European Maccabi Games Staged in Berlin for First Time

BERLIN, July 31, 2015–The European Maccabi Games are being staged in Berlin for the first time with dressage teams from eight nations on borrowed horses competing in the historic event Aug. 3-4.

Teams from Australia, Denmark, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States as well as Germany have joined 2,000 other athletes from 36 countries taking part in the so-called “Jewish Olympics” that were formally opened at a venue that had been used in the 1936 Berlin Games. Hitler had tried to ban Jews from those Olympics.

Gisela Hinnemann, a member of the German Equestrian Federation, and German team world champion Helen Langehanenberg will present the dressage Nations Cup medals. German federation education ambassador Christoph Hess, a prominent dressage judge, will host a symposium.

Maccabi leaders admitted there was stiff opposition from many older Jews around the world to Berlin as the site of this year’s Games as they saw it as the beginning of the Holocaust. Security was extraordinarily tight against a backdrop of a vitriolic anti-Maccabi campaign waged on the internet by German neo-Nazis as well as the slaughter of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Opening of the Olympic Games in Berlin on Aug. 1, 1936

World Young Horse Championships Attract Record Number of Nations

Sezuan, the 2014 five-year-old World Young Horse Champion, ridden by Dorothee Schneider. © Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

VERDEN, Germany, July 30, 2015–A record 23 nations have entered 84 horses and 70 riders in the FEI World Breeding Dressage Championships for Young Horses next week with 2014 five-year-old champion Sezuan ridden by Dorothee Schneider of Germany returning for the six-year-old division.

The championships will be at Verden, Germany where it has been for 16 of the last 18 years before it moves to Ermelo, the Netherlands for at least three years along with an expanded program by adding a seven-year-old division.

Germany, as expected, has the biggest contingent with 16 horses followed by the Netherlands with 12, Sweden eight, Belgium six, Austria and Denmark each with five, Spain four, Finland, France and Hungary each with three, Czech Republic, Estonia, Great Britain, Norway, Portugal and the United States each with two and Australia, Lithuania, Morocco, New Zealand, Russia, Switzerland and Ukraine each with one.

New Zealand is competing for the first time with Shiwon Green to ride her five-year-old F 1.

The number of nations competing in the championships has grown in small steps over the past 10 years, hovering around 17 to 22 nations except for 2014 when the number of nations represented at Verden dipped to 15 when the event was followed two weeks later by the World Equestrian Games.

Ingrid Klimke celebrating world six-year-old championship at Verden, Germany in 2006. © Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

Among the most famous horses to emerge from the championships was Damon Hill that was ridden by Ingrid Klimke at the championships for the 2006 title then taken over by Helen Langehanenberg who won Olympic team silver and World Games and European Championship team gold and the British-bred Woodlander Farouche ridden by Michael Eilberg.

World Young Horse Championship 6-Year-Old Class of 2012. Where Are They Now? – Part 1 of 3

Woodlander Farouche being ridden by Michael Eilberg in 2012 world championships. © Ilse Schwarz/dressage-news.com

July 29, 2015

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

When Woodlander Farouche became the world six-year-old champion the breakthrough as the first British-bred horse to win the title was only part of what later became apparent–just how many talented horses graduated in the Class of 2012.

At least another year or two will have to pass before the picture becomes clear, but three years on several of the 15 horses from the 2012 championships final are making their mark in the international competition arena. As expected, most are at Small and Medium Tour but several are heading to Grand Prix.

Farouche (Fürst Heinrich x Dimaggio) has an army of fans as the British Hanoverian is ridden by Michael Eilberg to rack up victory after victory at Prix St. Georges/Intermediate level–actually, undefeated in 10 international starts from young horse through Small Tour in the past three years. As a result, the duo generate scrutiny and excitement reminiscent of that applied to Great Britain’s team ahead of its historic gold medal performance at the Olympic Games in London the same year the mare was young horse champion–2012.

From the same Class of 2012 other prospective superstars emerged that, if their development continues, could mean they meet up again at world and European championships and Olympics beyond this decade. Some of the riders have changed from the championships.

Among them: Samba King that Matthias Alexander Rath rode to victory in the 2014 Nürnberger Burgpokal, Germany’s most prestigious Small Tour championship; fellow German Victoria Michalke undefeated on Novia 6 at Medium Tour this year; Sir Donnerhall II that overcame what could have been a career-ending show stall accident to return to international competition with Spain’s young star Morgan Barbançon; German-based American Jennifer Hoffmann and Florentinus V and several others.

The successes recorded by so many of the Class of 2012 graduates from what is officially called the FEI World Breeding Championships for Young Horses prompted dressage-news.com to review the records of the past three years and will periodically check future results.

