Four World Cup Champion Riders to Compete in West European League Kick Off Event
10 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Four World Cup Champion Riders to Compete in West European League Kick Off Event
ODENSE, Denmark, Oct. 14, 2014–Four riders with a total of seven World Cup titles spanning almost a quarter century are entered in the opening event of the fiercely competitive Western European League winter indoor series aiming for a start at Las Vegas next April to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the annual global individual dressage championships.
Eighteen combinations from seven countries are entered in the first of nine West European qualifiers, including Germans Isaball Werth who won the title in 1992 and 2007 and Ulla Salzgeber winner in 2001 and 2002 and from the Netherlands Adelinde Cornelissen in 2011 and 2012 and Edward Gal in 2010.
Only Adelinde on Jerich Parzival at No. 5 in the world on the latest International Equestrian Federation (FEI) rankings will be riding the same horse from their title victories. Edward is paired on Glock’s Undercover N.O.P. at No. 3 in the world, Isabell on Don Johnson FRH at No. 13 and Ulla on Herzruf’s Erbe at No. 23.
Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin on Valegro is not competing at Odense but as defending titleholder needs only to start in one of the nine WEL qualifiers to get a ticket to the dual dressage and jumping World Cup Finals in Las Vegas April 15-19.
The Final will be the fourth this century held at the Thomas & Mack Center used primarily for the University of Nevada at Las Vegas basketball team.
Steffen Peters of the United States on Ravel won the title the last time it was staged there in 2009, only the second American to do so–Debbie McDonald on Brentina in 2003 was the other combination.
After the Odense event, the WEL schedule is Lyon, France Oct. 29-Nov. 2; Stuttgart, Germany Nov, 19-23; Stockholm Nov. 28-30; Olympia, London Dec. 16-17; Amsterdam Jan. 29-Feb. 1; Neumünster, Germany Feb. 12-15; Gothenburg, Sweden Feb. 26-Mar. 1 and s’-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands Mar. 12-15.
Western Europe is one of four leagues making up the World Cup series that had its debut Final in 1986.
The Central European League from which two combinations will be invited to Las Vegas wound up its season series of seven events last weekend at Kaposvar, Hungary.
The Pacific League has staged one of its four scheduled events, the last on the calendar for January, to select a single combination for the Final.
The North American League of Canada and the United States has more competitions than any other geographic group with 10 scheduled shows. One in Canada and three in the Northeast U.S. have been held.
The most intense competition in the NAL begins in January with the first of four qualifiers in Wellington, Florida and two in Southern California.
Two slots are set aside for the NAL but with the event on home turf an additional pair may be invited.
