Sporting Horse Magazine Issue 19 by SilverMane Media

Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

CONTENTS July 2014

22 REGULARS 4 4 6 34 38

Letter from the Editor Advertisers Cover story - Pela Graça Friesian Stud Rider Profile: Gail Foxcroft Yvonne Bolton Horse Profile: Equifox JFK Yvonne Bolton

LIFESTYLE 19 20

Fashion Essentials Equestrian Essentials

THIS ISSUE 12 14 16 22 26 30 42

COVER

Dries 421 Cover Shot by H2 Photography

PHOTOGRAPHERS H2 Photography, Tracy Robertson, Diana Bloemendal, DN Photography, Equine Sport Photography, FEI Photographer, T&B Images, StockImagesServices.com/FEI, Martin de Kock, Dressage Africa, Lana van Heerden, Charisma Photography, Shane Rorke, Louis Heemstra, Kobus Visser

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48 54 58 64 68

Nissan Easter Festival 2014 Mark White Nissan put their weight behind Nicole Horwood and the HHCU Yvonne Bolton Nissan Easter Festival The 1.50m Classes Anne Marie Esslinger The Thoroughbred Influence on the Modern Warmblood Stafford Robinson Callaho Class Act captivates auction crowd Brigid Thompson Another solid performance by South African Show Jumping in the Nissan Winter Classic Caroline Malan Chevrolet Trailblazer: Changing the game to save the giants Christine Watt Longines Ladies Awards Johan Blom Presidents Cup 2014 Yvonne Bolton Phillip Smith Memorial Equitation Championship Yvonne Bolton Longines Glogal Champions Tour Solution for Mycotoxins threatening Horses’ Health

CONTENTS July 2014

THE TEAM

80 THIS ISSUE 70 72 74 80 85 88 94 98 100 103 104 106 110

1st Leg of the World Cup Qualifier Series Anne Marie Esslinger Gauteng Awards Dinner 2014 Yvonne Bolton Midsummer Magic for Britain Frances Cheboub Friesians Excel in Dressage Information supplied by FPSSA SPORT for South African Friesians FEI Course building Seminar in Germany Linda Philo A touch of Europe in SA Mandy Schroder, courtesy of Gauteng Dressage Fun and magic at the Land Rover Horse and Wine Bev Pendock Hayley and Cuppis’ travels part two Nissan Easter Festival Inter-Africa Cup 2014 Ingeborg Sanne Core Sporthorse Gillian Martindale and Corme Randellhof FEI Dressage Louis Parkes FEI Show Jumping Nations Cup Louis Parkes

Johan Blom Editor

Pieter Hugo Managing Director

Marie Chin Advertising Executive

Marguerite le Roux Senior Designer

Gasnat Jaffer Office Manager

Nikki Kellogg USA Sales Executive

www.spor tinghor se .co.za EDITORIALS: Johan Blom johan@silvermane.co.za Cell: (+27) 83 324 3709 Pieter Hugo pieter@silvermane.co.za

DESIGN: Marguerite le Roux mleroux@silvermane.co.za Cell: (+27) 82 773 9123

ADVERTISING: Marie Chin marie@silvermane.co.za Cell: (+27) 82 497 4475 Nikki Kellogg nikki@sportinghorse.co.za Cell: (+01) 413 207 1209

ORDERS & INVOICING: Gasnat Jaffer gasnat@showhorse.co.za PO Box 7872, Hout Bay, 7806, South Africa Fax: (+27) 21 790 8047 • Tel: (+27) 21 790 1983

www.silver mane .co.za

Published by: SilverMane Media www.silvermane.co.za

Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to our July edition of Sporting Horse Magazine. With South Africans experiencing a bitterly cold winter we hope you are keeping warm and taking extra special care of your equine friends. We have a great issue lined up for you, so pull that chair closer to the fire or snuggle a bit deeper into bed and we hope these pages will warm your heart. We take a look at a course building Seminar in Germany on page 88. Friesian Horses are not only beautiful but have made quite a name for themselves as dressage mounts, we look at Friesian Horses competing at Grand Prix Level across the world on page 80. Stafford Robinson follows the very deep roots the Thoroughbred has in the modern Warmblood horse on page 22. Inter Africa Dressage, The Nissan Easter Festival, Rider and Horse Profiles and much more. I was fortunate to attend the very glamorous Longines Ladies Awards in Chantilly, France recently, read more about how Longines is honouring women in Equestrian Sport on page 48. The Longines Global Champions Tour is in full swing, we look at the event held in Shangai recently on page 64, truly expanding the reach of Show Jumping. Integral to Sporting Horse Magazine is our social media offering and I want to take this moment to highlight this again. We are about to reach the 300 000 follower mark on Facebook and the growth just seems to accelerate. All advertising in this magazine is also shared onto this page. Our weekly reach now averages more than 450 000. This is a great platform to get your products onto. Thanks to all our very loyal advertisers and readers. As always a reminder that we would love to hear from you, good or bad. Keep Warm.

Johan Blom

ADVERTISERS Absolute Equestrian Solutions Armer Proper ties Cipla Vet Dark Horse Supplies Doorndraai Friesian Stud Drovers Equifox Equimax International Equine Librium Equipage General Motors Chevrolet Kuda Mark White Nissan Mar tin Collins McCar thy Land Rover Durban Mia Bond Addcon Midas Touch Warmblood Stud Midfeeds Neuland Stud Notting Hill Stud Pela Graca Percheron Horse Breeders Society of Namibia POLO South Africa Premier Equestrian Supplies V-tech Western Shoppe

53 61 21 79 86 11 37 97 105 63 47 26 13 73 97 69 33 57 109 93 FC 41 OBC IFC, 1 IBC 5

for all original published material isIssue vested in19 SilverMane Media and may be reproduced only with the permission of the Editor. All opinions expressed in the articles appearing in SilverMane Media are those of the authors and SPORTING HORSE 6Copyright are not necessarily subscribed to by the editorial staff of SilverMane Media. Authors of articles are compelled to acknowledge all sources of information (if any) used in the compiling of articles and are therefore liable for copyright transgressions. SilverMane Media accepts no responsibility for claims made in the advertisements and will not be held liable for any damage resulting from the use of any of the information published in SilverMane Media.

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COVER STORY

PELA GRAçA FRIESIAN STUD

Nestled near the conﬂuence of the Vaal and the Orange rivers near the little town of Douglas lies a world class stud with world class horses. Here on the banks of the Vaal river is where a dream has come true.

he dream of Celeste Steyn of owning a Friesian Stallion, was born when she saw a couple of imported Friesian stallions dancing through a dressage test at a show in Kimberley. These magnificent, graceful black horses immediately caught her eye. During her research of Friesians in South Africa she learnt that there were only 3 approved Stud Book Stallions in the country. And so Celeste’s dream grew into not only owning a stallion, but also bringing a new approved Stud Book Stallion to South Africa. Her aim was to assist other breeders to improve and grow the gene pool of the Friesian breed in this country. Her dream became a reality when she visited De Nieuwe

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Heuwel in the Netherlands in January 2012 where a couple of weeks was spent searching for that special stallion and suitable mares to start her stud. And special they were! In fact the stallion, Dries 421 (Sport), was pronounced the best Friesian breeding stallion in the world, and the mare Annichje fan Bokkum (Model Sport) was the Champion at the 2011 Central Mare Inspection and Horse of the Year 2011 and the only Friesian mare competing in Grand Prix dressage at that stage. The Junior Reserve Champion Crown mare Amerens RS fan Top en Twel was selected to join them. And so with this trio, Dries, Annichje and Amerens, Pela Graça Friesian Stud was born. Pela Graça means “by the Grace of God” as this was and is only possible by His grace according to Celeste.

Dries 421 (Sport)

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COVER STORY These world class horses needed a world class home in South Africa. Celeste was offered the plans of the European Union approved Stallion Station that De Nieuwe Heuwel was building at the time. Building started in February 2012 as there was no time to spare because the horses were due to come to their new home in South Africa in June. This stunning stallion station was built in time. It is based on a quarantine station with its own laboratory equipped for dealing with fresh and frozen semen, a semen collection room, seven large stables which can be quarantined off, one quarantine stable, an adjoining conference room, an office and a beautiful four bedroom guesthouse. Celeste and her husband, Schalk, made a second trip to the Netherlands to select another few mares and to look at two young stallions that caught her eye during her first trip to the KFPS HengsteKeuring (the Royal Friesian Horse Studbook Stallion Inspection.) The first two days of the testing were set aside for the young stallions who are presented with the hope of going on to the 70 day test, where they are shown loose and in hand. It was there that 2 out of the 74 young stallions caught Celeste’s eye. Her words were “That is the future of our stud!” Both young stallions were selected to go forward to the seventy day test together with only 9 others. Even though these two young stallions had yet to pass the stringent 70 day test, Celeste had full faith in them and decided to invest in them. They were both passed and were approved as Studbook Stallions. Epke 474 and Djoerd 473 are both very popular in the Netherlands at the moment, so they will stay there for a couple of years. 10

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Dries foal was born to Amerens in December 2013. He is a stunningly beautiful colt with much of his father’s characteristics; Reitsen fan PelaGraça! It is very exciting to see such potential for the future.The sires of these 3 colts have all proven themselves in dressage. Tjalbert 460 (Sport) has a very successful dressage career in America, Pier and Dries have both been awarded the By December 2012 our lab was up and running, so we were Sport predicate for Dressage. able to send Dries 421’s fresh semen wherever it was needed in South Africa. In the 2013/2014 breeding season we had the Pela Graça Friesian stud is run by a special team of people. Pam honour of also exporting semen to Namibia. We were very Munro the Stud Manager and Coach, who helped with the proud when Dries’ first South African bred foal was born in planning and building of the stud from the ground was Celeste’s October 2013, Rijk van Danina. We also hosted five mares this compass in the right direction from the start. Pam’s knowledge season which were all scanned and inseminated on the property and experience working with Friesian horses as well as her by our vet. We had a successful embryo transfer with Annichje loyal friendship to her mentor Femke Dijkstra has been to the fan Bokkum and have all the rest of our mares in foal to Dries. best interest of the stud. Florine Lombard is the stud’s Equine We will be starting with frozen semen this winter and soon Body Worker and ensures that all the horses are massaged on we will be able to offer this service of freezing semen to other a regular basis and does any necessary rehabilitation work if stallion owners in the area. We are busy negotiating with stallion needed. Anneli Le Roux assists Pam with the training of the owners in the Netherlands to import frozen semen from other horses and stable yard management. Five very efficient grooms stud book stallions as well as our own stallions Epke 474 and take care of these stud horses and 15 other horses on the farm ranging from South African Friesians, Quarter horses, ArabianDjoerd 473 and to offer this to breeders in South Africa. boerperd,Thoroughbreds and Saddle horses. This special team Our very first foals were born in April 2013 to Amondi and is held together and assisted by Celeste who loves working with Zjors, Peatos fan PelaGraça (Pierx Jerke 434 Sport) and Palcher the horses and riding her special equine partner, Dries who she fan PelaGraça (Tjalbert460 Sport x Wikke 404 Sport). These totally adores!! two foals were bred in the Netherlands and foaled in our own approved pregnant mare quarantine stables. This was a great Celeste Steyn’s aim of improving the gene pool of the Friesian blessing to us, but our proudest moment was when our first horse in South Africa is slowly becoming a reality. To join the stud in South Africa was a pregnant Crown mare, Zjors van Visser, and two pregnant Star mares, Amondi M and Eva van de Dompstede.Two year old 1st Premium mare, Hiske fan Feanwalden, will stay in the Netherlands until she is old enough to be in foal.

Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

COVER STORY

Dries 421 (Sport)

The Best Friesian Breeding Stallion in the World – Ever! In 2009 Dries 421 (Jasper 366 Sport Prefx Hearke 254 Sport Pref) was approved on his offspring. With the index for conformation at 108 and sport index at 109, Dries has the best offspring report of any Friesian stallion ever! Dries 421 is the sire of the 2 time Stallion Show Champion Uldrik 457. Extracts from Dries’s Performance Test: “A horse with a beautiful conformation ideal for riding. The walk is ample and delicate. The trot ranges from satisfactory to good and shows a moment of suspension. The stallion produces a nice extended trot. The sustained canter is lively, and good overall. He performs easily and is a friendly and quiet horse.” Extracts from Dries’s Offspring Report: “The offspring are breed typical horses with nicely shaped heads. The necks have sufficient length and are more than sufficiently vertical. The horses are jet black in colour and have much hair. The offspring have much length in stride in hand where the use of the hind leg movement stands out. The horses also show much suppleness. The walk has more than sufficient length in stride and is active in the hind legs. The trot has length in stride, is powerful, and has self carriage. The horses also show much suppleness and have more than sufficient balance. The canter has more than sufficient length in stride and is sufficiently uphill. The horses show self carriage and good balance in canter. The Dries 421 offspring have good talent as riding horses and are outstanding in harness with their good use of the hind leg. The horses have a good attitude and much willingness to work.” For more information contact: Pamela Munro – 082 712 7849 – pam@pelaGraça.co.za Celeste Steyn – 082 941 2225 – csteyn@pelaGraça.co.za

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

NISSAN EASTER FESTIVAL

THE BEST

YET!

he sport of show jumping is most certainly on the rise with the Nissan Easter Festival proving another hit with the horse loving families of Kyalami and its surrounds. With over 4500 people attending the show, it was a win both in the arena and out – and not only for showjumping, but for dressage, equitation and showing. With Easter egg hunts, pitbull highjumping, car displays, jumping castles and face-painters, one almost forgot that there was magnificent show jumping on display – with the very best of the country competing for the coveted prize of the SA Outdoor Grand Prix champion. Kyalami Equestrian Park was abuzz with energy and activity from the 12 April, starting with the little league and lead rein classes, through to the dressage, showing and equitation classes, right up until sunset post the championship class

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

on Easter Monday. It was reigning champion and last to go, Nicole Horwood on Mark White Nissan Capital Colnardo, who stole the lead from Dominey Alexander and retain her title as the Nissan SA Outdoor Grand Prix champion, in a time of 37.48.The FEI Grand Prix winner on the dressage end was Andrea Harrison on Marinier with a total of 62.25%, with second place on 57.15% going to Joy Morf-Studiger on Dreamer T. Chairman of Kyalami Equestrian Park, Andrew Dawson, was extremely pleased with the rollout of the show, “This surely must be the best yet. I am extremely proud of the support shown by the public throughout the show and I am only too delighted that today they witnessed some of the very best horsemanship that this country has to offer.There’s no doubt that show jumping can only go from strength to strength if this is anything to go by. A very big thanks to Nissan, the riders, horses, passionate supporters and media.”

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By Yvonne Bolton / Photos by T&B Images

MARK WHITE NISSAN PUT THEIR WEIGHT BEHIND

NICOLE HORWOOD & THE HHCU Earlier this year, the announcement by Mark White Nissan of their sponsorship of Nicole Horwood and four Capital horses was heralded with much enthusiasm by the equestrian community.

o date Nicole has chalked up the following impressive wins on the 2012/2013 and 2014 jumping circuit:

2012 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2014

Avis Derby Nissan South African Outdoor Grand Prix South African Championship Nissan Winter Classic Riders Grand Prix Galencia Derby PE Nissan Riders Grand Prix Nissan South African Outdoor Grand Prix Midrand World Cup Qualifier Nissan Shongweni World Cup Qualifier

Lynda Kirchmann, with whom Nicole has stabled her horses for many years, had these comments to make: “Nicole is a very modest, loyal and hardworking rider and after all her recent major successes, she never changes.”On returning from Shongweni in June, Lynda said that she asked her how she and the horses had fared at the Show.“Very nicely thanks” was the reply, despite the fact that they had just won the major class, illustrating once again her unpretentious personality. Lynda continued on to say that it has been a pleasure and a privilege to have the Capital Stud horses stable with me for the past nine years, illustrating how good the relationship is between Lynda, Henning Pretorius, owner of Capital Stud and Nicole Horwood. Following a meeting between Mark White, Henning Pretorius, and Nicole, just prior to the Nissan Easter Festival, a highly satisfactory agreement was concluded. Mark White Nissan were to sponsor Nicole and Capital Hitoshi, Capital Look At Me, Capital Don Cumarco and Capital Colnardo, once again high-lighting the enormous support Nissan South 16

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Africa and Mark White Nissan are extending to the show jumping circuit in South Africa. Prior to the sponsorship being negotiated, Nicole Horwood’s mother, who was in the market for a new car, had visited the dealership to see if anything in the Nissan Range caught her eye. Immediately, falling in love with the Nissan Juke and subsequently meeting Mark White himself, she made him aware of her daughter’s involvement in show jumping. Amazingly, Mark had in fact won money on Nicole at the 2012 Derby, when she was victorious on Capital Don Cumarco and he asked for Nicole to contact him, which all led to the valuable sponsorship contract being drawn up. It is reassuring to know that members of the equestrian community are supporting our very magnanimous sponsors, who are extending such a notable and meaningful patronage to show jumping. Notwithstanding the welcome and well-deserved sponsorship of Nicole Horwood, Mark White Nissan in January 2014 were unbelievably generous in assisting the Highveld Horse Care Unit to purchase three new vehicles at an amazing and affordable price. Prior to this, all the HHCU vehicles were on well over 250,000km and with the amount of travelling done with the towing of horses, the vehicles were no longer safe. Now, thanks to Mark White Nissan, the unit is able to travel safely to all their inspections and clinics. The HIGHVELD HORSE CARE UNIT (HHCU) is more than a welfare organization. A large part of its work means going into the townships to assist carters with their equines. HHCU tries pro-active ways to improve the welfare of the donkeys and horses by educating the owners on the correct care, equipment and health issues for the equines.

HHCU at the Nissan Easter Festival

Mark White handing over the vehicles to HHCU Fundraiser Joanne Pursey

The Unit carries out vaccinations, de-worming and farrier work to improve the overall health of the equines in the townships. Each month they carry out an average of 100 inspections and see approximately 650 horses during any given month. In the townships they provide correct bits and equipment to replace the wire and other implements that are used. In 2013, they inspected over 8,000 horses in the course of their work. Approximately 2000 of these were working horses and donkeys, many of whom need medical attention that their owners cannot afford. The Inspectors travel just

under 150,000kmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. With an annual budget presently at R3,500 000 and no help from the Government, the funds raised are through donations and sponsorships. Regardless of all this earlier support, Nissan SA and Mark White Nissan once again pulled out all the stops, by donating an amount of R500 per entry at the Nissan Easter Festival in the ever popular and exciting Six Bar Event. This amounted to a further whopping R14,000 contribution to the HHCU. Their care and on-going support are enormously appreciated by the Unit and the entire equestrian community at large.

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NISSAN EASTER FESTIVAL

THE 1,50M CLASSES By Anne-Marie Esslinger / Photos by H2 Photography

he “big” classes at the 2014 Nissan Easter show were well supported and held in the green, but unlevel Bob Carter arena. Course designer Kevin Spratley from Cape Town, experienced at building in this arena for the Derby, started off with gentle tracks for the Open categories, and built up to an exciting finale. There were some newcomers to the 1,50m level, such as Gail Foxcroft’s lovely Equifox JFK, Marlene Sinclair’s Callaho Freedom, ridden by Barry Taylor, and Anne-Marie Esslinger’s Alzu Oregon, partnered by Dominey Alexander for this show. Michelle Hobbs has taken over the ride on Capital Shiraz, and it was good to see Capital Rafika D’Or, and Royal Zloggi back in the ring with Jodi Pieters and Lauren Smorenburg respectively. Tara Louw with Littorelio also hasn’t been competing up on the Highveld for a while, whilst Govett Triggol’s C Ultra, fresh from a great win at the President’s Cup event, becomes more solid in the higher divisions at each outing.

