Things are gearing up for next month’s dressage, jumping and para dressage championships in Denmark. The American riders under consideration include Alice Tarjan of Oldwick, N.J. with Serenade MF, who was third in the major Rotterdam, Netherlands, show last month. Also on the list are two-thirds of the Tokyo Olympics silver medal team, Adrienne Lyle with Salvino and Steffen Peters with Suppenkasper.
Those named as well to the nominated entries list include Katie Duerrhammer (Quartett, Paxton); Ashley Holzer (Valentine); Charlotte Jorst (Kastel’s Nintendo) and Sarah Tubman (First Apple).
The Kronberg, Germany, show this week is the final U.S. observation competition before the team is named.
Meanwhile, four show jumping riders were selected to take part in the final Nations Cup observation event for that discipline at the Knokke Hippique, Belgium, show. They included Tokyo Olympics team silver medalist Jessica Springsteen of Colts Neck, N.J. AnotherJerseyan, Michael Hughes of Franklin Lakes, also competed, as did Bliss Heers and Brian Moggre. Laura Kraut, also a Tokyo team silver medalist, was chosen to ride at the show, but was not on the Nations Cup squad.
Brian Moggre and Balou du Reventon.
The team wound up eighth of nine nations. The best U.S. performance was Brian Moggre on Balou du Reventon. He was 0/4 in two rounds, and the only American to put in a clear trip. Maybe we’ll see him at the world championships.
“Despite our overall results not being what we had hoped for, there were some bright spots, nevertheless, including Brian’s two solid rounds in the anchor position,” said coach Robert Ridland.
“Most importantly, the primary purpose of these 5* competitions over the past two weeks (Aachen was held at the beginning of the month) is to put the finishing touches on the selection and preparation process for the upcoming World Championships in Denmark.”
You have to figure that McLain Ward, who won two classes at Aachen, Germany, this month with his Tokyo Olympics horse, Contagious, is a lock to make the squad, so it will be interesting to see who joins him in Denmark.
The U.S. already has named its short list for para dressage. It includes Beatrice de Lavalette riding Clarc, Rebecca Hart (El Corona Texel and Fortune 500); Charlotte Merle-Smith (Guata), Kate Shoemaker (Quiana and Solitaer 40) and Tokyo individual gold medalist Roxanne Trunnell.
She is on a new horse, Fortunato H2O, owned by Lehua Custer and bred in Frenchtown, N.J., by Kendra Hansis at Runningwater Warmbloods.
The eventing and four-in-hand driving world championships will be staged in Italy. For the first time in 32 years, there is no FEI World Equestrian Games. It’s hard to find a venue that is able (or willing) to host five disciplines.