Top dressage horse exported

The 2008 South African 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 and 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. – SA Dressage Club

Clinic for reining judges

The South African Reining Horse Association recently hosted an international judge, Jakob Thoma, who presented a reining judges clinic at the Thornhill Quarter Horse Stud near Magaliesburg. Swiss-born Thoma is a US National Reining Horse Association world judge as well as an FEI candidate judge.

"What judges look for in a reining pattern," explained Thoma, "is a rider who not only guides his horse through the pattern, but who controls every move of the horse. The horse should always be under control and be willingly guided by the rider."

The questions judges should ask themselves while judging are: On pattern? Correct? Resistance? Credit? Degree of difficulty? Finesse? Control?

Wêreld Uithouritkampioenskappe

Die Wêreld Uithouritkampioenskappe is onlangs in Maleisië gehou. Dis die eerste keer dat die kampioenskappe in tropiese omstandighede gehou is, en die hitte en hoë humiditeit het sy tol geëis. Van die 126 perde wat weggespring het, kon slegs 48 die rit van 160 km voltooi. Die uitslae wys ook dat perde wat uit warm omstandighede kom, beter gevaar het in Maleisië.

Die wenner, Mercedes Maria Alvarez Ponton van Spanje op ‘n Frans-geteelde suiwer Arabier, Nobby, het die rit in 8:48:06 voltooi. Tweede was Agustin Vita op Baraka Ibn Al Tamah van Argentinië, en derde was Sultan Ahmed Sultan Sulayem op Cal Ramon van die Verenigde Arabiese Emirate (VAE). In die spankompetisie het die VAE met die goue medalje weggestap, gevolg deur Qatar en Bahrein.

Ponton is die tiende vrou wat as uithouritwêreldkampioen gekroon is. Slegs twee mans kon nog hierdie titel verower: Miguel Ubach, ook van Spanje, tydens die vorige wêreldkampioenskappe in Duitsland in 2006, en Sjeik Ahmed Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum van die Verenigde Arabiese Emirate in Spanje in 2002.

Die Suid-Afrikaanse ruiters wat deelgeneem het, het gemengde resultate behaal. Naomi Muller op Khyber het in die 17de plek klaargemaak, en Gillese de Villiers op Traka Crypton was 43ste. Die ander drie ruiters kon ongelukkig nie die rit voltooi nie.

Fantastic feat for 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 as opposed to South Africa's 35 riders, but managed to win the team competition, with South Africa placing second.

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 and owners involved, and a big thank you to the organisers of the SA Leg of this international competition, hosted at the Shongweni Club in KwaZulu-Natal. – SA Dressage Club

Committee asked to resign

Her Royal Highness Princess Haya of Jordan, president of the FEI, recently wrote to the FEI dressage committee and asked for their resignations. The 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 committee to reflect all the stakeholders in the sport, including 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, while reviewing the strategic direction of dressage. The letter from Princess Haya, published exclusively on www.eurodressage.com, can be viewed on the following web link: http://www.eurodressage.com/news/dressage/fei/2008/resignation.html.

Trotting race in Senekal

South Africa's Free State province showed KZN race-goers a thing or two when several thousand equine enthusiasts, farmers and ilk turned up in the dusty little town of Senekal late last year, to watch the province's first formalised harness races. Deck chairs, lorries, khakis and hats, not to mention rivers of Klippies and Coke, were the order of the day's racing, which culminated in a late-night tiekiedraai and lang-arm dancing at the nearby Arizona Guest Lodge.

Organised by the SA Boerperd Breeders' Association, the Senekal Agricultural Society and co-sponsored by Gold Circle and HRSA, the spectacle was at some points akin to a rodeo in the Australian outback. The business of racing, however, was serious and the competitiveness keen. Reinsmen and drivers were all tested competent and issued licenses for the day by the Harness Racing Association of South Africa. They comprised macho men, large and small, old and young, black and white, the oldest, 68 and the youngest, 17.

Altogether, 112 trotters and pacers turned up for time trials, heats and a grand final of six competing horses. Roemryk Lexion, a 4-year-old chestnut gelding, owned by Grey College schoolboy and farmer's son, Pieter Terre'Blanche, and ably driven by Koos Rakgetsi, landed up an eventual winner by six lengths, collecting the impressive Gold Circle Senekal Cup and R10 000 stake cheque. There was no betting on the day.

HRSA chairman, Dean Latimer, voiced admiration with the trotting ability and speed of the historic SA Boerperd breed, and overall satisfaction with the day. "We are thrilled with the enthusiasm for harness racing by these farmers, and their single harness class horses convert easily and impressively to sulky racing. We have been asked to follow through and organise regular racing in the Free State".