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In the first competition the Nissan double of verticals proved challenging, but not for the Capital Stud’s 2 two stallions, Colnardo (Nicole Horwood the rider) and Shiraz, who finished first and second, from Samantha McIntosh’s Let’s Win, Peter Morrisson’s MCSA Alzu Luanda, Bronwyn Short’s Fountain of Love, and Laurence Mowatt’s Aquablade. It’s fantastic to see some of our SA thoroughbred’s like Fountain of Love , Aquablade and Will Hunter giving fancy imports a run for their money... The second qualifying competition was a 2 Phase, and here the time allowed in the first phase proved too tight for many combinations. Only 6 combinations were clear and quick enough to participate in the jump off, whilst 8 other combinations were also clear for jumping, but incurred 1 time penalty. Here Mandy Johnstone, riding the exquisite Callaho’s Lissabon, took the honours with a speedy jump off, beating Nicole Horwood, on Mark White Nissan’s Capital Don Cumarco, by 2 seconds!

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The Outdoor Grand Prix of SA is a 2 round competition, with the first round being set as a technical, big track of 12 or 13 fences including the water jump, a double and a treble combination. The top 24 combinations qualified from the first 2 classes are eligible to compete in this prestigious competition. Six competitors achieved faultless rounds, whilst Anne-Marie Esslinger’s Alzu Oregon, beautifully ridden by Dominey Alexander, incurred just 1 time penalty. There were eight horses on 4 penalties, and another newcomer, Callaho’s Freedom sitting on just 5 faults. As all keen show jumping aficionados know, things can change dramatically in the second round, and all competitors who were not eliminated or retired are eligible to go again in this section. In practice many riders who feel they don’t have a chance, wisely save their mounts for another day – 18 combinations started the second round, which the course designer sets as an “Accumulator” type track – 6 large single fences which may incorporate a related distance or two, but not a combination. 20

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Here some of the horses bringing forward their score of 4 penalties went clear, whilst 3 of the 6 clear rounders from the first track were not so lucky, and had a fence down. After the second round 3 strong combinations started in the jump off over a shortened course from the first track. Jodi Pieters was first in on Capital Rafika D’Or, and was fast and clear until just after the combination, where her horse’s magnificent effort over the oxer unseated his jockey, who had an unscheduled and “eina!” dismount. Next in was Dominey, riding his own Enjoy 68, who put the pressure on for the last combination by completing a speedy clear in just 38,55 seconds. Last up was Nicole Horwood, riding the beautiful bay Mark White Nissan stallion, Capital Colnardo. This pair took one stride out of two tight turns that Dominey had made, to clinch a convincing win at 37.49 seconds – nail biting finish to the last and great riding!

POLO

POLO reveals its Spring/Summer 14 collection. This season inspiration is drawn from sporting equestrian events, marrying on-field action with glamorous off-field spectatorship.

FASHION ESSENTIALS EMILIO PUCCI

Pucci, the “pioneers of print” have embraced the tribal trend of late, and Creative Director, Peter Dundas, has reworked the signature geometric and graphic Pucci prints to create an eclectic ensemble of covetable accessories. Tastefully refined leather bags feature in a range of solid colours. Polished shoulder bags are adorned with opulent chunky gold chains and buckles, oozing allure in sumptuous exotic leathers.

G-STAR

For Spring/Summer 2014, G-Star is highlighting classic jackets in high-tech fabrications. Modern wardrobe staples – from trench coats to bombers and parkas are constructed from ultra lightweight nylons and meshes.

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LEOVET COAT SHEEN

Superb Grooming! Keeps mane & tail looking healthy and shiny.The coat stays shielded from dust and dirt for several days. Go to www.equimaxint.co.za to find a stockist in your area.

LEOVET PROPOLIS GEL

Fantastic skincare product- natural goodness from the beehive. A definite must have in your tack box and at home. Go to www.equimaxint.co.za or contact 082-785-9017.

EQUESTRIAN ESSENTIALS

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The very latest Spring/Summer 2014 Spooks Team shirts, now available at Tack â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n Togs. For more information or to order visit www.tackntogs.co.za or (011)468 1824.

KEP helmets

Designed for the young and young at heart, the brand new KEP helmets certainly make a bold statement. The incredible Italian design and styling have quickly made KEP helmets the ultimate in safety, ventilation, lightness, comfort and fit. For more information or to order, visit www.tackntogs.co.za

Wintec Lite CAIR GP

Features a new, hi-tech, durable and quick-drying Equi-Fabric.The NEW range of WintecLite saddles are the perfect lifestyle choice for all horses and riders looking to simply have fun and enjoy their time together. Available from The Western Shoppe Direct Tel: +27 11 361 2024. 22

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

Even the King’s horses aren’t untouchable

Superior quality deworming products www.ciplavet.co.za

ANIMAL HEALTH

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By Stafford Robinson

THE THOROUGHBRED

INFLUENCE

ON THE MODERN WARMBLOOD Stafford Robinson. Geneticist - Berghof Sporthorses

Stafford is a qualified New Zealand Racehorse trainer, a Film director of 20 years, freelance writer and owner of Berghof Sporthorses. He has a degree in Genetics, a postgraduate degree in Zoology and is now completing his Masters in European Sporthorse breeding - more specifically the relationship between inbreeding and performance. Stafford, through his stud Berghof, was the first South African to purchase an unlicensed 2 year old German Warmblood Colt and put it through the licensing and performance testing in Germany, to then import a fully licensed Stallion. Stafford has been riding since he was 7 years old and has ridden most disciplines, then at the age of 20 qualified for the infamous Taupo Three Day Event, New Zealand’s premier event on the eventing calender. Now training his dressage stallion Sonnentänzer, Stafford recently won the young horse dressage class at the 2013 Horse of the Year show. His aim is to take the horse to Grand Prix.

he base breeding stock of many European Sporthorse societies has been the heavy farm workhorse. During the 1950’s when horses were used less and less as working implements, farmers then turned to utilizing their stock to breed Sporthorses in an attempt to still have them a profitable aspect of the farm. As can be testified by the stallion pics of the 1950’s the problem was that most of the horses were too heavy for riding horses and thus breeding required the influence of a refining breed.The Thoroughbred was the perfect equine athletic to fill that gap. Over the years the Thoroughbred has shown to be a positive improver of the Sporthorse and in modern times horses like Shutterfly who have a half-bred dam have endorsed that importance. Shutterfly has been one of the most successful jumpers of modern times with over 55 wins at 1.50m classes. He avchieved individual Gold at WEG in 2006, first place at European Championships in 2007, and fourth place at the 2008 Hong Kong Olympics and first in the World Cup Final in Las Vegas in 2009. He has won over 3 million Euro in prize money. A sterling representative for the Thoroughbred blood! But Shutterfly is certainly no isolated case. A number of sons of Thoroughbred have established themselves as exceptional

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jumper horse producers; horses like Cor de la Bryère (by Rantzau xx), Landgraf (by Ladykiller xx) or Furioso II by (Furioso xx).” Even the Great Quidam de Revel in his third generation has Thoroughbred that seems to have influenced that line. Today’s breeder however seems to be moving more towards performance based stallions: stallions that have proven themselves in the performance arena.And that is relatively rare for the current selection of Thoroughbred stallions. Indeed I can only think of the French Jumper Laudanum XX. Laudanum XX was the first international jumping star of Pierre Durand, winning Grand Prix, Puissance and Nations Cups and more than 100,000 French francs in prize money. Among many of the European breeders that I have talked to it is accepted that the introduction of the Thoroughbred blood is best done by mating a good Thoroughbred sire with an established strong mare line, hope for a mare and then put that mare back to a good Warmblood jumper or dressage stallion. Indeed that was part of my attraction when I found my Oldenburg Stallion Sonnentänzer. His dam line was the famous Oldenburg Feldminze mare line (The Oldenburger’s place great importance on their mare line, naming their mare lines the same way other breed societies name their stallion lines).The mare Feldmine IV was put to the Thoroughbred stallion Noble Roi XX who had produced many good dressage horses and also jumpers. He was proven as

Lauries Crusador xx. By Marc R端hl

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a great all round stallion.The result of this mating was a filly named Feldminze – (and had the combination of a solid dressage line with the Thoroughbred).This filly was then put to Sir Donnerhall who at that stage was a very pre potent up and coming “young gun” in the Schockemöhle stable. Thus Sonnentänzer was the ideal sought after combination of solid Warmblood breeding with 25% Thoroughbred influence. In 2007, Goettingen University, under the supervision of Florian Sitzenstock conducted a study on the influence of Thoroughbred blood on the European Warmblood (specifically using the Hanoverian population). They utilized 217,475 pedigrees of Hanoverian foals born between 1980 ad 2006. The research showed that while the percentage of sires on offering with Thoroughbred blood has diminished, half bred stallions produced 20 % of the foals of the 1980 crop while

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being responsible for only 3% of the foals that were born in 2006. But still the percentage of Thoroughbred blood in the population of the Hanoverian horse increased from 20% in 1980 to 25% in 2006. In Germany, not having the mare stock from racing communities of places like England and New Zealand, they relied heavily on the influence of Thoroughbred sires. The most successful of which were the likes of Noble Roi XX, Prince Thatch XX and Louries Crusader. With the might of the State Stud Celle behind Prince Thatch XX and Lauries Crusader XX, these two produced an great amount of horses whereas Noble Roi XX even with far less offspring held his ground as one of the most successful sires according to his FN rating. But in 1990 when Prince Thatch XX and Lauries Crusader joined Celle, between them they were responsible for 29% of the half-bred foals that year. Prince Thatch XX passed away in July of 2004 and by 2006 Lauries Crusade was sire to 61% of all the half bred foals.

sires is needed to ascertain the full extent of Thoroughbred influence on Jumper performance. In relation to this, if you look at a studbook focused on jumping such as the Holstein, they hold Thoroughbred blood in high regard and have for many years utilized it to refine the type of their horses. The Holsteiner breeding program used Ladykiller XX extensively. He produced two great jumper stallions: Landgraf and Lord. Landgraf was one of the most successful sires of show jumpers the world has seen. He produced over 130 approved sons. Lord was a successful 3-day event horse. Despite covering far fewer mares than Landgraf, he still produced over 60 licensed sons. It would have been very interesting if Sitzenstock’s research had included a studbook such as the Holsteiner.

Prince Thatch xx. By LGST Celle

Very interesting is the relationship between performance (as measured by the German FN rating) and the percentage of Thoroughbred blood. Sitzenstock found dressage specifically had a positive relationship with Thoroughbred blood. He found that the group with the third highest percentage of Thoroughbred blood (25.1% - 37.5%) had the best score for dressage, while the group with the highest percentage of Thoroughbred blood (50.1% - 62.5%) had the worst score for jumping. So according to Saltzenstick’s results, for dressage any amount of Thoroughbred blood has a positive affect with the optimum being between 25,1 and 37,5 percent. However for jumping, above 25% has a negative effect while up to 25% has a positive effect compared to no Thoroughbred blood. This difference in results for dressage and jumping however must be viewed carefully. During the research period, the Thoroughbred sires that were used in the Hannover area were the likes of Lauries Crusador XX, Prince Thatch XX and Sunlight XX. All three of these sires were dressage oriented. If Hannover had used more extensively a Thoroughbred like Noble Roi XX who had a more dual purpose, the results may have been different in terms of jumping results. It is important that one must always look at statistics in a holistic light and not always on face value. The danger here would be to look at Sitzenstock’s study and say “Thoroughbreds don’t improve jumpers”. Indeed that may not be the case if the dataset were different. I think what can safely be said from the results is that Thoroughbred blood up to 62.5% can positively influence dressage performance whereas more research with jumping oriented Thoroughbred

Selle Francais, another well-known Jumping studbook also utilizes Thoroughbred blood extensively. The French Breed expert Arnaud Evain was quoted as saying “One of the major reasons that French breeding is appreciated in the world today is because of Thoroughbreds. We used the proper Thoroughbreds, the bad ones we used also, but no one remembers them, they disappeared from the dam lines. Now if you go into the pedigrees of the French book, and you find stabilized horses with between 15% and 20% Thoroughbred blood – the situation is much the same in Holland – and when you mix those horses together you keep 15-30% Thoroughbred.” And for Conformation? Sitzenstock’s research indicated that the input of Thoroughbred blood has had a positive effect on the conformation of the Hanoverian horse. Up to 62% of Thoroughbred blood increased the breed values for type, frame, saddle position and especially front legs. It must be noted that the period in which Sitzenstock did his research (1980 – 2006) was a period in Warmblood breeding that focused on refinement not only from use of the Thoroughbred but also the Trekahner and French Anglo Arab. As such this would have helped Sitzenstock’s research and possibly amplified the results. It should however be noted that the need for such refinement is not as pertinent now as it was in 1980. However, as many experts have pointed out, including Dr Ludwig Christmann of the Hannoveraner Verband, “That does, however, not mean that we want or can abandon Thoroughbreds as a refining breed. It means that we can approach the use of Thoroughbreds with a certain calmness, but also with a necessary consequence. Calmness means that only those Thoroughbreds are to be used, which are equipped with moving ability, rideability, and/or jumping talent; consequence means that we continue to carefully search for such Thoroughbreds.” For certain, I think the Thoroughbred will always have a place in the breeding plan of Warmblood breeders as a refining/ improving mechanism, though maybe not for immediate competition horses, but rather in a long term breeding plan that carefully combines the attributes of the breed with specific Warmblood lines. Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

SPECIAL REPORT ON THE 2014 CALLAHO AUCTION

Callaho Class Act

CAPTIVATES AUCTION CROWD Photos By H2 Photography

By Brigid Thompson

On the 31st of May 2014, close to 700 horse-lovers from all over South Africa converged on the picturesque Callaho stud just outside Christiana to enjoy what has become one of the most popular events on the country’s sport horse calendar – the annual Callaho Auction.

ix years ago Callaho Warmblood Sport Horse Stud introduced South African buyers to their unique and transparent auction process which has become the stud’s trademark. Each year a crop of elite, competition-ready young horses are sold on open auction with no reserve, together with a handful of broodmares in foal to one of the Callaho stallions. The varied talents and temperaments of the horses on auction each year offers something suited to riders from a wide range of disciplines and abilities. Two months before the auction takes place the horses are available for try-outs by interested buyers, and all information relating to the horse is freely available in the form of X-rays, video footage of the horse under saddle and jumping (available online and on the CD included in the auction catalogue), objective assessments of the horse’s utility, temperament and rider compatibility, as well as the opportunity to discuss any aspect of the horse with the veterinarian and the Callaho training staff. The auction process is completely transparent and buyers know exactly what they are getting when they buy one of the Callaho horses and where their money is going. Of the buyers interviewed by Sporting Horse, the majority had attended try-outs and ridden between five and twelve of the available horses before shortlisting two to five favourites. Buyers who had attended try-outs unanimously recommended the tryout process to future buyers. During the auction itself, the horses were free-jumped on the

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Friday evening, and then on auction day morning each horse demonstrated its talents under saddle - doing basic flatwork and then jumping a simple line which was raised to a final height of approximately 1.1m.There was much to be admired in the talents and professionalism of the team of riders who presented the auction horses, which included Mandy Johnstone, Rainer Korber, Carl Boonzaaier, Jaco Theron, Hedda Roggenbuck and Chatan Hendriks. Spectators took careful note of the horses’ jumping techniques, response and recovery from small mistakes as well as their general way of going. Buyers who had not attended the tryouts thus also had the opportunity to see the horses being ridden. Everyone had free access at all times during the day to assess the horses in the stables and to speak to the handlers and riders. Bidders who were unable to be present themselves could arrange for telephonic bidding or proxy bids. After the lunch break, the gavel was formally handed over to auctioneers Rogan Asken and Günther Freimel, and then the real excitement began. Callaho stallions Lissabon, Con Coriano and Victory for Ever showed off their talents in individual performances before bidding commenced. Lissabon, the clear favourite, enchanted the crowd with advanced dressage moves and a breathtaking jumping display, while Con Coriano showed that he has matured into a phenomenal showjumper who simply oozes class. Before the auction of the flesh-and-blood horses began, a toy “Harry the Horse” in the image of Lissabon was auctioned in aid of the Highveld Horse Care Unit. Foreshadowing the bidding duels to come, the sale of the plush toy was hotly contested,

Mandy Johnstone & Lissabon

eventually being knocked down to Mike Sharkey of Highlands Stud for R23,000.00. Generous donations towards this worthy cause were also made by a number of other guests, who chose to remain anonymous. This year’s auction lots for the first time included nine competitionready offspring by the sensational stallion Lissabon, as well as five youngsters sired by Callaho’s young German-based dressage prodigy, Benicio. These youngsters were by far the most in demand, but the consistent, dependable sire For Joy (represented by ten auction riding lots) was also well supported by buyers. Interestingly, offspring of Callaho’s own stallions proved far more popular than the imported lots, despite the fact that the latter were from some of the world’s top bloodlines. Of the Lissabon offspring, auction lot No. 1, Ludo Calypso, was snapped up by Pierre Pretorius of Stellenbosch for the bargain price of R100,000.00. He was by far the lowest priced of the Lissabon offspring on auction, and Pierre was delighted to have benefitted from being focused while other buyers were still digesting their lunch! The second son of Lissabon to be sold was Leganté, who proved popular with buyers; Belinda Haytread of Cape Town was the elated winning bidder (for the sum of R320,000.00). He was followed by the showy Luigi Vella, bought for R200,000.00 by Lisa Newman. Lissabon filly Lisola and full brother Lindor were also highly sought after and were coincidentally each finally knocked down for R380,000.00. Imposing dressage prospect Lumos, out of Satine, full sister to Olympic Gold Medallist Salinero, sold for a very fair R360,000.00. The highlight of the entire auction was

Simone Thijssen & Victory For Ever

undoubtedly the anticipation and sale of lot No. 20, the aptly named Le Cadeau (Lissabon x Heartbreaker), whose transparent quality took everyone’s breath away. The atmosphere during the bidding was electric, with Le Cadeau finally being secured by an ecstatic Desirée Pienaar for the remarkable sum of R750,000.00. Other hotly contested Lissabon geldings were the talented and impeccably bred Let’s Go, who fetched R460,000.00, and last auction lot, immaculate jumper Le Padre, who was finally knocked down to Ronelle Gilbert of Johannesburg for R410,000.00 Like Lissabon’s progeny, all of the Benicio geldings on offer were highly rated for both dressage and jumping. Bidding on Lot No 3, Bentley, was hotly contested and rapidly passed the R500,000.00 mark. This versatile son of Benicio was finally knocked down for R550,000.00 to Karin McNally of Cape Town.The next Benicio up for grabs was Billy Calypso, who was sold to eventer Chantelle Swanepoel of Springs for the very fair price of R220,000. Underbidder on Bentley, Sisca Ploughman was delighted to acquire Bentley’s eye-catching half-brother Billabong for R265,000.00. However, the top price paid for Benicio’s progeny was for lot No 24, Bugatti, sold for R700,000.00 to Mari-Jean Hennig of Langebaan after a fierce bidding duel. Mari-Jean also snapped up Bugatti’s little half-sister Bellavida for R75,000.00. Con Coriano’s crop on auction included the rubberball Contiki out of the 1.5m jumper Carina; after fierce competition between bidders he was finally secured by Johannesburg-based Emma Bryant for R350,000.00. Con Coriano’s other offering, the supremely rideable and multi-talented Con Calypso, fetched R260,000.00.

