It was with mixed feelings that we said goodbye to the black star in our stable last Friday, UNO Donna Unique. She has meant a lot to us over the past years. Despite her young age, she has obtained a number of fantastic results. In 2009, she won the Championship for Young Horses in Herning and won silver at the Championship for Young Horses in Verden. In 2010, she won gold at the Championship for Young Horses in Verden, won Scandinavian Open in Falsterbo, and in addition, she won DRF's Dressage Championship for 6-year-old horses. Recently, she dazzled everyone at Youngster Cup at Vilhelmsborg, winning the Prix St. George with an impressive score of 79.21%.

Lately, she has developed tremendously and now performs even the hardest Grand Prix exercises with a real talent. In future, she will for sure have the potential to rank among the top 3 horses in the world. It might seem peculiar to some people that we choose to sell such a talented horse, however, running a company, which trains and sells horses, sometimes calls for such difficult, but rational decisions. We, of course, wish the new owners Edwin Kohl and Arlette Jasper-Kohl and of course Donna's new rider Patrik Kittel, good luck with her in future.

Saturday and Sunday brought good results at the national show in Hjallerup. Marianne and Sitana continued the superior style from Friday, and won MB2 on Saturday with 71.491%. Maik and Welcome placed 6th with a score of 67.456%. In the Grand Prix class, Andreas participated with both Polka Hit Nexen and Laetare. He obtained 70.780% with Polka Hit Nexen and placed 2nd. With Laetare, he obtained a score of 68.582% and placed 4th. Anna also did really well with Fernhill Derry, obtaining 66.312%. In MA2 Saturday night, Andrea and Altair placed 3rd with 70.263%.

In the first class on Sunday, MB3, Maik and Welcome participated once again, this time, they obtained 69.750% and placed 3rd. Andreas and Polka Hit Nexen made a great performance in Grand Prix Special. They finished 2nd again, scoring 70.625%. The last class at the show was Prix St. George, Andrea and Altair participated again, and continued the positive trend from the other days, obtaining 69.561%, enough to finish 4th. Anna and Stall K's Dynamit placed 8th, scoring 67.895%.

Team Helgstrand has had a great start at the first national show this year, In the first class today, MB1, Marianne and the 7-year-old Sitana won comfortably with a score of 71.802%. In MA1, Andrea and the 9-year-old Altair placed second 2, scoring 70.370%. In the last class today, Intermediaire II, Andreas and the 8-year-old Laetare made a great debut. Laetare did really well, and obtained 68.947%, enough to finish third in the class. Classes run all day Saturday, and Team Helgstrand will be represented in all classes.

At the pre-selection last Friday at Vilhelmsborg, the young stallion Sezuan was selected for the National Stallion Show in Herning. Sezuan has Blue Hors Romanov as sire, dam is the gold medal mare Bøgegårdens Don Romina, and damsire is Blue Hors Don Schufro. Team Helgstrand is very much looking forward to presenting Sezuan again at the Stallion Show in Herning.

Andreas has signed a sponsorship agreement with the company COLDCARE TRADING ApS. COLDCARE manufactures products used for cooling horse legs. Andreas and the rest of the team have been using the products for quite a while now, and Andreas is very positive about the COLDCARE products. Andreas explains: "Throughout the years, I have cooled my horses' legs with a number of different products, including water, however, I have never been able to obtain the optimum effect. COLDCARE is very effective and less time-consuming, and at the same time, the wraps fit perfectly on the horses' legs"

Kasprzak and Helgstrand Dressage have invested in a very interesting Grand Prix horse from Hubertus Schmidt in Germany. It is the formerly American-owned horse Tacolando Triple by Ircolando / Akteur. It has now arrived at Helgstrand's facilities and Andreas will from now on ride and train the horse.

Previously, Tacolando Triple was ridden by an American amateur rider until the Olympic rider Robert Dover discovered the horses's obvious talent and started training it. When the owner decided to sell Tacolando Triple, it was sent to Hubertus Schmidt in Germany in order to sell it to a top rider. It has very little Grand Prix experience, however, Andreas is looking forward to getting started with the daily training of Tacolando Triple.

5 young horses from Helgstrand Dressage have qualified for the Championship for Young Horses in Herning 2012. The 5 horses and riders are: Shakiro Pilekær and Marianne, Tørveslettens Snowflake and Anna, Skovvangs Barok and Møllegårdens Pas Partout both with Maik. Torino Melody and Thomas.

Anna and Dafne really showed off at this year's DSA championship. First, a victory in the preliminaries in Aalestrup and a total score of 8.90 points. At the qualification show in Middelfart at the beginning of September, Anna and Dafne were untouchable again, dancing their way to victory with impressive 9.34 points. When the finals started last week, everyone had great expectations for Anna and Dafne, hoping that they would be able to keep up the good results and end up with another victory. In the preliminaries on Tuesday, it was a close race between the four riders with the highest scores, however, Anna and Dafne ended up as winner of the class.

At the finals on Friday, Anna and Dafne made it clear that Dafne is the best 5-year-old horse in Denmark in 2011. With a total of 9.40 points and the following separate marks: 10 for trot, 9.00 for walk, 9.60 for canter, 8.80 for rideability and 9.60 for capacity. Andreas also participated in the 5-year-old class, he placed 3rd with N.O.H's Daijoubo, scoring 8.52 points and in addition, he was placed right after no. 4 with Star Agent and a score of 8.50 points.

At the finals on Friday, Andreas continued his triumph from Tuesday. Stamina made a great performance throughout the show, and when riding down the centerline for the final salute, the audience in Arena Fyn clapped the rhythm. Tørveslettens Stamina is without a doubt, the best 6-year-old horse in Denmark in 2011. They obtained a total score of 9.02 points and the separate marks: 10 for trot, 7.50 for walk, 9.00 for canter, 8.80 for rideability and 9.80 for capacity. Andreas also placed 2nd in the class with Sieger Hit, scoring 8.80 points.

Wednesday, Andreas and N.O.H's Daijoubo won the consolation final for 5-year-old horses, with a score of 8.30 points, and consequently, they are now on to the finals on Friday. Thomas and Dark Knight finished 3rd with 8.16 points. Unfortunately, only the two riders with the highest number of points qualify for the finals on Friday. In the 6-year-old class, Marianne and Sitana participated, unfortunately, they were not among the two riders who qualified for the finals. Today, is a resting day for all the DSA horses in the finals, before the finals take place tomorrow. Today, the auction horses will arrive in Odense, and they will be presented tonight in connection with the Grand Prix class in Arena Fyn.