Emilio, World No. 3 Mount for Isabell Werth, Becomes 3rd Olympic Squad Horse Withdrawn from German Championships
6 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Emilio, World No. 3 Mount for Isabell Werth, Becomes 3rd Olympic Squad Horse Withdrawn from German Championships
June 7, 2018
Emilio, ranked No. 3 in the world with Isabell Werth, was withdrawn Thursday from the German Championships with an injury, the third Olympic squad horse to be pulled out of the Balve competition in what the federation labeled “deplorable news.”
Isabell and the 12-year-old Westfalen gelding are the defending national champions. But the rider will compete Weihegold OLD, her world No. 1 and Olympic team gold and double World Cup champion horse, as well as Don Johnson FRH that stands sixth in the world.
Dorothee Schneider withdrew her Showtime FRH and Kristina Bröring-Sprehe her Desperados FRH, team mates at the 2016 Olympics, from Balve this week. The championship Grand Prix is scheduled for Friday with the medal events, the Special on Saturday and the Freestyle on Sunday.
It is not known whether any of the three horses will be fit to compete at the World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany July 13-22 that will be the main selection event for Germany’s team for the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina in September.
“The three failures I am very sorry for the affected riders but also for the German championship,” said dressage coach Monica Theodorescu. “Thank God, there is still plenty of time to Aachen and until the final nomination. There are also a few tournaments on the program.”
Emilio was first competed internationally by Isabell in 2014 and moved up to Big Tour in 2015. Isabell and Emilio have won 22 out of 32 starts at Big Tour.
The horse has not been on a German team but was campaigned by Isabell this past winter as a backup World Cup mount if Weihegold was unable to defend the title in Paris.
