Dressage-News

LAS VEGAS, Nev. Apr. 17–The Rolex FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final lost another starting combination Friday when Sweden’s Minna Telde withdrew due to an injury to her horse, Don Charly.

The 34-year-old from Hasselholm finished ninth in Thursday’s Grand Prix, achieving a perfect score of 10 for Don Charly’s extended walk. They are the third combination to withdraw because of injuries to their horses. The young Dutch star and her horse, Parzival, dropped out before the start of the competition while the USA’s Leslie Morse and Kingston were eliminated during the Grand Prix Thursday.

Despite Don Charly being the third horse to withdraw from the dressage final, Saturday night’s freestyle sold out following the Grand Prix victory by Steffen Peters and Ravel of the USA.

The American combination is rated as a real possibility to beat nine-time World Cup titlist Anky van Grunsven who is riding IPS Painted Black and Germany’s Isabell Werth and her Olympic mount Satchmo. The only other American to win the World Cup title was Debbie McDonald who retired Brentina in a tearful ceremony in Las Vegas Friday.

Minna Telde said she sensed there was something not right with her 12-year-old chestnut stallion after he twisted his foot prior to Thursday’s class, but he was passed fit on veterinary inspection. –

However on re-eamination Thursday, Don Charly was found to be unsound on his right foreleg and so Telde withdrew ahead of Saturday’s Freestyle which will determine the champion of the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Dressage.

“I am very sad, I was so excited to be here at my first World Cup final,” said the rider who finished second behind fellow Swede, Jan Brink, and Bjorsell’s Briar in the Freestyle at CDI-W Gothenburg in February.