Dressage-News

Kristina Bröring-Sprehe and Desperados FRH is the first German combination to be the world’s No. 1 since Isabell Werth on her Olympic team gold medal mount Satchmo were at the top of the global rankings in July 2009.

Desperados, a 15-year-old Hanoverian stallion (De Niro x Wolkenstein II), also ended a Dutch horse being the top in the world for the same period.

Kristina, 29 years old, and Desperados moved to the top of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) rankings as of the end of January, deposing Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro who dropped to No, 2 with Isabell on Don Johnson FRH third in the standings.

The performances of Kristina and Desperados in 2015 included second at last summer’s European Championships and nine victories in nine starts at premier German horse shows.

Since August, 2009 the world’s No. 1 spot was filled by Dutch riders Adelinde Cornelissen on Jerich Parzival for a total of 22 months and Edward Gal on Totilas for 19 months and Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain on Valegro for a total of 35 months.

All three horses were Dutch–Parzival, a 1997 gelding (Jazz x Ulft), Totilas, a 2000 stallion (Gribaldi x Glendale) and Valegro, a 2002 gelding (Negro Gerschwin).

Satchmo was a 1994 Hanoverian gelding. With Isabell, the orse was ranked No. 1 for a total of 14 months from 2007 through 2009.

Carl Hester, part owner and trainer of Valegro, has said the horse will show not until preparing for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August, including not defending the World Cup title won the last two years.

Kristina has not competed Desperados since the Europeans in July and also are aiming for the Olympics.