrounded by beautiful grassed horse yards, perfect arenas with better decorated jumps than we have at lots of shows, and every facility you could want. Wrong, Kenneth tells us. These are not houses, they are stables, and the whole estate is only for stables, maybe one groom is allowed to stay on a farm, but the estate is only for horses! And it goes for miles, all connected to the horse park by beautiful riding tracks!

Not  houses, these are stables!!

Next day we caught up with Matt Williams, well it was easy really as he still has two weeks to go on crutches. He really likes the Guidam stallion, Lansdowne, ridden by Conor Swail, for Ireland. You can see why when you see the way he jumped in the big class on Saturday night.

Another star on Saturday night was Brit Ben Maher, who now rides for Jane Clarke, after the US federation took the amazing move of banning her horse and American rider. Controversial, and a crazy way to treat one of their best long term supporters. Lucky Ben is now coached by the recently retired US coach, George Morris, and still riding under the Union Jack.

The winner of the $500,000 class was another new Morris pupil, Alvaro De Miranda, riding the Baloubet son, Bogeno. Doda is known to Australians as the buyer of Drossel Dan.

Third in the class was his wife, also a Morris pupil, Athina Onassis De Miranda and Camille Z. It said unknown breeding for the mare in the start list, but Chris has looked it up and it’s in the story in the magazine.

Another rider of interest was Jessica Springstein with her wonderful Vindicat W, maybe going even better for her than he did for Peter Charles at Greenwich. We met Laura Kraut, her trainer, who says she is a talented and dedicated rider and certainly no princess.

Thaisa Erwin was another Aussie we caught up with, here she is with her WEG hopeful, Matilda. They looked classy and we will have an up-date with her.

More on Florida in the May issue of The Horse Magazine

In this issue you’ll also find:

• A clinic with jumping guru George Morris
• A jumping lesson with Olympian Sam Griffiths
• A dressage training session with Rafael Soto
• An in-depth look at back pain in horses
• Our annual Instructors’ Directory
• As well as the regular features such as Horse Talk, The Amateur and Transition.

Have a sneak peek at our online version here:

http://www.horsemagazine.com/files/aprilteaser/index.html#/18/

Beresford returned to Germany after a clinic in Australia to learn that Zucht und Sportpferde Schmidt, Belissimo’s home where Beresford rents stables, is dealing with financial issues and the entire stud is at stake. According to Hayley, the fourteen-year-old Westfalian stallion, owned by the Elmerhaus family, was taken to an unknown location to be sold. Beresford was naturally surprised by the changes, “it’s been a shock because the Elmerhaus family were a big support and help to me,” she said.

However, stallion manager Michael Schmidt denies that Belissimo will be sold. “The stallion is at the station and the business of Zucht and Sportferde Schmidt will continue as before,” he said.

Beresford will now focus on her second Grand Prix horse Jaybee Alabaster and is planning a show comeback in June.

To Read the full story, visit www.eurodressage.com

Photo by Julia Rau

Neumünster was the setting for  the seventh stage of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage and the defending champions from last year, Helen Langehanenberg and Damon Hill NRW reached a new international best score with 87.80%. This was their third win of the World Cup season. Kristina Sprehe and Desperados were placed second with 84.42%: “I’m very satisfied and think that he was better in the piaffe than yesterday. He was a little bit impressed by the atmosphere, but participated well.”

Commenting on the final of the series, at Gothenburg in April, Langehanenberg said she is trying to stay calm: “I will try to do it just as I did here – show my best possible.”

If Langehanenberg manages to win at Gothenburg it will the first German victory since 2007 when Isabell Werth won on Warum Nicht. Langehanenburg came close last year, placing second to dual champion, Adelinde Cornelissen.

In the series standings Kristina Sprehe is now leading with 68 points, Helen Langehanenberg is ranked third on 66 points behind Italy’s Valentina Truppa on 67.

To see part of Damon Hill’s test see the video below.

Photo by Karl-Heinz Frieler

“Alfi secured the short Grand Prix and added another victory on Sunday in the freestyle,” Klimke commented. “Our debut at Grand Prix: two starts, two wins. I’m overwhelmed and simply happy.”

A video of Ingrid’s winning ride is below.

The Horse Magazine published a story with Ingrid training a young Dresden Mann in 2010. To see where this young horse has come from follow the link:

http://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2010/10/brilliant-basics-with-ingrid-klimke-two-stallions/

Hayley started riding 14-year-old gelding in 2012 after Rachael Downs returned home from the World Cup Finals. Hayley has competed the gelding already, scoring 72.467% at the Oldenburg CDI.

“Basti will stay on with me and I am now a half owner,” Beresford told Eurodressage, “I decided that he is a handy horse to have in my stable that I thoroughly enjoy.”

“It all came about when Caroline Coleby visited me in Germany. She’s a friend of Bev’s and told me the horse was in quarantine at Klatte’s, wasn’t being ridden, he was fat unfit and his future undecided. Only a few weeks remained before he had to go home.”

“I had a short time in which to assess the situation and make a suggestion as to what could be done. All I knew is that Bev wanted an Australian rider on the horse. After I picked him up I rode him and I liked him.”

Hayley was recently in Australia teaching at a number of clinics, THM reporter Suzy Jarratt was at the NSW clinic at Wallaby Hill Farm. This story is in the February issue of THM, on sale January 30th.

Hayley and Jaybee Alabaster in Europe. Photo by Göran K Josefsson