Farouche, though, that Ilse Schwarz of dressage-news.com who was present at both the five and six-year-old finals headlined as “breathtaking, near perfect,” has been a star by any standard. Much of that is due to how Michael has brought along the horse since watching her on the lunge line at three years of age .

“Quite early on, we knew she was going to be a bit different,” said the typically understated 28-year-old who rode Half Moon Delphia for Britain at the 2013 European Championships and 2014 World Games and has been selected on Marakov for this year’s Europeans.

Woodlander Farouche ridden by Michael Eilbert. File photo by Ilse Schwarz/dressage-news.com

“We started riding her at four, took her to a few shows and then we knew we had something that was a bit special.”

Training with his father, Ferdi, “we allow the horses to dictate within reason, but you have to put a challenge to them at times. It has to be in the horse’s best interests not to push them beyond their reach or you pay for it later on. With her we’ve been cautious. She’s 17.2 hands with long legs and we wanted to make sure we weren’t too greedy but develops naturally and mentally so hopefully she can stand the high level work when she gets to it.”

The pair are “playing with a bit of everything… piaffe, passage… five one-times changes” preparing for the Grand Prix.

“Things are looking really exciting at the moment. When we go past a mirror and I’m doing some passage that I felt was OK and I look in the mirror and it looks amazing.”

Medium Tour is the goal for early next year and, he said, “if she takes that on quite well then the Grand Prix. The nice thing is I can definitely see she will make Grand Prix but when and where we don’t know yet.

“I keep telling myself good things come to those who wait, You can easily get so greedy. The longest route  is the shortest route.”

The annual championships have come around again, being staged at Verden, Germany next week where it has been held in recent years but moves to the Netherlands in 2016. The emphasis has changed over the years–sometimes focused on “breeding” other times on “performance.”

Some past champions went on to international laurels at Big Tour but a review of records in the past decade show that fewer made it to Big Tour than appears likely from 2o12.

The stallion Damon Hill that Ingred Klimke rode to the six-year-old championship in 2006 then was taken over by Helen Langehanenberg to climb to No. 2 in the world was one that did.

The spectacular Donna Unique as the 2010 champion ridden by Andreas Helgstrand logged a couple of winning international Small Tour performances before a succession of different riders, a sale that became embroiled in allegations of questionable commissions led to the disappearance from the public eye of the mare but is reportedly pregnant.

Donna Unique being ridden by Andreas Helgstrand in the World Six-Year-Old Championships in 2010. File photo © Ilse Schwarz/dressage-news.com

Part 2: 2012 World Six-Year-Old Championship finalists making their mark moving to Grand Prix

Boston Withdraws from Bidding for 2024 Olympic Games

July 27, 208

The United States Olympic Committee and the Boston 2024 organizing group announced Monday withdrawal of the city’s bid for the 2024 Olympic Games when the effort failed to win sufficient public support.

The USOC said it will explore the possibility of finding another city to commit to a bid in which Paris, Hamburg, Rome and Budapest have expressed strong interest.

Boston is the latest city to fail to get sufficient public support for a bid for the Games held once every four years, primarily because of the high cost requiring guarantees of taxpayer funding.

Dressage, eventing and jumping are among the sports on the Olympic schedule for 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and 2020 Tokyo Games.

Aachen Releases App for Smartphones, Pads for European Championships

AACHEN, Germany, July 27, 2015–An app for the European Championships of dressage, driving, jumping, reining and vaulting for Apple and Android smartphones and pads has been released by the organizers of the Aachen event that begins Aug. 11.

The free app jointly developed with the German software company SAP is available in the Play Store and in the App Store under the name “Aachen 2015.”

The app contains maps of the show grounds and competition stadiums, biographies of  riders, the program, start and result lists, directions and parking as well as games.

An updated version of the highly popular “Public Judging” for dressage and vaulting competitions that was introduced at the Aachen CHIO last year will be available right before the start of the Europeans.

The championships open with a pageant in the Main Stadium the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 11.

A newly developed app for the CICO3* Event that is not part of the championships is being launched by the Aachen organizers and SAP in collaboration with NetAachen, the official communications provider, to display information from the cross-country competition in real-time.

Dressage begins Wednesday, Aug. 12 with the first of two days of Nations Cup with the Grand Prix Special scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 15 and the Grand Prix Freestyle for Sunday, Aug. 16.

Dressage will be in the 40,000-seat Main Stadium as it was at the 2006 World Games.

The link to iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/aachen-2015/id1014414655?mt=8

The link to Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.interactivepioneers.chioem

 

UAE Suspension Over Endurance Lifted by FEI

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, July 27, 2016–Suspension of the United Arab Emirates for “major”welfare issues with Endurance horses has been lifted by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) after agreement was reached on measures to combat the abuse.

The FEI Bureau unanimously approved the immediate reinstatement of the UAE National Federation after the signing of an agreement that, the international governing body of horse sports said Monday, “guarantees horse welfare will be fully respected and that FEI Rules will be stringently enforced at all Endurance events, both national and international, in the country.”

