German Grand Prix rider Bernadette Brune has sold her equestrian property purchased the yard as a small trotting stable in 2006 and expanded into a state of the art equestrian facility where some of Europe's top international dressage and show jumping competitions were held from 2009 till 2015 Vidauban hosted its first CDI in 2009 and as of 2010 offered a French "sunshine" tour to competitors by organizing back to back competitions in the sun in the late winter/early spring months The venue hosted a World Dressage Masters the 2015 European Junior/Young Riders Championships including the inaugural European Children Championships Nowag and Mattsson at the 2015 European Young Riders ChampionshipsIn 2016 Brune relocated to Germany to be closer to western European competition sport and German training She was B-squad listed at the time with Spirit of the Age OLD The facility continued to run as an equestrian center with national level shows "I'm delighted and proud to be handing over the reins to a passionate woman with the same ambition as myself: to make this place a centre of excellence for equestrian sport," Brune announced with developments designed to provide the best possible conditions for horses and riders to compete I look to the future of the Domaine with enthusiasm and confidence and I'm delighted to know that this wonderful story that began almost 20 years ago will continue to gallop towards excellence." Brune competing Di Magic at the 2015 CDIO VidaubanThe new owner is a Chinese investor who has been based in France for twenty years Brune is thrilled to pass on the property to this dedicated lady who shares the same vision for the future with Bernadette "I'm thrilled to have found someone who takes over my whole team and clients and fulfills my dreams of an extraordinary competition centre it will be spectacular," Brune told Eurodressage Stalls for Rent at Durondeau Dressage in Peer, Belgium Exceptionally Well Located Equestrian Facility in Wellington, Florida Well-built Equestrian Estate With Multiple Business Opportunities in Sweden Stable Units for Rent at Lotje Schoots' Equestrian Center in Houten (NED) For Rent: Several Apartments and Stable Wing at High-End Equestrian Facility Stable Wing Available at Reiterhof Wensing on Dutch/German border Real Estate: Well-Appointed Country House with Extensive Equestrian Facility in the U.K. Rémi Blot A snarling hazard protects the green of the par-five third at Vidauban Looking back on the opening hole and out as far as the eye can see over the Plaine des Maures nature reserve Three imposing bunkers on the par-four fifteenth force golfers to plot their route to the green Expansion of greens and work on surrounds has changed the character of many holes With thirty-ish members and their guests each clocking up just a handful of rounds per year a pair of fourballs constitutes a busy day at Vidauban The club is off the beaten track – a long winding road that connects two small Provence villages – from which the only clue to its existence is the fleeting glimpse through the trees to the tenth hole signless gate that at any glance seems nothing more than the entrance to a rural home Robert Trent Jones hadn’t intended for it to be so elusive he discovered the site – on the fringes of the Plaine des Maures nature reserve; where rolling hills peppered with umbrella pines are a haven for wildlife and seams of rock crack through a landscape with endless vistas of astounding beauty – and was compelled to buy it making a grand plan for three golf courses and a thousand homes with two decades yielding a single course and an abbreviated street of homes before local authorities – thankfully many would agree – called a halt to further development Maybe a fitting legacy is that the course Jones did build at Vidauban would become one the finest in continental Europe Jones worked alongside his son Bobby on the original layout of the course in the early 90s and the club – which following a period of uncertainty and underinvestment is now owned by members and led by CEO Richard Sorrell – has maintained its relationship with Bobby and his RTJ II firm Under the direction of RTJ II architect Mike Gorman and John Clarkin of golf consultancy Turfgrass – who himself was so enamoured with the region when he first began working with the club in the 2000s that he decided to move there – the white-hot wheel blades of contractor MJ Abbott’s machinery cut through the rocky ground to establish a freely draining foundation for the course and install sophisticated water-efficient irrigation technology from Toro the club hired superintendent Stephen Byrne whose expertise in major projects while at Fota Island in Ireland and The Wisley in London would complete another piece in the puzzle to bring Vidauban back to glory Byrne set about specifying a state-of-the-art maintenance facility that would support the club’s ambitions and gave his input into future priorities “I really felt that new bunkering could transform the course,” he says “Not just from a maintenance perspective also in terms of strategy and the connection with the landscape.” The original bunkers had lost their shape over the 25 years since the course was laid out “disappearing into the landscape” Byrne and MJ Abbott’s Steve Briggs and Jim Price – hatched a plan with three prongs: remodel bunkers restore green perimeters and rework surrounds The pandemic meant travel to and from the site would be challenging “I thought I could stay for about three weeks and then maybe come back at the end of the front nine to tweak things which would be the more traditional approach modified to Covid a little bit,” says Gorman “It became apparent that just wasn’t going to work We were finishing bunkers quickly and it was a very field-driven process For me to leave and try to do this remotely wasn’t going to be efficient or meet our satisfaction.” Gorman took the decision to stay on site for the entire project “It worked out perfectly,” he says “From the club’s perspective they were able to work very efficiently with everybody on site I was able to see everything in person so we didn’t have to worry about interpreting things through a photograph.” the design process became much more dynamic And while this added complexity for MJ Abbott project manager Price who had to adapt resource planning as decisions were taken in the field The revitalised course delivers a bold strategy and breathtaking aesthetics “We really worked hard to identify strategic bunker positions based on their original placement but more in line with where shots were being hit with today’s technology,” explains Gorman we tried to find existing landforms to build into so they would be highly visible and make sense within the entire golf hole so you’re thinking about these bunkers when you’re standing on the tee.” This wasn’t to be a major earthmoving exercise “We had minimal limits of disturbance and quite a bit of rock underneath some areas of the site so we couldn’t move much,” says Gorman “It’s a beautiful piece of land and you really don’t want to move dirt We’ve got this spectacular one-of-a-kind landscape that we wanted to respect and make the bunkers a part of.” The overall sand area has been reduced and there are now fewer bunkers with every hazard playing a clear role in the strategy which at hole peripheries blend into the surrounding landscape while on more central hazards emphasise visibility You could pick out almost any hole on the updated course to illustrate the success of this strategy a pair of bunkers asks to be hugged for the best line each trap cut into a semi-circular ground contour The eye is then quickly drawn to the challenge that remains as the hole sweeps left and golfers are dared to broach another imposing trap for a chance of reaching the bunkerless green “Some of the best par fives in the world are where you really need to think about your second shot,” says Gorman “So many times you play a par five and it’s a throwaway What we tried to do on number eight is make sure that that you’re really thinking about your second shot if you hit a good drive and you’re a higher calibre player going for the green in two and what it means if you miss your shot what your recovery options are going to be.” all relatively central to the line of play force you to plot a route to the skyline green “We found this one subtle valley in the fairway on the left side and felt it was just a perfect bunker landform,” says Gorman but it also fit perfectly for the strategy of the golf hole There was an original ‘lighthouse’ bunker that was probably about 350 yards off the tee It looked good but from a strategic standpoint didn’t come into play except maybe for a second shot So we really wanted to take the same sort of aesthetic approach but turn it into a more strategic bunker that you’ve really got to think about off the tee.” restoring the greens to their original sizes has had a marked impact on the perceived scale of the course “Over time the green perimeters got really narrow and that’s something that we’ve all worked to get back,” says Gorman rolling uphill par four with a green that he says appears to pitch in the opposite direction now the original edges have been restored even though there has been no work at all on the internal contour of the putting surface Such changes in character are down to green expansion combined with the attention paid to green surrounds “There are all these great contours around the greens that were hidden in rough,” says Gorman If you play a forward tee it’s a great drivable par four and has one of the more spectacular rock formations with a natural waterfall during the winter That was a great existing complex that we probed out to get back to the original perimeter we worked here and in quite a few other places to sandcap those entrances and widen the surrounds where the green sits in a punchbowl and we were able to expand the fairway surrounds and really open up more dimensions in playability as opposed to it just being a one-dimensional shot out of the rough “It was like an archaeological effort around some of the greens as those were exactly the type of contours we wanted to identify and transform into short grass There are some great helping contours that if you have a keen eye you can find and hit “As the bunkers have now had a chance to grow in we’re making sure that the fescue doesn’t adversely affect playability,” says Gorman “One of the things we’re working with Steve on right now is some mowing pattern refinements where a well-played shot around a green surface isn’t going to get stuck in some of the fine fescue We’re just detailing some of those areas so if you hit a shot around a green off by a little bit you can find it and play it and it’s not too severe a penalty.” Gorman reflects on the experience as a one-off opportunity “It was really the first time I had ever been on a renovation 100 per cent of the time so for me personally it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had on a project to see and be a part of that process all the way from shovel to seed in the ground,” he says “If you look at the team that was involved who deserve all the credit in the world for developing this team John and MJ Abbott and the crew that was out there they poured their heart and soul into this project.” There is word that the club might be considering an increase in the size of its membership Let’s hope it does – the more that get to experience this place This article first appeared in the July 2022 issue of Golf Course Architecture. For a printed subscription or free digital edition, please visit our subscriptions page A groundbreaking film by Bertrand Mussotte illustrates in extraordinary detail the relationship between golf and nature at Vidauban Golf Club in the south of France Golf de Vidauban: Parcours de Biodiversité explores the relationship between the club and scientists from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris and details how the collaboration has given rise to extensive study of the rich biodiversity within the course surrounded by the Plaine des Maures nature reserve Robert Trent Jones Sr bought the Vidauban property in the 1970s with the intention of developing three courses and many homes Ultimately just one course and a small village were built Jones’s son Bobby returned in the 2010s to renovate the golf course The film project was spearheaded by Catherine Fournil executive director of the club’s Foundation for the Environment and made possible with the contributions and support of one of the club’s owners “The area in which Vidauban sits is not that well known but special as one of the world’s hotspots for biodiversity,” said Catherine Shot over two years and documenting the 2011-2020 partnership with the Museum of Paris to characterise the local biodiversity of the 870 hectare area the film highlights some of the positive contributions that the course makes to the environment including its role as a sanctuary for the Hermann tortoise from predators and as a buffer that limits the spread of devastating forest fires Scientists have identified over 3,000 species on site including the discovery of an unknown type of collembola and several insect species The partnership between club and scientists has also given rise