News from the Netherlands today: Dressage champion Anky van Grunsven reports that a stable accident has affected the competition plans for her stallion I.P.S. Painted Black, whom she rode to a third-place finish in the 2009 FEI World Cup in Las Vegas last month.

Painted Black injured his hip while being prepared for semen collection. The injury is certainly not the end of his career but it will keep him from performing both of his current jobs–competing in the international arena and breeding mares by artificial insemination.

Anky’s statement about the accident said, “?Although an injury is never good, I am satisfied that Painted will be okay again. I had plans to compete him at some important show but that’s impossible now. Of course I will give him all the time he needs to recover.”

Anky will continue to compete with her 2008 Olympics mount, I.P.S. Salinero, with whom she is training for the Dutch National Championships the first week of June.

Thanks to my friend Claartje van Andel in Holland for sharing this news with me.