The EEF was provisionally suspended in mid-March following an investigation by the FEI into major horse welfare issues and non-compliance with FEI rules and regulations in Endurance in the UAE.

The EEF proposed an extensive list of actions it would undertake to address the issues. The FEI sought more changes before the suspension was lifted.

Lisa Wilcox Adds Galant to USA 2016 Olympic Prospect Mix

Lisa Wilcox competing Galant at Grand Prix. © 2015 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WELLINGTON, Florida, July 27, 2015–Lisa Wilcox has begun competing at Grand Prix the the nine-year-old Galant that she has trained from four years of age to become a prospect for the United States’ team for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro along with the American-bred stallion Pikko del Cerro HU and the Canadian-owned Denzello.

Galant and Cerro will likely, in Lisa’s words, go “neck and neck” in the increasingly crowded campaign for one of the four spots on the American team as the number and quality of confirmed and prospective Big Tour horses has grown rapidly in the past two years.

“We’ll just sit back and may the best man win.”

The United States assured itself of a team start at Rio after taking gold at the Pan American Games earlier this month and now is focusing efforts over the next year on building the squad.

Galant improved dramatically over the month of the first two Grand Prix national competition with a single judge, scores jumping from mid-60 per cent to almost 74 per cent in vastly different circumstances, both in Wellington a few hundred yards (meters) apart. The first was in an outdoor arena on a typical hot and humid Florida summer day while the second was in a covered arena with two side-by-side competition arenas and a hectic adjacent warmup ring.

“I’m really thrilled with him,” Lisa said of the Belgian Warmblood she found as a four-year-old in the stables of Diederik Wigman in Belgium that was intended as a mount for owner Jacqueline Shear.

“You can’t tell with horses that age how they’ll turn out.

“He had three great gaits and a lot of temperament, a nice trot but not spectacular.”

The “temperament” combined with being spooky was what led Jacqueline to turn over the ride to Lisa.

Lisa did not show Galant until he was six years old. Then in the past year she competed him at Small Tour in a “half hearted” effort in the Pan Am Games qualifiers, while working on Grand Prix movements at the same time.

“Once he learned the piaffe and passage he just blossomed,” the 48-year-old Lisa said.

Lisa has established a base in Wellington since returning home a decade ago from Europe where she had became one of the top riders with the stallion Relevant. The pair were on the U.S. team that won silver at the 2002 World Games in Jerez, the best ever world championship finish for the nation, team bronze at the Olympics in Athens in 2004 and second at the 2003 Europeans (yes, Europeans, as it was open to all-comers that year).

She trains and competes Cerro and other horses bred and owned by Horses Unlimited of Albuquerque, New Mexico as well as Galant for Jacqueline Shear and Denzello for Canadian Betty Wells.

Pikko del Cerro competed by Lisa Wilcox at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida. © 2015 Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

After the Global circuit this winter, Lisa stayed home in Wellington to work with the horses with no pressure of championship deadlines.

Although she began riding Galant at a young age so not inheriting issues from another rider,”we really needed him to develop mentally. He was very immature until this last season when he matured tremendously. The national shows we’ve done have really started to get him to relax. He’s phenomenal when he is relaxed.

“Relevant was fine around other horses but he was extremely shy in small arenas by himself.

“Galant is the opposite. He is more confident, not intimidated by the atmosphere as he is by other horses. When he gets into the arena it’s, phew! I can relax now. When someone drops something in the VIP area, he doesn’t react. That impresses me.

“He is further along than I expected, how mature he is in the Grand Prix. He’s surprising me; I didn’t expect that.

“He’s a pussycat around humans. ‘Rico suave’ is what we call him as he loves the ladies, when the grooms are messing with him he loves that. With his own kind he’s very shy and timid, but with people he’s right in your pocket.”

Pikko del Cerro also has become much stronger since winter and is “now extremely sound, extremely healthy.”

Both horses will compete at CDIs in the northeast United States in the Fall before returning to Florida for the winter circuit.

Europe is not on the schedule at this stage but that would change if she qualifies one or both of the horses for what may be a competition swing similar to this year’s tour of shows in Germany for the Pan Am Games short listed squad.

Belgium’s Hologne-Joux & Warhol 1st, USA’s Jennifer Hoffmann 2nd in Deauville CDI3* Int. 1 Freestyle

Florentinus V and Jennifer Hoffman. © Ilse Schwarz/dressage-news.com

DEAUVILLE, France, July 26, 2015–Belgium’s Francoise Hologne-Joux on Warhol won the Dress’ In Deauville CDI3* Intermediate 1 Freestyle Sunday with the USA’s Jennifer Hoffman on Florentinus V second–both with personal best scores.

