Ikle, Pläge Pull Out of WEG, Probably No Swiss Team for Kentucky
15 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Ikle, Pläge Pull Out of WEG, Probably No Swiss Team for Kentucky
Silvia Ikle and Christian Pläge, Switzerland’s top two riders, have decided not ride at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, most likely leaving the Swiss without a team at the world championships, the Internet site, PferdeWoche, reported Wednesday.
Silvia had been expressing doubts as early as February about the fitness of her 16-year-old Swiss-bred gelding Salieri CH, PferdeWoche said.
Silvia withdrew from the 2008 Olympics because she said she was concerned about the effects of the climate in Hong Kong on Corinth that resulted in Switzerland being forced to not field a team and the resignation of Jurgen Koschel as coach.
The equestrian news site said that Christian Pläge withdrew after consulting with Jean Didier, the owner of the the 18-year-old Regent which has competed for 11 season at the international level. The pair received a score of 64.7 per cent in the Grand Prix Special at the recent Wiesbaden competition and thus make it unlikely Switzerland would finish in the top five which the Swiss Federation has set as a standard.
As a result, Switzerland most likely will be represented by Marcela Krinke-Susmelj and Corinth as an individual entry.
