Cathrine Dufour & Cassidy Jump to No. 3 in World, Bumping Isabell Werth & Emilio to 5th

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Cathrine Dufour and Cassidy. File photo. © 2017 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Mar. 4, 2018

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

Cathrine Dufour and Cassidy jumped to No. 3 in the world in the latest rankings, swapping places with Isabell Werth and Emilio that the young star beat last month to become the highest ranked Danish combination in more than a decade.

Isabell, though, remained atop the standings with Weihegold OLD for the 17th straight month with her Olympic gold medal team mate Sönke Rothenberger and Cosmo at No. 2 since August, 2017, according to calculations by dressage-news.com.

America’s Laura Graves and Verdades stayed at No. 4 that she moved into during the Rio Olympics in August, 2016–climbing to the second spot in July, 2017 and third until November last year before again becoming No. 4.

The latest rankings, scheduled to be released this week by the FEI, the International Equestrian Federation, come near the end of almost a year of qualifying competitions around the globe for the World Cup Final in Paris next month.

Laura Graves and Verdades at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington clinching start at the World Cup Final. © 2018 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Defending champion Isabell Werth on the 13-year-old Oldenburg mare Weihegold will be challenged by Cathrine and Cassidy, the new world No. 3 who last month twice beat the German superstar on Emilio, and Laura and the 16-year-old KWPN that is the only couple of defeat the No. 1 pair since the 2016 Olympics. They did so at the World Equestrian Festival CDIO5* Grand Prix Special in Aachen, Germany last July.

The ranking for Cathrine, 26, and Cassidy, a 15-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, is the highest for a Danish combination since Andreas Helgstrand on Matiné stood at No. 2 in April, 2007 following the pair’s success at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen the year before.

She will be going to her first Final to challenge Isabell on Weihegold, the 2017 World Cup champion, and Laura on Verdades, the reserve champion for the annual championship of the Grand Prix freestyle.

Helen Langehanenberg is expected to move up with Damsey FRH one ranking to No. 8 based on performances in February by the German Olympic rider and the American-owned 16-year-old Hanoverian stallion. Helen is taking a baby break from competition for the next few months.

Patrik Kittel, the three-time Olympian for Sweden, could be in the top 10 with two horses–Deja at No. 9 and Delaunay at No. 10.