Frankfurt, Mechelen CDIs Canceled, London Stll On as Coronavirus Takes Bite Out of European Schedule
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Dec. 2, 2021
The latest coronavirus outbreak has forced cancellation of two major year-end international events–Frankfurt, Germany and Mechelen, Belgium–leaving only the London International Horse Show World Cup as the last dressage show in Europe for the year.
Outside Europe, the World Equestrian Center World Cup in Ocala, Florida scheduled for next week is still on with 31 Big Tour entries. more than the two previous CDIs, at the $1 billion show grounds opened just this year.
The cancellations of the CDI5* at Frankfurt the week before Christmas and the World Cup qualifiers of dressage, jumping and driving at Mechelen as a holiday celebration between Christmas and New Year’s is the second year both international competitions have had to be called off because of coronavirus restrictions.
However, the national developing Grand Prix Louisdor Prize, developing Prix St. Georges Nürnberger Burg-Pokal and the Piaff Sponsorship Prize will be moved to the nearby Schafhof, the home of Linsenhoff-Rath family for the second year, but restricted to riders, grooms, trainers judges, and horse owners. The Louisdor Prize and Nürnberger Burg-Pokal finals are the result of qualifiers throughout summer and fall and are among the most anticipated German championships.
On the 2021/22 Wold Cup circuit, Mechelen joins Stuttgart, Germany and Salzburg, Austria on the cenceled list so far.
Qualifiers have been staged successfully in Herning, Denmark; Lyon, France and Madrid. In addition to London, World Cup events are scheduled over the winter in Amsterdam; Neumünster, Germany; Gothenburg, Sweden and ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands ahead of the Final in Leipzeg, Germany in April.
The World Cup Final, the only annual global championship, was canceled in 2020 and again this year. The 2020 cancellation was the first since the event was created in 1985-86 targeting the indoor winter circuit and centered on the musical freestyle.
