Happiness and angriness for Cheryl Meisner
By Claartje van Andel dressagedirect
The 11 year KWPN approved stallion Paganini, bred by mr
H.A. Verberne, owned by John Risley and showed by Canadian
Cheryl Meisner was honoured as Best Stallion at the
international stallion show in Zwolle. His runner up position
in Grand Prix and the third place in the Freestyle Grand Prix
was the best result of an approved stallion in the Grand Prix
class. Cheryl Meisner (26) was over the moon with the victory.
Paganini is the horse that makes all her dreams come true.
Five years ago Meisner’s Canadian trainer Shannon Dueck
introduced her to her own trainer, Dutch Bert Rutten. Meisner
decided to come to The Netherlands to learn. “I watched
Paganini for a year when Bert Rutten was riding him and he was
so special! In 2004 I had the chance to ride him once a week
and than I decided he definitely was the horse for me. He is
something special! He has a great character and talent and
fortunately my sponsor bought him for me.”
Not only her
dream horse was found at Rutten’s place in 2004, Cheryl
Meisner also met her husband Patrick Linssen. Now they live at
Bert Rutten’s place in the south of the Netherlands. Rutten
was an international dressagerider himself before he decided
to concentrate on educating people and horses instead of
showing.
Paganini showed by Canadian Cheryl Meisner
was honoured as Best Stallion Picture www.equivision.nl/
There is only one thing that makes Meisner very
unhappy and angry at the moment. That’s the decision of
Dressage Canada to change the rules for the Olympic team
selection while the season is on.
“My sponsor and me
have made a detailed plan how to move forward to the Olympic
selection process. Therefore I moved to Bert’s place in The
Netherlands last September. I personally do feel that Canadian
and American riders need to show here in Europe to improve.
But now while the process has started, Dressage Canada
extended the deadlines to get the desired scores! I want to
express my feelings very carefully and I don’t mean to
disrespect any of the Canadian riders that try to qualify. But
I do not agree with changing the criteria while the process
has started yet. And they changed the criteria without even
consulting our German team trainer Norbert van Laak!”
“Of
course Canada has to send the best possible team”, Meisner
continues. “And of course I do understand the position of
Ashley Holzer and her horse. When Dressage Canada decides to
exclude her from all the qualification rules and reward her
with a team place I surely would understand. But I don’t
understand the extended deadlines. For me Florida can be a
place to qualify, but smaller shows in Cincinnati and Ottawa
definitely are not. They cannot be compared with the shows in
Europe. And that’s making me very angry, in spite of the
wonderful title that we have won now.”
Cheryl Meisner and
Paganini will now travel to the Sunshine tour to compete
there.
Canadian Cheryl Meisner Picture Claartje van Andel dressagedirect©
Grand Prix Debut Luiza Almeida
The Brazilian Team got their Olympic Team Qualification at
the Pan Am Games at Intermediate level. The challenge now for
Brazil is to present three riders with a two times 64% score
in Grand Prix!
Only 16 year old Brazilian Luiza Almeida
moved to Belgian trainer Johan Zagers last year to get
educated to Grand Prix-level. A challenge indeed, as her
Lusitano stallion Samba imported from Portugal is
unexperienced too at Grand Prix-level. In Zwolle her parents,
sister and brothers watched the debut of Luiza and Samba in
Grand Prix. The grey Samba is talented in piaffe and passage
and made wonderful changes, however mistakes prevented a
higher score than 59,336%. Of course Luiza was disappointed.
Judge Bernard Maurel explained: “It’s not about the movements
or exercises, it’s about the posture and engagement which
needs a little change. The tendency of moving uphill needs
some improvement. I’m sure this will come.”
