German Grand Prix rider Stefanie "Steffi" Wolf married her partner, Stephan Viehoff. The couple announced the news on 28 December 2023. Wolf was the long-time head rider and manager at Johann Hinnemann's barn in Voerde before she went independent in 2022. Viehoff is a consultant specialized in business mediation and marketing. He is also a board member of the Deutscher Akademischer Reiterverband e.V. and a hunter.
In the wake of the upset caused by Operation X, revealing alleged animal abuse at Helgstrand Dressage, the Danish Riding Instructor Association (DR-IF) also got hit by bad weather as Helgstrand was one of its prime teaching and training locations for certified riders in Denmark. On 30 November the board or directors decided to expel four of its members (Andreas Helgstrand, Thomas Sigtenbjerggaard, Maria Anita Andersen and Ole Hummelshøj). In a second extraordinary general assembly today, the DR-IF created a structure that will carry the association forward. Nikolai Kowalski has been elected the new chairman, Allan Blomgren is deputy chair and Maria Bjørnkjær Asferg and Anders Vestergaard Carlsen are new board members.
Following the sudden departure of Dietrich Sifkovits as secretary-general of the Austrian Equestrian Federation (OEPS) after staff members made strong allegations of bullying, sexism and racism, OEPS has now appointed Franz Schiefermair to this function as of 1 January 2024.
German based Polish Grand Prix rider Beata Stremler lost her 6-year old FEI prospect Fulminant B. The Oldenburg gelding by Franz Ferdinand x Belissimo M was first competed by Stremler in July 2021 and she trained him up to M-level. His last show was in April 2023. On 19 December Beata posted that Fulmi's health had taken a turn for the worse and on 21 December he sadly passed away. Fulminant suffered from lymphatic cancer and was euthanized. "I'm heart broken. It's the worst time of my life. He was the most intelligent, happy sunshine on earth," Beata told Eurodressage.
In November Spanish dressage rider Alvaro Gomez Pavon joined Kerrigan Gluch as an assistant rider at the PRE breeding farm Hampton Green Farm in Ocala, Florida. Alvaro was born in Écija near Seville, Spain. He began his riding career working for Juan Manuel Muñoz and continued his training with Jordi Domingo and Claudio Castilla. He has trained young horses from novice level upwards and competed mainly in Spain. He has two CDI starts to his list: the CDI Madrid in 2021 with 7-year old Quidam Royual and the 2022 CDI Myakka City in Florida aboard the 5-year old Magnum M. Together with his life partner, 2016 Brazilian Olympian and 2018 WEG team rider Giovana Pass (who also trained with Claudio Castilla in 2020), he runs a small dressage stable in Ocala.
German dressage rider and breeder Magdalena Post (née Leusmann) lost her battle to cancer and passed away on 2 September 2023. She was 66 years old. Originally from Salzbergen, Post and her sister Maria Leusmann were passionate about horses from the start and distinguished themselves as one of the most successful breeders in the Westfalian area. Many of Post's horses sold through the Westfalian auction and were price highlights, like Eine Offenbarung, Status Symbol, Vision, Bombino Bianco, . The most famous horse Post probably had in her barn was Dorothee Schneider's Forward Looking, which she competed at the Bundeschampionate. She leaves behind three children.