to a new project focused on further integrating the course into nature This includes reducing maintained areas of the course and introducing grass types that are native to the area The knowledge gained throughout the study will also be shared with other golf courses to help them adjust their practices to improve their relationship with nature who represented the Jones family’s interests at Vidauban in the 1990s and has remained in regular contact with the club made Golf Course Architecture aware of the film He said: “This exceptional film needed a coincidence of efforts to bring it to fruition: owners who are sincerely committed to making the property a powerful statement about the ecology; a sizeable estate as a canvas for the story; the location in a remarkable area of Europe; and a person in Catherine with the passion for the ecology to focus on creating this unique footage.” the film is something of an epic in an age that is dominated by short clips on social media and the footage is both mesmerising and conveys an important message about how golf can coexist with nature and how the golf industry can cooperate with science When you write a Golf Advisor course review now through December 31 your review will be entered into Golf Advisor’s Rate to Escape: Maui Sweepstakes for a chance to win a five-star trip to Maui One Grand Prize winner and guest will travel in an AVIS rental car for six nights/ seven days of accommodations with the latest gear from OGIO to play on the finest fairways in Maui We’re also giving away 12 Golf Advisor Swag bags to lucky reviewers When you hear the phrase "most exclusive golf courses," I bet you think of names like Pine Valley But I'd also wager you probably know a couple of people who have played at least one or two of those courses My own dad has played Augusta and Pine Valley you nor your golf pals have likely ever heard of them And that's by design - you can count how many members they have on one hand and these courses have never appeared on any lists...until now Here are a dozen of the most insanely private golf courses in the world: Ziff is one of about two dozen member/owners of Cherokee Plantation near Yemassee The property is a few thousand acres large with a Donald Steel-designed golf course at the heart which hosts fewer than a thousand rounds in most years. The scant writings that exist about the club place the joining fee around $1 million and the annual dues around $85,000 This Johnny Miller/Gene Bates-designed course used to be the private territory of Robert Brennan who headed a penny stock trading company until he was jailed for a decade for money laundering in 2001 (after being released from prison named after the associated thoroughbred racing stable eventually ended up in the possession of a former Goldman Sachs executive and one of the co-founders of Arizona Iced Tea it is probably the least-exclusive course on this list with a relatively large membership (between 100 and 150 each in at a reported $350,000 initiation fee This Silicon Valley course adds a layer of mischief to mystery It belongs solely to Frys.com leader John Fry and it can stretch to more than 8,000 yards if all back tees are used by him or selected guests the Institute was built without the appropriate permits, but has since been deemed up-to-code At one point it was expected to take over as the host of the PGA Tour's now nonexistent Frys.com Open Cherokee Plantation co-owner Dirk Ziff also owns this nine-hole treasure tucked on a triangular plot along the Yampa River about five miles south of the ski-and-golf-mad town of Steamboat Springs Ziff's partner in the venture: former Augusta National Golf Club chairman Billy Payne You and I may never get on Windwalker but chances are PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan part of this mysterious club is actually visible from another course: the municipal Richter Park in Danbury But that's the closest you are likely to get to this layout unless you're an invited high-ranking employee or client of insurance giant AIG whose former CEOs Cornelius Vander Starr and Maurice Greenberg guided the property into quiet fame In addition to the immaculately-kept grounds those who have played Morefar have marveled at the statues and sculptures placed throughout the course The atmosphere and even the club's logo echo the Chinese influence on AIG's history This 17,000-acre preserve owned by Mark and Kimbra Walter (part of the ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers) is first and foremost a wildlife sanctuary Its nine-hole course was laid out in 1989 by Steve Melnyk and in the past has been available to visitors who make the necessary arrangements in conjunction with a tour of the wildlife preserve a new 18-hole course was built adjacent to the nine-holer The original plans were created by Pete Dye and a Google Earth perusal of the course shows all the hallmarks of a Dye design angled bunkers interspersed with small pots You may have read about Tim and Edra Blixseth who developed the extremely private (but still too well-known for this list) Yellowstone Club in Montana and subsequently fell on hard times when the now-divorced couple's financial house collapsed on them Porcupine Creek was the couple's private estate course until they were forced to sell it in 2011 Thereafter, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison would use the course as his private retreat even hosting President Obama for a round in 2015 (UPDATE: As of 2023, Ellison has converted Porcupine Creek into a super-high-end Sensei wellness resort but not nearly as much as the other courses on this list.) You've probably never heard of Port Lavaca about 125 miles southwest of Houston. You also probably haven't heard of its architect Mike Nuzzo. Built for a single client Wolf Point is the ultimate "backyard" golf course It has a standard 18-hole routing but is so broad and expansive that it can be played in numerous configurations. The lucky few who have been invited to play say the rumpled fairways heaving greens and firm conditions remind of The Old Course at St owner of the Dormie Network of private destination golf clubs purchased Wolf Point in 2020 and re-branded the club 'TX0,' which is the official code of the property's on-site airstrip but has been accessed by fly-in/fly-out guests in the last couple of years Thomas McBroom is little-known in the States but he is one of Canada's best-regarded architects So when late Canadian energy billionaire Paul Desmarais wanted to build a private golf retreat for himself and invited guests, he turned to McBroom who fashioned the course on Desmarais' hilly enormous and remote private estate northeast of Quebec City Invitees have historically been flown to the course in helicopters owned by Desmarais' company Australian media tycoon Kerry Packer had amassed a fortune of some A$6.5 billion Ellerston is at the heart of a multi-thousand-acre tract of land north of Sydney belonging to the family where Kerry Packer instructed Greg Norman's design team to find the best portion for a golf course and get to work The result is a course routinely ranked in the top five in Australia...not that you're likely to receive an invite bring a lot of golf balls - the course is regarded as one of the toughest in the world This is just one of many names to which this Robert Trent Jones tandem effort has been referred in the past With just two dozen captain-of-industry members this club near the town of Vidauban is so secretive that rumor has it that guests are blindfolded en route to the course in order to keep it as hidden as possible from the outside world The Prince of Morocco's palace contains a golf course within its crenellated walls which even border a couple holes of the Robert Trent Jones Unless you're an invited guest of the Prince you'll have to qualify for the European Tour's Trophée Hassan II event (or its pro-am) in order to tee it up here where many months sometimes pass between rounds though the course is always kept in perfect shape just in case the Prince has the urge to play unique and very expensive to join aside from the exclusivity EXPLORE THEM PRIVATE COURSESON THE PACIFIC SIDE YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED THAT THERE ARE A FEW COURSES BUILT BY LEGENDS LIKE TRENT JONES SR ONE COURSE I'VE PLAYED PERSONALLY IN THE PHILIPPINES IS NAMED " "MANILA GOLF C C." ......CURRENTLY $1.2M TO JOIN BUT MONEY AND FAME CANT GUARANTEE YOU IN!! MANNY PAQUIAO THE WORLDS BEST BOXER POUND FOR POUND WAS DENIED MEMBERSHIP 3 YEARS AGO !.CHECK IT OUT I have played it a few times at the invite of one of the owners Central New Jersey is fantastic terrain for a golf course I"am sure your probably right about being the least exclusive on the list but it is a fantastic golf experience and i would bet it would stand up with many on the list as being a great test of golf no two holes anything alike and Johnny Miller knows a thing or two about what it takes to make a great golf course Due process is a beautiful place to play - johhny miller would not recognize the place as so many holes have been re-done less than 65 members I was extremely pleased to locate this internet site I wanted to thanks for your time for this fantastic read! I definitely enjoying just about every little bit of it and I've you bookmarked to check out new stuff you blog post http://www.blackplanet.com/your_page/blog/view_posting.html?pid=5691180&profile_id=65955110&profile_name=miguel90b&user_id=65955110&username=miguel90b The back of the score card does not mention Bob Brennan's name it refers to the names of the other owners Brennan has zero affiliation with the club and does not play there One of the best risk reward courses with options on every hole fescue lines each hole making it play similar to a lateral hazard (but you don't get a drop if you lose it in there) All low key and just looking to slip out under the radar for a few hours of relaxation If you should somehow get on to play please remember our only rule: Play fast Oh and take good care of the caddies as they are the best in the business I’m fortunate to have played Cherokee several times and many of the courses discussed above how about this: almost as many Denalis in the cart barn for members and guests as golf carts and they'll cut the greens speed as requested by the member Els and Duval played a TV Shell's Match Play there in 2000 There were both over par at the turn and they moved the tees up for the back nine Surreal experience to play a course as the only group on it.The really tough gets: Augusta especially since guest policy change where member has to play with you Due Process belongs and it is really great Sharon CC is not difficult at all to get on Every i dotted and t's crossed.Anyone interested in One of A Kind Compount in Atlanta Built to face the test of time for generations Heavy duty work done ✅ New owner can complete to personal specification in 12 to 18 monthsSort like Cherokee Plantation in South Carolina Very special.Check it outthericehouseatlanta [dot] com Goodwood golf club located just outside of Toronto was built by a wealthy businessman for just himself until he passed a couple years ago I'm not sure who owns it now but there are very few members as of now It is true that Wade Hampton would not let Michael Jordan in I have had the chance to play their multiple times as there are 3 members at my club that have memberships Built for Augusta members when it is shut down in the summer I noticed The Golf Club outside of Columbus mentioned pretty much need to be a member at Scioto CC and Muirfield in Columbus to have a chance of an invite Pete Dye design with railroad ties similar to Crooked Stick Muirfield has gotten very corporate with over 700 members I played The Golf Club with a 15year member of Muirfield Village in town and he had never played it before Others I would add would be Ocean Forest on Sea Island I've also heard Bill Gates is building himself a new course in south GA in the middle of nowhere A new research centre is being planned for Provence that will see €5.5 million invested in a place dedicated to rosé featuring an experimental winery and vineyard Called Vitipole, it will replace an existing building and research centre called Centre du Rosé that was built in 1999 to focus on ways to improve pink wine production Vins de Provence MD Brice Eymard said that the current rosé research centre was now 25 years old and needed replacing if it was to expand its remit The new Centre du Rosé will be just 500 metres away from the current one which is located in the small town of Vidauban Eymard told db last month that the current building has been sold to the town while as much as €5.5 million has been earmarked to develop a new structure which will overlook a lake in the Argens Valley on the outskirts of Vidauban Eymard said that Vins de Provence along with other partners in the project were currently waiting for a permit to construct the new centre they plan to invite designs from a range of architects although there is already a concept for Vitipole As for the funding for the new Centre du Rosé Eymard said that it would be financed by the industry: CIVP Syndicat des Producteurs des Côtes de Provence Syndicat des Côteaux d’Aix en Provence Syndicat des Vignerons