Francoise and the 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding scored 75.175 per cent for the win, the fourth of the year for the pair that have competed at Small Tour since April, 2012.

Jennifer Hoffmann, the Southern Californian based in Germany for the past five years, scored 73.800 per cent for second place that surpassed the previous best–and only other international Intermediate Freestyle–of 70.975 per cent on the nine-year-old Westfalen stallion posted two months ago.

The Netherlands’ Mara de Vries in the international debut of he eight-year-old Cuvanck PP placed third on 71.900 per cent.

Jennifer Hoffmann competed both Florentinus V at Small Tour and her 12-year-old stallion Rubinio NRW at this show near.

With her own Florentinus (Florestan x Londonderry) she placed third in the Prix St. Georges and was runner-up in both the Intermediate 1 and Intermediate Freestyle.

She rode Florentinus in the six-year-old final of the World Young Young Horse Championships in 2012.

Results:

Intermediate Freestyle

Deauville Int Freestyle_cdi2015

Ukraine’s Inna Logutenkova & Don Gregorius Win Deauville CDI3* GP Special

Inna Logutenkova and Don Gregorius.

DEAUVILLE, France, July 26, 2015–Inna Logutenvoka and Don Gregorius won the Dress’ In Deauville CDI3* Grand Prix Special Sunday for their first victory of the year and less than three weeks to the European Championships for which the pair have been nominated for the Ukraine team,

Inna and the 13-year-old Oldenburg stallion that she competed at last year’s World Games, scored 72.020 per cent with France’s Marc Boblet on Noble Dream Concept second on 69.961 per cent and Ricardo Wallenstein of Portugal on Bem Me Quer third on 68.961 per cent.

Results:

Grand Prix Special

Deauville CDI3* GP Special cdi2015

Claire Gosselin & Karamel de Lauture Win Deauville CDI3* GP Freestyle

DEAUVILLE, France, July 25, 2015–France’s Claire Gosselin on Karamel de Lauture won the Dress’ In Deauville CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle Saturday, the second straight musical performance victory for the French team pair at the 2013 European Championships.

Claire and the 17-year-old Selle Français stallion scored 72.825 per cent in what was also only their second victory since the pair began competing international Grand Prix in April, 2011. Since the Europeans in Herning, Denmark in 2013 the pair has competed only in France.

Inna Logutenkova of the Ukraine on Fleraro placed second on 72.750 per cent in the pair’s debut international Freestyle. The duo started Grand Prix just three months ago.

Australia’s Kristy Oatley, the mother of three who turned 37 years old last week, was third on Ronan 2 with 72.625 per cent. Kristy and the the 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding that was her Australian team mount at the 2014 World Games in nearby Caen won their first international Grand Prix Friday.

Kristy, riding Du Soleil in her first CDI on the 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding (De Niro x Caprimond) she bought in March, 2014, won the Intermediate 1 with a score of 72.053 per cent.

Jenniffer Hoffmann, the German-based Californian, on Florentinus V scored 71.053 per cent and second, the highest placing for the pair since being runner-up at this same show a year ago. Francoise Hologne-Joux of Belgium on Warhol was third on 70.105 per cent,

Results:

Grand Prix Freestyle

Deauville Grand Prix Freestyle_cdi2015:

Intermediate 1

Deauville Inter1_cdi2015

Aussie Kristy Oatley Logs 1st Grand Prix Victory on Ronan With Personal Best Score at Deauville CDI3*

Ronan 2 and Kristy Oatley © Ilse Schwarz dressage-news.com

July 24, 2015

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

Kristy Oatley, the Australian Olympian and long time resident of Germany, rode Ronan to the first Grand Prix victory on the big moving stallion with a personal best score at the CDI3* in Deauville, France Friday.

Kristy and the 15-year-old Oldenburg scored 70.080 per cent for the win with Portugal’s Ricardo Wallenstein on Bem Me Quer second on 69.600 per cent and France’s 2014 World Games partnership of Marc Boblet and Noble Dream Concept third on 69.120 per cent.

“Over the moon with Ronan,” Kristy told dressage-news.com after the Grand Prix with 30 starting combinations from 13 nations around the world.

“He is getting more confident in the arena, mostly the harmony between the movements is more finely tuned.”

The pair have two posted victories in Grand Prix Freestyles, at this same show a year ago and at Compiègne, France in 2012.

There were wide disparities in the scores for each of the top three combinations–for Kristy and Ronan a high of 73.500 per cent from Jean-Michel Roudier of France at B and a low of 66.100 per cent from Sarah Pidgley of Great Britain at E; for Ricardo and Bem Me Quer a high of 72.800 per cent from Lilo Fore of the United States at C and a low of 67.500 from Sarah Pidgley, and for Marc and Noble Dream a high of 72.600 from Raphael Saleh of France at H and a low of 66.500 from Jean-Michel Roudier.

