Dutch Masters Dressage World Cup Canceled As Decision on Las Vegas Final Awaited

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Isabell Werth celebrating victory on Weihegold OLD at the World Cup Final at Gothenberg, Sweden, and is qualified for Las Vegas where, if it was held, should would attempt to win an unprecedented fourth straight World Cup. File photo. © Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Mar 12, 2020

The Dutch Masters dressage World Cup event was canceled Thursday ahead of a decision on whether the championship Final scheduled for Las Vegas will go ahead as scheduled in April.

Organizers of the last World Cup qualifier in Western Europe, the 11th in that region, announced cancellation of the event that many fear could lead to a domino effect of cancellations of equestrian events.

Isabell Werth was in the lineup in s’-Hertogenbosch on Emilio that she had qualified as backup to Weihegold OLD on which she was World Cup champion the last three years. So, too, was Charlotte Dujardin with Mount St. John Freestyle but whose nation, Great Britain, was exempted from the ban.

There was no definite word on the World Cup Final in Las Vegas set for April 14-19.

If it is canceled it would be the first time for the only annual championship in dressage that was first staged in 1986. This year was to be the fifth joint dressage and jumping World Cups in Las Vegas, the others held in 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2015.

There also was no official report on whether a master class by Isabell Werth at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida set for Mar. 20 would go ahead.

Jumping and dressage competitions in Wellington were proceeding as scheduled, including the CDIO3* dressage Nations Cup. But some events, such as seminars and a dressage fund raiser, were canceled.

President Trump declared a 30-day ban on Europeans coming to the U.S. beginning Friday, the 13th of March that would take it to April 11.

European horses for the dressage and jumping Finals are currently scheduled to fly into Las Vegas on April 10.

At least 11 of the 18 riders and horses in the dressage World Cup Final would come from Europe.

However, there apparently is no clarification on whether grooms, veterinarians and officials would be exempt from the ban.

Global Champions Tour announced jumping events in Miami Beach, Mexico and Shanghai, China were to be re-scheduled.