du Var and IFV) with support and subsidies from the SUD region; the VAR department and the French government such as Maison Mirabeau’s Guillaume Cordonis describing it as a statement of serious ambition for the region telling db that a new experimental winery will be “very helpful” with the existing one being “too small and old” while the proposed site will also have space for an experimental vineyard – something Vins de Provence currently has but in a different place almost 40km away in Brignoles The focus of research at the new Centre du Rosé will be on helping the region adapted to changes in climate as well as finding new ways to create wine more sustainably we will be looking at ways to make rosé using less energy and less water,” he said so we can provide good answers to all the questions from winemakers.” will be finished “in time to receive the harvest of 2027” and when db asked Eymard whether Vins de Provence might consider building an educational facility for the some 30 million tourists who visit the region each year he said that it was not on the plans at present “We are not planning a Cité du Vin like Bordeaux at the moment although we have discussed it many times,” he said before pointing out that even if it was to go ahead it would be hard to decide where to site it there is no one specific town for Provence – for example it [a rosé centre for the public] could be in Toulon or Nice Nevertheless, as previously reported by db, Vins de Provence is working on improving the connection between wine-related activities in the region and the huge number of visitors that descend on the area each year by building a website and app We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again Junior and Young Riders ChampionshipsVidauban Eurodressage's Astrid Appels took photos of all riders competing in Vidauban. If you are interested in photos, contact us by email with your name and the name of the horse The tee on the 12th hole at Golf de Vidauban The green on the eighth hole’s green This aerial view over the first hole shows the landscape surrounding Vidauban Anyone who has read Jim Hansen’s brilliant biography of Robert Trent Jones Sr will know the story of Vidauban; how Trent found a stunningly beautiful property in the south of France in the 1970s and bought it with the intention of becoming more than just a golf architect but also a developer Jones originally wanted to build three courses and over a thousand homes at Vidauban financial problems and the like meant it was 1991 before one course was completed and opened The project went bust and was taken on by new owners when it became clear that the planning consent granted after the purchase of the land had not included a tree clearing permit boss of the Liechtenstein-based construction machinery firm of the same name formerly global head of economics with Goldman Sachs and now a private equity operator (and coincidentally owner of the Machrie course on the Scottish island of Islay) The club remains something of a legend in golfing circles; known as Europe’s most exclusive golfing venue each of whom gets a bill each year for their share of the running costs One doesn’t have to spend long at Vidauban to understand what captivated Trent Jones in the first place a perfect example of the characteristic southern French landscape called ‘garrigue’ typified by low shrubland of thyme and rosemary and rocky outcrops To sit outside one of the houses in the small village development that was built for the use of members and their guests with a glass of local rose as the sun goes down is to experience France at her most perfect Across the road from the village lies the golf course built by Trent Jones Sr and his son Robert Jr (Bobby) and recently substantially renovated under the eyes of RTJ II architect Mike Gorman and his boss I first visited the course shortly before the renovation started and it is good to see the course – which was a little down at heel before the work – now thriving.  Vidauban is an interesting example of his work but it must surely be as ‘minimal’ a golf course as Trent ever built; while one can see evidence of where earth was moved in places in general the course is draped over the landscape in a way that one would not necessarily associate with the RTJ name and Vidauban was just a naturally better piece of property than most of those Jones got his hands on bearing in mind that the ‘Jones style’ is perhaps a little out of fashion in this day and age it is intriguing to see that he could do it the old way too was designed by Bobby when he revised the front nine routing in 1991 In front of the teeing complex sits a rock outcrop and a nest of bunkers on the left side of the fairway protect the ideal line into the green which has a substantial trap at front right But it’s the rear of the green that is most memorable as another bunker is used to meld the green complex into more jutting rock It’s a very pretty and very good golf hole.  There are plenty of other examples of this kind of thing going on at Vidauban There’s a couple of places on the golf course too where and Gorman has overseen the building of a rock feature lining a watercourse – restored to replace a man-made pond But this is a minor quibble in among all the good things to be found at Vidauban where the drive is basically blind but on entering the fairway one sees the sweep down to the well-placed green Dealing with the Vidauban renovation was a difficult project as Steve Briggs of contractor MJ Abbott explains below One should also give a shout-out to agronomist John Clarkin of Turfgrass Consultancy who fell so hard for Vidauban and the area that he moved his family from Ireland to Provence Clarkin has worked at the course for many years – when I first visited with many different grass strains and irrigation methods designed to cope with the water restrictions the course faced at the time Owners Hilti and Davies know they are the custodians of a special place in Vidauban but not to change the culture of the place and therefore are trying to recruit a relatively small number of additional members each of whom will be required to buy a share in the club Trent’s dream came close to ruining him and what was eventually built was far from what he had in mind – but it is a heck of a place.  This article first appeared in Issue 46 of Golf Course Architecture For 13-year old Ukrainian Anastasiya Pavelko her first international competition in the Children's division at the 2015 CDIO Vidauban on 5 - 8 March 2015 turned out to be a fluke Pavelko still landed twice into the winner's circle on Bernadette Brune's Kasimir TSF which the show host generously gave her to ride Pavelko only arrived in Vidauban one week before the show Her recently acquired Austrian horse Hans im Gluck (by Harvard x Leggiero) was deemed unfit to compete and Brune did not want to disappoint the 13-year old who had her hopes up for the show Bernadette kindly offered Pavelko to ride her own 13-year old Trakehner licensed stallion and small tour horse Kasimir TSF (by Ivernel x Charly Chaplin) With just one week to get used to her ‘loaner horse’ Pavelko worked very focused with Brune who coached her on Kasimir on a daily basis "She really listened so well to my tips and each day she improved on Kasimir," said Brune "She's a pleasure to work with and has shown great enthusiasm and dedication Anastasiya is very grateful for the opportunity to ride Kasimir "I'm so thankful to Bernadette for that horse,” Anastasiya told Eurodressage I was very pleased to get the ride on him!” and dropped to second place on the third day with 70.269% behind Italy's Leonardo Protti Anastasiya has been training with coach Olga Chuchkova in the Ukraine since she was six and she rides every day while also attending school and playing the piano “We train in Dnipropetrovsk city at my horse stable named ”Horses of Anastasiya" Olga trains very professionally," she added.Anastasiya’s plan for 2015 is to participate in as many competitions as possible with her major goal being the 2015 European Children's Championships held at Domaine Equestre des Grands Pins in Vidauban the first week of July Text by Sarah Warne - Photos © Astrid Appels - No Reproduction allowed Eurodressage's Astrid Appels took photos of all riders competing in the CDIO Vidauban. If you are interested in photos, contact us by email with your name and the name of the horse Related LinkEurodressage On the Scene at the 2015 Vidauban Dressage Festival French Grand Prix rider Michel Palun has passed away on 17 June 2021 Dressprod posted the news of Palun's passing Palun found his life comfort and passion in horses He has worked at a series of equestrian centres across France before going independent in 2015 in Annemasse He began his competitive career at national level in France in 2005 aboard Falcon III He rode in the national young horse classes with the then 4-year old Limelight at the  CDI 2008 Vierzon before making his actual CDI debut at small tour level aboard Jeronimo Brecourt at the 2010 CDI Vidauban In 2012 he returned to the international arena in Vidauban with a new ride the Oldenburg bred For Fortune (by Future x Rinaldo) In 2013 he once competed Yann Mouillot's Holsteiner Amaretto (by Aljano x Lorentin) at the CDI Vierzon Michel PalunIn 2016 Palun made a come back to the international stage with Tani Kramer's Hanoverian mare Priceless (by Prince Thatch xx A Jungle Prince) he competed the mare internationally in 2016 and 2017 up to medium tour level His last start was in April at the national show in Macon on Priceless He passed suddenly from a suspected heart attack He will be greatly missed in the dressage community Related LinksScores: 2010 CDI Vidauban - Week OneScores: 2008 CDI Vierzon Turfgrass is very much a global company with teams in Europe Turfgrass played a key role in the course’s redevelopment in 2018 and now oversees its maintenance agronomy and tournament preparation for the upcoming 2027 Ryder Cup Turfgrass has provided a range of services to Vidauban in the south of France over the last 20 years From humble beginnings in the small Irish town of Newtownmountkennedy in 1997 Irish golf consultancy Turfgrass has built an enviable reputation across the world for its expertise in golf course development Its client list reads like a who’s-who of tournament golf: Adare Manor whose start in the industry came as a greenkeeper at The Grange in Dublin before he set sail to America to study turfgrass science at Penn State then returned to Ireland to oversee the grow-in of Powerscourt Golf Club he set up his consultancy and in the early 2000s was joined by another turfgrass specialist who has been integral to the firm’s success As tour agronomist for the Ladies European Tour Mooney has been responsible for the turf presentation of the past five European Solheim Cup venues and Turfgrass is now preparing for the 2026 event at Kyle Phillips’ Bernardus design in the Netherlands “This enduring connection to the Solheim Cup is recognition of Julian and his professionalism over the last 20 years,” says Clarkin and the level of excellence we are known for.” “We have an exceptional team in all corners of the business,” adds Mooney but they are supported by great experts back-of-house we can’t achieve this kind of excellence.” the team has got bigger… and in a big way “The decision to expand into the US was made a while ago because a lot of American architects that we work with kept asking why we weren’t working there,” says Clarkin “And we received similar questions from the superintendents we meet at trade shows.” That decision has prompted a string of high-profile appointments and the assembly of a big-hitting US team formerly of the United States Golf Association (USGA) where he consulted on more than 330 golf courses and worked with superintendents to prepare 22 USGA championships “Everyone in Turfgrass has an extremely strong background in day-to-day agronomy championship agronomy and construction,” says Moeller “It is exciting to connect with likeminded individuals that want to continue learning and make these golf courses the best they can be based on their budget “My primary role at the USGA saw me work as an agronomist assisting courses with day-to-day agronomy and projects Working on USGA Championships was a great opportunity to be at a golf course for a 10-day stretch as opposed to visiting 10 courses in 10 days It was nice to see how much superintendents and the maintenance teams dialled up the conditioning to peak for those events.” Moeller also served as editor-in-chief of the USGA’s Green Section Record publication “It was great to get content out there to educate superintendents and talk about the latest research and trends to give turfgrass managers information that could help them,” he says “We provided a mix of technical content to make it easier for the superintendent to maximise the performance of their course but also help them communicate with golfers.” Moeller conducted research for the 2018 version of the USGA’s putting green construction recommendations I can move on to figuring out the best ways to maximise a rootzone for putting reconstruction focus on what a client wants from a playability and maintenance perspective and taking those principles and putting them into