Kristy works with Sjef Janssen, the former Netherlands team coach who also trains Matthias Alexander Rath with Totilas and other horses, whom she described as “an amazing trainer.”

Kristy, a three-time Olympian and who has also competed at three World Games including the 2014 championships with Ronan, has another two Grand Prix mounts, including Swagman, an 11-year-old Oldenburg stallion that she competed in the same Grand Prix in only their second CDI Big Tour event.

The Prix St. Georges was won by Jonna Schelstraete of the Netherlands on Cupido with a score of 70.632 per cent, the first victory for the eight-year-old KWPN gelding in nine starts at Small Tour this year. Belgium’s Francoise Hologne-Joux on Warhol placed second on 70.421 per cent.

Jennifer Hoffmann, the German-based American on Florentinus V was third on 70.000 per cent, the highest Prix St. Georges placing so far for the nine-year-old Westfalen stallion. Jennifer and Florentinus competed in the six-year-old final of the World Young Horse Championships in 2012.

Results:

Grand Prix

Deauville Grand Prix_cdi2015

Prix St. Georges

Deauvilla PSG cdi2015

Great Britain’s European Championship Team Named

Charlotte Dujardin on Valegro celebrating another gold medal victory. File photo © Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

July 23, 2015

World No. 1 Charlotte Dujardin on Valegro, Carl Hester Hester on Nip Tuck, Fiona Bigwood on Atterupgaards Orthilia and Michael Eilberg on Marakov were named Tuesday to Great Britain’s team for the European Championships in Aachen, Germany Aug. 11-16.

For Charlotte, who turned 30 years old earlier this month, and the 13-year-old KWPN gelding this will be their third straight Europeans, the last major team championships before next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The pair are the reigning Olympic, world, European and World Cup championship pair as well as holding all Grand Prix record scores.

Carl, 48, with a record of a quarter-century of championships including four Olympics, and the 11-year-old KWPN gelding were on the British team with Charlotte and Valegro that won silver at the World Games last year.

Michael Eilberg, 28, who with Half Moon Delphi was on Britain’s teams at the 2013 Europeans and the 2014 World Games, and the 15-year-old Latvian-bred Marakov this year have posted the highest scores for the pair in five years at international Grand Prix.

Fiona Bigwood, 39, a veteran of four Europeans and the 2010 World Games in Kentucky, began riding the 10-year-old Atterupgaards Orthilia, an Oldenburg mare, at international Grand Prix in March this year, logging two first places and five times second.

Reserves are: Spencer Wilton (42) and Super Nova II and Anna Ross (42) and Die Callas.

European Championship Nominated Entries

The 2013 European Championships team medalists, Germany (gold), Netherlands (silver) and Great Britain (bronze). © Ken Braddick/dressage-news.com

July 21, 2015

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

A record 18 nations nominated teams for the European Championships in Aachen, Germany starting in just three weeks with three countries seeking to earn a place alongside Australia, Brazil, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and the United States at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

The European Championship Nations Cup at Grand Prix on Aug. 12 and 13, the Grand Prix Special individual title Aug. 15 and the Grand Prix Freestyle on Aug. 16 will provide the world’s biggest dressage stage, the Main Stadium big enough for 40,000 spectators that was matched only once before, at the World Games at these same iconic show grounds in 2006.

The competition will be of the world’s top horse and rider partnerships including Olympic double gold medalists Valegro and Charlotte Dujardin, Germany’s top ranked Kristina Bröring-Sprehe and Desperados FRH, the Netherlands’ Edward Gal and Glock’s Undercover and the charismatic Totilas ridden by Matthias Alzexander Rath. But not Adelinde Cornelissen and Jerich Parzival that will be absent for the first time since 2009 because the 18-year-old KWPN gelding is not considered fit enough. Bella Rose, a star of the 2014 World Games, is also missing, still recovering from an injury, but her rider, Isabell Werth, has been nominated on Don Johnson FRH.

Dressage carries total prize money of €240,000 (US$262,000) with half of that allocated to the Freestyle.

The seven-member championship ground jury comprises Katrina Wüst of Germany as president, Jean-Michel Roudier of France, Susanne Baarup of Denmark, Annette Ransen-Iacobaeus of Sweden, Anne Gribbons of the United States, Eduard de Wolff van Westerrode of the Netherlands and Andrew Gardner of Great Britain. .

While not every nation has announced selection of their teams, nominated entries announced Tuesday included 18 nations with at least three horses and riders that would be the minimum for a team, and two individuals

Nations nominating teams were Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and the Ukraine. Estonia and Ireland nominated individuals.

The list included 115 riders on 126 horses. The entries will be whittled down to the final teams by the time of definite entries Aug. 3 with the lst date of substitutions Aug. 11.

