Dear Dressage Enthusiast,

2008 SA Individual Dressage Champion and Protea-Dressage Rider, Adriaan van Wyk, exported his KWPN Stallion "Octavius A" to Germany.  They are based at the stable yard of Benjamin & Jessica Werndl near Münster, where Spanish Riding School Chief Rider, Andreas Hausberger, is the regular trainer.  Both horse and rider have apparently settled in well.  They are expected to start in their first FEI Competitions soon, and we wish them all the best!  Adriaan has promised to keep us all updated on their progress.


A fantastic feat for 2 SANEF Riders: Martine Lambert (Aladin VDK) and Kirsten Wing (Foresyte Fortune Finder) won their individual sections in the 2008 FEI World Dressage Challenge for the Zone 1 Countries (ARG, BRA, CHI, RSA, URU)!  The Brazilians (who qualified a team for the Olympics this year for the first time in their history) had only 17 riders vs SA's 35 riders, but managed to win the team competition, with SA placing 2nd.  The SANEF Team comprised Kirsten Wing (Foresyte Fortune Finder), Candice Hobday (Filina), Clare Bailes (Koos Bo), Martine Lambert (Aladin VDK) and Colleen Morris (Dior).  Congratulations to the riders & owners involved, and a big thank you to the organisers of the SA Leg of this international competition, hosted at the Shongweni Club in KZN.  Also important to thank is the FEI, for its initiative in creating a development competition of this format, and for sending us the judges Mr Eddy de Wolff van Westerrode (NED) & Mrs. Joan Macartney (CAN), to come and judge our competition.  For full results of this competition, click the following link:  http://www.fei.org/Development/FEI_World_Dressage_Challenge/Documents/GEN_Res_ZN1.pdf


Her Royal Highness Princess Haya of Jordan, President of the FEI, yesterday wrote to the FEI Dressage Committee and asked for their resignations. The reasons behind this step are well outlined in the linked letter (see below) from Her Royal Highness.  The FEI Dressage Committee members includes the chair Mariette Withages, judges Dieter Schüle, Vincenzo Truppa and Minako Furuoka, Spanish chef d'equipe Bobby Bobadilla and rider Monica Theodorescu.  The International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC) welcomes the proposed change in the composition of the Dressage Committee to reflect all the stakeholders in the sport: riders; trainers; judges; chef d'équipes; organisers; as well as the breadth of experience offered by wider regional involvement. The Committee has been seen to work in isolation, not fully representing the interests of the Dressage community as a whole.  An interim solution is being discussed within the FEI in order to ensure the sound management of the sport whilst reviewing the strategic direction of Dressage. The names of the interim committee and their mandate will follow.  The letter from Princess Haya, published exclusively on Eurodressage, can be viewed by clicking the link below: http://www.eurodressage.com/news/dressage/fei/2008/resignation.html


All the major dressage shows for this year are over now, and we are waiting with bated breath to see who the 2008 SA Dressage Rider of the Year will be.  SANEF will publish the Riders Rankings in due course!

Happy Riding


Your SADRC
Mission statement of the SA Dressage Riders Club:
"To grow and develop the dressage sport in South Africa, with a positive and enthusiastic approach, driven by the riders, for the riders."