a golf course,” he says “Seeing that evolution is something I am excited about.” recipient of the 2022 Donald Ross Award from the American Society of Golf Course Architects A friend and mentor to Clarkin for the last 25 years Lawrence brings 40-plus years of industry experience and a vast network to the team “I have spent most of my adult life in the golf industry,” he says “My role at Toro afforded me the opportunity to work with architects anyone that has a significant stake in building or maintaining golf courses part of my tenure with Toro was solving problems It was how I spent a big part of my career working on some of the best projects and with some of the best people you learn and take away a lot of best practices from those experiences “I came from a principle-centred company – that’s why I stayed at Toro forever And I consider John and his team principle-centred They focus on quality and doing things the right way; both are very important to me This role provides me an opportunity to use skills I’ve learned from working with the best of the best I can also bring my knowledge of knowing the best people out there the best solutions and recruitment.” whose 38 years at Augusta National have included 29 as senior director of agronomy and therefore responsibility for conditioning at 29 Masters Tournaments “Coming from Augusta means a culture of excellence is ingrained in my DNA,” says Owen “My role involved a lot of project management and implementation People don’t realise that perhaps with that title or because Augusta is famous for the tournament and its conditioning half of my year was spent planning projects it felt like it was the right moment to move on and the timing was good for me The opportunity at Turfgrass came up and its global growth will allow me to travel and be involved in some interesting projects I look forward to using my talents and knowledge from Augusta to contribute at Turfgrass and spread that knowledge in the United States certainly Year after year of preparation for the Masters has equipped Owen well for the new role “There’s a lot to consider,” he says “I also had to think about bringing in the right people and organising their efforts to complete a project in short order given our 100-day summer I take great pride in bringing such projects to fruition and making it look seamless and as if it was always there so I am looking forward to contributing that to the group.” Turfgrass’s new US team will assemble on the island of Eleuthera in The Bahamas for its first project working with Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Architects on the new Cotton Bay course developing agronomic specifications for sand and outlining how the course will be maintained The team is making agronomic visits during construction to make sure the course is built correctly and with future maintenance in mind and will handle grow-in agronomy and maintenance inspections all the way through to opening Turfgrass’s US team will be prioritising newbuilds “Our job is to protect the golf course and its legacy,” says Clarkin “The way to do that is to get it right from the beginning of the development or redevelopment We look at the course five years down the line and how we can value engineer the project to make sure it is on “If you’re going to build a Rolls-Royce you make sure you know how much it is going to cost to run it – the same can be said for a golf course It is important to build out the matrix for the budget of the course going forward: knowing how much it costs to maintain and assisting the superintendent in understanding what we can do to make it more efficient “The aim is to maximise the amount of money that the client has to produce the best quality golf course possible They have been doing that all of their lives and they’ll be able to bring that to other courses throughout the United States.” This article first appeared in the October 2024 issue of Golf Course Architecture. For a printed subscription or free digital edition, please visit our subscriptions page Entering the arena to the theme from The Wizard of Oz Sweden's Jeanna Hogberg debuted her new freestyle format at the 2013 CDI Vidauban After a successful practise run which placed her fifth in the kur on the first week of competition Hogberg and her exciting mare Liza Minelli received a winning reception in the kur on the last show day Sunday 10 March 2013 "My highlight of the Vidauban CDI was actually the GP Freestyle in the first week The freestyle was going on at the same time as the Gala Night so we had a great audience and it was fantastic to ride in the highlighted arena," Jeanna told Eurodressage "It was also the first time I rode my new freestyle and I really enjoyed it Very happy with her results throughout the entire two weeks of competition Jeanna performed the freestyle again in the second week winning with an outstanding score of 72.750% "It was even better in the second week and I scored more than one percent higher," she exclaimed Among her many great results during the Spring Tour show Jeanna was awarded a 3rd and a 4th in Prix St Georges and a 5th in the Inter 1 with her 9-year old mare Darcia (by Danone x Don Schufro) who she hopes will be her future Grand Prix horse "I am very pleased with  Darcia and believe she made a great international debut with 69,7% in Prix St Georges She is still not very experienced but very talented in piaffe and passage," she said and a 5th and a 1st in the Grand Prix freestyle Jeanna had a very busy but extremely successfum two weeks on her top horse Liza Minelli (by Cortez x Ganesco x Dolomit) The gorgeous dark bay beauty produced far more than she had expected "The results are fantastic and I didn't expect it to go that well when I went down to Vidauban," she confessed "Last year in Vidauban I had results around 65% with Liza and this year I had three times over 70% and great results from the O-judges." Hogberg enjoyed showjumping and eventing a lot but she found that the pony often stopped and she would be left to fly over the fences solo "My mother didn't enjoy it as much as we did Her pony turned out to be super nice even for dressage and Jeanna was awarded a silver in the Swedish Championships on that talented Welshman Though in Vidauban both her horses performed above her expectations Jeanna feels that Liza was actually a little tired in her body when they made the trip down to the south of France "I had to take it very easy the first days and wasn't sure if I could start the Inter II or not," she stated "I decided to take "a jog" around the Inter II so that I would have her fresh for the GP the day after and she finished with her best results ever in Inter II Though Liza Minelli is a very active and willing horse Jeanna thinks it is often better for her to be a little relaxed as otherwise the pair can enter a little too wild sometimes "This was also the greatest challenge at this competition to keep the horses fresh in their body and muscles "They arrive with a long trip in their body and have two weeks of competitions ahead." Liza was one of her first horses after her Pony The pair has learned almost everything together "I have another GP horse that I educated firs so that I could do things a little bit better with Liza Now I hope that I can do it even better with the young one I have coming." Certain Liza is the best horse she ever had Jeanna has never won as much on any other horse and is lucky to have a horse with so many outstanding qualities "I won my first international competition in Vestfold with her and I won my first international Grand Prix at the Helsinki Horse Show last year with her She is an amazing competition horse but with a lot of integrity," she explained Piaffe has been more difficult but probably because I started it too late and because I wasn't experienced enough Of course it's simple with a horse that has got great talent for it but it's possible to teach even the ones that don't have a natural ability to do it." The show dealt with much rain and stormy weather but Jeanna believes that Vidauban is still a lovely place to be "When I went into the zig-zag in the first Grand Prix the fences fell down behind me and of course the zig-zag was not the best one I've ever done Other than that the show crew solved all the problems caused by the weather in the best way and we actually got some sun the last days It's a very good way to start the season!" Jeanna made a stopover at his stable in Germany on the way to the competition She says the touch-up was just what the pair needed I have developed a lot since I started to train with him," she said At home Jeanna daily trains alongside Mads Hendeliowitz as they are both situated at Segersta yard Jeanna believes these extra eyes on the ground "We look at each other almost every day and are often at the same competitions where we can coach each other," she explained "I think that is one of the reasons for our success in these recent weeks." by Sarah Warne for EurodressagePhotos © Astrid Appels - No Reproduction allowed A strong British squad of 16 riders with 19 horses has landed for the annual two week Vidauban CDIs in southern France The riders were greeted with a heavy dusting of snow earlier this week; not what many were expecting of Spring in the region Competition got underway this morning and Britain already has two winners 20-year old Amy Woodhead won the Young Riders Team Test with her smart stallion Pardon with 68+%   2012 Pony team debutantes Phoebe Peters and SL Lucci were victors in the Pony Team Test with a fabulous 73+% Olympic Team Gold Medallist Carl Hester tops the senior entry with two big tour rides Aram Gregory's super-talented Dances with Wolves and Jenny Green's stallion Fine Time IV who Carl is riding for new mum Gemma Appleton made his grand prix debut less than two weeks ago scoring a great 77.45% but this will be his first test at this level on the international stage Henriette Andersen has two rides in Layla II who is in her second season at grand prix and Flavio an eight year old who's been with Henriette for three years and makes his international debut Peter Storr also has rides at big and small tour level with Belmondino looking for experience to cement his GP credentials while Fabioso has had a great deal of success at small tour but has just one season with Peter in the saddle Judy Harvey and Richard Heley's loyal Fitzcerraldo will be looking for some good form in a bid for a European Championship team while Dan Sherriff and Bayford Hall Dallagio are back to competition after their pre-Olympia setback Lisa Hopkins and Lindsey Roberts' Walkman BC make their first trip abroad and with wins from their two GP starts this season look in good form Anna Davey rides Two Mills Call Me Playboy while Jonny Clarke-West has Khartoum for the second week only French-based Amy Bird rides the Vivaldo-sired six year old Cambel B and Sam Rahmatallah contests five year old Seagry Sanay Britain has just one Young Rider combination in Amy Woodhead and Pardon they've already made their mark on the competition with a win in the YR team test - they'll be in action on Friday again in the individual test with the freestyle on Saturday Five pony combinations have travelled out to make an early start to their campaign for a coveted British Team place 2012 team members Phoebe Peters will be hoping for a continuation of the good form which earned them their flag in their debut season Isobel Berrington (DHI Langar) and Amber Barton (Doctor Little) make up the quintet Related LinksScores 2013 CDI VidaubanFourth Edition of the Spring Tour Set to Take Place at VidaubanPhoto Report: British Tour de Force in Small Tour at the 2012 CDI Vidauban Aiming to reach young rider level by next year Switzerland's Caroline Marie Scheufele produced stand-out results in the junior division on the first week of competition at the 2013 CDI Vidauban on 28 February - 3 March 2012 She proved that she is up to the challenge "I was really happy about my results in Vidauban and I thought I produced some really nice tests," the 17-year old told Eurodressage Winner of the Junior team test with 67.833% Caroline dropped to second in the individual with 67.237% but rose up to finish victorious in the Kur with 70.150% "My horse was amazing throughout the entire competition and I felt that he was really working hard with me," she explained my score dropped a little in the individual test because he jumped a flying change alone too early." Caroline revealed that she and her trainer designed the Kur themselves and sent it to a professional to match the music "The music was chosen by the professional and we went with Spirit of Madagascar because it is fun and it matched my horse really well," she said At the 2012 European Junior Riders ChampionshipsMaking a start in dressage at age 10 Caroline lives next to a dressage-only stable so she was led into this discipline mainly due to proximity "I choose them as my trainers because I live just 2 minutes walking distance from their stable." Taking the arena on a very wise dressage master Caroline's winning horse is the 17-year old Remmington Steel (by Ravallo) "I have been riding him for that last 4 years  after school and  I love that he always wants to work and gives me his best everyday." Given the ride on