16 year old Luiza Almeida and 9 year old
Samba debuted in Grand Prix in Zwolle Picture Claartje
van Andel dressagedirect©
Two time win Aat van Essen
This year the international Stallion Show in Zwolle for
Dutch competitors suffered from the date chosen, only a week
after the KWPN stallion grading and finals of the stallion
competitions. The organisers who for the first time extended
the show to a ten day event, now also invited geldings to
compete and welcomed well visited classes for ponies, juniors
and Young Riders as well. Zwolle-resident Aat van Essen who
internationally surprised at the World Cup™ in London did win
both tests. As his Premier is a gelding he of course could not
be rewarded with the title Best Stallion. Aat van Essen
couldn’t care less: “It’s great to win for my home crowd
and I feel there is much more to come!”
Aat van Essen aboard Premier Picture www.equivision.nl/
Patrick Kittel renews Promising Stallion
Title
Last year Patrick Kittel and Floresco won the title in the
Intermediate Class called ‘Promising Stallion’ partnering
Floresco, this year he renewed the title partnering
KWPN-approved Scandic. Scandic (Solos Carex x Amiral) owned by
‘De Watermolen’ in Haaksbergen showed his elasticity and
movements in a fantastic way. “I just love Scandic!”, Kittel
said. “He learned all Grand Prix exercises in the last three
months, amazing. We do trust each other mutually. He is a
great horse. And his Swedish origin makes me smile too. It
makes a great mixture of a Dutch owner, a Dutch born and Dutch
approved stallion with Swedish ancestors and a Swedish
rider!”
Just like in the Grand Prix class,
Scandic didn’t win both tests. Moorland Totilas (Gribaldi x
Glendale) was two times winner partnered by Edward Gal.
However as Moorland’s Totilas is not approved, the title
‘Promising stallion’ was reserved for Scandic.
The title ‘Promising stallion’ was
reserved for Scandic and Patrick Kittel Picture www.equivision.nl/
Edward Gal also brought sire Gribaldi to Zwolle, just to
train. His last international appearance with Gribaldi had
been the World Cup™ Final in Las Vegas, when Gribaldi was not
very well motivated. Edward Gal commented: “Gribaldi is far
too good to stop competing. I will do some national shows now
and hope to bring him back on the international podium soon.”
Talented son Moorland’s Totilas and Gribaldi-daugter Sisther
de Jeu are on their way to Grand Prix as well in 2008.
Find the historic scores of IPS Gribaldi and Edward Gal
at www.dressagedirect.com/ by using
the orange Search button at the left
Dressage Canada Announces 2008 Short and Long
Lists
Dressage Canada’s High Performance
Committee announced the 2008 Dressage Short and Long Lists.
The horse/rider combinations were selected based the criteria
which considered 2007 results. Evi Strasser (Quantum Time),
Ashley Holzer (Gambol and Poip Art) and Christilot Boylen
(Gachino) are the three riders and four combinations
identified as official members of the Dressage Short List A.
Named to the Dressage Short List B are:
Rider
Horse
Owner
Jacqueline Brooks Gran
Gesto Brinc Ltd, Anne Welch
Cindy
Ishoy
Proton
Cindy & Neil Ishoy
Cheryl
Meisner
Paganini John
Risley
Tina Busse-Irwin
Amicelli
Ute Busse & Wendy Beresford
Tom
Dvorak
Beaumarchais Susan E. Holden
Andrea
Bresee
Raffles
Gina Smith & Faith Berghuis
Diane
Creech
Wiona
Douglas Leatherdale
Leslie
Reid
Orion
Patricia Hatch
Christilot Boylen
Don Valentino 5 Compositor Investments, Alec Murray
Jacqueline Brooks
Balmoral
Brinc Ltd, Anne & John Welch, Nick & Jean
Vinios
Dominique
Culham Matisse
Dominique Culham
Gillian Sutherland Great
Tyme Gillian
Sutherland
Karen
Pavicic
Lionheart
Karen Pavicic
Find more at http://www.dressagecanada.org/
More on the show in Zwolle on www.zwolleinternational.nl/