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For Joy is still growing in stature as a sire and remains a firm favourite. It was most gratifying to see that buyers now recognise the quality and consistency of his genes, reflected in the continued interest in his offspring by riders from many disciplines. Auction lot No 2, For Play, was a real steal, being knocked down to Fiona Botes of Johannesburg for R110,000.00. She was delighted to have benefitted from “openers luck”, as For Play had been one of the two favourites on her shortlist. The top priced For Joy progeny were Forlandus (R450,000.00), Floyd (R420,000.00) and Femme Nikita (R280,000.00). Multi-talented Fandango was a steal at R170,000.00, as was the elegant ‘dark horse’ of the auction Fargo Wells, sold for R190,000.00. On the whole, horses suitable for jumping and those with versatility across the disciplines were most in demand, with a few bargains to be had among the dressage prospects. Of these, First Flower, a truly world class imported filly by Fürst Romancier, was undoubtedly the best dressage buy and went to Rayna Perrins of Cape Town for just R150,000.00. Jumping imports who went for very reasonable prices included Aline Du Reverdy (sired by Allegreto) who fetched R85,000.00, Westpoint (a son of Wenckstern) who sold for R95,000.00, Commander (sired by Comte) who was knocked down for R185,000.00 and the super talented French gelding, Chacco Gay Z, (Chacco Blue x Jalienny AA) who sold for R230,000.00. The highest priced import was the much sought-after, multitalented mare Cassiopoeia, at R340,000.00. Tall, locally born jumper Cento’s Boy sold for R420,000.00 - with time under the saddle of Lorette Knowles-Taylor he has every chance of becoming a world-class contender in the years ahead.

Emotion (Escudo I / Drosselklang II / Accord II)

Real bargains were found in the smaller framed mares, For Giselle (by For Joy), who sold for just R65,000.00 and Benicio filly Bellavida who was a real steal at R75,000.00. Karin Wessels of Pretoria East was also delighted with the price of R95,000.00 which she paid for the eye catching For Joy filly, Faith (out of a Libero mare). Buyers were willing to pay good money for broodmares representing some of the top international bloodlines, and in foal to one of Callaho’s resident stallions. For Quita and For Scotty, both sired by For Joy and in foal to Corinth and Larison, respectively fetched R110,000.00 and R75,000.00, with imported mare Emotion (in foal to Con Coriano) fetching R85,000.00. As no semen from Callaho stallions is sold, the only way to acquire Callaho blood is to buy a pregnant broodmare. The prices paid at this year’s auction are very encouraging for South African breeders, and show that local buyers are willing to pay top dollar for quality horses. The most sought after horses were hotly contested and fetched truly phenomenal prices, but there were still many horses that sold for very reasonable figures and a few bargains to be had, evidenced by the fact that six of the riding horses sold for under R100,000.00 and a further six were in the R100,000.00’s.

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

Cento’s Boy (Cento / Quick Star / Jalisco B)

Le Cadeau (Lissabon / Heartbreaker / Indoctro)

COMMENTS FROM AUCTION GOERS: This year’s auction goers hailed from all over the country, with many people travelling from Cape Town, Pretoria and Johannesburg and a few from Durban, Bloemfontein and Kimberley. They represented a real who’s who of South African horsey personalities such as the legendary David Stubbs, Michael Sharkey and Ricky Talbot, as well as many of the country’s top riders and trainers from all disciplines, including Barry and Lorette Taylor, Anne-Marie Esslinger, Govett & Tracy Triggol, Panayiotis & Lexi Stais, Candice Hobday, Grant and Carla Langley, Jaco Fourie, Graham Winn, Martyn Swanepoel, Michelle Hobbs & Jose Mendés, Charles Roberts & Dianne Botes, Bev Williamson, Clare MarcusMaloney, Claire Webb, Dawn Newman and many more. Also in keen attendance were Specialist Veterinarians who lead in their respective fields; Roy Gottschalk, Sue Murray as well as Carel & Marie’ De Bruyn. The sale was followed by a sociable braai, and the air was abuzz with excited chatter. Auction goers were profuse in their praise of the event and the professionalism of the Callaho staff. Those we spoke to praised the Callaho team for their willingness to go the extra mile to accommodate their needs, from fetching clients from the local airstrip, to assisting with accommodation and travel arrangements, and being on hand during the try-outs and auction to answer questions. Buyers who had bought horses at previous auctions also spoke of the ongoing support and interest of the stud management and Callender-Easby clan - when buying a Callaho horse one really becomes part of the Callaho family! In speaking to the Callaho staff, it is clear that the auction itself is the pinnacle and closing curtain of an entire year’s work. In the days following the auction, as the last horse boxes left Christiana with their precious cargoes, the Callaho team were already hard at work handling and backing the new crop of youngsters in preparation for next year’s auction. They are unanimous that the best is yet to come!

David Stubbs, undoubtedly one of South Africa’s greatest horsemen, described the auction as “an amazing event, very professional and well managed.” Open showjumper Samantha Wright stated that was very impressed with Lissabon as a stallion. She believed that Lissabon’s offspring catered to the full range of riders as he breeds an exceptionally rideable, modern sport horse suitable for all disciplines with an abundance of talent to go all the way up the grades. Springbok Dressage rider and trainer Jaco Fourie commented that Callaho is so far ahead of the competition because of their focus not only on acquiring top stallions, but also the phenomenal range of top international bloodlines represented among the Callaho broodmares. SA Equitation doyen Claire Webb told us that the auction was “always fabulous”, and was a great opportunity to acquire a top European quality horse brought up “the South African way”. Claire noted that European imports often struggle to adapt to the different South African hay and routines, and often struggle with colic and other illnesses. Desirée Pienaar, buyer of the star of this year’s auction, Le Cadeau, and owner of Gratina (auction 2012), praised the phenomenal quality of the Callaho horses, as well as the whole “Callaho package” of support and assistance. She described the Callaho auction as a “truly fabulous” annual event and commended the Callaho team on going the extra mile to assist riders and auction-goers every step of the way.

Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

Nicole Horwood and Capital Don Cumarco

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

Lorette Knowles-Taylor and Skyla Whitfield

ANOTHER SOLID PERFORMANCE

BY SOUTH AFRICAN SHOW JUMPING

IN THE NISSAN WINTER CLASSIC

By Caroline Malan / Photos by T&B Images outh African Show Jumping can be proud of yet another five day event that was filled with horsemanship of the highest order with testing tracks, perfect conditions, fantastic support and all round entertainment.

Shongweni, Durban was the place to be from 12 to 16 June, with the Nissan Winter Classic building up to the championship class on Monday afternoon, which was to be the second leg of the South African World Cup Qualifier.

As was the case every day, Saturday’s action was non-stop, with Jeanne Engela winning the 1.50m Riders Grand Prix Tour. “It’s always great to come to Shongweni with fantastic facilities and a welcoming sense of community. International course builder Andreas Holman (Germany) is a personal favourite of mine and he asked just the right questions today. I am over the moon with my mare Chanel as after a long break we finally feel back on form. A big thanks to all the sponsors, organisers and of course my fabulous trainer, Dominey Alexander.”

Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

Lorette Knowles-Taylor and Nissan Nabab Forever

Jeanne Engela

Following that class, it was time for a little fun and crowd entertainment which came in the form of the 6 bar competition – a challenge set to horse and rider as to which combination can jump the highest. Taking podium finish was Team Nissan’s Lorette Knowles-Taylor riding the 19 year old Nissan Nabab Forever, clearing a new South African record of an astonishing two meters! The show then reached a climax on Monday, with Capital Stud’s horse and rider combination taking home first prize as the winners of the second leg of the South African World Cup Qualifiers jumping the only double clear of 34

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

the championship. Nicole Horwood riding Mark White Nissan Capital Don Cumarco can be extremely proud of yet another exceptionally executed partnership. The Durban born rider adds this to her win of the first leg which was held in Midrand on 18 May at Kyalami Park. Chairman of SA Show Jumping, Bob Neill concludes, “The Nissan Winter Classic was an event in which we can be proud of. Our course designers built challenging yet fair tracks, our riders produced beautifully ridden rounds and the public attended as they showed their appreciation of this outstanding sport.”

Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

HORSEPROFILE RIDER PROFILE

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

Lindenberg 2005

HORSEPROFILE RIDER PROFILE

Gail

FO XC ROFT 1. Tell us a little about your younger years, when your mother ran the legendary Glenfox Riding School? I grew up with horses , having parents who both rode and competed in showjumping. My mother ran Glenfox Riding School and my father was very involved in the Rand Hunt Club. 2. Give us some insight into the well known Weyden ponies and which ones were special to you during your pony riding years? Wendy and Dennis Armitage who owned the Weyden Stud were very close friends of my parents , and so all holidays were spent in Standerton on the stud farm. When I was eight years old, Wendy gave me Weyden Magic Mac, a beautiful strawberry roan partbred (Welsh,Arab,Thoroughbred) who I backed and schooled, and who took me right through Childrens and Juniors. In the beginning I was bucked off daily , but he ended up a top competitor in every discipline. He won showing, dressage, showjumping, eventing, Ponyclub Games and even beat Gary Player’s imported Quarter horses in their National Barrel Racing Championships! He was an exceptionally talented pony who had a repertoire of tricks – kissing, bowing, standing on anthills, drinking Coke from a glass and letting himself into the feed room to steal extra food! 3. Were you ever involved in helping out with lessons, shows and running the yard whilst you were still at school? I was never involved in the running of the yard – I mostly played with my pony and friends. 4. Which Discipline did you prefer at the start of your equestrian career and why? I always had a preference for Eventing. My pony was so good in all 3 disciplines of eventing and always did well. He won the Langeni Trophy (awarded to the combination with the most points in eventing for the season) for 3 years in a row. 5. I believe you once rode the well-known eventer, Wellaway, in a major X-Country show – what led up to this occurring? Linda Stockton owned Wellaway and injured herself just before Sappi SA Eventing Championships and so at the last moment asked if I wanted to ride her. I was thrilled to do so because she

was a lovely mare, brave and kind. I tried her the day before the show started and liked her so I said yes.We ended up placing well. 6. You had a long and successful partnership with the stallion, Lindenberg – how did this come about and what mile-stones did you enjoy together? Lindenberg was an imported Oldenburg stallion owned by Doris and Arnfrid Grannersberger who brought him into the country as a 3 year old. Bryce McCall started him and rode him up to 1.30 whereupon I took over the ride. He was a horse with an incredible presence and a real character. He had a ‘water jump problem’ when I started with him, but through lots of very patient training, he eventually got over the problem. He did remain distrustful of the water jump but as long as I never took him by surprise, he always jumped it. He won the Outdoor Grand Prix of South Africa in 2001 and 2002, President’s Cup in 2003 and the SA Derby in 2005. He was beautiful and easy to ride and had a really good work ethic which he passed on to his progeny. He loved doughnuts and Woolworths Sea Salt and Black Pepper chips! 7. During your years of competing on Lindenberg, you also had a thriving breeding programme in place – tell us a little about those times? Lindenberg was very well bred with the famous thoroughbred stallion Ladykiller twice in his pedigree and so I did a lot of breeding with him. A number of his progeny are competing today – Lothario Lad (competed so successfully by Dominey Alexander), La’Audience ( the brilliant pony that won so much with Cameron Dawson),Lobo (jumping in the WCQ classes with Lauren Smorenburg). 8. What led you to embark on a Degree as a Pharmacist – where did you study and how have you managed to combine both your very successful business ventures with your equestrian pursuits? I’m not sure why I decided on Pharmacy as a career, but I obviously thought it a good idea at the time! I studied at Wits Tech and then later at Wits Medical School. I owned Lonehill Dispensary for 26 years which I closed in 2013 and now I have my dispensary at Equifox. Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

HORSEPROFILE RIDER PROFILE Derby 2006

Gail Foxcroft & Apple Dumpling

Cindy and John

9. Have there been any other memorable horses that you have ridden and enjoyed over the past several years? Time to Dance is a thoroughbred mare who I bought through Rogan Asken from David Reid when she was jumping 1m and who eventually took me to the World Equestrian Games in Rome in 1998. She is now 32 years old and still with me at Glenfox. She is a wonderful mare who was very brave and very feisty. She had a difficult mouth and so I always rode her in a hackamore which completely changed her way of going. She had 3 colic operations during her career – one before I bought her and 2 with me and in fact still had the staples from her last op when she went into the 3 month quarantine period in Cape Town on her way to Rome in 1998. Her role in life now is to look after the babies when they are weaned from their mothers – she is a wonderful granny! 10. You have always brought on your own young horses – do you have any particular programme that you like to utilize to move them through the grades? Each young horse is different so their training varies according to his or her personality. I take a long time to bring on my horses and they are never rushed.The concussion on young joints from too much work too soon will lead to joint problems in the future. I back them at 3 years and then leave them until they are 4.They are then ridden perhaps twice or 3 times per week (time permitting) and will probably do their first 70cm show when they are 5. I believe that the longer you take in the beginning, the longer they last at the top. I also believe that they need to be ready mentally 38

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

Foxcroft Family on Taffy

as well as physically before asking them to cope with the stresses of competition. 11. What is your favourite event and which venues do you prefer and why? I think everyones favourite event is the Derby – purely because of the nature of the event and the huge interest it inspires in the public. I think that Kyalami Park is an exceptional venue and every overseas rider or official that visits South Africa will tell you the same thing. There are a number of great private venues with superb arenas and footing in this country, but none with the capacity and variation that Kyalami Park has. 12. Do you ever get a chance to have a break away from the horses and do you enjoy any non-equestrian pursuits? I don’t often get a break because all my breaks from work involve shows – but when I do, I love to go to the bush. In February I had a chance to visit Mashatu Private Game Lodge in Botswana and that was possibly the best trip to the bush that I have ever had. White water rafting down the Zambezi was another trip I would love to do again. 13. What brought about the launching of your Equifox Shop? I started Equifox in 2004 because at that stage there was no shop selling veterinary products and equine supplements to the public. I started by compounding the supplements myself until it eventually got too big for me to cope with and so I outsourced to a reputable manufacturer (Xenia Pharmaceuticals) who still do my products today.We are moving premises on October 1st, later this year.

whether for soundness, behaviour problems or jjust ust general g health, Equifox Equif E quiifffoooxx offers highest quality equine q supplements ssup upp u and advice...

Reg. No. V18581 Act 36 of 1947

with: Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulphate, MSM

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is the most important substance in joint lubrication. It is a naturally occurring component found in soft connective tissue and joint fluid. As the horse ages, it produces less HA leading to increased wear on the cartilage surfaces of the joint. Supplementing with HA helps relieve joint pain and maintain performance in horses with chronic joint conditions and protects and lubricates all horses' joints (including healthy joints) to prolong the competitive life of the horse.

Equifox Pharmacalm is the best way to help your horses deal with stressful situations, gently calming them without removing the â&#x20AC;&#x153;competitive edgeâ&#x20AC;?. Reg. No. V19964 Act 36 of 1947

Pharmacalm Plus The proven Pharmacalm formula in powder form for easy regular use as a feed supplement. Available in: 300g, 600g & 2kg buckets.

Pharmacalm Paste An easy and convenient option - ideal for using away from home to deal with the stress of shows or trucking. Available as a single tube or a 2-pack combo.

0861 - EQUIFOX

(0861 378 436)

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Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

152B Capricorn Dr, Paulshof, Sandton | Phone: 011 467 7731 | Fax: x: 086 639 1603 | info@equifox.co.za in

HORSE PROFILE

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

HORSE PROFILE

EQ UIFOX

By Yvonne Bolton

JFK

1. I believe you bought Equifox JFK from Sabine Dekker some four years ago – where did you ﬁrst hear about him and view him? Dominey Alexander knew I was looking for a horse after Lindenberg died in 2010 and suggested that I come and see JFK who was being sold by Sabine Dekker. Sabine was working for Dominey at the time. I went to try him and loved him. I had seen him previously at one of our Young Horse Performance Shows and was really impressed with his jump. 2. He was bred in Zimbabwe by Liz O’Toole – what is his early history and who produced him? JFK was born in Zimbabwe during unsettled times. The land invasions were happening and commercial farmers were losing their land. JFK is by Emma Schultz’s dressage stallion Jambo (Jumbo (ID) ex Djevely xx – Full Colour xx) out of Glittersands xx(Tres Haut xx – Noble Chieftain xx). He was Jambo’s first foal. He was bred by the late Liz O’Toole at Mary Down Stud just on the outskirts of Northern Harare. When JFK was only a weanling Mary Down was taken by war veterans. After several months of violent harassment of the residents and staff of the stud by government thugs, the final

decision to leave Mary Down came when the invaders arrived at seven in the evening with bull dozers threatening to knock down the stables with the horses in them. JFK with the rest of the horses were walked 5km to a neighbour’s paddock who had agreed to take them. Shortly after that his breeder Liz O’Toole ended up in hospital after a serious fall off a horse. In 2003 it was difficult to source medicines in Zimbabwe and Gail Foxcroft used to have whatever was needed couriered to the hospital to treat Liz. Unfortunately Liz did not survive the accident. Her horses were offered up for sale. Renee Booth bought JFK as a weanling. In May 2004 the Booths with all their horses moved to South Africa. JFK was gelded in 2005, the surgery did not go well and he herniated. It took him a while to recover from his gelding. When the Booths moved back to Zimbabwe in March 2007 JFK was sold to Sabine Dekker who was a work rider for Dominey Alexander at the time… 3. Once you had viewed and ridden him, what did you think was special and why did you decide to purchase him? He had a wonderful attitude and was really keen when he jumped. He was and still is very lazy on the flat, but very forward going Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

JFK WCQ KEP May 2014

HORSE PROFILE

when he jumps. He is the kindest nicest ‘person’ and just wants to be loved and kissed. He’s very gentle and a real ‘softie’. 4. Does he come from a bloodline that has produced any other good jumpers? JFK was Jambo’s first progeny and Jambo is owned by Emma Schultz who currently stands him in Kyalami. Stewart Walker’s 1.40m ride ‘By Request’ is out of the same dam as Jambo. (Djevely xx by Full Colour xx). JFK’s grandsire Jumbo (ISH) is the sire of many good showjumpers in Europe and the sire of the lovely bay mare Thandika, who was owned by Callie Newman and successfully ridden in South Africa by Damian Stevens. Tres Haut xx was the sire of four A Grade horses in Zimbabwe.

athletes have good conformation, which allows them to perform better because of structural strength, the correct angles and thus the ability to stay sound for longer. 7. How important is temperament over talent in your opinion and what sort of personality does JFK possess? Temperament is everything.Without the horse’s willingness to do the job, you cannot possibly compete to the best of your or your horse’s ability.The more tractable and willing the horse, the easier the training and the more successful you will be.