Remmington Steel by trainer Pamela Caroline began on him when he was at M-level Now she is facing the new challenges associated with the move up to Young Riders level "I know it will take a lot of dedication to reach Young Rider level next year but for the time being I'm just excited about the move," she admitted While she believes the S-level test to be a much harder programme Caroline is already focusing her training on perfecting those movements "It will be difficult to do the flying changes every fourth and third stride so I  am working a lot on that now," she explained With two horses to ride everyday after school Caroline tries to see her friends at least once a week but knows that she must take a lot of time with her horses She has owned him for 9 months and he is Intermediaire I ready Enjoying both her horses for different reasons Caroline hopes that both will continue into the future but he still loves working and so I really have no clue when we will put him on retirement," she expressed Still in high scool Caroline aims to have a professional career in the family business which should leave her the time to also follow her equestrian dream "My family own a watch company and when I finish school I hope to be a part of that," she confessed is to go to the Europeans and be able to ride the Kür there." Related LinksScores 2013 CDI Vidauban - Week OneBritish Pony Rider Phoebe Peters Blasting Away Competition at 2013 CDI Vidauban Bernadette Brune's Trakehner licensed stallion and small tour horse Kasimir TSF has been retired from competition sport and will be standing at stud at Gestüt Elmarshausen for the 2020 breeding season Kasimir is an 18-year old Elite Trakehner licensed stallion by Ivernel x Charly Chaplin x Arogno He is bred by Petra Wilm from Gestut Tasdorf and was initially owned by Dr who sold him to German Grand Prix rider Bernadette Brune  when she was still based at her yard Domaine Equestre des Grands Pins in Vidauban He became a premium stallion at the 2004 Trakehner Stallion Licensing in Neumunster and did his 30-day performance test in Schlieckau in 2005 scoring 8.50 for dressage and 7.49 for show jumping A year later he did the 70-day testing in Marbach and scored 129.47 for dressage He totaled 1320.62 points and placed 2nd out of 14 participating stallions Kasimir was mainly focused on sport instead of breeding the 2010 Trakehner Mare Performance Test winner and licensed son Dow Jones Camp and Kasimir at the 2007 BundeschampionateHe was first competed as a 3-year old by Katja Camp in 2005 He won silver at the Trakehner Championships and placed 11th at the 2005 Bundeschampionate A year later Philipp Hess took over and as of 2007 he moved back to Katja and Lydia Camp's stable In 2008 he finished 15th in the consolation finals at the Bundeschampionate In the autumn that year Regine Koch showed hum As of 2010 Kasimir partnered with Anna-Lena Kracht and they competed at small tour level and in the Young riders' classes They were 5th at the 2011 German Young Riders Championships Kracht rode him until his sale to Brune in the autumn of 2011 Bernadette Brune and Kasimir began competing at international small tour level in the spring of 2012 through 2015 Pavelko and Kasimir in 2015In 2015 Kasimir competed in the brand new children's division under Bernadette's student The pair represented Russia at the inaugural European Children Championships in Vidauban and placed fifth The pretty bay stallion's talents were at small tour and as Brune moved up to Grand Prix she leased the stallion as a small tour ride to Sophie and Franziska Kampmann in 2016 In 2017 he was ridden by Elisa Braune at junior rider's level until July 2018 The Trakehner society proclaimed Kasimir elite stallion in 2013 The last few years Bernadette Brune has been operating from her German base and she has now decided to retire Kasimir from sport and have him stand at stud Kasimir will be standing at Gestüt Elmarshausen for the 2020 breeding season Bernadette Brune and Kasimir"In his career Kasimir achieved 19 victories at S-level and more than 50 placings at S-level," said Brune "He has two licensed sons so far and sired 20 state premium mares In 2015 he was second on the World Ranking List for Children which proves his outstanding character and rideability I'm looking forward to our collaboration with Gestüt Elmarshausen and wish all breeders a good season." Argentinian international dressage judge Janine Rohr-Cicurel has passed away in the early morning of 10 August 2024 Born in Cairo in 1947, Janine Cicurel grew up in Egypt alongside her brother Ronald a well known mathematician and neurobiologist The family was expelled from Egypt in 1957 by the Nasser regime and moved to to Lausanne where Janine studied and rode under Henri Chammartin Forty-five years ago she emigrated to Argentina for work reasons with her then-husband She took on the Argentinian nationality upon arrival and lived in Buenos Aires which provided her with a comprehensive understanding of the sport She competed for Argentina in the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana She bred and trained three beloved horses - Bergerac Mesnil le Roy and Dante - from young horse to Grand Prix level She became an FEI 4* dressage judge and 3* eventing judge and steward in 2009 She was a member of the ground jury at the North American Young Riders Championships and the 2010 and 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games In the early 2010s and being fluent in French she judged at many French CDI's including Vidauban She also officiated at the CDI Sydney in Australia but continued to judge nationally in eventing Janine acted as a consistent driving force for dressage in Argentina and trained many riders and horses as well as educated judges She established the first school for coaches in the three equestrian disciplines always prioritizing the welfare of the equines "She leaves a significant legacy characterized by her educational work and achievements as both a competitor and mentor judge and trainer," said Mexican dressage judge and FEI Dressage Committee chair Maribel Alonso Janine lost her only son three years ago and is survived by one grandchild Related LinksJudges' Panels for 2010 Dressage Championships SelectedScores: 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games a former multiple Italian Young Riders' team horse Remidemi was a 1998 Bavarian bred gelding by Rabano out of Patparatscha (by Pik Labionics x Fruhlingstraum II x Gigant) The Bavarian gelding was bought from Therese Meran by the Schumann family as a Christmas gift for Xenia in December 2012 The liver chestnut gelding made a late competition start in life and only first appeared on the international show scene in 2013 ridden by the Austrian junior rider Xenia Herta Schumann They were fifth at the 2013 Austrian Junior Riders Championships In 2014 Xenia had declared to ride for her mother's country Italy and debuted at the CDI Caselle di Sommacampagna with the Italian flag on her saddle pad They were selected for the 2014 European Junior Riders Championships but at the CDI Hagen he injured his eye and had to undergo surgery He lost his left eye but coped well with the new situation and went on to win double silver at the 2014 Italian Junior Riders Championships Riding for Austria at the 2013 CDIO-J HagenIn 2015 they moved up to Young Riders level and ended up representing Italy at four European Young Riders Championships In 2015 they were 33rd in the individual test in Vidauban in 2016 they placed 41st in the individual test in Oliva Nova in 2017 they were 55th in the individual test in Roosendaal and in 2018 they placed 45th in the individual test in Fontainebleau At CDI's they won in Lipica in 2016 and Brno in 2018 The 2018 Europeans in Fontainebleau were the pair's last international show The horse was a schoolmaster for junior Susanne Mayer and competed with hernationally in Austria in 2018 and 2019 at a handful of shows The horse's last show in his career was in June 2019 at age 21 He enjoyed his retirement for a further four years Xenia and her 'One-Eyed Pirat' Remidemi (Photo © Vera Janosch)"Remidemi had an esophageal obstruction We tried all we could but he did not make it," Xenia's mum Sabine Schumann told Eurodressage "He will be remembered as one of the best schoolmasters of all times He spent the past years having fun with our breeding mares and foals playing around in our big fields We will dearly miss this wonderful  schoolmaster and family member." French Grand Prix rider and national champion Arnaud Serre has officially retired his mount Helio II from international competition after winning the Grand Prix Kur to Music at the 2012 CDI Vidauban on Sunday 11 November 2012 Serre and Helio II scored 71.375% to win the Vidauban freestyle After the class a special moment was inserted into the program to untack Helio II in the arena as official gesture for retirement The story of Helio II is one filled with strong emotions for the people involved with this now 17-year old grey Andalusian stallion (by Flamenco XII x Viva II) Helio's breeder and co-owner Dominique Rozière made the decision to retire the stallion Helio II rose to stardom under Sylvie Corellou Sylvie started him as a four year old and took him all the way to international Grand Prix level She competed the horse at many CDI's and French National Dressage Championships The partnership between Helio II and Corellou came to a tragic end when the rider died in a horrible car crash in February 2010 Helio II moved to the stables of Arnaud and Anne Sophie Serre where the stallion matured into a force to be reckoned with on the French dressage scene Serre and Helio became the 2010 and 2011 French Grand Prix Championships and were selected on the French team that competed at the 2011 European Dressage Championships in Rotterdam Serre and Helio II started their competition career as a combination in Vidauban and have now ended their partnership at the same show Photo © Rui Pedro Godinho Portuguese Gonçalo Carvalho's Grand Prix horse Batuta has tested positive to controlled medication at the 2015 CDI 5* in Vidauban The FEI exclusively confirmed the positive medication test to Eurodressage today was selected for testing at Vidauban CDI5* The sample has tested positive to a Controlled Medication Substance An administrative procedure has been opened against the Person Responsible Neither the horse nor the rider are provisionally suspended." The positive medication case has not yet been officially published on the FEI website no entry will be made on the FEI website in this case until the Administrative Sanction is accepted by the Person Responsible and we cannot comment any further on this case," FEI press officier Malina Gueorguiev told Eurodressage Batuta is a 9-year old Lusitano mare by Quixote out of Jandaia (by Icaro) She is registered with the FEI as owned by her breeder Sociedade Quinta Terras since 2010 However when in 2014 Spanish Jose Antonio Garcia Mena started to score major victories with her in her first international Grand Prix tests she was listed as owned by Coudelaria Herdade das Figueiras Batuta was started as a youngster by Figueiras' young horse rider Bruno Moreira She then left Portugal to go into FEI level training with coach Jan Bemelmans who allocated the ride on her to Garcia Mena In July 2014 Batuta sold to a new Portuguese owner the syndicate International Sport Horse Investment 2012 Portuguese Olympian Gonçalo Carvalho got the ride on the mare France for the two weeks of competition there she contested the 2015 World Dressage Masters She finished second in the Grand Prix with 73.140% and won the Grand Prix Special with 77.765% One month later the pair competed at the CDI Vilamoura in Portugal Carvalho and Batuta were entered to compete at the 2015 CDIO Saumur and are currently in France They were scheduled to ride the Grand Prix today (1 May 2015) but scratched a 2015 and 2017 World Young Horse Championship finalist He is the full brother to the popular breeding stallion Springbank II Springbank VH is a 10-year old Swedish warmblood by Skovens Rafael out of De La Reinne VH (by De Niro x Rohdiamant x Amiral) the beautiful chestnut gelding won the 2013 Swedish Young Horse Championships Under Swedish Jeanna Hogberg the highly talented horse made its international show debut in the 5-year old young horse classes at the 2015 CDI Vidauban and won four tests out of four with 80+ scores Hogberg then went on to represent the Swedish warmblood society at the 2015 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses in Verden where they finished fifth in the preliminary test and 14th in the finals They finished the year by winning the Swedish Young Horse Championships but Springbank I disappeared from the scene after Verden In January 2016 it was announced that a half share in the ownership of the horse was sold by owners Jeanna Hogberg and majority share holder Springbank reappeared in the show ring under Helgstrand They went to the 2017 World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo where they placed 11th in the 7-year old preliminary test In the Finals he was quite tense and ended up 14th Helgstrand and Springbank VH at the 2017 World YH ChampionshipsSpringbank VH then disappeared from the international