After months of competition, the entries for next month’s FEI World Cup Dressage Finals in Omaha are finally set, and we will be there to bring you all the news in that discipline and the show jumping.
The roster is led by Cup defending champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl of Germany, the 2021 Olympic gold medalist who scored 91.732 percent in the freestyle to earn that honor in Tokyo on TSF Dalera. Who will be able to approach that kind of score to take the title away from her?
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera.
Her compatriot, Isabell Werth, won the Cup three times in a row after earning the honor in Omaha in 2017, and will be aboard DSP Quantaz. Another German, Ingrid Klimke, who is better known as an Olympic eventer, has qualified with Franziskus FRH.
Jessica’s brother, Benjamin Werndl (part of the German team at the 2022 world championships when his sister was pregnant and out of action) had a good qualifying score but can’t compete. Only three riders from one country are allowed to participate.
There is, however, no rule that everyone on the podium can’t be from the same country. Yet it is likely that a place will be taken by another western European.
Perhaps it will be Dinja Van Liere of the Netherlands with Hermes. She is ranked fourth in the world, and her stallion is the number two horse in the world.
The number one rider in the rankings, World Champion Lottie Fry of Great Britain, qualified for the finals but is not coming because her mount, the stallion Glamourdale, will be breeding at that time.
The others from the Western European League who made the cut include Dinja’s countrywomen, Thamar Zweistra on Hexagon’s Ich Weiss and Marieke Van der Putten with Torveslettens Titanium RS2.
The Danes will be represented by Nana Skodborg Merrald on Blue Hors Zepter,. Morgan Barbancon, who in the past has ridden for Spain, will be aboard Sir Donnerhall II OLD competing for France.
The three U.S. riders are Steffen Peters, who won the Cup in 2009 on Ravel. He will be riding his Olympic and world championships veteran Suppenkasper. Anna Buffini (FRH Davinia La Douce) and Cup first-timer Alice Tarjan (Serenade MF) will be gaining good experience as they point for places on future international teams.
Anna Buffini and FRH Davinia La Douce. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Representing the Central European League are Justina Vanagaite of Lithuania on Nabab and Alisa Glinka of Moldova on Aachen.
The non-league representative is Caroline Chew of Singapore on Tribiani.
Australia’s Simone Pearce on Fiderdance got one of the extra starting places. The other extra places went to Western Europeans, Sweden’s Johanna Due Boje on Mazy Klovenhoj and Belgium’s Jorinde Verwimp with Charmer.