8. All top horses have some quirks, what are JFK’s and what is he like around the Yard? John is an absolute ‘angel’ . He is easy to ride and is often the ‘lead 5. You have produced many horses successfully yourself, what pony’ when Cindy Faber (Stud Manager) takes a small child on an outride. His best friend is Equifox Olorosso (they go in the qualities do you look for in a prospective new jumper? A willingness to work, a good attitude and especially rideability. paddock together) and they play non-stop! When I go to a show, When you’re young, all you require in a horse is talent – but as if one is out of sight of the other, they call and shout until they can you get older, you realize that the job is so much easier when the be together again. horse’s rideability is good. 9. What is your most memorable achievement with JFK so far? 6. Would you make a purchase solely on talent and scope, or does The 2nd place is his first World Cup Qualifier in May at KPC. It conformation also inﬂuence your decision? was only his second show jumping in the 1.50m classes and his Conformation must always play a role . If the horse is correctly first time in a WCQ. It was a huge step up in height and difficulty conformed he will be more comfortable to ride and easier to for him and he surpassed all my expectations. He handled it like train than one with bad conformation. Most of the best equine an old campaigner! 42

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Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

Outeniqua Moon mares and foals

By Christine Watt

CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER CHANGING THE GAME TO SAVE GIANTS

uying a new towing vehicle, especially when you intend to load two heavy draft horses can be a strenuous exercise. Christine Watt, a member of the Namibian Percheron Horse Society and part owner of Outeniqua Moon Percheron Stud shares her experience with Sporting Horse Magazine. Hectic stuff, buying a new car! When you spend a lot of money it has to be right and buying a new tow car was no easy matter for us. Our old Jeep Grand Cherokee 4,7 V8, which had served us grandly, was now becoming more and more costly to fix and fill up. A new Grand Cherokee was, as much as we wanted one, out of our price range. We spend all our money on our nineteen horses. It would either have to be a double-cab or a mid-range SUV. 44

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The absolute necessity criteria: • Towing Capacity of at least three thousand kilograms. Horsebox and two heavy draft Percheron Horses on board. • Local assembly to ensure parts availability and cost effective servicing. • Fuel efficiency. • Comfort; owing to a horse accident I have four shattered discs in my spine so even the vaguest hint of a hard ride was out. • Looks. No point in having to hide it when you arrive at a show. • 4x4 with low range gearbox. We started with the double cab bakkies and slowly worked our way through all of them. They were all way too hard a ride. The Isuzu was passable on the comfort side, then we saw the big Trailblazer alongside the Isuzu and the game changed.

Outeniqua Moon Shadowfax; two and a half years old and 18.1hh with head groom Kevin Oerson wearing gear from Tack and Tuck in George.

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Shadowfax and Greystoke with their handlers and the Watt’s Chevrolet Trailblazer and Sun Pacer horsebox. Handler’s clothing from Tack and Tuck in George.

It looked stunning and we tentatively took it for a test drive, off road too, up the old Outeniqua mountain pass with loads of corrugations and Peter looked across nervously at me waiting for me to say, “Way too hard!” I didn’t, I just smiled and said, “Cool car!” Then of course we went to look at the competition. We were very thorough, we checked out all of them. There aren’t many SUV’s that can match the Chevrolet Trailblazer’s towing capacity and the ones that could, like the big Mitsubishi, Land Rover Discovery and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, were out of our price range. Another thing that changed the game for us was it is a people carrier as well; you can sit six adults in comfort in the car with air-conditioning piped all the way through. And the people right at the back have enough legroom and two comfortable seats with cup holders. We run a guest farm and Percheron stud called Outeniqua Moon and have access to some amazing 4x4 trails in the Outeniqua Mountains; like the famous Attaquas Kloof trail which is the old ox wagon trail through the mountains to Oudtshoorn. This car meant that we can take our guests on the trail.Talk about a game changer! Now for the Acid test... We acquired our brand new Sunpacer 46

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horsebox which has been especially made to accommodate two Percheron mares, each weighing around nine hundred kilograms, or our stallions individually. The Trailblazer has the heart and class to carry the biggest colt ever bred in SA and his Dad. We have two very classy stallions one is Greystoke who weighs 1250 kgs and stands 17hh. He is a snowy giant who has recently captured the world’s imagination on facebook and has accumulated 20 000 likes, people are calling him the Elvis of Percherons. The Australians have been inquiring about his semen. The other is Shadowfax (out of Greystoke), who is still a baby, at two and half years old. He is the biggest colt ever bred in South Africa. He stands 18.1hh and will definitely make 19hh when he is fully grown. Unlike a lot of the taller heavy draft horses who don’t have the bone, his knees already measure 49cm. He will finish growing when he is seven years old. Peter and I both agreed that the Chevrolet Trailblazer had the heart and class to carry these two stallions around to shows, albeit individually, and so we bought the car in December 2013. The Horsebox and Towing The horsebox is the biggest two-berth horsebox ever made in South Africa by Sunpacer. Each berth is ninety centimetres wide

Outeniqua Moon’s Stallion Greystoke dancing for the mares

where a normal box the berths are sixty centimetres wide. The ChevroletTrailblazer was fitted with a state-of-the-art electric braking system specifically for the horsebox. Before I go any further let me explain to all you caravan people out there what it means to tow a horsebox with two horses on board, especially if they are your horses. Some horses are worth millions, but most horses are priceless as far as their owner’s emotions are concerned. Towing a horse box is an art... It is hairy; loads of things can go horribly wrong. Horses die in horse boxes; jerky take-offs and harsh braking can result in broken legs. A swaying box can cause a horse to go into colic from anxiety. Thanks to the Trailblazer’s automatic traction control, swaying is ruled out and take-offs are really smooth. The combination of the electronic brakes together with the Trailblazer’s awesome braking system pretty much ruled out the problems. We made our maiden journey from Mossel Bay to Robertson with two mares on board.The road is hilly all the way to Swellendam and from Swellendam to Robertson it is mountainous. The Chevrolet Trailblazer performed brilliantly. The box with the

two mares on board is close to the three thousand kilograms which the car is rated to. The car didn’t flinch; it pulled up and down those hills at ninety kilometres an hour on cruise control. We could have gone faster but it is not safe to pull horses faster than ninety. Pulling this immense weight, her fuel consumption was 7.9 kilometres to the litre which is absolutely fantastic. Yet another game changer was when we took a Nooitgedaghter horse to an endurance race locally. It was gravel all the way and most people had stopped and were walking their horses the last 10 kms of the way. They all drove 4x4 bakkies, but they said that their bakkies didn’t have the power to pull the boxes up the last very steep hill. Game won! We did it effortlessly!! Thanks to the Trailblazer’s awesome 460 newton metres of torque. The 2014 model has even more talk, boasting a massive 500 newton metres.’ After exploring all this wonderful car’s attributes including a three week 4x4 trip through Namibia where it shone: no breakdowns, no getting stuck anywhere, not even a tyre change, (we did have all-terrain Goodrich’s on for the trip) and the terrific fuel consumption is such a bonus. At 120 km per hour on tar in Namibia, we were getting between 11.9 and 12kms to a litre with a car fully loaded with camping gear. Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

Bobby, Outeniqua Moon’s main working gelding

Here is just another very good reason to preserve the Heavy draft Horses. By Jeni Ferreira “As a student of agriculture and a lover of the land, I see a glimpse of a future, very much like the past, when families produced their own food, working together with the natural cycle of growth and richness we have around us every day. In those days we counted on our relationship with the land, the things that grow on it, and the animals we needed for their awesome power and willingness to please. In this dream, people work together to create a healthy living for their families, while preserving their natural environment. This preservation can only be acquired today by not using the tractor on the small farm, effectively cutting off expensive fuel cost, and replacing it with the majesty and grace of working animals. Fuel accounts for easily 30% of farming expenses, and with rising fuel costs the logical option will be to use less. Donkeys, oxen and horses have been our farming companions for ages, and I believe moving back to this working relationship is the key to our sustained existence. Specifically horses, which encompass both workability and longevity, are the way forward for the small farmer looking to make a living. By working with horses rather than tractors, they will truly be the most eco-friendly as there is very little fuel use, thus minimizing their carbon footprint and enhancing their organic status which is the goal of any business these days aimed at fighting global warming and restoring the earth. Sustainability and productivity can become one for the small farmer, or any person who is dedicated to leaving the earth better than they found it, and having working animals will create a peaceful balance in their everyday lives.

A New Work Horse helping to save an Old Work Horse The Percheron Horse Breeders Society of Namibia is a small, elite band of passionate horsemen and woman who started this society with the idea to save the real heavy draft Percheron horses known as the Trait horse. The Breeders are from the Western, Eastern Cape and Namibia. The Breeders from the Eastern And Western Cape are the longest standing breeders in South Africa apart from Elsenburg (which still have some of the best mares in the country) The breeders have amongst them the best bloodlines in South Africa. The society was started in an attempt to save the SA Percheron horse’s bloodlines. They are the first horse breeders society to include protection clauses for the horses in their constitution and they are very serious about this. The Society is also driving for world recognition of, and heritage status for the horses. This will mean that the horses will no longer be slaughtered as meat animals, or used for colostrum and urine collection. The Breeders feel that horses who have served mankind so nobly deserve better than that and indeed deserve as much protection as the Rhino and Whales. The Fort Hare University’s animal traction network SANAT offer comprehensive courses on farming with horses. Contact Bruce Joubert (councillor Percheron Horse Breeders Society of Namibia) email: ajoubert@ufh.ac.za or contact Jeni Ferreira: 0027 79 523 3144 Email: admin@nphbs.co.za Outeniqua Moon Percheron Stud and Guest Farm offer holiday accommodation in the heart of the Garden Route; hiking and biking trails; riding and carriage driving lessons; courses on breeding; complete care of the heavy draft horse including feeding and hoof care and carriage driving courses. Email : watt@hilbert.co.za web www.outeniquamoon.co.za Contact Christine 082 564 9782

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SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

Losing touch with working horses has been one of life’s greatest failings, a travesty that people do not recognize because the understanding of animals, and the absolute magical relationships that can form, have been lost. Horses instil a sense of responsibility and realization in people who are open-minded enough to accept it; they make you want to be a better person. When this is combined with a love of creation, of farming, you create the most optimal resource: a person who really cares about what they do – and in return you will find the most perfect fresh produce being grown. With the technology that have been developed by communities still dedicated to this philosophy of farming, it is relatively easy, and definitely cost-effective for small producers to work with horses once more. The PTO cart has been developed that is pulled by working horses. The PTO is run by a biofuel engine and the cart can form a link between working horses and basically any modern small tractor drawn implement that needs to be run on a PTO. There is a fast array of implements that have been developed, enabling farmers to do any farming task just as effectively with a horse rather than a tractor. This has increased productivity and ease of working incredibly. Financially speaking you won’t have to fork out loads of money for an expensive tractor, just buy a PTO cart at a fraction of the price which will leave you with incentive to invest in normal, smaller implements. Then go further to invest in good, solid heavy draft horses and rest easy with the thought that you are not only giving a good home to animals that absolutely deserve to be cared for, but you are also saving the planet. If we are to become better and healthier beings, I truly believe we should move back to sustainable farming with animals as our hearts and engines, driving us to a bright and peaceful existence.” A working gelding owned by Mr Bennie Marais of Klipdrif Stud pulling a hitch cart with a manure spreader attached

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The four prize-winners of the Longines Ladies Awards 2014: Sylvie Robert, Patricia Laffon-Parias, representative of Criquette Head-Maarek, Jing Li and Bo Derek, with Liz Price, master of ceremony and Juan-Carlos Capelli, Vice-President and Head of International Marketing of Longines.

By Johan Blom

LONGINES

LADIES AWARDS (CHANTILLY, FRANCE)

Held for the second consecutive year, the Longines Ladies Awards ceremony took place in the Grand Stables of the Princes of Condé, on the sumptuous Chantilly Domain. In front of an audience of prestigious guests, the jury, including Longines Ambassador of Elegance, Kate Winslet rewarded four leading women in the equestrian world.

The French Revolution marked the brutal end of these princely times but the Grand Stables was miraculously saved, thanks to its occupation by the army. Only two statues would be destroyed for their lead: the Court of the kennels statue and its fountain, and Fame, which overlooked the dome’s roof. A copy of the latter was reinstated and donated to the Institut de France, two centuries later, in 1989, by Yves Bienaimé, as part of sponsoring operation.

Architect Jean Aubert built the Grand Stables at the request of Louis-Henri de Bourbon, the seventh prince of Condé.The legend says that the Prince was convinced he would be reincarnated as a horse and therefore wished for stables worthy of his rank.

At the end of the nineteenth century, in 1886, the Duke of Aumale, fifth son of King Louis-Philippe and last resident of the Chantilly Estate, donated his property (château, Hippodrome, Stables, forest, Condé Museum, library and archives) to the French Institute under the condition that everything be maintained in its state.

he Grand Stables, built almost 300 years ago in 1719, is truly one of the most breathtaking equestrian buildings in the world. Back in the 1700s it housed a whopping 250 horses and 300 hunting dogs.The Grand Stables form part of the opulent Chantilly Estate, surrounded by its manicured lawns, lakes, gardens and acres of lush forest. In the evenings, Prince Louis-Henri would hold sumptuous dinners under the building’s monumental dome, which soars 28 metres high.

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Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

On the eve of the Prix de Diane Longines 2014, the second edition of the Longines Ladies Awards took place in the Grand Stables of the Chantilly Chateau. This award ceremony pays tribute to careers dedicated to the equine cause, illustrating the passion for horses shared by both Longines and the prizewinners. These awards honour the positive influence and exceptional commitment of eminent women in the world of equestrian sports. This year, the exceptional jury brought together Louis Romanet, President of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, Nathalie Bélinguier, President of the International Federation of Gentlemen and Ladies Riders, Ingmar de Vos, General Secretary of the International Equestrian Federation and Kate Winslet, Longines Ambassador of Elegance. They presented the Longines Ladies Awards 2014 to Sylvie Robert,

Criquette Head-Maarek, Jing Li and Bo Derek. Sylvie Robert received an award for her contribution to the development of equestrian sport in Europe. She was in charge of the organization of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping last April in Lyon, an exceptional event that attracted the best riders of the world. Criquette Head-Maarek’s prize was as sign of recognition for her contribution to developing the art of training and looking after a racehorse. Indeed, she is the only woman to have won the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe twice, and the Prix de Diane Longines three times. Last year, her filly Treve was named World’s Best Racehorse and ranked first in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings at the end of the season.

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Charles Villoz, Vice-President and Head of Sales of Longines, Nathalie Bélinguier, President of the Inter. Fed. of Gentlemen and Ladies Riders, Sylvie Robert, prize-winner, Kate Winslet, Longines Ambassador of Elegance and member of the jury, Patricia Laffon-Parias, representative of Criquette Head-Maarek, prize-winner, Jing Li, prize-winner, Bo Derek, prize-winner, Louis Romanet, President of the Inter. Fed. of Horseracing Authorities, Florence OllivierLamarque, General Director of Swatch Group France, Walter von Känel, President of Longines, Juan-Carlos Capelli, Vice-President and Head of Inter. Marketing of Longines and Ingmar de Vos, General Secretary of the Inter. Equestrian Fed.

Jing Li was honoured for her contribution to the development of equestrian sports in Asia, and especially in China. She organized the Longines Equestrian Beijing Masters in the Olympic Stadium of Beijing - the first show jumping competitions with international riders in China. Last but not least, Bo Derek was rewarded for her efforts to promote and protect equine welfare and safety in the United States. She has worked closely with the Animal Welfare Institute, is an ambassador for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships and serves as a member of the California Horse Racing Board. During the evening,Walter von Känel, President of Longines honoured His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan with a Longines Equestrian Lépine pocket watch as a gift from the Horse Museum. Prince Karim Aga Khan headed up the restoration project during 2013 and invested funding of more than $3 million for the makeover of the Grand Stables, restoring this magnificent facility to its once glorious self. Longines’ involvement in equestrian sports dates back to 1878, when the brand created a chronograph engraved with a jockey and his horse. For the Prix de Diane Longines 2014, the brand promoted a ladies’ watch in steel from its Conquest Classic collection. Set with 30 diamonds, this magnificent timepiece with its white mother-of-pearl dial and diamond hour symbols is a perfect example of the elegance of this unique race meeting. 54

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Above: His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan received a Longines Equestrian Lépine pocket watch as a gift for the Horse Museum from the hands of Walter von Känel, President of Longines.

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Jessica Jane Prince on Cassian Way the overall Junior Winner

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TACK ‘N TOGS

PRESIDENT’S CUP 2014 By Yvonne Bolton / Photos by T&B Images

On-going sponsorship from Tack n Togs made the 13th annual President’s Cup once again a most successful and well supported Show with the main events taking place in the ever popular Martin Collins EcoTrack Wax Arena.

he mild weather also encouraged a large crowd to attend the final day’s jumping in support of all the competitors. This created a fantastic atmosphere with umbrellas, camp chairs and blankets all providing a colourful array to brighten up the immaculate arena. Tiger Brands had also kindly sponsored innumerable cases of their Game Isotonic drink. All the prize winners, irrespective of their placing, were delighted to receive 24 unit cases bestowed on them to carry off home for family and grooms.

Maple Ridge is well known for their generous prize money and this year was no exception with all the classes receiving magnanimous amounts for those fortunate to be in the placings. The major adult events once again produced some exceptional jumping and Callaho Warmblood Stud’s C Ultra was clear over all three classes that made up The President’s Cup. The only other rider to go clear throughout was Samantha McIntosh on Let’s Win, however, in the sixth and final jump off Govett managed to squeeze ahead by 0.2 of a second to secure top spot. Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

Hilmar Meyer 1st leg

Erin dos Santos and Whisperer

As Tracey Triggol reported – C Ultra was new to the 1.50m’s having only competed in three classes of this height prior to the President’s Cup. Govett had also just recently entered into the partnership with Callaho Stud and was naturally delighted with the result on his first time out on behalf of the Stud. With his partnership with Callaho, we can expect to see exciting progeny from C Ultra, Electra and Govett’s other mares on the Callaho Stud Auction in the years to come. Spectators were also treated to the start of the Turnierstal Hilmar Meyer Young Rider’s Series, which will take place over three competitions. This 1st Leg was won by A.J. Radermacher on Ebb & Flow Alzu Ovation, who was fortunate to share the sizeable R20,000 prize money with his co-prize winners. In the Junior classes, Jessica Jane Price on Cassian Way, having won the first two competitions and finished a very creditable 58

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2nd in the Championship, not surprisingly, walked away with overall President’s Cup title. It was Jessica’s first national show on Cassian Way in the 1.30m’s, however, he was on top form and took the big tracks in his stride doing incredible turns and massive jumps. Mandy Prince, Jessica’s mother, says he was affectionately named ‘the Grasshopper’ after his amazing performance there. The PR Martin Collin’s President’s Cup produced the usual exciting and nail-biting rounds in these classes with only 4 riders carrying no penalties into the final jump off. On the first day of the show, Rogan Asken, Erin Dos Santos’s coach advised her to ‘stay calm, go clear and wait for the right moment to turn up the pace’. This proved to be excellent advice and resulted in Erin going clear in the final jump off and claiming the coveted PR President’s Cup and The Whisperer Trophy. A win which was even more special, said Debbie Dos Santos, as Whisperer will be retiring in July after the South African PR championships.