If all 18 nations that have nominated teams for the Europeans–held once every two years and a primary qualifying competition for the World Games and the Olympics-start at Aachen it will be the biggest continental championships ever. The previous biggest was Rotterdam in 2011 when there were 16 teams.

Five of the seven international disciplines governed by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI)–dressage, driving, jumping, reining and vaulting–will be staged simultaneously at Aachen over two weeks, with a CICO3* of eventing that is not part of the championships. Only Endurance will be left out, a sport that has been wracked by cheating, doping and cruelty scandals in recent years.

Germany, the Netherlands and Great Britain qualified teams for the Olympics through the World Games in Normandy last year but have nominated their top pairs for what is considered a premier championship with national pride on the line.

Three more European team slots are available at Aachen.

Brazil gets a start as the host of the Rio Games, Australia qualified at the World Games through a place specially set aside for the Asia/Pacific region while the United States won its start through the Pan American Games earlier this month.

The Asia/Pacific region gets to qualify a second team at a CDI2* in Perl, Germany in September, an event specially designated by the FEI for that geographic group.

Other nations, such as Canada whose chances of being in the Olympics were minimized significantly when the FEI cut the nations that could qualify through the Pan Ams to one instead of two in the the recent past, will have to qualify a minimum of three individual combinations to make up a “composite” team.

The nominated entries announced Tuesday:

