Pictures Breitlingh, Elena & Accenta update (after 4 years...)

Four Seasons

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Hi everyone!

Some may still know me, some probably won't. I haven't posted in here for the past 4 years I realised. I have done the occasional reading here and there, but you know, life happened...

So where to start... do you remember my thread of the World Cup dressage in Omaha, USA? Well in September of 2017 I broke my back, of course because of horse riding... Accenta had an absolute rodeo fit and had me flying. I landed on my neck and was out for a minute or so. When I woke up I couldn't feel my legs. Trauma heli and ambulance came, they called off the trauma heli (DAMN IT! I've never been in a helicopter before!). They drugged the hell out of me and to hospital I went in the ambulance. Stayed there all evening, x-rayed my whole body, but they said nothing was broken and I would be very muscle sore for the next few days. I tried my best to walk as much as I could, walked the dogs, tried little things around the horses, but the pain was immense. Finally managed to convince the hospital that they needed to check again. This time they did a full neck and back CT scan. T8, T9 and T10 broken... stable, but broken. At that point, I had been walking around with a broken back for 10 days! Of course I cried, at least 3 months of no riding, no walking, stuck in bed. I was bouncing off the walls.

So, to add to all of that. The person who I worked for, as a FEI groom, completely freaked out on me. Stupid me, had a verbal contract with these idiotic people. I wouldn't be able to work for at least 4 months. They refused to pay me in the time I was off. Luckily I have insurance for legal cases, so I went after them and I had a whole lotta FEI grooms willing to back me up and provide evidence against them. They stated I had previously only ever worked 18 hours a week for them (I worked +/- 64 hours a week for them, even more when we were at shows). I was so ready to take them to court over this and give them an insane amount of negative media attention. This was the last thing they wanted, so they gave me a good pay-out after 5 months of battling. I also wished I could have filmed some of the behind the scenes training and dumped it on the internet for everyone to see. FEI does not check the nosebands properly, that is a fact! I remember how tight my poor horses noseband was (not fastened by me!) and the FEI could not even get a tip of a finger between the noseband. They passed the European championship check after the Grand Prix test in 2017. Do not ask me how and why. This is the case for multiple dressage horses under other nationalities and it's disgusting. Before all of this happened, I adored some of the worlds best riders. Now I have lost all respect for 75% of them. A lot of people don't believe me, but I couldn't care less. What I have seen with my own eyes, it still makes me tear up after 4 years.

In 2019 I had to let my old boy, Norman, go. He had severe arthritis and was in so much pain. There was nothing we could do for him anymore. He was 26 years old. He taught me everything in life. To this day, it still feels like a huge part of me is missing. He was the softest, moodiest, but cuddliest old guy. He deserves a mention.
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Onto something more positive now! So I quit horses after breaking my back. Physically not possible for me to work with horses anymore, just can't handle it. So I now have an office job and weekends! Who knew they existed.... My black mare Elena has come along so much since the last time I posted about her. This is 4 months after my accident, back on and riding again.

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This is about 6 months after my accident, but of aqua training on the beach.
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This is back in 2019, little body builder!
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And this is the most recent footage I have of her (a year ago!!). Our first outing after lockdown in the Netherlands and our first time together at this level.#

At the moment I'm just training her and enjoying some occasional hacking. Hopefully we will be out and about again in August.