spotlight He returned to the show arena in June 2018 at national Prix St Georges level in Denmark under Carina Nevermann Torup In August 2018 she rode him at the Bundgaard Cup qualifier in the PSG - Inter I and Inter I Kur with scores of 72.06% More than one year absence from the show ring followed and Springbank returned at the local show "Dressur Halloween" under Soren Wind at M-level in November 2019 Springbank VH has now been sold to Vance Diggins from Paramount Equestrian Centre in Colorado Diggins is a passionate amateur dressage rider who does real estate development He rides Mette Rosencrantz' former international Grand Prix horse Marron (by Michellino) as his schoolmaster and the 8-year old Hanoverian Fabulous Lee (by Furstenball) He has now added Springbank VH to his string as a small tour horse Vance Diggins on Fabulous Lee in ColoradoSpringbank has arrived in the U.S.A at Steffen and Shannon Peters' yard in Arroyo del Mar "Vance will come out  with his other two horses to train as of 1 March," Shannon told Eurodressage Lynna Maas has sold her 14-year old internationally competed Grand Prix horse to the Dutch based Japanese dressage rider Satishi Maeda Zamora is bred by G Verhoeven and is by Krack C out of Mora (by Farrington) Under Lynne Maas the long-legged chestnut gelding represented The Netherlands at the 2010 World Young Horse Championships in Verden They were the Dutch Fourth Level Champions in 2011 and earned bronze at the 2012 Dutch small tour Championships They made his international FEI level show debut at small tour level at the CDIO Rotterdam in June 2012 They went on to show in Leudelange three months later and then took almost two year off from international shows to prepare for Grand Prix Their CDI Grand Prix debut was at the 2014 CDIO Rotterdam  The pair's most active CDI show year was in 2015 when they showed in Vidauban They did one show in 2016 (Den Bosch) and one in 2017 (Uggerhalne) Maas and Zamora were B-squad listed for The Netherlands who recently ended her engagement to Laurens van Lieren and moved stables decided to sell her gelding as she has two younger Grand Prix horses coming along Julie de Deken and her number one Grand Prix horse Lucky Dance showed their moves at the 2014 CDI Nieuw en St placing second in the Grand Prix and fourth in the Kur two weeks after making their World Dressage Masters' debut at the 2014 CDI 5* in Vidauban The duo is well on its way to qualify on the Belgian team for the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen Julie and her 13-year old Hessian licensed stallion Lucky Dance (by Lucky Lionell x Placido Sun x Pik Bube) made their senior team championship debut last year at the 2013 European Championships in Herning and they hope to recapture that spot in 2014 In order to cement her position amongst the Belgian top Grand Prix riders and to improve her scores this season Instead she worked hard during the winter months "I focused on training the basic qualities," Julie explained "I wanted to be able to ride him with more power as well as confirm the piaffe and passage even more I wanted to be ready to take it up a notch before returning to the show ring." Her improved scores this outdoor season are the fruits of careful and dedicated training the past half year Julie and Lucky Dance started the off in sunny France for two weeks of competition at the CDI Vidauban The first week the pair had a rolling start getting re-accustomed to the show atmosphere and captured a second place with the Belgian team in the CDIO Nations' Cup The second weekend in Vidauban they found their groove in their first World Dressage Masters They scored 68.560% in the CDI 5* Grand Prix and qualified for the WDM Kur to Music finals in which they finished 8th with 71.050% "It was such a unique experience to ride the World Dressage Masters," Julie admitted "The show received a lot of attention and some big names were there I really had to focus on switching the button after the first week to improve my act I had this underlying worry that something could go wrong but fortunately I was able to ride a solid test and for the first time scored above 68% internationally I was thrilled that in both classes Lucky really wanted to go for it It was also a fun extra that for the first time I could actually go home with a bit prize money." Vidauban proved to be the ideal preparation to kick off the season in the lead-up to the 2014 CDI Outdoor Zeeland in Nieuw en St De Deken scored 69.980% in the Outdoor Zeeland Grand Prix and finished right behind Belgian Olympian Claudia Fassaert on Donnerfee the pair went on to place fourth in the freestyle with 72.275% Joosland was an absolutely highlight for me," Julie rejoiced "Of course I wanted to confirm what I had achieved at the World Dressage Masters Lucky was top fit and I rode my best Grand Prix to date with a personal best score as a result It proved to me that I'm on the right track." who was Belgian Talent of the Year in 2010 is based at Arjen Teeuwissen's exquisite yard in Malle She also travels to coach a small amount of young In her daily training she is assisted by Teeuwissen who was Holland's biggest medal winning rider in the early 2000s after the retirement of Anky's Bonfire Julie also regularly commutes to Belgian team trainer Sjef Janssen in Erp "The next show I want to compete at is Glock's event in Treffen then the CDIO Aachen and the Belgian Dressage Championships," De Deken stated "My ultimate aim are the World Equestrian Games and if everything keeps moving along the same way It would be fantastic to ride at my first WEG!" Photos © Samantha Fotografie - LL-foto Returning to the international dressage scene Spain's Olympic medalist Juan Antonio Jimenez was delighted with his two FEI stars Naomy and Elevado at the 2013 CDI Vidauban begin March The 2012 Spanish Small Tour Champion is ecstatic to have four Grand Prix horses on the rise with as fourth iron in the fire the Lusitano Vietkong which reminds him of his hay days with Guizo At the 2013 CDI Vidauban the Madrid based rider brought along his own 9-year old Hanoverian gelding Elevado (by Falkenstern II x Weltmeyer) and Yeguado Hispano Suiza's 9-year old Hanoverian mare Naomy (by Hofrat x Espri) for the small tour classes Elevado scored up to 69.632% in the young horse Prix St Georges whereas Naomy posted a score of 71.100% in the Intermediaire I Kur to Music "Vidauban was my first competition of this season and I am very happy with the results," Jimenez told Eurodressage "Vidauban is a competition I like to go to every year because it is is very well organised and I like the level even though this year I thought we weren't so very lucky with the weather!" Taking out the team bronze medal at the 2002 World Equestrian Games the team silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and finishing in a fantastic individual fifth place at the 2005 European Championships in Hagen Jimenez achieved major career highlights aboard the crowd favourite Unfortunately the bay stallion unexpectedly passed away in the autumn of 2006 and abruptly ended Jimenez' days in the international spotlight Certain that every career has its ups and downs Juan Antonio never stopped competing and preparing horses he was happy to admit he could show off his hard but patient work in Vidauban With four horses currently in competition Juan feels as though he now has top quality in his stable that will get him the great results again The black mare Naomy he praises for her wonderful temperament "She is psychologically very balanced and very collaborative in her work," he said With the dark bay Elevado he has set his hopes on Grand Prix next year has large movements and is already at Grand Prix level but I hope to compete him in Grand Prix next year." While the two dark coated warmbloods have recently kept Juan Antonio's name high in the international show results the Spaniard has not denied his roots and still has a big heart for the Iberian bred horse His third exciting horse in his string of show mounts is the 11-year old Lusitano Vietkong (by Estoiro) who is particularly special because Juan has had him for nine years "I'm the owner of Vietkong and he is very strong with spectacular movements He was born in a stud in Portugal and then sold to Spain This year I will start showing him in Grand Prix and his first competition will be the 2013 CDI Toledo I think he's a horse that will give me great satisfaction." His second Lusitano Raio is 15 years old and has been his seasoned Grand Prix horse while he worked on preparing the next super stars at home "Raio has an excellent temperament with very correct movements Juan has set unique goals for each of his upcoming talents and is determined to get them where he wants them to be "Raio I hope to continue competing at international level and Vietkong I want to start in Toledo and achieve a high level," said Jimenez disclosing this his dream would be making the Spanish team again He wants to move Naomy and Elevado up to Grand Prix at the end of 2013 While each of his horses needs a different training plan Juan Antonio knows that some give him more work than others His goal is to obtain the same feeling under saddle at shows as at home "My overall aim is of course to ensure that my horses enjoy the work," Jimenez added Occasionally coached by Jack Van Hulsteyn and Luis Lucio Jimenez manages his own riding school in Madrid and loves to have students but only a few as his training duties take up the majority of his time "I can only take on a few students at a time because I am too busy training my own horses at an international level," he admitted Looking forward to this weekend's CDI Toledo Juan Antonio is excited to bring along Vietkong and Naomy He feels this is an important competition not just because of its location but also because this is a Spanish team selection event "I like to go there because it's close to my stables are and it's an opportunity to compete internationally," he said because of the changes in the management of the Spanish Equestrian Federation the selection for the national team will be done there." The greatest challenge of his career has been his journey back to the top and Juan Antonio is working towards this goal every day The pleasure of riding such talented horses on a daily basis keeps him motivated to get up in those early mornings A familiar face has returned to the show arena with a new rider one of Charlotte Fry's career starting horses British junior Lily Payne has taken over the ride and made her national show debut The 15-year old Dutch warmblood by Flemmingh x Columbus is bred by Bosman-van de Most in The Netherlands and is listed with the FEI as owned by R Z Flemmenco came into Charlotte Fry's life when the gelding was a 4-year old He was a livery at her late mum Laura's yard and put up for sale as a 7-year-old working at Elementary Laura thought he could develop into a perfect junior horse for Lottie After Laura’s sad passing in September 2012 Lottie started campaigning both a still-green Dinky and her mom's Remming at junior level Remming made it on the British junior team in 2013 and Z Flemmenco on the team for the 2014 European Junior Riders Championships in Arezzo where they scored the best-of-Brits finish with a 10th place in the Kur At the 2015 European Young Riders Championships in Vidauban Fry competed Z Flemmenco from 2014 through 2017 with the CDIO Compiègne in May 2017 as their last start "I spent some time training him to Grand Prix and competed him at Inter 2 in Holland but I really felt he enjoyed the Junior and Young Rider classes more," Fry told Eurodressage The 15-year old Lily Payne has now leased Z Flemmenco The Payne family is closely connected to Fry as they previously took on Lottie's FEI pony Andexer "It's really nice that she now has Z Flemmenco they are building up a really exciting partnership," said Fry "She's aiming to compete him at Junior level." Lily made her international show debut in the children's division on Beckhouse Cancara (pedigree unknown) in Le Mans She competed at the 2018 European Children's Championships in Fontainebleau Payne and "Dinky" made their first public outing on 26 May in the U.K "Dinky and I have made our debut and it’s one to remember," said Payne "Setting our standards yesterday (26 May) and being able to improve by 4% today (27 May) resulting in a 73% in the AM85 with even more to come is just so encouraging The biggest thanks goes to the team at home and to Lottie Fry for trusting me with her boy." British Dressage's international director and a former international Grand Prix rider said goodbye to her penultimate international dressage horse Fitzcerraldo was a rising 25-year old Sachsen-Anhalt bred gelding by Feuerbrand out of Asternblute II (by Ajan xx x Jupiter II x Guam) The bay gelding was born in 1998 and bred by the Gottburgsen breeders' group very cheaply" by Harvey as a 3-year old and was a rambunctious character "There are rather a lot of us who got bucked off him," said Harvey Fitzcerraldo was first competed by Irish Roland Tong as a youngster He premiered as a 5-year old in 2003 at Addington Manor at Novice level Tong and Fitzcerraldo at the 2004 WCYH in VerdenThe pair competed at the 2004 World Championships for young dressage horses in Verden