The United States Equestrian Team (USET) has announced the list of horses and riders for the Dressage World Championships at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Jerez, Spain in September. The list was named following selection trials at the USET Olympic Training Center in Gladstone, NJ, June 1-2 and 8-9.
The five riders and horses that will go to Europe for further training before the WEG in September are: Debbie McDonald of Hailey, ID, and Brentina, owned by Parry and Peggy Thomas; Guenter Seidel of Del Mar, CA, with Nikolaus 7, owned by Dick and Jane Brown; Sue Blinks of Wellington, FL, and Flim Flam, owned by Fritz Kundrun and Dressage Sponsor Corporation; Lisa Wilcox of Thousand Oaks, CA, with Relevant, owned by Gundula Vorwerk and Dr. Claus Crone-Munzebrock; and Christine Traurig of Carlsbad, CA, with Etienne, owned by Kelly Trierweiler.
Consistent with the team selection procedures, the top three horses - Brentina, Nikolaus 7 and Flim Flam - will ride as members of the team assuming they maintain their soundness and preparedness to compete. The two remaining horses - Relevant and Etienne - will compete in two shows in Europe. The USET Dressage Selectors will then determine which of the two will ride on the team and which will serve as team alternate. All five horses will travel to Jerez for the Games.
The three planned competitions are Aachen, Lingen, and Nšrten-hardenberg. Because of USDA restrictions on travel and quarantine restriction on mares and stallions, Brentina will be unable to compete at Aachen. Other German competitions may be added as needed by team coach Klaus Balkenhol.
Wilcox did not compete in the selection trials, but instead chose to qualify by competing in Europe. Her score of 74.299% was the necessary 2% above the fourth place competitor in Gladstone and therefore she made the short list.
Steffen Peters of Escondido, CA, with Grandeur, owned by Robert and Lila Kommerstadt, qualified for the short list in sixth place but removed themselves from the selection process leaving five riders to vie for the U.S. team of four that will compete in Spain.
The Trials also served as the 2002 USET Grand Prix Championship and for the second consecutive year the Grand Prix Champion was Debbie McDonald with Brentina and the Reserve Champion was Guenter Seidel with Nikolaus 7.
For more on the dressage trials and a slide show click here.