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www.tackntogs.co.za Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

Hayley Preen

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THE PHILIP SMITH MEMORIAL

EQUITATION CHAMPIONSHIP 2014 The management of the Kyalami Park Club very graciously allowed the co-organisers of The Philip Smith Memorial Equitation Championship 2014 to host this esteemed event in conjunction with the Knowles Hussain Lindsay Inc FEI WCQ Festival Show. A Show which is fast becoming an important fixture on all the top show jumping and dressage riders list of events to enter Hayley Preen

By Yvonne Bolton / Photos by T&B Images

he Flatwork of the Philip Smith Memorial Equitation championship took place on Friday 16th May in the May Foxcroft Arena. The competitors who qualified this year, namely Michaela Machine from Gauteng, Olivia Victoria Myrtle from the Western Cape, Lauren Parker from the Eastern Cape and Hayley Preen from the Western Cape were to be judged by the well-known and illustrious Judges – Anne-Marie Esslinger, Gregory Goss and Barbie Gertenbach. After the completion of the Flatwork, Gregory Goss had this to say: Having judged this prestigious championship on three occasions now, I am always reminded of the great value that this event carries. What a huge incentive it is for our talented Open Junior Equitation competitors to aspire to qualifying for this renowned championship, where the top 4 finalists from the South African National Championships are invited to compete. This year two riders stood out from the flatwork point of view, both achieving excellent tests from all the horses – these two riders, incidentally, finished in the top two spots. However, generally there was a high standard of riding displayed by all four of the competitors. A massive thank you must go to Mrs. Mary Slack for her ongoing sponsorship of this extraordinary and valuable event. What an incredible opportunity for the winner and their coach then to be able to attend a world championship – the prize awarded for 1st place.

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Hilmar Meyer 1st leg

Good organization and a really delicious luncheon made it all worthwhile and a pleasure to judge.” On Saturday 17th May the competitors then moved onto the Jumping Phase which took place in the Bob Charter Arena, where the International Course Designer, Rob Jansen, had erected a technical track to challenge the competitors. Here the Judges were Anne-Marie Esslinger, who was accompanied by Chad Cunningham and Claire Webb, who had the following comments to share with us: “It was an even quartet of girls who arrived at Kyalami Park to compete in the annual Philip Smith Memorial Equitation Championship 2014. The jumping was held in the Bob Charter, where the course was technical and well designed and caught out competitors who rode the lines incorrectly. Hayley Preen kept her cool, after having a stop on her own horse in round one, but rode confidently on all the other horses emerging the winner. Hayley rode in the final in 2013 and it always helps to have had the opportunity to have been previously exposed to the pressure encountered at an event of this magnitude. 62

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The South African Equitation community are so grateful that Mrs. Mary Slack continues to support this special competition. It is unique and produces so many of our young superstar jumpers.” Finally the mother of the winner, Mrs Jen Preen, had this to say at the end of the day: “It has been a fantastic opportunity for Hayley to have ridden in the Philip Smith for the last 2 years. It has been her aim to do well in it and it was with relief and great joy to have won it this year. It is an experience that matches no other in terms of riding capabilities, as well as pressure on the riders and I think all the competitors are very relieved once it has been completed. The organization of the championship is fantastic and we must thank Yvonne Bolton for all her hard work in putting it together, as well as the fantastic sponsorship from Mrs. Mary Slack. As a winner, Hayley is very excited to be going overseas to watch an International Show of her choice – an opportunity which would not be possible without this sponsorship.”

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Diana Lee Piercy, Charlotte Stuart,Tumi Mosiah

Showing Open Team with Sponsor Equipage - Lia Wheeler, Nicola Douglas, Amore Marais, Imogen Hilterman, Caitlin Wheeler, Nicole Giraurd & Zelda de Wit from Equipage

GAUTENG

AWARDS DINNER 2014

xpertly co-ordinated by Kate Launder, the evening was host to some very prestigious guests, notably Barry Hendriks of the Gauteng Sports Council, who not only gave a short speech, but also graciously handed out the Provincial Colours to the Open Gauteng Equestrian Team members. Other prominent VIP Guests included Wessel Strauss, Secretary General of the SAEF and Mark Slade, Chairman of the Gauteng Show Jumping Committee, whose wonderful support and assistance made this auspicious occasion possible. 64

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By Yvonne Bolton / Photos by T&B Images The enthusiastic attendance by all the Team Members, their ever supportive parents, Chairman of the other Disciplines and the Chef dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Equipes of the various Teams made this evening an outstanding success. Adding to the wonderful vibe of the evening was the ever charismatic, Panayiotis Stais who officiated as Master of Ceremonies and his very talented daughter, Alexa Stais, who gave the motivational speech to the young equestrian audience. It was indicative of the occasion that all the Team Members were impeccably behaved and a credit to the Disciplines they were selected to represent.

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Images By: Stefano Grasso/Longines Global Champions Tour

LONGINES GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR

A SPECTACULAR WIN FOR DEVOS IN THE VERY FIRST LGCT SHANGHAI GRAND PRIX

also runs the Devos Group export company, selling apples and pears as well as other types of fruit and vegetables. Pieter’s philosophy is, “When I enter the ring, my plan is quite simple: I want to win. If you don’t always try to win, you never will.” His ambition is to compete at an Olympic Games.

Pieter Devos began riding at age five along with his brother Wouter as both his parents were riders. He operates out of Devos Stables in Bekkevoort, Belgium, where he trains, breeds and sells horses with his brother Wouter. His family

The results extend Edwina Tops-Alexander’s (AUS) Ranking Lead to 23 points, Ludger Beerbaum (GER) - 5th in the Grand Prix - moved up into second place with 91 points, while Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano takes 3rd with 78 points, closely followed by Ben Maher (GBR), Marcus Ehning (GER) and Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE). At LGCT Cannes next weekend, Round Five of the 2014 Championship, there will be many star riders eager to take the maximum 40 points in the Grand Prix.

he winner of the inaugural Longines Global Champions Tour of Shanghai Grand Prix in the shadow of the stunning China Art Palace is Belgium’s Pieter Devos, a new star in China, following a fabulous performance with Dream of India Greenfield before an excited Shanghai crowd who cheered and clapped as he rose to the top of the podium. Silver medal position went to Edwina Tops-Alexander (AUS) and Old Chap Tame, and Bronze to Michel Hecart (FRA) with Pasha du Gue.

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

Winner - Pieter Devos on Dream of India Greenfield

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Silver Medalist - Edwina Tops-Alexander on Old Chap Tame

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Pieter Devos

3rd Place - Michel Hecart on Pasha du Gu

“I’m very happy. I think today we saw some great sport. I would like to thank all the sponsors and organisers for putting on this great event here in China. We saw a lot of spectators, which means there is a lot of interest which was great and it it nice to see so many people at a first event. I think we had three really good rounds and a fantastic jump-off. I think I have a very good horse which made me win today. I had the horse since he was 1 and I think we make a good pair - we have a good connection. I’m sure the horse knows that he won - they know when it is important and they have to do their best. I am happy that he did such a good job for me, he is treated like a king and I think that it is very important that we treat our horses as friends.”

Edwina Tops-Alexander

“I am very happy of course, but I would like to have won! I took one too many strides to number two. But I want to thank the sponsors and the organisers, the event has been unbelieveable. I would also like to thank Uliano Vezzani who did a great job as always. I couldn’t happier, my horse is in super shape, and there was great support from the public. My horse has never jumped that good before, it wouldn’t have mattered how good or bad I rode today, he didn’t want to touch a fence. He loves it here. I couldn’t be happier with him.” Eddie Peng, with Edwina Tops-Alexander,Pieter Devos and Michel Hecart

The event was widely covered by Chinese TV networks and thousands of spectators enjoyed the top-level sporting entertainment and smart retail village. The large VIP hospitality lodge was packed with a fashion-conscious crowd from across China, including senior Government figures and captains of industry. Limousines chauffeured guests to the unique show ground and famous Asian actor and new Ambassador of Elegance for GCT Title Partner Longines, Eddie Peng added some celebrity stardust to Grand Prix day. Guests of partners FedEx, Audi, RL Polo also enjoyed the first world-class show jumping competition ever to be held in mainland China from their prime VIP hospitality area. Pieter Devos’ performance on the day was described as ‘inspiring’ by the newly-converted show jumping fans who flocked to the event in Shanghai.The first round saw a tough and demanding course set by Uliano Vezzani (ITA), with no real ‘bogey’ fences. Technical lines and tricky distances came thick and fast causing more than a few top names to pick up penalties. Of the 18 riders through to the second round, eleven carried zero penalties with seven going through on four faults.

The second round saw just five double clears. Once again tough distances and awkward lines caused many to lower a rail, but the crowd cheered loudly after every clean round. First to go in the jump-off was the face of LGCT Shanghai, Ludger Beerbaum with Zinedine who was forced to take some chances and lowered a vertical mid-way through the round. Michel Hecart, still in fantastic form at 60, set the standard from second to go at 45.40s, but he was immediately bettered by Tops-Alexander who stopped the clock at 43.12s. Pieter Devos rode the round of his life, taking chances at every turn to produce a winning time of 42.48s. Last to go, Abdullah al Sharbatly and big-jumping Tobalio looked like they would demolish the winning time coming to the last, but the World Championship medallist took off too far away and at such speed his horse was unable to clear the final fence, so he finished in 4th. The crowd rose to their feet to acknowledge the human and equine athletic performance as the three medal winner entered the arena. Looking ahead to Cannes , the Championship race is well and truly on for the 2014 official Longines Global Champions Tour series. Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

Miss Siobhan Records riding El Encanto Tercio

SOLUTION FOR MYCOTOXINS

THREATENING HORSES’ HEALTH

o combat the serious health risks and productivity threatening horses from mycotoxins in feeds, Addcon Africa Feed and Grain Additives have launched a new mycotoxin binder, MiaBond Trophy® Reg. Nr. V-23985, a superior mineral broadspectrum binder. The product, packed in easy to handle 1 kg buckets, is also available from Milmac, a well known animal feed and bedding specialists based in Chartwell, Johannesburg, D’Boerpad in Dainfern, Johannesburg and Leo’s Feeds in Wonderboom, Pretoria North. The contamination of feedstuffs with mycotoxins poses a serious threat to the health and productivity of animals. Such contamination is associated with disturbances of the immune system. Horses are the species most sensitive to fumosin toxicity. It also causes a syndrome called equine leukoencephalomalacia (ELEM) or “hole-in-the-head-disease”, which affects the central nervous system and is followed by lesions in the brain. Studies have shown that 60% of all feed samples analysed for mycotoxins contain fumosins. The new product, which is produced by MIAVIT in Germany, according to Addcon, binds all major mycotoxins irreversibly. It also offers broad-spectrum action against the major mycotoxins. Reliability and safety is assured against animals refusing food, as well as against vomiting, diarrhoea, reduced performance, fertility disorder, organ damage and weakness of the immune 70

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

From left: Klaus Oster, managing director Addcon Africa Feed and Grain Additives, Alex Anderson-Begg, and Claudia Privato. The horse is El Encanto Conchita, an 8-year-old mare.

system.The product can be combined safely with vitalizing food supplements. The dosage is 50 gram mixed with 40 kg horse feed concentrate. If high levels of mycotoxins are suspected, the dosage level can be doubled. As this is a natural product, a higher dosage will have no negative effect, only better results. Claudia Privato, well known Andalusian horse breeder from Chartwell, Johannesburg, who has done several trials with the product, says: “It shows significantly better efficiency in comparison to other toxin binders. My horses are calmer and show improved stamina. In addition, my vet bills are reduced. The horses look good with less feed, which has reduced my feed bill.” Claudia, a lawyer by profession, has been passionate about horses since early childhood. She founded her Andalusian Stud in 2002 with the purchase of “El Encanto Carlo” from the Senillosa Stud in Catalonia, Spain. He was judged best breeding stallion at the 2002/2003 Rand Show. In 2002 the stud was expanded by importing an outstanding grey Andalusian mare which was in foal to a stallion in Spain, “El Encanto Tardor V”. The stud now boasts four excellent Andalusian lines. The stud comprises 14 horses, nine of which are mares. For more information contact Klaus Oster 011 460 4002/3, C 083 675 3141 or Johann van Niekerk C 082 780 5240. Trade enquiries are welcome.

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www.addcon-africa.net For more information pease contact: ADDCON Africa Feed & Grain Additives (Pty) Ltd. P.O. Box 4193, Dainfern 2055 Tel: 011 460 4002 / 3 Fax: 086 511 8962 Act 36 of 1947 Reg: V-23985

Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

Dominey Alexander

Nicole Horwood

1ST LEG OF THE WORLD CUP QUALIFIER SERIES HELD AT KYALAMI EQUESTRIAN PARK By Anne- Marie Esslinger

Beautiful autumn weather heralded the first leg of the World Cup Qualifier (WCQ) series for Southern Africa. This show, hosted by the Kyalami Equestrian Park, was sponsored by attorneys Knowles, Hussein & Taylor, whose generosity has been much appreciated by riders at this venue over several glamorous equestrian events.

ll the show jumping and major dressage competitions were held in the refurbished Pieter Minne arena.The surface is a sand and Clopf fibre mixture supplied by Martin Collins South Africa, which provides consistent jumping conditions for the enormous classes that participated.This surface is capable of being prepared in different ways – more loosely packed it accommodates every day usage. When wet more and flattened it can stand up to over 100 horses competing on it before it requires more raking and watering…a real bonus for today’s busy events! Riders were privileged to have their courses designed by Rob Jansen, from the Netherlands. Rob was committed to giving a FEI Level 2 course designers’ seminar for 6 days before the show, and stayed on to give our riders the benefit of his expertise. Rob is a Level 4 course designer, who has himself competed at the highest level, and runs his own “footing” company from the Netherlands. His fibre and sand surface can be seen in Johan Roodt’s beautiful indoor arena near Kyalami Park. 72

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

On the course designing seminar Rob told candidates that he liked to get horses moving forward, preferring them to incur a knock by riding a forward distance than potentially landing on back rails by having too many short distances.That’s exactly what he delivered! Riders on the first day found the times allowed quite challenging, but soon upped their game. Courses were classical and built right up to standard with square and wide oxers and often not too much room on the approach or the landing phases. Riders had to keep the horses well between the hand and leg, and balanced throughout the tracks, maintaining an energetic balanced canter in order to secure a clear round. The Open category was divided into 4 different height divisions. In order to accommodate the 1,30m horses into this arena, the timetable of the show was changed at the last minute, starting 1 day earlier. This meant that some of the out of province riders were not able to come to the show. In addition the schedule forced all horses that intended jumping any 1,50m classes to be in the secure stabling area, which added to high entry fees

Shaun Neill

(including an unexplained levy), made this option too expensive for some competitors. Then some of the classes were linked on the schedule and the officials were unhappy to make any changes, so some riders, having paid for the secure stabling, were not allowed to participate in the Riders’ Grand Prix. All these problems highlight the necessity of proper and timeous checking of schedules, as well as not making last minute changes that may upset previous plans for participants. Every height division was hotly contested….Vrubetha 66 with Brendau Kok won both the 1,30m Welcome Stakes and the 1,35m Championship. In the 1,30m A2 competition as well as the 1,30m Championship, Chad Cunningham took the honours riding his student, Bryan Meyer’s horse, “Casper”. Other riders to secure several prizes were Tracy Davids on Franlaren Beau Biggles and Blakeney Boy, and Laurence Mowatt with Long Beach, Lochwood Lothario Lad, and Hillview’s Paddy. It was great to see some horses back in the ring like, Highborne Count on Me (Lynne Piercy Hultzer) and Alzu Barracuda (Dominey Alexander). Gail

Foxcroft also had a wonderful show, with her Equifox Olorosso winning the 1,40m Welcome Stakes, whilst Equifox JFK, in his very first WCQ competition, jumped superbly to finish 2nd with just 1 time penalty in the 2nd round. Gail was blown away by how well her young horse coped.The Capital Stud owned stallion, Capital’s Conlanc, ably partnered by Bronwyn Short, was 2nd in the 1,35m Welcome Stakes as well as 3rd in the 1,35m Championship. Bronwyn was also successful in the 1,45m Welcome Stakes, coming a good 2nd to Clyde Z (Sean Neill) on Fountain of Love. Clyde Z and Sean (recently recovered from an ankle operation) had a great show, winning the 1,45m Welcome Stakes and then beating 31 other starters with a 1, 5 second lead, in the Riders’ Grand Prix. This track proved difficult for horses and riders, with the late afternoon light adding complexity to the sizeable fences. There were just 7 clears in the first round, and only 3 that managed another clear in the jump off. Nicola Sime-Riley, riding her wonderful Sunny Park El Paso, was 3rd in the 1,45m Welcome Stakes, and finished 2nd to Clyde Z in the GP.Young Chris van der Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

Chris van Der Merwe

Merwe with his own Domino van der Boswinning, was just half a second behind Nicola in an exciting finish. First prize in this prestigious competition was just R2125.00 after the 15% IRC fund deduction – lots of hard work for a small reward! This highlights the problems riders face these days – keeping and campaigning top level show jumpers entails many expenses other than the daily livery of a horse. Top equine athletes enjoy the services of chiropractors, physiotherapists, acupuncturists etc. as well as regular spa treatments and injectables to extend the life expectancy of their joints, ligaments and cartilage. Travelling to shows held away from home also is very costly to competitors, both in direct costs and the loss of income they suffer whilst campaigning. The management of the sport faces many challenges. Whilst the number of top horses and riders as well as the standard of competition, has increased very positively over the last 10 years, both by the importation of good jumping prospects, and the success of breeding programmes at home, the amount of patronage and sponsorship has been difficult to secure in tough financial times. Our sport would significantly benefit from “taking show jumping to the people” in order to increase its popularity, both as a “live” sport and for TV viewership... 74

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

The main class of the event was the WCQ competition, a tough track, built at much the same standard as the GP – fences of mostly 1,45m wide oxers and 1,50m verticals, but including 2 fences pitched at 1,60m as per the international rules. One of the most difficult lines was a forward 4 stride distance set at 19,5m from a wide oxer coming off the turn to a tall white vertical with water trays beneath, to a much shorter 4 strides (18,5m) into another square oxer.This line was closely followed by a turn back away from the gate to an oxer curving left into the treble (vertical, oxer, vertical) on 6 strides, then right turn back to a very wide and square oxer at no. 13. Most penalties were incurred in this latter section of the track. Only 3 rider and horse combinations from 28 starters delivered clear rounds here, with the consistently successful Capital Stud’s Don Cumarco, ably ridden by Nicole Horwood, making it look easy. Nicole secured a fantastic win with another clear in the 2nd round, whilst Gail incurred 1 time penalty here, and Clyde Z had the quickest 4 fault round. A fabulous afternoon of show jumping with our country’s best ably delivering their best resulted in a popular and consistent result much enjoyed by the spectators, many of whom enjoyed lunch accompanied by delicious French champagne on offer from Louis Roederer – thanks to Kate Laird for organising that!

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SPORTING HORSE E Q U E S T R I A N C O M P L E X E S , R A C E C O U R S E S & AIssueR 19E N A S U R F A75C E S

In June 2014 Britain reached a landmark that has never yet been achieved in the history of the FEI Rankings by one country. The FEI has reported that Britain is leading the FEI ranking in its three major Olympic disciplines of Dressage, Show jumping and Eventing.