where they were 9th in the consolation finals for 6-year olds Tong competed the horse for three years through the early spring of 2005 after which Judy Harvey took over the competition ride at Medium and Advanced Medium level in May 2005 Harvey sold the horse to Richard Heley but retained the ride In 2006 they moved up to small tour level and finished first in the Intermediaire I and second in the Inter I Kur at the 2006 British Dressage Championships They made a winning grand prix debut at Patchetts in August 2007 Their international show debut was in 2008 at the CDI Hartpury and from then on competed at numerous internationals through 2014 Their last international was in Vierzon in July 2014 Harvey and Fitzcerraldo in 2012They won four international classes: the Grand Prix at the CDI Vierzon in 2010 (68.638%) the Grand prix and Special at the 2010 CDI Sevilla (67.958% and 66.208%) and the freestyle at the 2014 CDI Pompadour (69.050%) Their last major show was the 2014 British Dressage Championship Fitzcerraldo was retired at the end of 2014 at age 16 "We stopped competing him when he was diagnosed with Cushings but he continued working as a school master giving so many specially selected riders the opportunity to experience the advanced work," Harvey reminisced "Only very recently he stopped working in the school and would just have a stroll down the lane each day." Judy returned to the international stage in 2016 for one season on the KWPN bred Blitz (by Rubiquil x Osmium) Fitzcerraldo On 6 February 2023 Harvey decided it was time to let go of Fitzcerraldo "Today is the day that I have been dreading," she explained "We said our final goodbyes to the wonderful Fitzcerraldo At 24 years old and having battled with Cushings and then EMS since he was 16 this week he was looking uncomfortable and not his usual self there was nothing more the vets could do for him Judy looks back on a fabulous time with this horse "Thank you Richard Heley for allowing me the honour of riding this fabulous horse International Grand Prix victories and team slots that gave me my coveted Team Flag We travelled all over Europe together spending many weeks in the winter training with Bert Rutten in the Netherlands Italian Grand Prix rider Laure Clementine Simonnet has passed away unexpectedly after a short illness She initially competed for her birth country France but as of 2014 rode for Italy Laure Clementine inherited the passion for riding from her father She spent her childhood in Paris but was instructed at the National Equestrian Centre in Saumur  After going to college she decided that a life with horses was hers Initially she competed both in dressage and show jumping but after she moved to Italy twenty years ago she first focused more in show jumping before she fully commited to dressage She competed two horses at international dressage level Her first was the Oldenburg gelding Danny Wild RR (by Danny Wilde x Warkant) with whom she made her CDI debut in Vidauban They stayed in the small tour for five years until they did their first and only Grand Prix level CDI in Nice in October 2018 Her second international horse was the Brandenburger mare Donna Argentina (by Diamond Hit x Argentinus) with whom she made her medium tour debut in June 2017 in Pompadour and her Grand Prix debut in October 2018 in Nice Simonnet in 2012She last competed Donna Argentina at the national show in San Giovanni in Marignano at the beginning of February 2022 Laure Clementine sadly passed in her sleep on 27 March 2022 "Clementine was a rarity in the world of dressage a combination of a truly great coach and an amazingly genuine and humble person She will be missed greatly," a close friend of hers told Eurodressage Laure Clementine lost her father Roger Simonnet Related LinksPompadour Show Organizer Roger Simonnet Passed AwayGerman Triumph at Fabulous Fourth Edition of CDI Jiva Hill Stables in Crozet German former pony team rider Sophie Kampmann has leased the Trakehner licensed stallion Kasimir TSF from owner Bernadette Brune as her new young riders' horse Kasimir is a 14-year old Trakehner stallion by Ivernel x Charly Chaplin x Arogno As a youngster the bay stallion finished 8th in the consolation finals under Lydia Camp at the Bundeschampionate in Warendorf Anna Lena Kracht competed the horse at small tour level and they were fifth at the 2011 German Young Riders Championships in Freudenberg In 2012 Bernadette Brune acquired Kasimir from Wilm as her small tour horse The pair made their international debut at the CDI Vidauban in February 2012 and they competed extensively till September 2014 In 2015 Ukrainian Anastasiya Pavelko took over the ride on Kasimir and competed him at the European Children Championships in Vidauban Brune got back in the saddle in July 2015 for three more shows in Cappeln Kampmann has now leased the stallion as her new young riders' horse The pair made its national show debut at the Schiffdorf competition on 14 May 2016 where they placed 5th and 7th in the S-level and Prix St Georges Special class Since then they competed at the CDN's in Stubben At last weekend's Trakehner Championships they were 2nd and 4th at small tour level Photo © Stephan Bischoff This year German based French dressage rider Jacques Albeck has made his come back to the show ring after a two-year break from national competition sport His last international start dates back to nine years ago Aboard HP Escalibur Albeck competed at the 2023 CDN Ankum on 6 - 9 October 2023 He returned to the arena with this horse in July 2023 at a national show in Neustadt/Dosse The Berlin based Albeck is in the real estate and wealth management business and an avid dressage lover He is a former treasurer of the International Dressage Riders Club Albeck competed actively in international dressage sport in the 2000s with Grand Prix horses Rubinstar (by Rubinstein x Barsoi), Rossini (by Rohdiamant x Donnerberg) Collin (by Contender x Schampus xx) and Richmond (by Rheingau x Festivo) The latter two horses he took over from Hartwig Burfeind He represented France on the Nations' Cup team at the 2013 CDIO Vidauban Other horses Jacques competed include Rubens and Da Capo His last international show was on Richmond at the CDI Deauville in July 2014 He rode Richmond last on national level in November 2014 the business man Albeck competed at just four regional shows with Dante (by Don Bosco x Brentano II) Rybac (by Royal Hit x Don Schufro) and Sabre (by San Amour x De Niro) Albeck on Sabre at the 2021 CDN SamernIn Ankum in October the 63-year old piloted the 9-year old Oldenburg gelding HP Escalibur (by Escolar x Sir Donnerhall x Donnerhall) to 63.421% for a 13th place in the Intermediaire II The bay gelding is bred by Danish Lone Boegh Henriksen and was presented at the 2017 Oldenburg Saddle Licensing but not accepted He sold at the Oldenburg auction in Vechta for 19,000 euro to England but six months later was resold The Albecks are a horsey family with his wife and children also involved in the sport His wife Simone (née Flemish) also competed in Ankum and with Haya (by Hochadel x Hofrat) she finished 6th in the Grand Prix on 67.967% and second in the Special with 71.405% Their daughter Joy is a former French pony team rider who gave up the sport after her pony career in 2011 Brand new European Young Riders Champion Dana van Lierop has lost the ride on her individual test gold medal and team and Kur silver medal winning horse Equestricons Walkure The mare is now being prepared for Grand Prix Van Lierop received the ride on the 10-year old Oldenburg mare Equestricons Walkure (by Romanov x Donnerschwee) from the horse's owner The agreement was made for the entire 2015 show season up until the 2015 European Young Riders Championships in France While Van Lierop was still hoping to compete the horse at the 2015 Dutch Dressage Championships in Ermelo the owner decided not to extend the agreement after Vidauban as for him the priority lies with the mare making the transition to Grand Prix level in the next few months The collaboration between Arl and Dana van Lierop has been a very successful one Dana rode Arl's FEI pony Equestricons Lord Champion to  the 2009 Dutch Indoor Champion's title and got team silver and kur bronze at the 2009 European Pony Championships In 2010 they won the Dutch Imperial Riding Cup and team gold at the European Pony Championships In 2011 she received the ride on Equestricons Day of Diva and won Kur Gold at the 2011 European Pony Championships in Poland This year she repeated those stunning feats with Equestricons Walkure Van Lierop and Walkure were highly successful this season sweeping every single class they competed in at the 2015 CDI in Wellington They also won two classes at the 2015 CDI Nieuw en St Joosland and were second in the team test at the CDI Roosendaal and CDI Compiegne They won the Dutch national KNHS MDH-Kostendrukkers Young Riders Cup in Etten-Leur before heading to Vidauban where they won the team and individual test and were second in the Kur with scored of 76.500% "The mare has clear talent for Grand Prix and I want to develop her towards the big tour," Arl explained to Eurodressage expressed their gratitude for making Walkure available for the Dutch young riders' team this year I love to support young riders to achieve the top of their potential on my horses but Grand Prix is always the ultimate goal." A double runner-up in the Grand Prix and Grand Prix kur at the 2013 CDI Vidauban Sweden's Mads Hendeliowitz and his equine partner Weihenstephaner raised the bar in week two of the competition finishing close behind training partner Jeanna Hogberg He feels that given the results the training must be paying off "The first week we were 7th in the Grand Prix as Weihenstephaner had the worst muscle-ache in his shoulders and it took four days of massage before I could work him again," Mads told Eurodressage by week two he was fit for the fight and I did my best to catch my team mate and training buddy Jeanna and I was happy to be in second place in both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix freestyle." Having been with Weihenstephaner formost of the horse’s life Mads was lucky that the horse was owned by his former trainer and so was granted the opportunity to ride him from an early age "Maria and I bought him when we started our relationship and he was just 8 at the time and not in full training due to an injury." Mad's kur is based on Coppola’s The Godfather and the whole freestyle revolves around the mafia theme with intrinsic musical elements "The reason for this was Weihenstephaner’s character: he is a true gangster and it was not until this past year that I have been able to trust him in competition," Mads confessed "Prior to this year he had his own ideas of what was expected of him and why he was in the arena." Mads feels the horse has changed much since he started training with Sweden's top rider Patrik Kittel "Before we started with Patrik our piaffe and passage felt difficult and now we are finally getting it to where it’s supposed to be," he said Mads other horse Jimmy Choo also produced some outstanding results: taking first place in both the Prix St Georges and the Inter I kur in addition to his second place in the Inter 1 "Jimmy Choo is by Sandro Hit x Don Schufro and we bought him and after seeing him loose for two minutes in Johan Iverssen and Birgitta Kjellin’s riding arena in the south of Sweden They got him through a trade when they sold Tellwell to Laura Bechtolsheimer," Hendeliowitz expmained A great horse right from the very beginning the Oldenburg licensed stallion Jimmy Choo was originally named Schufro With Hendeliowitz he won the championships for 6 year olds in their first year together and he was the highest ranked 7 and 8 year old dressage horse in Sweden "Jimmy competed in the Prix St Georges and Inter 1 for 7-9 year olds in the first week and won both of them with around 73%," said Mads  proudly "The second week he again won the Prix St Georges but was second in the Inter I as he was a little tired and without enough collection for the inter 1 we warmed up in the indoor arena since the warm-up arena outside was under water." Mads reckons they rarely have freestyle tests in Sweden and the pair had only done this routine once before This horse loves attention and knows exactly what's to come when his groom Frida gets him ready He won with almost 74% and received very nice complements from the judges." With one of the horse's best features being his mind Mads knows Jimmy loves to show off and confirmed that the dark bay grows about 10 cm when entering the ring "I can still hear Patrik's voice from the week before competitions ringing in my ears: “Do at least 100 halts a day- when you think you've done enough He also prevented me from competing in the smaller tours with him since Jimmy’s piaffe and passage are ready to be put together We still have some work with the one-time tempies but we hope to start Grand Prix by the end of this year With their first outdoor competition in Sweden not until May Mads is glad to already have one successful outdoor outing under his belt "We were in Vidauban last year as well and we have loved both the competitions," mentioned Mads "It´s great to be able to start the outdoor season so early