	AUT	Austria	Chef d’Equipe: Diana Wünschek
		HAIM-SWAROVSKI, Evelyn	Dorina
		MAX-THEURER, Victoria	Augustin OLD, Blind Date 25, Eichendorff
		NEUMAYER, Astrid	Rodriguez 4
		SCHUMACH, Christian	Auheim’s Picardo
		SLANEC, Alexandra	Lord Of Dream
	BEL	Belgium
		DE DEKEN, Julie	Kingsley Lucky Dance
		DEVROE, Jeroen	Eres DL
		FASSAERT, Claudia	Donnerfee
		MEIRESONNE, Delphine	Wipsy V. Heihof
		VAN ORSHAEGEN, Mario	Wilco V
		VANOMMESLAGHE, Laurence	Avec Plaisir
		VERLIEFDEN, Fanny	Annarico
		VERWIMP, Jorinde	Tiamo
	DEN	Denmark	Chef d’Equipe: Kimi Gerd Nielsen
		BACHMANN, Daniel	Blue Hors Loxana
		DAHL, Anders	Wie-Atlantico de Ymas
		GUNDERSEN, Mikala Münter	My Lady
		HELGSTRAND, Andreas	Toerveslettens Stamina
		KASPRZAK, Anna	Donnperignon
		KIRK THINGGAARD, Agnete	Jojo Az
		PETERSEN, Lars	Mariett
		SVANE, Rikke	Finckenstein TSF
	ESP	Spain
		BARBANÇON MESTRE, Morgan	Painted Black, Vitana V
		CASTILLA RUIZ, Claudio	Alcaide
		DOMINGO COLL, Jordi	Wonder
		FERRER – SALAT, Beatriz	Delgado, Sir Radjah
		GARCIA MENA, José Antonio	Norte Lovera
		MARTIN DOCKX, Jose Daniel	Grandioso
	EST	Estonia
		ELLERMANN, Dina	Landy’s Akvarel
	FIN	Finland
		BÖCKMANN, Kristina	Der Kleine Lord 16
		EHRNROOTH, Elisabet	Wizard II
		KANERVA, Emma	Sini Solina
		NILOSAARI, Niina	Kom Ragdoll
		PORTHAN-BRODDELL, Eevamaria	Solos Lacan
		STEGARS, Terhi	Axis TSF
		SUOMIO, Kikka	Flourian
	FRA	France
		BOBLET, Marc	Noble Dream Concept Sol Biolight
		BRIEUSSEL, Stéphanie	Amorak
		GOSSELIN, Claire	Karamel de Lauture
		HENRY, Ludovic	After You
		LIEGARD, Bertrand	Star Wars
		SERRE, Arnaud	Robinson de Lafont de Massa
		TEBAR, Karen	Don Luis
		VOLLA, Pierre	Badinda Altena
	GBR	Great Britain	Chef d’Equipe: Richard Waygood
		BIGGS, Hannah	Weltzin
		BIGWOOD, Fiona	Atterupgaards Orthilia
		DUJARDIN, Charlotte	Valegro
		EILBERG, Michael George	Marakov
		GRIFFITH, Lara	Rubin Al Asad
		HESTER, Carl	Nip Tuck
		ROSS, Anna Louise	Die Callas
		WILTON, Spencer	Super Nova II
	GER	Germany	Chef d’Equipe: Klaus Roeser
		BALKENHOL, Anabel	Dablino FRH
		BRÖRING-SPREHE, Kristina	Desperados FRH
		LÜTKEMEIER, Fabienne	D’Agostino FRH
		RATH, Matthias Alexander	Totilas
		ROTHENBERGER, Sanneke	Deveraux OLD
		SCHMIDT, Hubertus	Imperio 3
		VON BREDOW-WERNDL, Jessica	Unee BB
		WERTH, Isabell	Don Johnson FRH
	IRL	Ireland
		REYNOLDS, Judy	Vancouver K
	ITA	Italy	Chef d’Equipe: Laura Conz
		RIZZO, Silvia	Sal
		RUSTIGNOLI, Micol	Fixdesign Corallo Nero
		SCOLARI, Federica	Beldonwelt
		SOLDI, Ester	Harmonia
		TIOZZO, Leonardo	Randon
		TRUPPA, Valentina	Fixdesign Chablis, Fixdesign Eremo del Castegno
	LUX	Luxembourg	Chef d’Equipe: Tania Kayser
		ERPELDING, Diane	Woltair TSF
		HENSCHEN, Veronique	Fontalero
		SCHULZ, Sascha	Wito Corleone 2
		SKARSOE, Fie Christine	One Night Stand
	NED	Netherlands	Chef d’Equipe: Wim Ernes
		GAL, Edward	Glock’s Undercover N.O.P., Glock’s Voice
		HEIJKOOP, Danielle	Siro N.O.P.
		MINDERHOUD, Hans Peter	Glock’s Flirt, Glock’s Johnson TN
		SILFHOUT, Diederik van	Arlando N.O.P., Bonzanjo
		VAN DER MEER, Patrick	Uzzo
	NOR	Norway	Chef d’Equipe: Marianne Heltzen
		HESTENGEN, Trude	Tobajo Pik Disney
		HOLMEN, Anne Lene	Rainbow Dancer 4
		LØKKEN, Louise	Mr Gold G
	POL	Poland
		LUKASIK, Anna	Stella Pack Ganda
		MILCZAREK, Katarzyna	Dzeko
		SKOWRONSKA, Zaneta	Mystery
		STREMLER, Beata	Rubicon D
	POR	Portugal	Chef d’Equipe: Carlos Lopes
		CAETANO, Maria	Xiripiti
		CANELAS, Filipe	Der Clou
		CARVALHO, Gonçalo	Batuta
		FALCÃO, Raquel	Real
		PINTO, Carlos	Soberano III
		PINTO, Daniel	Santurion de Massa
		VEIGA, Manuel	Ben Hur Da Broa
		WALLENSTEIN, Ricardo	Bem Me Quer
	RUS	Russia	Chef d’Equipe: Pavel Smagin
		AFANASIEVA, Polina	Laetare, Winston
		AFRAMEEVA, Marina	Vosk
		DOROFEEVA, Tatiana	Kartsevo Upperville
		ISACHKINA, Regina	Diaz
		KHARCHENKO, Ekaterina	Gulliver
		MERKULOVA, Inessa	Mister X
		SIDNEVA, Elena	Romeo-Star
	SUI	Switzerland	Chef d’Equipe: Geneviève Pfister
		AERNE, Anna-Mengia	Raffaelo v. Bene
		HÄCKI, Caroline	Rigoletto Royal CH
		JOANNOU, Antonella	Dandy de la Roche CMF CH
		KRINKE SUSMELJ, Marcela	Smeyers Molberg
		ROSEN, Josephine	Crescendo VII
		SCHÄRLI, Patricia	Cappucino XIV
		WIENTZEK PLÄGE, Birgit	For Compliment
	SWE	Sweden
		FRIBERG, Paulinda	Di Lapponia T
		KITTEL, Patrik	Deja, Watermill Scandic
		LARSSON, Jennie	Zircoon Spring Flower
		MATHISEN, Rose	Zuidenwind 1187
		NYRERÖD, Emilie	Miata
		TELDE, Minna	Santana
		VILHELMSON SILFVÉN, Tinne	Don Auriello
	UKR	Ukraine	Chef d’Equipe: Mykhalo Parkhomchuk
		KISELIOVA, Svetlana	Parish
		KOVAN’KO, Alisa	Vian Stallone
		KOVSHOV, Maksim	Flirt
		LOGUTENKOVA, Inna	Don Gregorius, Fleraro

