Dressage-News

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, Aug. 18–Fifty-eight nations have nominated entries for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky next month, slightly fewer than the 61 nations represented at the previous world championships in Aachen, Germany four years ago.

The nominated entries include more than 900 athletes and more than 1,300 horses, but that will decrease significantly when definite entries for each discipline are submitted to the World Games 2010 Foundation beginning in mid-September. For example, the U.S. has nominated eight horse and rider combinations for dressage but only four will compete with one reserve.

Australia, Canada, Germany and the United States are the only four nations with nominated entries in all eight disciplines–dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, jumping, reining and vaulting plus paraequestrian. Another 19 nations have submitted teams or individual competitors in five or more disciplines.

WEG is held once every four years and in the United States for the first time since their creation in 1990.

High costs of transportation and hotels have taken a serious toll on some disciplines. In four-in-hand driving, for example, only seven teams and one individual have nominated entries. Hungary, which was considered a medal prospect, and Great Britain will not compete at all in driving.

Eighteen countries with nominated entries for teams and six individuals in dressage are:

Australia – Team

Austria – Team

Belgium – Team

Brazil – Team

Canada – Team

Colombia – Individual

Denmark – Team

Finland – Individual

Great Britain – Team

Germany Team

Ireland – Team

Israel – Individual

Italy – Team

Japan – Team

Luxembourg – Individual

Netherlands – Team

Netherlands Antilles – Individual

Norway – Team

Poland – Individual

Portugal – Team

Spain – Team

Switzerland – Team

Sweden – Team

USA – Team

For a complete list of all nations with nominated entries in all disciplinbes, click: WEG Kentucky 2010_ Participating Countries