Breeding up a pool of trotters and pacers sufficient to support regular racing, is currently firmly on the minds of HRSA directors. Negotiations are taking place with an Australian standardbred breeder to import a stallion to make available to local and indigenous breeds such as the SA Boerperd, Cape Boerperd, Basutho pony and Nooitgedacht. Thoroughbreds have also have proven successful in Canada when mated to a standardbred, when the resultant progeny have produced times of 1.59.9 over the "standard mile".

Meanwhile, and on a professional note, the first six registered standardbred trotters are currently in quarantine in Germany, awaiting flying to South Africa at the end of October. These horses will contest South Africa's first professional harness race, currently scheduled for March 2009. A further 23 horses are expected to arrive early in the new year. – Parade magazine

Humane handling of test horses

Onderstepoort Biological Products, the Department of Agriculture, the Faculty of Veterinary Science, the Animal Rights Coalition, Highveld Horse Care Unit and Wetnose Animal Rescue issues a joint statement after a workshop to discuss the humane handling of test horses. This is the statement:

"Onderstepoort Biological Products (Ltd) (OBP) recently held an extremely productive workshop with interested parties to discuss the humane handling of horses used for testing vaccines. The objective was to identify alternative methods of disposal of horses and to reach consensus and acceptance by all of the parties, to the chosen methods.

OBP is aware of the concerns which have been raised in this regard and specifically the negative publicity campaign which has targeted OBP and was driven by welfare organisations. To address the matter in an inclusive manner major role-players from the scientific arena as well as from the animal welfare community were invited to participate.

An independent facilitator was used to ensure all attendees would have an opportunity to express their opinions and make suggestions as to possible solutions for the way forward. OBP once again reiterated its commitment to animal protection and ethics and has demonstrated this through their willingness to engage in this exercise with all concerned parties.

The purpose of the workshop was to investigate the facts and understand the issues raised by all parties, with a view to finding a workable solution which would address the concerns of all the role players.

The discussions were fruitful and had the full cooperation of all present. The following outcomes were agreed by all parties:

1. OBP is committed to the cessation of all commercial slaughter of the horses used in its facility.
2. An OBP Horse Welfare Committee will be formed which will include the participating animal welfare organizations which will assist OBP in setting standards and processes for the sale or disposal of horses.
3. The welfare organisations present at the meeting will be invited by OBP to participate in the initial formation of the committee as members.
4. OBP, with the assistance of the committee, will set the criteria (Code of Practice) by which welfare organizations will be approved in terms of their viability, sustainability and ability to monitor what becomes of horses placed with them. Welfare organisations which will assist in the disposal or sale of horses will need to indemnify OBP against any further responsibility for the horses.
5. OBP will compile a proposed "Terms of Reference" for the OBP Horse Welfare committee.
6. The OBP Horse Welfare Committee will investigate various methods of euthanasia and the most suitable method will be considered and put forward for acceptance. This will be used as a last resort, should all other methods of saving the horses in question be exhausted.
7. It was further agreed that the interested parties would issue a joint statement summarising the "in principle" agreement reached to date and that no participant would issue any further individual statement in connection with the matters under discussion. Each participant would use their best endeavour and means of communication to distribute the joint statement. All parties are committed to the welfare of not only the animals used by OBP but also the thousands of equines who benefit from the research and vaccine products produced by OBP.
8. The participants agreed they are all jointly committed to working together to find a sustainable and satisfactory solution to the problem of disposing of the horses under discussion and will jointly seek to reach a point where the concerns of all parties are fully addressed and dealt with.
9. The first meeting of the OBP Horse Welfare Committee has already taken place.

OBP would like to take the opportunity to thank the participants for their contribution. OBP further believes that, in a spirit of co-operation, a sustainable solution capable of implementation will ensure an acceptable outcome, both for the scientific community and for the animal and human clients of OBP. Onderstepoort Biological Products remains fully committed to the horse community at large, and believes that, in return, this community will acknowledge and support this initiative in full."

For further information please contact:

Tracy Forté 082 742 2522
Wet Nose Animal Rescue Centre

Kobus Du Toit 082 873 1160 South African Veterinary Foundation

Derek Du Toit 082 080 0825 Animal Rights Coalition

Bev Seabourne 016 360 9900 Highveld Horse Care Unit

Allan Guthrie 012 529 8068
Faculty of Veterinary Science, UP

Raynard Macdonald 012 522 1543
Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP)

Karen Kemp 083 557 3830
EPONA Holdings