What's News - May 2008

Donner Carina is finally back in Australia ! 

Donner Carina flew into Australia on Saturday 26 April 2008. She is currently in good health at Easter Creek quarantine station. Carina will be released from quarantine and return home to Saffron Stables on 17 May 2008.

Carina went to Germany on 17 July 2007. She spent the entire time in Germany at PSI. Carina was ridden by Frederic Wandres under the training supervision of Ulli Kasselmann. Andrea went to Germany in March 2008 to see Carina's training progress. Carina was in excellent health and her work was superb. Ulli and Frederic have done a great job in improving Carina's riding quality - she was very forward and loose in the German style. Hopefully Carina will be happy to return to work after her 6 week "quarantine holiday"!  

What's News - December 2007

20 Dec 2007 - Donner Carina's colt born!

On 19 December Donner Carina's first foal was born- he is a colt by Welfenadel- and absolutely superb.
He is called Donner Welt and is definitely stallion quality. Particularly outstanding head and neck - and great presence.

Super energy too! Fast birth, fast standing and then running! He is an embryo transfer from
Carina - his "surrogate mother" is a trotter Pattie - who is enjoying being and  Mum and doing a superb job.

Meanwhile- where is Donner Carina?
Donner Carina is still in Germany! She flew to German on 18 July 2007 to compete at the World Young
Horse Championships on 2 to 5 August 2007. Unfortunately this was not enough time for Carina to recover
from the trip and she developed a gastric problem resulting in a loss of energy. PSI and Ulli Kasselmann
kept Carina in training  to help develop her training post  her recovery- and to do some in hand work. 
The original plan was that Carina would be home in Australia around end 2007. Unfortunately -
equine influenza has delayed her return to Australia.
It is now likely that Carina will not return until at the earliest  April 2008- due to her vaccination
history and the new AQIS EI vaccination rules. Carina has influenza boosters on 23 June and
7 December 2007- and the June one should have been post 27 June 2007!
So at least we can see Carina in her colt- and we hope that the time will pass quickly until
Carina's return to Australia.

On 11 December 2007 a colt from Oktavia (IMP) - Clintino / Landadel and Welfenadel (IMP) was born- created by embyo transfer to surrogate dam Carmen. He is called Welt Musik and is an enormous colt- definitely stallion quality. See our gallery for foal photos. We have young stock for sale- 2 and 3 year olds that are 1st class quality and dressage bloodlines (including Sandro Hit, Welfenadel and Rotspon).

Please call to arrange a visits.

3 healthy foals arrive!

    

Our first foals were born on 7, 9 and 12 November. They are extra special as they are healthy and robust and show no ill affects
from their dams having equine flu a short time ago.

The 3 foals are:
• filly by Welfenadel out of APH Feuerfest (Feurica/ Heidleberg)- will be black and carries her line's sensible temperament and movement

• colt by Sir Donnerhall out of APH Feuer (APH Feuerfest/ APH Lubeck) - dark bay and striking. His dam was a dream to ride and compete so
he is likely to carry her superb temperament

• our 1st embryo colt- dam is Simsalabim (imported) and sire is Welfenadel (imported). The birth dam is Delta. He is bay with a striking
white blaze. This young colt can move!!

We have more embryo foals due over the coming 3 months (dams are Donner Carina and Oktavia and sires are Welfenadel and Royal Hit.)

What's News - October 2007 

Donner Carina still in Germany!

Donner Carina ridden by Judy Dierks represented Australia at the 2007 World Young Dressage Horse Championships in Verden Germany on 2 to 5 August 2007. Donner Carina is in training at Performance Sales International with Ullrich Kasselmann see www.hof-kasselmann.de.

Her training includes in hand piaffe and passage work and is progressing very well.

Our original intention was for Donner Carina to say in Germany for 3- 4 months of training before returning home.

At this stage, her return date is unknown due to the equine influenza out break in NSW.

We look forward to her eventual return to Australia.

Meanwhile- we have 2 Donner Carina foals due in the next 2 months- by way of embryo transfers to standardbred mares.

Equine influenza outbreak

Saffron Stables was also hit by equine influenza despite strict quarantine precautions- our first high temperature was detected on Monday 3

September 2007 and EI quickly spread to almost every other horse (despite them being separated physically into 3 distinct groups).

PSI De Caprio, Weekend Feeling and Simsalabim are at the Dierks stables (a short walk from my place) and they all showed high temperatures on the weekend of Saturday 8 September 2007.

Interestingly- the Germany imported horses that have been vaccinated in the past for equine influenza did not show great symptoms and quickly recovered. 2 German horses Donner Meyer (imported from Germany at 9 months) and PSI Oktavia (imported at 4 years) did not show any symptoms at all.

EI is putting a great strain on the equestrian industry, including with the cancellation of major events such as the National Dressage Championships in October and Equitana in November.

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