World Cup Horses Arrive in Omaha from Europe, Police Escort to Stables at Venue

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World Cup champion TSF Dalera BB being led into championship stables in downtown Omaha after arriving from Europe. The white coveralls and blue boot covers are required for quaratine. © 2023 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

OMAHA, Nebraska, Mar. 31, 2023–Dressage, jumping and vaulting horses for the triple World Cup Finals arrived from Europe Friday and provided a police escort usually reserved for major celebrities as they were driven into the heart of the city for their stables that will be home for the next 10 days.

The Qatar Airways jet flew 44 horses, stabled two to each specially designed container from Europe overnight for the Final, with two days of quarantine inside the convention center that also hosted the 2017 championships and is also home other major sporting events such as USA Olympic swimming.

Another 13 horses will be flown from Saturday from Florida where they have competed throughout the winter. Two dressage horses, Suppenkasper ridden by Steffen Peters and FRH Davinia la Douce ridden by Anna Buffini, are coming FedEx from Southern California.

The jet loaded with dressage, jumping and vaulting horses from Europe with trucks lined up to take them to the convention center in downtown Omaha for the World Cup Finals. The first container is about to be unloaded on to an elevator that will lower it to the ground. © 2023 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

One of the first horses to be unloaded was TSF Dalera BB, tthe 16-year-old Trakehner mare that Jessica von BredowWerndl of Germany won the title in 2022 as well as sweeping the Tokyo Olympics and the 2021 European Championships.

 

DSP Quantaz being unloaded from the jet and ready to be trucked to the World Cup venue. Tim Dutta, owner of Dutta Corp. that organized the transportation of the houses as well as thousands for the Florida winter circuit, keeping an eye on the 13-year-old German Sport Horse gelding. Isabell Werth rode the horse to finish atop the World Cup Western European League in qualifying for the championships. Isabell won the 2017 Omaha Final aboard Weihegold OLD, the first of three straight titles.

April 5, Wednesday–Grand Prix 1:15 pm local (2:15 pm US Eastern, 2015 CET)

April 7, Friday–Grand Prix Freestyle 6:15 pm local (7:15 pm US Eastern, 0115 Saturday CET

 

The horses in the 10-minute drive by truck from the airport were treated like celebrities with a police escort. The first trucks are shown here driving into the city’s downtown in front of the baseball stadium that hosts the College World Series of Baseball. © 2023 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

 

The indoor arena being readied for the World Cup Final as the horses are being unloaded nearby for two days of quarantine. © 2023 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

 

The convention center that will host the World Cups of dressage, jumping and vaulting receiving a spruce up ahead of the event. © 2023 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

 

King Edward, ridden by Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann to Olympic and European Championship jumping gold.

 

Correction: Grand Prix Freestyle is Friday, April 7