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By Frances Cheboub

MIDSUMMER MAGIC

FOR BRITAIN

Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

Bay My Hero and William Fox-Pit winning the FEI Classics Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event May 2014 - photo Eventing World Wide

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Hello Sanctus & Scott Brash – photo Noelle Floyd

SHOW JUMPING: SCOTT BRASH – Ranked No:1 HORSE: HELLO SANCTUS

Scott Brash is forging new ground at every turn with his string of talented horses that he has produced. Amongst his earlier accolades in 2013 he won the Global Champions Tour and was the youngest rider at 28 years old to have done so. He was awarded an MBE (Order of the British Empire) in the 2013 Honours list for his contribution to Equestrianism. He had said that being part of the victorious Show Jumping Team at the Olympic Games in 2012 and receiving a gold medal for Britian was a highlight of his career. Born in Scotland and the son of a builder, he began show jumping at the age of 10 at his local Pony Club. After a steady climb through the ranks in his late teenage years and early twenties, he credits his break through into the big time to his horse HELLO SANCTUS owned by Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham.This Belgian SBS gelding is by Quasimodo vd Molenhof, himself with classical Belgian breeding of Heartbreaker/ Lys de Darmen, while the dam is by the famous Nabab de Reve. On him, Scott again took victory in mid June 2014 at the Longines Global Champions Tour in Cannes. Together they have won an Olympic team gold, a European Team Gold and European Individual Bronze medal. Other horses in his top string include: BON AMI URSULA IIX HELLO WHISKY MAC IV HELLO ANNIE GOLDSTERN vh KEIZERHOF INTERTOY Z

BWP (Pavarotti vd Helle/ Richebourg); SSH (Ahorn/ Pappageno); SSH (Emilion/ Burggraf); HANN (Contender/ For Pleasure); BWP (Diamante de Semilly/ Hardi); ZANG (Interadel/ Centauer)

EVENTING:

WILLIAM FOX-PIT – Ranked No:1 HORSE: BAY MY HERO William Fox-Pitt has so many eventing accolades he is a household name in riding circles. Let’s start with his most recent major win in May at the FEI Classics Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event on BAY MY HERO owned by Mrs Witt. A classically bred Irish Sports Horse, his sire is a thoroughbred Cult Hero, with blood lines well known to South Africans such as Mr Prospector and Bold Ruler; while the dam carries the famous Irish Draft lines of Sea Crest and King of Diamonds. William was the first British rider to become eventing’s FEI World No 1 ranked rider which he first achieved in 2002 and then repeated in 2009, 2010 and now again in 2014. In 2011 William became the first rider to win a record six Burghley titles (on six different horses) and became one of the first riders to ever win a CCI*, CCI** and CCI*** at the same event on the same day - a feat achieved at Tattersalls in Ireland. He has represented Britain for the past 16 years, winning team Silver at the 2012 London Olympics, team Silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics, team Bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, team Gold and individual Silver at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, team Silver at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen and team Bronze at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez. He has won seven team Gold medals at the European Championships; and has been the British No 1 Event rider eleven times. Other horses presently in his top string include: SEACOOKIE BEFORE TIME PARKLANE HAWK CHILLI MORNING OSLO BIATS AVOCA ALIBI

TRAK (Helikon xx/ Onassis); ISH (Quiletto SF / Urlingford xx); TB (Grovesnor xx/ Brilliant Invader xx); Berl Brandb (Phantomic xx/ Kolibri ); SF (Lando DNK/ Hadji aa/ Jalisco B); ISH (Radolin KWPN/ Frankfort Boy xx); Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

Valegro & Charlotte Dujardin â&#x20AC;&#x201C; photo Vanolst Horses

DRESSAGE:

CHARLOTTE DUJARDIN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ranked No:1 HORSE: VALEGRO Charlotte Dujardin OBE rides the bay KWPN gelding VALEGRO by Negro out of a Dutch mare by Gershwin / Heidelberg and they became the first British partnership to head the FEI Dressage World rankings when they won both individual and team gold medals at the 2012 Olympic Games. Now in 2014 they take the lead again. They also became European Champions in 2013 and hold all three World Records in Dressage, for Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Free Style. With Charlotte aged 29 the pair continued their near telepathic team work in April to win the 2014 World Cup Dressage Final in Lyon. In her early twenties Charlotte went to leading British dressage rider and instructor Carl Hester for some lessons in 2007 and after ten days he had decided on her talent and offered her a job as a groom at his yard in Newent, Gloucestershire, where she has stayed ever since. From the start, Charlotte was asked to bring on the novice Dutch Warmblood gelding Valegro, owned by Carl Hester and investor Roly Luard, with the intention of that horse later being ridden by Hester. However, after competing in their first dressage Grand Prix event in 2011, the combination became part of the successful British team, which won gold in a European Dressage Championship competition at Rotterdam. Carl Hester, himself a gold medallist had now also produced a gold medallist. They still work closely and support each other. There was talk that Valegro was on the market to recoup the costs of producing him but The British public can look forward to the Alltech by the end of 2013 these had been quashed when Carl Hester said FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy from they would rather look for investors to form a syndicate of owners 23 August to 7 September 2014. and keep the winning pair together. 80

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Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

THE NETHERLANDS

Wilke-C. van de Wijdewormer Star (Fabe 348 x Tjimme 275)

Breeder: E. Constant Rider: Melanie Mouthaan Owner: M. Mouthaan A rising star in the world of dressage with Friesian horses is Melanie Mouthaan. With Wilke-C. van de Wijdewormer she takes part in Grand Prix classes for riders younger than 25. 82

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Information courtesy of KFPS Netherlands Photo credis: Foto4u (www.foto4u.nl) / Karin Sevink (www.karinshobbyfotografie.nl) / Diana Bloemendal (www.imadia.nl)

FRIESIANS EXCEL IN DRESSAGE Traditionally used for a completely different purpose, Friesian horses are making their inﬂuence felt in higher dressage. We take a look at Friesian Horse competing at Grand Prix Level around the globe. THE NETHERLANDS

Hielke van het Stronkse Hof Star (Mintse 384 x Tsjerk 328)

Breeder: J. de Croon Rider: Ingeborg Klooster Owner: Demro Stables (Van Nuys family) Ingeborg Klooster competes Hielke under his sport name Hoppe van de Demro Stables. Klooster describes the stallion as ‘a real strapping fellow with a world-class character.’ She explains: ‘His best asset is his never-ending commitment to work, he will never let me down.’

THE NETHERLANDS

Wieger Star

(Leffert 306 x Oege 267)

Breeder: Wieger Baron Rider: Ykje Baron Owner: the Baron family Wieger is a son of Nimberley (Oege 267), the Studbook mare who received Preferent status and was declared Performance on the basis of her offspring’s successes. Wieger has a fantastic attitude to work. At the beginning of his schooling career he used to become too hot under saddle, but now his forwardgoing attitude has turned into an advantage.

BELGIUM

Wolter V. Star

(Rypke 321 x Naen 264)

Breeder: the Veenstra family Rider: Jenny Veenstra Owner: Jenny Veenstra The Veenstra family paired their Star mare Jink (Naen 264), who is by now both Preferent and Performance, with Rypke and the result was Wolter V. Veenstra: ‘Wolter is now ﬁfteen years old and a wonderful horse. He will always put in 200% and really has a golden character’, Jenny Veenstra says. Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

AUSTRALIA

Abe Star

(Anne 340 x Nammen 308)

Breeder: G. de Jong Rider: Natasha Althoff Owner: Natasha Althoff (Ebony Park Stud) Abe’s dam is a Studbook mare with full papers: Wendeliene (Nammen 308). In 2005 Natasha Althoff and her parents bought Abe in the Netherlands. The road to the top is full of ups and downs, but she reached her goal, competing at Grand Prix level, in 2011.

UNITED STATES

Ivan Star

(Laes 278 x Wicher 334)

Breeder: Dark Horse Farms Rider: Julio Mendoza Owner: David Deal Julio Mendoza moved to the States in 2007 where he has been running his own training stables since 2009. With Julio in the saddle, Ivan was the ﬁrst ever Friesian horse to take part in the Pan-American Games in 2011. In 2013 they made a successful debut in the Grand Prix.

UNITED STATES

Eeltsje F. Star

(Fabe 348 x Tjimme 275)

Breeder: P.L. Folkertsma Rider: Nicole Glusenkamp Owner: Paula Marsh (Wyning Edge Friesians) Eeltsje F. is a half-brother of Anton 343 (Oege 267) and both have Iduna Star Preferent (Tjimme 275) for a dam. Paula Marsh brought Eeltsje to America in 2005 where she went on to write many championships to her name with rider Nicole Glusenkamp.

UNITED STATES

Wietze G.

(Rypke 321 x Reitse 272)

Breeder: M. de Graaf Rider: Lynnette Wadsworth Owner: Lynnette Wadsworth The 60-year-old Lynnette Wadsworth started taking dressage lessons at the age of 47. Wietze was sold to America in 2005 and a year later bought by Lynette. ‘He knows all the Grand Prix exercises but they still have to become more established’, Lynette tells us. They have been competing in Grand Prix classes since last year.

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

AUSTRALIA

Django of Cacharel Star (Pike 316 x Jakob 302)

Breeder: Cacharel Friesians Rider: Jeremy Janjic Owners: Dick and Lynn Jennkin (Tashkent Friesians) Django’s dam is Rianne fan ‘e Olde Hoek Star (Jakob 302) and Dick and Lynn Jennkin bought him as a foal. The imposing Django proved to be very talented so that he stayed in training with Jeremy Janjic. This combination has shown to be very successful at Grand Prix level.

Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

SOUTH AFRICA

Adelprag Arjen Vb Star Sport (Jasper 366 x Feitse 293)

Breeder: Mevr M Zorgdrager Rider: Cheré Burger Owner: Niekie Pienaar He was the ﬁrst horse Chere Burger competed Prix St George, Inter 1, Inter 2 and Grand Prix in South Africa. They won for 3 years in a row in 2011, 2012 and 2013 at the SA Individual Championships and the SA Individual Freestyle Championships. During the CDI3* Competition / SA Champs 2013 her personal best score by 5 International Judges was a percentage of 69,75%. He is a loving, hardworking and talented Friesian says Chere.

SOUTH AFRICA

Trevor Gabriel Bb2 Vb H (Eibert x Tari-Henna)

Breeder: Piet Botha - Geyerspan Rider & Trainer: John Smith Owner: Lisa Bontekoning When Lisa bought him he was competing at Medium level and over the last 3 years I have trained and competed Gabriel up to Grand Prix. He is an awesome character, always letting you know what he expects of his rider. He is a perfectionist as I am not tolerating faults from the rider at all. Being the older heavier type Friesian he finds the tempi changes difficult at times but his forte is definitely his Piaffe and Canter Pirouettes which he could quite comfortably do all day.

SOUTH AFRICA

Anders 451

(Adel 357 x Ouke 313)

Breeder: M. Reynders Rider: Cheré Burger Owner: Niekie Pienaar In 2009 Cas van het Hoksent was approved as Anders 451 via the Short Test. Peter Spahn has broken new ground for Friesian horses by schooling him up to the highest level in dressage. In 2013 the South African Cheré Burger became Anders 451’s new rider.

SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

Information supplied by FPSSA

SPORT FOR SOUTH AFRICAN FRIESIANS

Reinoud van e Homar Vb Star Sport (Beart 411) The first Friesian to get sport in SA

Weibert van Geyerspan Vb Star Sport (Eibert Vb Star)

Friso fan S Vb Star Sport (Thomas 327)

Willem Vb Sport (Haitse 425)

Rina Fan’t Reidfjild Stb Star Sport (Wikke 404)

ver the years the popularity of the Friesian horse has grown internationally and in South Africa. We now see Friesians competing at high levels of dressage and in harness. The Friesian’s sport ability and natural movement is now making potential buyers look at these black beauties as an option, creating a big demand for a modern, well bred sport horse. But how do you know you are getting a potentially good sport Friesian?

into the possible potential of the Friesian they want to buy.

The mother studbook in the Netherlands, the KFPS (Koninklijke Vereniging “Het Friesch Paarden-Stamboek”) have instituted performance tests like the “Sport” Title to ensure that the strict breed and performance standards set out by the KFPS are adhered to in South Africa and the rest of the world.

We now have 4 horses that have been awarded the Sport title in South Africa. Although we have many other Friesians with this title in South Africa, what makes these ones different is that the training & testing of these horses has all been done in South Africa. A great accomplishment for the horse, rider, owner and also for the FPSSA.

The Sport title can be awarded to mares, geldings and stallions that have achieved over 60% for 5 different dressage tests at Elementary Medium or higher. These must be tests at competitions registered with SAEF. This accolade along with the IBOP test (a test for the potential of Friesian horse both in carriage and under saddle) gives the potential buyer an insight

2013 saw the first horse in South Africa to be awarded with the Sport title, Reinoud fan e’Homar Vb Ster Sport. A great accomplishment for the FPSSA (Friesian Horse Studbook of Southern Africa affiliated to the KFPS) to be able to facilitate this tests and again ensuring that the Friesian Horse in South Africa is of the same standard to anywhere else in the world.

The FPSSA continues to grow in popularity as an internationally recognised Studbook. We strive to keep up and provide all the information that our members need to ensure correct breeding & training, that ensure the South African Friesian Horses remains at an international standard. FPSSA contact email – office@fpssa.co.za

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Friso fan S. Vb Star ‘Sport’, received the prestigious‘Sport’ title in June 2014 from the KFPS in The Netherlands. This talented stallion has also won an unequaled number of FPSSA National Titles In-Hand, UnderSaddle and in the Single Harness. This photo - ridden by Alida Copeland De Jager during the HOY All breed under saddle championships where Friso placed in the Top 5. Owner: Marlise Botes 083 263 7800 botesm@mweb.co.za Sales: Altie Clark 083 299 1356 altieclark@yahoo.com PRETORIA - GAUTENG

Breeder of Champions Home of Tjalf 443 ‘Sport’ & fan S.Issue Vb SPORTING HORSE 19 Star ‘Sport’ 88 Friso

Gabriel van Doorndraai Rb Dam: Taryn van Doorndraai Bb1 Stb Sire: Tjalf 443 ‘Sport’ Dam Sire: Friso fan S Vb Star ‘Sport’. DOB: 21/11/2010 Under saddle with great potential and very good temperament.

Gustav van Doorndraai Rb Star Dam: Mieke van Doorndraai Bb1 Star Sire: Tjalf 443 ‘Sport’ Dam Sire: Tsjerk Vb Star DOB: 14/11/2010 2014 FPSSA-HOY Res. Champ Gelding 2013 FPSSA National Show - Reserve Champion Colt

At van Doorndraai Rb Star Dam: Neenke fan Bokkum Stb Star Sire: Ritse 322 Dam Sire: Wierd 409 ‘Sport’ DOB: 24/09/2008 2014 FPSSA-HOY Champion Gelding In-Hand & Under Saddle & 4th in All Breed Championship

FOR SALE

For more information go to our website www.doorndraaistud.co.za or contact us for an appointment. Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

2013 - 2nd Best Breeding Stud in the World as named by the KFPS in NDL

By Linda Philo

FEI COURSE BUILDING SEMINAR IN GERMANY Graham Winn and I were selected to attend the FEI Course Building Seminar which was hosted in Marbach, Germany. We discovered that there are 2, yes 2 Marbachsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in Germany, so we did do some touring and hiking too!

ur hotel was in this quaint little village called Marbach which looks back on almost 500 years of history about 8km from the show grounds. Marbach Stud is the oldest German state-run stud, and at the same time it is the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest education facility for equine professionals. Marbach is home to stallions of the German warmblood, Black Forest heavy horses and pure-bred Arabians. Apart from their stallions, Marbach owns two stud herds with some 40 warm blood and 20 pure-bred Arabian mares. We were taken on a guided tour of the stud and the Lichtenstein Castle, about 35km up the road.

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Lichtenstein Castle

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Chatsworth House

1st water jump in Marbach

2nd Water Jump in Marbach

David Evans (UK) and Johann Grupen (Germany) officiated the seminar. We were amongst course designers from Hungary, Portugal, New Zealand, Sweden, Ireland, Italy and Russia.We had some lectures but most of our seminar was out on the course, which was great! Gerd Haiber was the course designer of the CIC1*which had two pools of 50 competitors in each, Pony Rider CCI2* also two pools and CIC3*with 47 and 45 in the two pools. We walked the courses on the Thursday and Friday with great discussions throughout, these were the longest course walks I have ever done, but how educational they were! David and Johann did a fine job of making everyone of us involved in the 92

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Water tough replica of the one in the stable yard

discussions and debating of each and every jump we saw. The entire Saturday was cross country from 8am till 6.30pm. It was absolutely fantastic to be able to watch so many horses competing at these levels.To see how each jump was jumped by a number of horses was so beneficial to us all. On the Sunday we then re-walked some of the courses to see the takeoff and landing markings at the jumps. This was a very interesting exercise. Boy do those horses cover ground! They really run to the correct speed in the country. After Germany I was very kindly invited to join David Evans, at Chatsworth, UK for the next competition,The 2014 Dodson &

Chatsworth House

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Our group on the Seminar

Horrell Chatsworth International Horse Trials. Ian Stark was the course designer and David, the course builder. So put to work I was, for the next 5 days I was part of his team. This was the most incredible experience for me. The attention to detail on these three courses was amazing. Once again the competition was huge. The CIC1* had 110 competitors, with the novice section of 130, and a massive CIC3* with 187 contenders. Another eye opening experience for me! To see so many top class horses and riders competing was awesome.The courses were big and bold and as Ian Stark said â&#x20AC;&#x153;No relaxing till you cross that finish lineâ&#x20AC;?

all on leads.They even had electric scooters and wheelchairs on hire. All courses are roped with crossing points in certain areas, and you may only cross there! The spectators were very law abiding, I must say. There were over 100 trade stores around the dressage and show jumping arenas.These arenas were never empty - if there was no dressage or show jumping on the go, they were busy with other activities such as Gun dog displays, Falconry, Carriage challenges, Dog agility and many more. This called for a day on its own just to see it all.

And the proudest moment of my whole trip was to stand on the side lines and watch Hayley Parker compete at Chatsworth Spectators were out in abundance with a variety of dog species, 2014. 94

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Wenzel R

A TOUCH OF EUROPE IN SA By Mandy Schroder, courtesy of Gauteng Dressage

South Africa hosted its third FEI CDI 3* competition in May this year. For the first time the show incorporated a CPEDI, allowing our Para riders to benefit from the expertise of our international judges as well, as the Medium Tour and a big screen TV for our dressage riders.

