Dressage-News

BROHOLM, Denmark, June 6, 2014–The “Wellington team” of Mikala Münter Gundersen on My Lady and Lars Petersen on Mariett filled second and third places in the Danish Championships Grand Prix Friday, a big step in campaigning to ride on their nation’s team at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France in August.

Both Mikala and My Lady and Lars and Mariett have been making their marks on this summer’s European circuit with results at top shows that are in line with the scores the two combinations attained during the Adequan Global Dressage Festival over winter in Wellington.

The Grand Prix Special and the Freestyle are still to come this weekend and decisions will be made by Danish coach Rudolf Zeillinger and the national federation on the makeup of Nations Cups teams for Rotterdam in two weeks then Aachen, Germany a month later before the WEG squad is announced.

Anna Kasprzak, the top ranked Danish rider at No. 5 in the world, had to skip these championships because her Donnperignon is still recovering from eye surgery.

Lars and Mariett, a 16-year-old Danish Warmblood mare (Come Back II x Sidney), is ranked No. 19 in the world, two places behind the United States’ top pair of Steffen Peters and Legolas, while Mikala and My Lady, a 14-year-old Danish Warmblood mare by Michellino, are 28th on the leaderboard.

Both Danish riders began their international Grand Prix careers with these horses at the same time, on the Florida winter circuit in 2012, Lars and Mariett after a long rehabilitation from a freak accident in which the mare tore off an entire hoof while My Lady was bought initially for Mikala to share the ride with the owner.

Both horses were bought by Americans and now share ownership with the riders–Janne Rumbough a Danish native and long time resident of Palm Beach funded the purchase of My Lady and Marcia Pepper bought Mariett for her to ride as an amateur before the accident.

The two combinations competed in the Danish championships in 2013 and as members of the team at Rotterdam.

On the last winter circuit of seven CDIs in Florida, the two Danish pairs had the winningest records.

Back in Europe with successful results from the Hamburg Dressage Derby in the books they are seeking to be on the Danish team at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France in August. It would be the first championship team for Mikala while for Lars it would be his first since the 1998 WEG in Rome with his star partner Blue Hors Cavan.

“It was really fun to be back in Denmark with a sttonger and much more experienced horse than last year,” Mikala told dressage-news.com. “She was electric but stayed focused on her job and I am so happy with her.

“I am also happy and proud that both Lars and I are able to maintain our scores from this past season in Wellington.

“We feel we’re on a Wellington team.”