Dressage-News

Denmark has received an individual place in addition to its team of three horses and riders at the Olympic Games opening in London in a month.

Denmark joins host Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands and the United States with four combinations–teams of three and one individual–qualified to start in the Grand Prix at Greenwich Park in London on Aug. 2.

The addition of an individual place for Denmark–the 2008 Olympic bronze medalists–came as a result of the Netherlands Antilles not attaining the qualifying scores to confirm the spot it won within the North American group.

It also means that Finland is next in line to get an individual place, its second, if one opens up.

New Zealand has two individuals–they qualified a team but notified the FEI they did not have three combinations capable of meeting minimum standards set by the N.Z. Olympic Committee that are higher than those required by the FEI. One of the two N.Z. combinations has yet to fulfill the NZOC criteria.

Denmark will announce its squad after the World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany, July 3-8.

Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein and her Digby, a 15-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, on whom she led her team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, are the top ranked and most experienced Danish pair.

Other top Danish combinations include:

–The 22-year-old Anna Kasprzak and Donnperignon that her family acquired from Germany has posted spectacular results at top German CDIs this year, with scores in the high 70 percent range in both the Grand Prix and the Special;
–Lisbeth Seierskilde, 26 years old, and Jonstrupgårdens Raneur who were the highest scoring combination on the Danish team which placed fourth at the Rotterdam Nations Cup last week;
–Sidsel Johansen, who turned 30 years old in January, and Schianto who have finished in the top 10 in every competition in their four CDIs in 2012;
–Anne van Olst, an Olympic and international championship veteran also on the 2008 Olympic team, and with Exquis Taikoen was on the team at Rotterdman;
–Lone Jørgensen and FBW De Vito, also on the Rotterdam team. Lone rode in the Sydney 2000 Olympics with FBW Kennedy that was later sold to the United States to be ridden at the 2004 Games.
–Andreas Helgstrand who competed Laetere at the Rotterdam CDI3* last week. He was on the Danish teams at the 2004 Athens Games and 2008 Beijing Olympics and was rider of Blue Hors Matiné at the 2006 world chamionships in Aachen.
–Anne Troensegaard and Seduc that she has been competing at CDIs for three years.