23 November 2017

CAI Dillenburg 2018 cancelled

The future of the National Stud in Dillenburg, Germany has been uncertain for the last months, and despite a campaign to keep the stud up and running, the situation is just not stable enough. As a consequence, the organization of the international singles competition has decided to cancel the competition for 2018.

The closing of the National Stud was announced last summer after it was found that it was longer able to meet the required standards for housing horses. After an out-cry from the German horse affiliates who found the ruling too extreme it was decided that as a first step the stallion station would close, and paddocks for turn-out would be found for the remaining horses. As anyone who has competed in Dillenburg knows, the grounds are very small and the room needed for paddocks will not leave enough room over to make hosting an international competition feasible.

Reigning World Single Champion and former manager of the National Stud in Dillenburg Dieter Lauterbach regrets this development: “The people from animal rights have been putting pressure on the national stud for the last ten years to fulfill its role in the horse industry. Unfortunately we failed to make the necessary modifications in time.”

 

Dieter Lauterbach
Photo: Krisztina Horváth