H rain.

eld at Kyalami Equestrian Park from the 15th to the 18th of May our International Judges experienced everything from South African sunshine to moody black skies and threats of

The Kurs took place on Sunday the 18th, and with the addition of TV cameras and a big screen TV showing the competing horse in the arena. It cer tainly leant a sense

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of â&#x20AC;&#x153;BIGâ&#x20AC;? occasion to the buzz around the arena which the riders and horses seemed to enjoy. International Judges, judged over the four days and were used to maximum effect to cover as many of our classes as possible. A beautiful Judges and Officials tent was set up on the side of the arena, where the Judges could sit and relax between classes as well as enjoy their lunches, next to that was the VIP Marquee for the Sunday luncheon with

Dominey Alexander and Don Natiello

a prime view of the arena for dressage and jumping. The Small Tour comprising of the Prix St Georges and Intermediare I and the Intermediare Kur, it was a clean sweep for Dominey Alexander and the Cellehof stud owned stallion Don Natiello, Sue Cullen’s beautiful black stallion Wenzel R was second in the Prix St Georges and Intermediare I and third in the Musical Kur. The wellknown mare Ulivia STV ridden by Anthea Michaletos was third in the Prix St Georges and Intermediare I and second in the Kur. Overall these three horses are incredibly elastic and expressive in all their paces, each one showed development and improvement from the previous show where they competed at this level. For the first time ever South Africa offered the oppor tunity of the FEI Medium Tour, comprising of the Intermediate A and B tests. This level was designed to help riders in

bridging the gap between the Intermediare II test and the epitome of dressage - Grand Prix. Only one rider entered, proving the adage that in dressage you compete against yourself and your own personal goals, Trudy Marsland opted to compete on her 18 year old gelding Orion. They showed marked improvement in their canter pirouettes and piaffe. When asked to sum up how she felt about the show she stated, “Riding the Medium Tour was a lot of fun! Ideally I’d have liked a show beforehand to ride through the tests, but I guess having international judges oversee my debut was well wor th it. If SA Dressage wants to be taken seriously internationally, it’s time to up our game across the board. Having riders compete overseas is fabulous for those who can base there, but for those on home soil it needs to become way more professional as we are far behind the game.”

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Adriaan van Wyk

Dominey Alexander and Don Natiello

The Big Tour comprising of the Intermediare II, Grand Prix and Kur was a van Wyk “whitewash” with Adriaan van Wyk and his gelding Othello 216 winning all three tests. This partnership is beautiful to watch and it is clear that Othello is even more powerful and balanced than at the last CDI3* show. In the Intermediare II Joy Morf – Studiger and her giant of a horse Dreamer T came second. Dreamer T has a massive extended trot with very expressive front leg action. Joy who is not the tallest rider, does an incredible job of keeping him balanced and with her. Andrea Harrison – Buchmann and Jenny Neill’s Marinier were third with Marinier having a moment of excitement in the test that belies his age. When asked to comment, Andrea laughed and said that “Marinier had conveniently forgotten his age for the test.” In the Grand Prix Candice Hobday and her well-loved mare Filina came second with her canter work as a real highlight of the test. Third was Joy Morf-Studiger and Dreamer T. The Kur saw Candice Hobday and Filina taking second place

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to Adriaan again. Unfortunately a technical glitch with the music for John Smith and Joy Morf-Studiger resulted in the class running almost an hour late which played havoc with some of the later combination’s warmup. Candice introduced her new freestyle which suited the elegant mare and Candice’s sense of humour down to the ground. Candice rode polished trot work to Aretha Franklin’s “It’s Raining Men” It was heartening to see the Big Tour well supported by local riders, with a new combination of John Smith and his ride Gabriel Trevor. As always a show of this caliber is only possible because of the incredible hard work of so many dedicated people behind the scenes as well as the sponsors. A huge thank you goes out to The Dressage South Africa Committee, The Gauteng Dressage Committee, our dressage representative on EXCO Mrs Lynda Records and all the sponsors.

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WINNER OF THE ADVANCED DRESSAGE SA CHALLENGE:Catherine Berning riding Coer de Leon – also proud Winners of an Annual Subscription of the Sporting Horse.

Calet de Vos congratulates the Tango Dancers, Chelsea and Shayleen, on a wonderful performance

By Bev Pendock / Photos by D&N Photography

FUN AND MAGIC

AT THE LAND ROVER HORSE AND WINE

en hours of none stop fun and “Equi- tainment” kept crowds, from tiny tots to Gran and Gramps, laughing and smiling in the warm autumn sun, as they strolled around checking out what was on offer at the LAND ROVER DURBAN HORSE AND WINE FESTIVAL, which has become a firm favourite on the calendar of residents of the extended Highway Area. The reason I say extended, is visitors had flown in from Gauteng, East London and even Holland, as well as luring guests who boarded Rovos Rail a few days later! When interviewed they all used the same words “world class” “safe” “original family fun” “value for money” “quality stalls” “well organised” “easy to get to” “just love it”. What better praise can you get! The Durban Shongweni Club is fast becoming the place to be seen, especially when hosting its popular annual event, the LAND ROVER DURBAN HORSE ANDWINE FESTIVAL, together with 100

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The day’s festivities kicked off at lunchtime with the Jack Russell racing which took place down the Greyville Straight of the Shongweni Club!

other upcoming events such as the LAND ROVER DURBAN SA DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIPS and the HARCOURTS REAL ESTATE SA SHOW JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIPS which take place in July and August. The Horse and Wine Festival incorporates a 4 day National Dressage Show with the third day being the Festival Market Day. The Market opened at 10am and the cars never stopped streaming in. There were over 40 high end stalls housed under cover of a bedouin tent supplied by Bedouin Tent Hire, together with 5 wine estates and 2 craft beer brewers.The VIP area was full of guests who sipped wine and cherry beer before noon, when the Jack Russel racing commenced – and so the fun began! The arena entertainment flowed from one thing to the next, with just enough time in-between to shop for olives, cheese, crafts,

Courtney Webber and her lovely imported stallion, Lucky Time.This very young and talented rider is going to be a combination to watch.

The casual and easy style of THE SINGING COWBOY had the crowds enthralled at the Horse and Wine Festival. At the end of the show children flocked to get a closer look at our Western legend.

Panama hats, art, visit the vintage cars, kiddies to ride the swings, teens the mechanical bull and much more…Grab something to eat from the many delightful stalls, a glass of wine from one of the wine estates, and then back to being mesmerised by The Ring Master, Equi Dance and the Spanish Tango, Cable Stitc Jumping, Parade of Horse of the World, Quarter Horse and Arab Display, Gymnastics, DogzCool, and finally The Singing Cowboy and Elvis. Certainly something for everyone! The Singing Cowboy, back by popular demand for the second year running, this time on his beautiful black stallion, had the crowds in awe as his melodious voice filtered across the night sky, and his horse performed effortlessly underneath him, bowing, rearing, passaging and lying down – such skill and grace. At the end the crowds flocked into the arena to touch this beautiful animal as he stood motionless and accepted their praise!

Elvis arrived in true Shongweni Club style on the back of the tractor and trailer with fairy lights ablaze singing- “Teddy Bear “- his glittering white suit dazzling the crowds sitting on the bank.When he joined the throngs of fans on the banks of the Club House Patio, the children saw the chance to jump on the trailer and hitch a ride around the arena –Wow what fun they had while Mum and Dad were Rocking Around the Clock with Elvis! This event is a must for everyone next year! Don’t miss the LAND ROVER DURBAN HORSE AND WINE FESTIVAL. Sunday saw the conclusion of the Dressage SA Challenge which is a National Competition. Judges Sylvia Brukner from Cape Town and Sue Horne from Gauteng, commenced their judicial duties at 8am and were kept busy through until 4pm in the afternoon. The wind gusted throughout the course of the day but some high quality performances where still seen. Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

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HAYLEY AND CUPPI UPDATE NUMBER 2

Photos by ES Photography

It has been a very busy and tough few weeks with the horses with many highs and lows! I knew going into this adventure, things wouldn’t always go to plan, but I didn’t realize just how differently things would pan out.

have been competing non-stop the last couple of months with getting Cuppi qualified for WEG and helping Piggy getting more experience. I have absolutely loved going to all the shows; from the one-day events to the three-day events, all come with a thrill of being able to compete on the international stage. We were recently in Ireland with both horses and went to the Tattersalls International three-day event. Piggy was competing in the CCI2* and Cuppi in the CCI3*. The aim for Piggy was to get some mileage under his belt and have a positive learning experience for him, which he did. He is always tricky in his dressage but his cross-country and show jumping are naturally easy for him. The plan with Cuppi was to go and get his final qualification needed for WEG and put in a solid performance. His dressage went well, not exactly how I wanted it, but nevertheless, a decent performance. His cross-country track was large but very clear and it required a bold and scopey horse so I was confident Cuppi would be more than capable. I had ridden Piggy before Cuppi in the cross-country and realized that the ground was riding incredibly heavy and he wasn’t able to travel across it all that well. I kept this in mind when I started off my round with Cuppi but by the time Cuppi went, being the last horse of the day, the ground was incredibly deep and very difficult

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to jump out of. This unfortunately was what caught us out and at fence number six, an open oxer, he pecked on landing and simply tripped over onto his side. It was a very soft landing thanks to my Hit-Air Airjacket and Tipperary body protector, we both came out unscathed! I had luckily entered Bramham CCI3* the following weekend as a back up to Tattersalls and had to make very quick arrangements to re-route there after Tattersalls. We arrived back in England on the Monday and made a very quick turnaround to Bramham on the Wednesday. I hired a lorry and drove Cuppi four hours up to Yorkshire on my own; this was a daunting experience but one I really enjoyed as I felt really focused by the time we arrived at Bramham Park. I drove into the show grounds and remember thinking, if my lorry is struggling to get up these hills, how is Cuppi going to cope! The best part of it all was that I had to be towed into the show grounds as all the lorries were getting stuck in the mud! Definitely not something I have experienced before in South Africa! After settling Cuppi in and making sure he was ok after travelling, the very first person I saw was Patricia Clifton at the stables. Patricia has been very influential in introducing the FEI in South Africa and has played a huge role in getting South Africa in line with FEI regulations. We were chatting about the event and got on to talking about the course when Ian Stark, the course builder, came and joined in the conversation. I don’t know if this was meant to be a blessing or a

curse but they both said to me, “Hayley, if you can get around this course, you can get around any WEG!” Well, I wouldn’t exactly say that was the best way of starting off the event! I thought to myself, I can either walk around the course this evening and know what Cuppi and I are in for, or leave it until tomorrow morning after a good sleep. So I decided to walk the course, in the pouring rain!

best with mistakes in the flying changes, but overall, I was pleased. We had a riders briefing after dressage where we were informed that horrendous weather conditions were coming in, with hail and thunder storms expected all day for cross-country. I couldn’t believe that they were expecting that kind of weather when Dressage day had been reasonably clear!

Next day was trot-up and my mum arrived from South Africa to come and support. Cuppi was really good in the trot up but was really spooky with all the crowds; the trot-up can be as well supported as any of the other phases of competition, so there is a real atmosphere!

Well, the Brits can certainly predict the weather well! It rained and rained and rained, all day! There was a point when I was watching a couple of riders and couldn’t even see them go past, it was raining so heavily! I was on very late in the day so was concerned about the going. The senior class of CCI3*’s were a complete wipeout with many falling, retiring, being eliminated, breaking frangible pins etc. I decided at one point to stop watching and focus purely on Cuppi and what we needed to do to make this happen.

My mum and I walked around the course together and I was really interested to hear what she thought about it. She was absolutely silent throughout walking which I know means she is nervous! The course was big, technical, required absolute focus from both horse and rider and would reward those who rode with a plan. I walked line after line, trying to work through all scenarios of how the jumps could possibly ride. I imagined myself riding through the lines and being able to react to anything that happened while jumping. This is a technique I use when walking courses to help me get my mind away from nerves and actually get on with what I need to do.

My warm-up for the cross-country did not go to plan; the warm-up jumps were in the same place as they had been the whole day, so the mud was very difficult to jump out of. Every time I thought I saw a stride, I was off my distance as the mud was sucking Cuppi in. I eventually decided to stop jumping as I felt that it wasn’t doing Cuppi or me any good. There were several holds in starting as riders in my class were either falling or breaking frangible pins, which meant I was on him for longer than I wanted.

Friday was dressage day. Cuppi’s dressage has really improved and we are working on refining movements and patterns. He was I was number 110 to go and was watching a couple go off from the incredible in the warm-up but when he got into the main ring, start when all of a sudden, a French man came running up to me, the arena felt like I was riding through a ploughed field! He did his pointing at my stop watch and begged if his rider, who was Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

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Hayley wrote this on her facebook page, which bought us all to tears: Hayley Parker / June 20 I am writing this update with a very heavy heart but also a strong feeling that I have made the right decision. My result at Bramham was unfortunately not a qualifying result for WEG 2014 as I was a couple of seconds over the time needed in the cross-country phase. It is crazy to think that a couple of seconds have stood in the way between Cuppi and I competing at WEG, but I am a firm believer in everything happening for a reason, and in light of the recent tragedies in our sport, I accept this. I was given the opportunity to take Cuppi to Poland to get another qualification next week but after much thought, I really felt that this was not the best decision for Cuppi. I could liken it to running Comrades in two successive weekends for my South African friends. I have really put a lot of thought into my decision and Cuppi is my number one priority through all of this. I know if I took him to Poland, he would give me his all and I cannot take that risk if he should still be having time off after Bramham. I went home for a few days after Bramham to regroup and have put firm plans in place for our next goal, Olympics 2016. I feel that both Piggy and Cuppi will be at an ideal stage of their careers to take this on and to go there not just to participate, but to compete! I am grateful that I have the horses that I do and know that this setback is only going to make me more determined!

in the start box could use my it. He was number 105 to go so I worked out that we were being set off every three minutes and the course took 10 minutes to complete. Much to my team’s horror, I gave him my stopwatch! This was probably a silly decision in hindsight but I thought if I was in the Frenchman’s position, I would be desperate! The tension was elevated even more when I heard over the loudspeaker that the Frenchman had fallen at the furthest part of the course and was being taken off by the ambulance! I tried very hard not to panic as there were only two horses left before I was set to go! Luckily I had an old stopwatch in my lorry which my mum sprinted to go fetch – this was probably not the wisest decision I made that day, but definitely got me in the zone of getting on with the job!

from being disappointed! We ended 8th overall in front of a huge crowd that was very fond of Cuppi!

Cuppi was incredible around the cross-country track. I got held on course as the rider in front of me broke a frangible pin. This was the first time this has ever happened to me and it was a really difficult task to keep Cuppi’s focus, especially with the thunderstorm going on.There were points on my course where I couldn’t even see the jump in front of me due to the rain but somehow, Cuppi just locked on and gave me everything he had. It was the most exhilarating experience of my riding career, hearing the crowds go crazy when you get through a difficult complex, knowing that Cuppi was tired but he just wouldn’t let off. There is also no better feeling than crossing that finish line with a clear. I knew I was slow going around but I rode with my head and my heart and Cuppi gave me his soul. I am in awe of him!

So how do you get over a goal that you have been working towards for many years and haven’t acheived? You make one that is even greater! I have put firm plans in place for securing my place at Olympics 2016. One may think this is a long-term goal, but with the qualification period starting in January 2015, there is no better time than the present to get into gear!

His showjumping round the next day was incredible; he was exhausted from the day before but still was trying to give me a clear round. We unfortunately had two down but I was very far 104

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As any athlete goes through, one has to deal with what happens when the dream doesn’t. Bramham was not a qualifying result for WEG and I was given another opportunity to go to Poland two weeks later to get that ever elusive CCI3* qualification. It was a tough decision, but I decided against taking Cuppi. Cuppi is my number one priority through all of this and no matter how much of a disappointment not going to WEG is, there is only one Cuppi. He is a horse that will give you everything he has, even when he is tired and I was not prepared to take that risk. I went home after Bramham to regroup and take everything in.

I was recently at Hickstead Derby to support Jade Hooke and was having a good think about what makes a winner. It amazed me that someone like William Funnel, one of the greatest show jumpers, who was riding a horse with enough scope to jump out of the stadium, had several rails down in the Derby. Then comes along Trevor Breen from Ireland on a horse that has one eye and he goes and wins it! It occurred to me that even the greatest rider, riding the best horse will not necessarily bring home the gold; it is the rider that is one with their horse and has an unspoken bond that will always come out on top!

NISSAN EASTER FESTIVAL

INTERAFRICA CUP 2014 By Ingeborg Sanne Photo by T&B Images

SA Winning Team - Catherine Berning, Elisha Mokhoanzi(Reserve), Siobhan Records and Dawn Newman

successful Inter-Africa Cup was held at Kyalami Equestrian Park between Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. An exciting competition consisted of an average score of two novice dressage test. Teams made of three team members with a reserve member, although there was no luxury of a discounted score.

a Young Riders Team. The Botswana team put up a really strong fight, pulling in the highest score of the day with Bridget O’Neill on Brandenburg Statesman. SA Young Rider Chrismie Venter and her Friesian mare Esfane Trynke VDW, impressed us with her lovely temperament and rideability as well as her uphill tendency in all her work and managed to complete the tests with the second highest score.

The standard at this year’s Inter Africa Cup was the highest that we have seen in years, reflecting a steady growth in the quality of Southern Africa’s dressage.

The South African Adult Team of Dawn Newman and Callaho’s Rinaldo, Catherine Berning on Desperado, and Siobhan Records on Rathmor Caprice took top honours winning the competition. A solid set of consistent results saw these three riders pipping Botswana at the post.

All three countries presented both an Adult Team and

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By Gillian Martindale and Cormé Randlehoff.

Currently studying at Equine Librium College towards a qualification in Veterinary Physiotherapy.

CORE

SPORTHORSE Strength, balance and stamina are essential for the equine athlete to perform in any discipline and win. Just like humans; horses have a group of muscles known as ‘core muscles’ which are responsible for stabilising the horse’s spine and preventing injury to the spine while ensuring the horse moves in a balanced and correct manner.

ften these muscles are not well developed, even in top athletes, and without them the horse is at higher risk of injury and may only have a short career in competition. Animal Physiotherapy plays a crucial role in strengthening a horse’s core muscles and teaching the horse to correctly activate these muscles. For this reason, Animal Physiotherapy is indispensable when it comes to creating a top performing athlete. Every rider wants a strong, supple and sound horse and these muscles are at the very ‘core’ of achieving this. The horse has two groups of muscles that provide stability and core strength.These are the epaxial muscles which run along the top of the spine and the hypaxial muscles which are below the spine. The epaxial muscles consist of the M. multifidus (which is the most important for stability), M. iliocostalis and M. longissimus dorsi. Together these muscles keep the vertebrae in the correct alignment, stabilize the vertebrae during movement and extend the horse’s back. The Hypaxials consist of the Psoas group (M. Iliacus and M. psoas major), M. psoas minor, M. quatratus lumborum, M. transversus abdominis, M. obliquus internus abdominis, M. obliquus externus abdominis and M. rectus abdominis. As a group the hypaxial muscles flex the spine and lift the abdomen providing core stability. Both the Hypaxial and Epaxial muscles are not only important for flexing and extending the spine but the horse also has to contract these muscles before performing any movement so that it can move correctly and efficiently. The ridden horse is prone to muscular and spinal injuries because of the demands we place on them. Muscular pain is a common problem in the equine athlete and this is often the result of weak core muscles. Because the core muscles are weak the horse will use these muscles and other incorrectly while trying to stabilize his spine and control movement. This leads to the muscles becoming overstrained and painful. It can become a dysfunctional cycle because, the more painful the horse is, the less likely it is to use its core muscles correctly leading to even more pain which can then cause problems in other parts of the body such as gait abnormalities, lameness, difficulty working on 106

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the correct rein and poor performance. All riders look for a well developed top line in a competition horse and it is likely that an underdeveloped top line is a result of weak core muscles. Pain and spasm in the epaxial muscles will make it more difficult to develop top line, because the horse will be unable to work in a correct frame.The musculature in the back is important in fitting the saddle. Therefore, any dysfunction within these muscles will cause the saddle to fit incorrectly which can cause a whole range of musculoskeletal issues. There are also a number of skeletal pathologies which develop secondary to core muscle dysfunction, of which the most important are “Kissing Spine”, Spondilosis, Spondiloarthrosis and Supraspinal Ligament Desmopathy. Animal Physiotherapy is extremely beneficial for improving core strength and resolving any core related dysfunctions. It is important to firstly decrease the pain within the muscles and joints so that they can function correctly. Pain relief is achieved by increasing blood flow to the area, relaxing muscle spasms, improving joint nutrition and increasing joint mobility for which the therapist uses massage, joint mobilizations, stretching and electrotherapy among other techniques. Once pain has been addressed the focus will shift to strengthening the core muscles and improving function. The horse needs to activate these muscles and this can be achieved by using Kinesio-tape which is placed along the muscle, in line with the muscle fibres, so as to encourage him to contract this muscle. Theraband can also be used to encourage the horse to contract his core muscles, engage his hind quarter and carry himself correctly when working. An Animal Physiotherapy program will also include specific core exercises designed to strengthen the core muscles. These exercises will be made more challenging as the horse gains strength and will become a permanent part of their training regime. The Veterinary Physiotherapist looks at the equine body as a functional unit and considers the interplay of the neural, muscular and skeletal systems in order to create a horse that is comfortable and strong and one that can perform at its optimum.

