Dressage-News

Mar. 17, 2019

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

The victory by Denmark’s Daniel Bachmann Andersen on Blue Hors Zack completed qualifying competitions around the world to earn one of the 18 starting positions at the final of the annual global championship in Gothenburg, Sweden in three weeks.

The condition of Dorothee Schneider’s Sammy Davis Jr. that was withdrawn from the Western European concluding event in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands this weekend was still uncertain–but the rider indicated Sammy is recovering from an apparent infection–ans the decision by prospective Australians to not fill the one slot for the Pacific has muddied the final lineup.

What is known is that Isabell Werth will decide whether to take her world No. 1 Weihegold OLD or Emilio, ranked No. 4, to defend the title she won in 2017 and 2018.

Helen Langehnanberg, the German Olympic, World Equestrian Games and former World Cup champion, is in with Damsey FRH, the 17-year-old Hanoverian stallion on which she is ranked No. 6 in the world and owned by Louise Leatherdale and Susanne Meyer of Long Lake, Minnesota.

Dorothee Schneider and Sammy Davis Jr. have the qualifying points. If the duo do not go to Sweden, that position will be filled by Benjamin Werndl on Daily Mirror.

Hans Peter Minderhoud of the Netherlands is also certain to be invited with Glock’s Dream Boy. Hans Peter is a 2008 Olympic team silver medalist and was World Cup champion on Flirt in 2016.

Daniel Bachmann Andersen or “Dan the Man,” as he’s been dubbed by the European equestrian media, will be taking Blue Hors Zack.

Maria Caetano of Portugal on the Lusitano Coroado also seems assured of receiving an invite.

So, too, will Judy Reynolds and Vancouver K, the Irish combination that have won fans on both sides of the Atlantic as the pair have created new national scoring records.

The home side will be represented by Patrik Kittel and Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén, both with multiple Olympics and World Games for Sweden and each having already competed in six World Cup Finals.

Morgan Barbançon Mestre who competed in two World Cup Finals for Spain but switched to ride for France after last year’s championship in Paris looks as if she will be invited.

Four combinations will most likely come from North America–three from the United States and one from the Dominican Republic–although the league is awarded two places.

Laura Graves on Verdades, No. 2 in the world and reserve champion to Isabell and Weihegold the past two finals, and Kasey Perry-Glass on Dublet, fifth ranked in the world, earned the two league spots.

Adrienne Lyle, their team mate on Salvino at the Tryon WEG, should get an invitation based on their world ranking of No. 15 as of the cutoff at the end of February.

The non-league spot was won by Yvonne Losos de Muñiz of the Dominican Republic who competed in North America.

The sprawling Central European League that also has political and military issues will be represented by Russia’s Regina Isachkina and Olga Safronova of Belarus.

Neither one of the two Australians that could have filled the sole place reserved for the Pacific area want to make the journey that is expensive and would be taxing on the horse–about a 24-hour flight followed by another 12 hours on the road.

The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) will calculate the final standings early this week to confirm qualifying scores and determine which other combinations based on world standings want to apply for what are called extra starting places and round out the final lineup of 18 combinations.