in the year and when we arrived back at Segersta in Sweden it was minus 15 degrees with lots of snow." In Vidauban Mads felt the weather was not behaving as they had hoped Gusting winds and terrible rain lasted nearly the entire week not being conducive to optimum competition conditions "The staff working on the show-ground had a lot to do trying to keep the arenas acceptable," he said "Overall though we were really happy about the running of the competition and it's always nice to meet the same organisers again plus the area itself is always nice to visit." Dedicated to his dressage goals Mads not only captured the eye of the judges but also seems to catch the ears of the public during his warm-ups as well "People around me in the warm up must think that I'm terribly strange but there is not much I can do," said Mads Mads believes that mucoviscidosis (cystic fibrosis) might be the cause of his oral outbursts but so far the doctors have been unable to make a concrete diagnosis "For a while I had asthma medicine and it helped a little I can never eat within 2 hours before riding and this is difficult when I compete with many horses the same day I also have problems getting enough air at times it feels like an asthma attack but it never goes all the way," he admitted the pair spent three days at Patrik Kittel's place on the way down to Vidauban and they hope to stay with him all the way to 2016 "We have worked with him for a little over a year and he is an amazing person When Patrik agreed to come along on our Segersta team in our efforts to reach Rio we were more than happy it's a great help to have such an experienced rider to help us reach our goals." Mads hopes that he and Jeanna will first be able to journey to Horst (depending on if they are chosen) and then make their way through a jam-packed competition calendar If it's possible we might try to go to London towards the end of July," he added by Sarah Warne for EurodressagePhotos © Astrid Appels - No Reproduction Allowed Astrid Appels was photographing in Vidauban the second week of competition. If you are interested in prints of your photos, please send us an email Australian A-team rider Briana Burgess has retired her number one Grand Prix horse La Scala an 18-year old Rhinelander gelding by Lancer II x Rembrandt The qualities of La Scala were first recognized by Ullrich Kasselmann who then sold the horse as a 10-year old to German Grand Prix rider Natalie Stickling Morzynski In 2011 the gelding came under saddle of Finnish Henri Ruoste who showed him internationally in 2012 at CDI's in Vidauban In the autumn of 2013 La Scala sold to Australian Briana Burgess who was looking for a competitive Grand Prix horse Burgess and La Scala made their CDI show debut in December 2013 at the Roosendaal Indoor competition and immediately scored 70% in the Grand Prix making her a very strong Australian team contender They continued their success tour in 2014 with starts in Drachten Burgess' strong performances caught the eye of the Australian selectors for 2014 World Equestrian Games' team representation but the pair failed to show up at the final selection trial in Compiegne due to fitness issues and were not picked for the team which caused much upset on the Australian dressage scene won the case and earned her spot on the team La Scala was not fit enough to compete and Burgess had to withdraw from participation Tomkinson stepped in last minute as team alternate and represented her country in Caen Briana and La Scala returned to the show ring in March 2015 and competed at four more internationals that year; in Vidauban Their last show was the 2016 CDI Lier at the beginning of March where the pair first retired in the Grand Prix but then achieved 68.320% in a second Grand Prix class and 70.625% in the Kur to Music "Three weeks ago I decided to retire my la Scala from his competitive career which also means no Olympic contention for this year," Burgess explained "We have had three amazing years together and a great partnership none of it possible without super trainer Patrik Kittel - a huge thank you and also to my beautiful parents who have been the best supporters La Scala has had an incredible journey in life traveling around the world now causing daily chaos is the field and enjoying a well deserved retirement." and particularly those who like French wine a cheaper week-night offering using the mourvèdre grape Provence’s Domaine Tempier will always have a special significance The estate was a favourite of those celebrated shapers of the British and American conception of the Provencal good life the food writers Richard Olney and Elizabeth David and Californian chef Alice Waters with the Mediterranean idyll of long lunches of daube de boeuf on sun-dappled terraces The red wines – deep and meaty and fragrant with rosemary thyme and lavender – still play on that appeal And whether it’s the stunning set of three special cuvees from special plots of the Peyraud family vineyard in the Bandol appellation while La Bastide Blanche offers a lot of dark and savoury intensity for the money Follow David on Twitter @Daveydaibach This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media The 15-year old Australian warmblood Grand Prix gelding HP Frontier has passed away The bay gelding was retired from competition in May 2013 after sustaining an injury but his condition deteriorated and he had to be euthanized The tall dark bay gelding HP Frontier was owned by Finnish Katja Kuistila and last competed by British Grand Prix rider Sarah Millis "Unfortunately his condition deteriorated and to avoid any suffering the most difficult decision was made to put him to sleep," Millis explained loved by so many and will be missed so much." Frontier was bred by Holstein Park stud in Australia and was by Falkrich out of Liberty Light (by Sterling Liberty x Lander) He first came into the spotlight under Australian rider Judy Dierks Between 2006 and 2008 Dierks competed him at FEI level In 2009 the horse was shipped to Hof Kasselmann in Germany to be sold PSI rider Stefanie Kerner competed him briefly and in 2011 the horse re-appeared in the international show ring under Millis and owned by Kuistila Millis and HP Frontier showed at top competitions in Neumunster Katja Kuistilan for the time she gave me with this very special horse," Millis concluded British born Grand Prix rider Dane Rawlins has switched nationality and declared to ride for Ireland who has devoted much of time and energy to promoting dressage in Great Britain sees more opportunities for his personal career riding for Ireland "I have spent many years training riders and horses setting up BYRDS and serving on the national committee and so on as well as being part of the International Dressage Trainers Club," Rawlins told Eurodressage "Continuing to promote dressage as a sport and to have an international platform from which to do it through Dressage at Hickstead is still really important to me and I devote a significant amount of my time and energy throughout the year to ‘the cause’." The idea to switch passports was suggested three years ago by Irish colleagues Rawlins has connections in Ireland with family living there as well as his long standing association with Irish Horse sport Dane declared for Ireland definitively in 2011 creating new opportunities and challenges," Rawlins explained "I am really delighted and honoured to be given the chance to represent Ireland," Dane said "It is a new and exciting phase for me and one that I look forward to with great anticipation and excitement." Rawlins' current Grand Prix horse is Lady Harris's Holsteiner mare Sydney (by Linaro x Calypso) which Harris acquired as a 6-year old and competed herself from novice through to medium for a couple of years "She very generously gave the ride to me as she felt the horse had tremendous talent and wanted to see her train through to Grand Prix," Rawlins explained "Sydney is only twelve years old and is really just starting properly at this level so I have much work to do but  I love competing and believe Sydney has all the talent required for top international competition." Rawlins made his first international appearance for Ireland at the 2011 CDI Vidauban last month finishing third in the Grand Prix with 65.745% Photos © Pascal Lahure (courtesy DEGP) - Rui Pedro Godinho Turn autoplay off Turn autoplay on Please activate cookies in order to turn autoplay off Provence spans several very different winemaking regions, and this wine route starts in Toulon heads down to Saint-Tropez across the vineyards that cling to the edge of the Mediterranean through classic Provençal landscapes of lavender fields and olive groves into the wild countryside of the Massif des Maures this are now also makes some exciting red wines with many young vignerons moving towards organic production so don't be surprised to see horses ploughing through the vineyards or a herd of grazing sheep replacing weed killers Village bistros serve hearty portions of traditional Provençal cuisine and although the grand châteaux tempt travellers with luxury accommodation many winemakers are also beginning to offer more affordable B&Bs You have to go off the beaten track to discover the small estate of artisan vigneron Régis Scarone hidden away in the wild Vallée des Borrels a 20-minute drive inland from the Côte d'Azur Cultivating vines that are over 50 years old with the white and rosé aged in old-fashioned cement vats and a mix of old and new barrels used for the red Although he has virtually eliminated chemical treatments in the vineyards Regis steers clear of the official organic certification because 'there is just too much bureaucracy' You'll be hard put to find better value than his crisp Trois Chênes rosé at €6.40 barrel-aged for 14 months.• 45-19 3emes Borrels Doubles from €65 including breakfast; table d'hôte dinner including aperitif Further information: Tourist board: visitvar.fr; wine information: routedesvinsdeprovence.com; car hire: carrentals.co.uk John Brunton blogs on thewinetattoo.com Our series of top 10 guides to global wine regions 17 Jun 2015: California’s Paso Robles wine route: top 10 guide 7 Aug 2014: Piedmont wine route: top 10 guide 21 Feb 2014: Languedoc wine route: top 10 guide Worldwide wine routes index My partner and I recently made our first trip to Paris and stayed Hotel Residence Des Arts for three nights The hotel is located on the left bank one… The 'forgotten' area of France and yet possibly one of the most stunningly beautiful Velo Vercors is a cycling company run by an ex professional British cyclist Roger Dunne and his wife Teresa Harte in the beautiful Vercors region of south… one of the first destinations many will think of is France British dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin has sold her Grand Prix horse Fernandez by Florestan x Weinberg is off to Kleppenhus Denmark today (13 September) where he will be owned and ridden by Norwegian team rider Cathrine Rasmussen Ms Rasmussen lost her number one horse Orlando to colic on 29 August and has been looking for a replacement Charlotte’s employer Carl Hester brought Fernandez out onto the international scene in January And Charlotte, who was on the gold-winning team at the European dressage championships made her grand prix debut on him at Addington in April Since then offers for the gelding have been pouring in and Charlotte has finally decided to sell “I’ve just done the hardest thing and that is saying good bye to my best friend in the whole world Fernandez,” she said He is the most amazing horse I could have ever owed perfect in every way and whenever things get tough he always puts a smile on my face “I will never forget all the wonderful things we have achieved together from novice to grand prix.” France (Reuters) -A wildfire burning in the hills behind the French Riviera resort of Saint-Tropez since Monday has killed at least two people Some 1,100 firefighters as well as water-bombing aircraft are fighting the blaze that has scorched more than 7,000 hectares of land and forced the evacuation of several thousand people from their homes and campsites Firefighters have so far been unable to contain the blaze as a strong ‘mistral’ wind fans the flames across a tinderbox landscape New fires broke out on several flanks during Wednesday Holidaymakers on the Mediterranean coast watched from their sun-loungers as paddleboards as thick plumes of smoke blew across the sky Police had to shut down one stretch of motorway because of poor visibility The blaze broke out in the Plaine de Maures nature reserve The fire had swept through half of the reserve causing an irreversible loss to biodiversity junior government minister Berangere Abba said “We have some hope conditions will ease tonight but there are no guarantees,” local prefect Evence Richard told a news conference adding that it was still too early for those evacuated to return home or to their holiday lodgings President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday left his nearby summer retreat to thank the firefighters for their efforts Waves of extreme heat have hit much of the Mediterranean region in recent weeks Greece and Turkey raising uncomfortable questions over global warming and countries’ preparedness Powered by PageSuite