Onto Breitlingh. She has been living the easy life, bit of riding, bit of hacking. And she is now preggers! :D They are both getting on in age (they still have at least 20 years in them I hope!), but wanted a piece of Breitlingh for the future. I had a look at some KWPN stallions, Oldenburg stallions... but my eye fell for Cassanova du Bois. A Welsh pony, standing around 147 cm tall, perlino in colour. Guaranteed a palomino or a buckskin and a nice small sized horse for me. She is due 20-05-2022!
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And last but not least, Miss Bitcherino (her nickname after breaking my back), Accenta! After my fall, my mum didn't dare ride her anymore. Accenta has been ridden since, but I moved across the bloody country (my parents live in Rockanje and I now live in Eindhoven), so I couldn't ride her anymore. We decided to breed with her, as she is a rare breed (Frederiksborg). She foaled last year, we named the foal Saffron and she has been sold to a very loving home. She is now in foal again, also to Cassanova du Bois! We didn't choose a Frederiksborg stallion this year, as Denmark (the head studbook) are being complete and utter **sholes (excuse the language). So very excited to see the result of this combination! As she is a palomino and Cassanova is double dilute, guaranteed a colour.... could be palomino, buckskin, perlino or cremello! Very exciting! She is due 23rd of March, 2022. Photo of her foal from 2020, Saffron.
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And now it won't let me post anymore pictures. So I will leave it there. I'll try to keep you all more updated on things, as it's going to get quite exciting next year! Foalies on the way! Congrats if you made it all the way through!
 

shortstuff99

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Wow that was a wild story! Good to see you back again, I used to enjoy your posts :).

I'm sorry about you breaking your back, I had similar and it does really change your outlook (I know longer jump).

I also agree about some of the top riders, I know some bad stories from jumpers and dressage riders that are very loved on here and I just think ?.

I hope we keep hearing from you!
 

TPO

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Jeez you've really been through the mill.

Glad that you've made a full recovery and excellent news about your foals. Good luck feeling the next two.

I hope you'll stick around and keep sharing updates
 

Cragrat

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What a story!

So lovely that you are still so positive and enjoying your own horses after all that.
 

hobo

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Great update and lots of beautiful pictures but my heart flipped a beat at Norman but I have a soft spot for Fjords.
 

MissTyc

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Gosh what an update! Lows and Highs - I really admire your positivity. It can't have been easy at times. Beautiful horses and you are such a beautiful rider too!
 

Four Seasons

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Wow that was a wild story! Good to see you back again, I used to enjoy your posts :).

I'm sorry about you breaking your back, I had similar and it does really change your outlook (I know longer jump).

I also agree about some of the top riders, I know some bad stories from jumpers and dressage riders that are very loved on here and I just think ?.

I hope we keep hearing from you!

It's nice to read that I've not been forgotten :) Oh no it does change your outlook on life. But yeah, the FEI riders... what happens behind closed doors. I really wished that I'd recorded some of the stuff going on. I would have been able to close down 2 major stables with that evidence...

Jeez you've really been through the mill.

Glad that you've made a full recovery and excellent news about your foals. Good luck feeling the next two.

I hope you'll stick around and keep sharing updates

Thank you!

What a story!

So lovely that you are still so positive and enjoying your own horses after all that.

Have to admit, a couple of years ago I wasn't so positive as I am now. Now I realise how lucky I am, still being able to ride. :)

Great update and lots of beautiful pictures but my heart flipped a beat at Norman but I have a soft spot for Fjords.

I love Fjords. Norman was quite the dressage star, won the regional championships back in 2011, between all the fancy dressage ponies. :)

Gosh what an update! Lows and Highs - I really admire your positivity. It can't have been easy at times. Beautiful horses and you are such a beautiful rider too!

Thank you!

That’s quite an update, awful about your back and the saga that came with it, but lovely pictures.

Thanks :)
welcome back!

glad you are doing well now, look forward to hearing more about your horses

Thank you, planning on getting a training session filmed soon, will pop that on here too. :)
 

myheartinahoofbeat

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I remember you and Breitlingh and the struggles you had with her lameness. How lovely to hear she is preggers. I was always a bit of a lurker on here but can't remember what name I went under four years ago.Your horses are so gorgeous. So sorry to hear about your accident but relieved to here you are back riding. The dressage world sounds awful, I have had my suspicions about some of the so called stars of the sports but didn't realise some of them might actually be true. Anyway, welcome back and all the best for the future.
 

splashgirl45

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used to like reading your updates, welcome back. glad you are feeling positive and are back riding, your horses are beautiful and i am looking forward to more updates
 

j1ffy

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I'm another who used to enjoy your posts, it's great to see you back! Sorry to hear about all the trials and tribulations of the last few years - I'm pleased to see you've come through them so positively, and your horses look wonderful.
 
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