* Cappeln GCDI4* Grand Prix Special

CDI4* Grand Prix Special

							(E)	(H)	(C)	(M)	(B)	Total
1.	3	Blind Date 25	Max-Theurer, Victoria	AUT		2500.00 EUR	379.5	386.5	382.5	388.5	388.0	1925.0 points
	chest 13y.M /Breitling W/Donnerhall/HANN/GER43435/ Gestüt Vorwerk & Elisabeth Max						74.412 %	75.784 %	75.000 %	76.176 %	76.078 %	75.490 %
							1.	1.	1.	1.	1.
2.	23	Vancouver K	Reynolds, Judy	IRL		2000.00 EUR	353.5	359.0	347.5	368.5	367.0	1795.5 points
	bay 13y.G /Jazz/Ferro/KWPN/IRL40808/ Joe & Kathleen Reynolds						69.314 %	70.392 %	68.137 %	72.255 %	71.961 %	70.412 %
							4.	4.	6.	2.	2.
3.	21	Sammy Deluxe	Schmidt, Hubertus	GER		1500.00 EUR	358.0	360.5	359.0	357.5	359.0	1794.0 points
	bay 9y.G /Sir Donnerhall/Florestan I/WESTF/104BE20/ Hubertus Schmidt GmbH						70.196 %	70.686 %	70.392 %	70.098 %	70.392 %	70.353 %
							2.	2.	2.	3.	3.
4.	8	Fabienne	Sayn-Wittgenstein, Nathalie zu	DEN		1000.00 EUR	352.0	360.5	355.0	353.5	357.0	1778.0 points
	black 13y.M /Blue Hors Future Cup/Rubinstein/DWB/102SX68/ Zu Sayn Wittgenstein						69.019 %	70.686 %	69.607 %	69.313 %	70.000 %	69.725 %
							5.	2.	3.	6.	4.
5.	24	Fabriano	Takahashi, Masanao	JPN		600.00 EUR	352.0	354.0	354.0	355.5	352.0	1767.5 points
	bay 16y.S /Florestan I/Angelo XX/WESTF/GER42005/ Hayashi,Kenichi						69.020 %	69.412 %	69.412 %	69.706 %	69.020 %	69.314 %
							5.	6.	4.	4.	5.
6.	5	Rodriguez 4	Neumayer, Astrid	AUT		500.00 EUR	354.5	357.5	340.0	355.5	351.5	1759.0 points
	dbay 15y.G /Rubinstern Noir/Gaspari II/BRAND/103VJ26/ Astrid Neumayer						69.509 %	70.098 %	66.666 %	69.705 %	68.921 %	68.980 %
							3.	5.	7.	4.	6.
7.	34	Mane Stream Hotmail	Haddad Staller, Catherine	USA		400.00 EUR	345.0	350.5	348.0	349.0	346.5	1739.0 points
	chest 13y.G /Michellino/Havel/OLDBG/103ST08/ Rowan O’Riley						67.647 %	68.725 %	68.235 %	68.431 %	67.941 %	68.196 %
							9.	7.	5.	7.	7.
8.	1	Dorina	Haim-Swarovski, Evelyn	AUT		400.00 EUR	347.0	347.5	336.0	348.0	345.0	1723.5 points
	bay 13y.M /Blue Hors Don Schufro/Ragtime/DWB/102QL22/ Evelyn Haim-Swarovski						68.039 %	68.137 %	65.882 %	68.235 %	67.647 %	67.588 %
							7.	9.	9.	8.	9.
9.	10	Rockefellers Cinderella	Balkenhol, Anabel	GER		300.00 EUR	336.0	348.0	338.0	337.0	345.5	1704.5 points
	bay 12y.M /Rubin-Royal/Newcastle/WESTF/103VB37/ Balkenhol,Nikolaus						65.882 %	68.235 %	66.274 %	66.078 %	67.745 %	66.843 %
							10.	8.	8.	10.	8.
10.	13	Biedermeier	Bruns, Wibke	GER		300.00 EUR	346.5	340.0	329.5	340.5	338.5	1695.0 points
	bay 11y.S /Belissimo M/Rubinstein I/WESTF/102QI51/ Elisabeth Max-Theurer						67.942 %	66.667 %	64.608 %	66.765 %	66.373 %	66.471 %
							8.	10.	10.	9.	11.
11.	30	Wito Corleone 2	Schulz, Sascha	LUX		250.00 EUR	335.0	338.0	329.0	333.0	339.0	1674.0 points
	bay 16y.G /Wolkentanz/Landfriese I/HANN/GER45319/ Mourruau Patrice						65.686 %	66.274 %	64.510 %	65.294 %	66.471 %	65.647 %
							11.	11.	11.	11.	10.
12.	7	Lord Of Dream	Slanec, Alexandra	AUT		250.00 EUR	320.0	333.5	326.5	331.0	331.0	1642.0 points
	chest 13y.G /Londonderry/Weltmeyer/HANN/104HQ23/ Berta Slanec						62.745 %	65.392 %	64.019 %	64.902 %	64.902 %	64.392 %
							12.	12.	12.	12.	12.

Data of competition:
Judges:	(E)	A.Gribbons (USA)			Total prize money:	10000 EUR
	(H)	S.Baarup (DEN)
	(C)	Dr.E.Eisenhardt (GER)
	(M)	G.Fouarge (NED)
	(B)	T.Lang (AUT)