PRINCIPAL: PROF SYBRAND V.D. BERG VICE PRINCIPAL: MARINETTE TEELING MD: RONEL VAN DER SIJDE CELL: 082 920 5227

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19 Jun 2014

ROTTERDAM

DUTCH DOMINATE AT ROTTERDAM AS CORNELISSEN AND PARZIVAL SHOW SPARKLING FORM By Louise Parkes

utch riders had it all their own way when coming out on top by a significant margin at the third round of the FEI Nations Cup™ Dressage 2014 pilot series on home ground in Rotterdam (NED) today.

This leg attracted teams from seven nations, with many fielding developing sides, but The Netherlands’ Chef d’Equipe, Wim Ernes, sent out the foursome that may possibly represent their country at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy, France later in the summer and they left the rest trailing in their wake when clinching a decisive victory. Underlining their absolute domination, the Dutch also filled the four top individual placings at the end of the competition, and the hugely popular partnership of Adelinde Cornelissen and Jerich Parzival marked their long-awaited return to the top end of the sport when producing the biggest score of the day. “I’m very happy” said Cornelissen afterwards. “For the last few months I’ve been trying to change our technique, and it takes time....but I feel it’s coming together at last and we are on our way!” she added. Denmark finished second, almost a full ten points behind, but the remaining teams were more closely bunched together, Sweden filling third place ahead of Great Britain in fourth, Belgium in fifth, France in sixth and the USA in seventh and last place. Closely observed Ernes made no secret of the fact that his riders would be closely observed in Rotterdam with a view to selection for Normandy, and they certainly impressed. Hans Peter Minderhoud led the way for his side this morning with the 12-year-old stallion Glock’s Johnson and posted 76.680 to get them off to a strong start. 108

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However that would prove the discard when the top three scores per team were taken into account in the final analysis. Next to go for the host nation was Danielle Heijkoop with Kingsley Siro, and the talented 27-year-old and her 15-year-old stallion showed exactly why they have become top-team material over the last 12 months when bettering Minderhoud’s mark by 0.28 percentage points. Then Cornelissen and Parzival took their turn, putting the result beyond doubt even before the final Dutch duo entered the arena. For Cornelissen right now it’s all about change. “For the last few months I’ve been trying to change our technique, but it takes time. I’m trying to apply some new stuff ” she explained after putting a very satisfactory mark of 81.480 on the board for her efforts. She didn’t compete with Parzival over the winter months, preferring instead to concentrate on training. Came back “We came back out at Arnhem (NED) two weeks ago and there were too many mistakes. Communications-wise it’s all a bit different and in competition we fall back into our old routine, there were miscommunications and I knew we had to solve that, but it is a week already since then and I feel it’s coming together at last and we are on our way!” she explained. Prior to that outing in Arnhem the pair had not competed for nine months. “The last time we were out was in Vienna (AUT) last September and since then we have just been training and training. I wanted to change some stuff and if you do competitions it’s not possible.

Cornelissen Adelinde (NED) - Jerich Parzival. FEI Nations Cup Dressage presented by Scanvik. CHIO Rotterdam 2014. © Dirk Caremans

I didn’t want to do both the World Cup and the World Championships - it’s just too much - and you have to be in top shape so I decided to leave out the World Cup this time and put my concentration on the Games” said the rider who, with the now 17-year-old chestnut gelding, has accumulated European and Olympic medals along with a double of Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage series titles. Last year Parzival was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia but bounced back after surgery and today Cornelissen said “he feels great, and in the paddock he behaves more like a 7-year-old than 17!” A great day Last to go for the Dutch was Edward Gal with the 13-yearold stallion Glock’s Undercover who posted 80.780 to underpin a great day for the host nation.

The Danish team finished second despite having no drop score as they, like the Americans, had only three team-members. Mikala Munter Gundersen provided the best Danish result with a mark of 71.800 for My Lady which slotted them into sixth place, but it was Sweden’s Minna Telde and Santana who came closest to the Dutch contingent when posting 73.040 to line up fifth individually. The 2013 pilot series champions from The Netherlands have now forged well ahead on the FEI Nations Cup™ Dressage 2014 leaderboard. Winners at the second leg in Vidauban, France in February they carry 30 points into the fourth leg at Kristiansand in Norway next week, trailed by Sweden in second place carrying 18 points and the USA and Belgium tied in third spot with 15 points apiece. Two further legs remain after next week’s fixture, at Aachen (GER) and Hickstead (GBR) in July before the series concludes.

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Team Netherlands winners of the FEI Nations Cup Dressage presented by Scanvik. fltr : Edward Gal, Hans Peter Minderhoud, Danielle Heijkoop, Adelinde Cornelissen and chef d4equipe Wim Ernes. CHIO Rotterdam 2014. © Dirk Caremans

Result: 1. Netherlands 79.740: Jerich Parzival NOP (Adelinde Cornelissen) 81.480, Glock’s Undercover NOP (Edward Gal) 80.780, Kingsley Siro NOP (Danielle Heijkoop) 76.960, Glock’s Johnson TN (Hans Peter Minderhoud) 76.680. 2. Denmark 69.927: Loxana (Maria Anita Andersen) 68.420, My Lady (Mikala Munter Gundersen) 71.800, Michigan (Ulrik Moelgaard) 69.560. 3. Sweden 69.727: Lennox (Cecilia Andren Dorselius) 68.920, Zircoon Spring Flower (Jennie Larsson) 65.940, Santana (Minna Telde) 73.040, Biggles (Kristian Von Krusenstierna) 67.220. 4. Great Britain 68.380: Weltzin (Hannah Biggs) 65.760, Pasoa (Nikki Crisp) 68.400, Bayford Hall Dallaglio (Daniel Sherriff) 66.180, Fideramber (Daniel Watson) 70.560. 5. Belgium 68.113: Donnerfee (Claudia Fassaert) 69.760,Wodan (Francoise Hologne-Joux) 68.220, Wipsy VH Heihof (Delphine Meiresonne) 66.360, Wilco V (Mario Van Orschaegen) 64.920. 6. France 68.047: Lights of Londonderry (Alexandre Ayache) 67.900, Noble Dream Concept Sol (Marc Boblet) 64.100, After You (Henry Ludovic) 66.380, Robinson de Lafont de Massa (Arnaud Serre) 69.860. 7. USA 67.807: Currency DC (Susan Dutta) 66.440, Mane Stream Hotmail (Catherine Haddad Staller) 67.960, Lombardo LHF (Brian Hafner) 69.020. Facts and Figures: • CDIO Rotterdam presented the third round of the FEI Nations Cup™ Dressage 2014 pilot series today. • The host nation team from The Netherlands won by a

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• • • • • •

significants margin of almost 10 percentage points over Denmark in second place while Sweden finished third. A total of 7 nations competed - Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Sweden and USA. The highest individual score of the competition was registered by the Dutch combination of Adelinde Cornelissen and Jerich Parzival who scored 81.480. The Ground Jury was - At E, Susan Hoevenaars (AUS); At H, Katarina Wuest (GER); At C, Isabel Judet (FRA) President; At M, Susanne Baarup (DEN); At B, Mariette Sanders) NED. Already leading after the first two legs, the Dutch, winners in the inaugural 2013 pilot season, have now forged even further ahead on the league table following today’s result. Denmark and the USA fielded just three team members while the remaining teams all consisted of four horse-and-rider combinations. The six-leg FEI Nations Cup™ Dressage 2014 series will continue with Round 4 taking place at Kristiansand in Norway on Thursday 26 June.

Quotes: Adelinde Cornelissen (NED) - “Next we will do Aachen and then the Dutch Championships before the WEG”. Danielle Heijkoop (NED) - ““I only scored higher (in Grand Prix) once before, at Dortumund in March. This time the score was a little lower but I had a very good feeling. He (Kingsley Siro) was good in front and in his neck and he did good work in piaffe and passage but the pirouette was a bit too small so we were a little unbalanced. That could have been better.”

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20 Jun 2014

ROTTERDAM

FRENCH PIP THE DUTCH FOR FURUSIYYA HONOURS IN THREE-ROUND THRILLER AT ROTTERDAM By Louise Parkes

eam France completed their points-gathering campaign in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2014 series today with a superb victory at the fifth leg of the Europe Division 1 League in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. But they had to fight hard for those maximum points which have now earned them a qualifying spot for the much-anticipated second annual Furusiyya Final which will take place in Barcelona, Spain in October.

Early on the track riders had to navigate around the small copse of trees that traditionally stand within the Rotterdam arena in order to get to fence three. But some didn’t get the flow of the turn quite right here while others tried to angle the fence in order to pick up some time on the run to the following water, and as a result the blue-and-white oxer regularly hit the floor.

Going to test them The track built by Spanish course designer, Santiago Varela, was always going to test them. This, after all, is the man who was widely praised for the quality of the courses he presented for the thrilling inaugural Furusiyya Final at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona last September, and he gave them a flavour of what they might expect when the Final returns to the Spanish venue in October this year with a course that required accuracy, speed and clear decision-making about stride distances.

As round two evolved however many of the leading nations wilted under pressure, and the Swiss completely lost their grip when adding 16 to their tally. The Brazilians also disappeared from the reckoning despite a brilliant double-clear from Yuri Mansur Guerios and First Devision and that allowed the British to move up the order when Joe Clee and Utamaro D’Ecaussaine also returned with a second clean sheet, Spencer Roe recovered from a shaky first round to go clear this time out with Wonder Why and newcomer, Jessie Drea, followed her opening clear with just a

First man into the ring, Ireland’s Denis Lynch, blotted an otherwise perfect run when his easy-jumping 10-year-old mare Coulisa The host nation pushed them all the way, forcing a jump-off spooked at the water and got her feet wet, and she wouldn’t be against the clock and keeping the packed stadium of spectators, the only one. including former Queen of The Netherlands, Princess Beatrix, on the edges of their seats. The dream of a long-awaited home And there was little time to recover before the following oxer victory was snatched away at the last moment however when at five which led on to a big 1.60m vertical at six before turning Gerco Schroder and Glock’s London couldn’t match Penelope right-handed to the double at fence seven. Another swing to the Leprevost’s clear in the jump-off with Flora de Mariposa. right brought them to the 1.50m oxer at eight and the water-tray oxer at nine before circling back to the brightly-coloured triple It was a tension-filled afternoon, with much riding on the result combination which took a significant toll.There were two strides in terms of qualification for five of the eight competing nations. between the first two vertical elements here and then one stride France, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands to the oxer on the way out before taking a dog-leg line to the were all in the hunt for points, and it was the last chance for both penultimate orange planks. This fence proved highly influential, France and Switzerland who have now used all four qualifying especially in the second round, while the final oxer also played opportunities. The French have been strong all season, coming its part. into today’s contest at the head of the Europe Division 1 series, but sixth place for Switzerland today may have left them On home ground vulnerable. Team manager Rob Ehrens was very much hoping for success this year, because in his 10-year tenure with the Dutch team they have There were surprises all the way, with Germany fielding a not won on home ground. And at the halfway point it seemed powerhouse of a team for their first points-gathering outing but that his dream might just come true when his side led the way on having to settle for third place ahead of Great Britain in fourth a zero score. But Switzerland, Germany, France and Brazil were and Brazil in fifth, while the Irish trailed the Swiss when slotting only a fence behind, carrying four faults each while the British into seventh and the USA filled eighth place. were on 12 and the Irish and Americans on 13.

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Schroder Gerco (NED) - Glock’s London . Furusiyya FEI NATIONS CUP presented by Longines. CHIO Rotterdam 2014. Photo: Dirk Caremans/FEI

single mistake at the very last fence with Touchable. Germany meanwhile seemed in with a chance of making it into a jump-off if Ludger Beerbaum’s second-round nine-fault result with Chiara could be negated by clears from both Daniel Deusser (Cornet D’Amour) and Marcus Ehning (Cornado NRW) after four faults from Christian Ahlmann and Codex One at the 1.60m vertical at fence six. Deusser, winner of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping title just two months ago, came up trumps, but Ehning fell victim to the penultimate planks like so many others in the second round, and with a final tally of 12 the Germans would have to settle for third place. French chances rattled And so it came down to a battle between the French and Dutch, although French chances were rattled when Leprevost’s second clear was followed by elimination for Patrice Delaveau when Carinjo HDC, foot-perfect first time out, paddled through the third element of the triple combination and fell with his rider. Horse and rider left the arena unscathed however and the Frenchman said afterwards “he rode really well in the first round, so I am really unsure about what happened. I think he got a bit spooky just before the triple combination, a pole fell between his hooves and he lost his focus. These things can happen but the horse is fine, he might be a bit stiff tomorrow but he’s fine.” A clear from the reigning European individual gold medal winning partnership of Roger Yves Bost and Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois steading the French situation however and that meant that Kevin

Staut’s single error with Reveur de Hurtebise HDC at the second element of the double at seven brought left them on a tworound total of eight. Dutch anchorman, Gerco Schroder, had no choice to be clear if he was to force a jump-off now as both Jeroen Dubbeldam (Zenith SFN) and Maikel van der Vleuten (VDL Groep Verdi) had collected four faults while Harrie Smolders didn’t return to the ring with Emerald after they collected 17 faults first time out. Despite all the pressure, Schroder produced the required result with the utmost of ease and a two-way jump-off would follow. Leprevost was first to go, and her nerve never wavered. Asked afterwards what she had planned before going first against the clock, she replied “I didn’t have a plan, I just trusted my mare and she goes naturally very fast and she’s very careful. I just went in and let her do her usual great job!” Setting the target with a clear in 34.57 seconds, she then sat back while Schroder stepped up to the line. You could hear a pin drop as the man who took individual silver with this same horse at the London 2012 Olympic Games returned for the third and last time, but when the second fence, previously the first element of the double, hit the floor it was all over and it would be France on the top step of the podium. Great season Reflecting afterwards, Leprevost said,“we have had a great season - two victories and one second place for the French team!” And Issue 19 SPORTING HORSE

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she was elated about the performance of Flora de Mariposa today. “I am very lucky to have such fantastic horses this year and today Flora was unbelievable! We bought her when she was a seven-year-old and now she is nine so I have been riding her for two years. The first time she jumped a really big track was in Rome (last month) where she jumped double-clear in the Nations Cup and then finished tenth in the Grand Prix. I’m so happy with her!” she said. Talking about the course today she said “it was technical and the time was quite tight. At the triple combination you had to turn short in order to make the time and some horses didn’t have balance and were not collected there which meant the poles came down”.

There was lots of pressure on our shoulders, five teams were competing for points here in Rotterdam and the results were pretty close, so the tension was very high during the whole competition.” With only seven of the 10 competing nations making the cut to the Final from the Europe Division 1 League, the tension is indeed increasing with every leg of the series. But the French don’t have to worry anymore. They’ve done more than enough to qualify for the Furusiyya Final and, as defending champions, it seems unlikely they will give up their crown too easily.

Chef d’Equipe, Philippe Guerdat said “I am very proud of this victory” adding, “and I would also like to congratulate the home team on their results and also say that today France managed to When asked if it was more difficult jumping in the first or second take its revenge against the Netherlands who took a win away round today, Kevin Staut replied “actually, it was about the same. from France at La Baule last year - so now we’re even!”

1. FRANCE - 345 2. SWITZERLAND - 280 3. BELGIUM - 220 4. SPAIN - 202.5 5. NETHERLANDS - 180 6. GERMANY - 160 7. SWEDEN - 130 7. IRELAND - 130 9. UKRAINE - 120 10. GREAT BRITAIN - 70

Facts and Figures: • • • • • • • •

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Rotterdam,The Netherlands presented the fifth leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Europe Division 1 League today. The competition was won by the French team after a two-way jump-off between Penelope Leprevost (Flora de Mariposa) from France and The Netherlands’ Gerco Schroder (Glock’s London). 8 nations competed - Brazil, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and USA. 5 nations were competing for points towards the Furusiyya FEI Nation Cup™ Jumping Final 2014 - France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands and Switzerland. Course designer today was Spain’s Santiago Varela who also designed the tracks at the hugely successful inaugural Furusiyya Final in Barcelona, Spain in 2013. The time-allowed over the 12-fence course was 82 seconds. There were three double-clear performances over the first two rounds - from The Netherlands’ Gerco Schroder (Glock’s London), Great Britain’s Joe Clee (Utamaro D’Ecaussines) and Brazil’s Yuri Mansur Guerios (First Devision). The USA fielded the only all-female team of riders - Lucy Davis (Barron), Jessica Springsteen (Vindicat W), Katie Dinan (Nougat du Vallet) and Lauren Hough (Ohlala). SPORTING HORSE Issue 19

Quotes: Santiago Varela, course designer : “The riders were asked to find solutions during the first round to handle the long distances and then find the balance for the horses in the second round.” Philippe Guerdat, Chef d’Equipe FRA when asked about the choice of Leprevost for the jump-off: “Penelope’s mare is very fast and since she won’t be competing in the Grand Prix on Sunday, it was an easy decision to make.” Penelope Leprevost, FRA: “Now I look forward to doing my best for the WEG, and the horse I will choose for that is Flora”.

Team France winners of the Furusiyya FEI NATIONS CUP presented by Longines. Peneloppe Leprevost, Patrice Delaveaux, Philippe Guerdat, Roger Yves Bost, Kevin Staut and the ambasador. CHIO Rotterdam 2014. Photo: Dirk Caremans/FEI

STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 5 OF FURUSIYYA FEI NATIONS CUP™ JUMPING EUROPE DIVISION 1 LEAGUE 2014 AT ROTTEDAM (NED):

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3 - 5 OCTOBER 2014

KYALAMI EQUESTRIAN PARK & INANDA COUNTRY BASE For116 more information contact: Pat Parker pat@patparker.co.za or call 011 468 3875 or 083 260 3402 SPORTING HORSE Issue 19