No less than 13 teams will compete in the 2007 FEI European Dressage Championship from 30 August to 2 September at La Mandria, Torino (ITA). After a series of failed efforts in the past, the Dutch team will try once more to break the German dominance. The battle for team bronze will be rather open, with Sweden, Great Britain and Denmark standing the best chances. Even before the start of the Championship, however, it is clear that there will only be one winner and that is the sport of Dressage.
Full scale teams of non-traditional Dressage countries such as Ukraine, Portugal, Belgium and Russia will compete alongside upcoming nations such as France, Spain, Switzerland and Austria.
Not just medals, but for some countries also Olympic qualification will be at stake at La Mandria. For this reason Denmark, for instance, will not be very pleased with the fact that both Andreas Helgstrand’s top horses Matine and Don Schufro are injured, forcing the Blue Hors rider to saddle his Danish championship horse Gredstedgards Casmir. Also the French team has taken a blow, loosing Karen Tebar due to the fact that Falada hasn’t recovered from surgery in time.
HOLGER SCHMEZER
German team coach Holger Schmezer selected his squad at an early stage, choosing Isabell Werth, Nadine Capellmann, Ellen Schulten Baumer and Monica Theodorescu. Monica’s father Georg Theodorescu sadly passed away recently and unfortunately did not live to experience his daughter’s come back to the national team. Nevertheless, Monica decided to compete at La Mandria, for the very fact that her father was so proud of her election. Monica Theodorescu made it to the German team once more with Whisper, a horse that she educated herself under the guidance of her father.
Isabell Werth will ride Satchmo, leaving FEI World Cup™ winner Warum Nicht FRH in his stable. Although Germany has to compete without Heike Kemmer, they still are the favourites for gold, expecting the greatest challenge from Holland.
SJEF JANSEN
Dutch trainer Sjef Jansen needed some more time than his German colleague. Jansen organised a final qualifying meeting of all his candidates just one day before the closure of the definite nomination for Torino. Anky van Grunsven and Imke Schellekens were already in the team, Hans Peter Minderhoud had already shown with both Exquis Nadine and Exquis Escapado that he is not just a young horse specialist, but the fourth place in the Dutch team had become a bit of a discussion. Both Laurens van Lieren’s horse Ollright (in Aachen) and Alex van Silfhout’s horse Nimbly (in Rotterdam) had freaked out from fear over tv camera’s and moving advertisement boards. Just two weeks before the final nomination Alex van Silfhout had beaten Laurens van Lieren three times at Hickstead. Still, team trainer Sjef Jansen and chef d’equipe Mariette Sanders chose Laurens van Lieren to the team.
BATTLE FOR BRONZE
The battle for bronze will be very interesting. The Swedes have a strong team, with Jan Brink and Björsells Briar not at all loosing quality with age. In fact, the impressive stallion is one of the major candidates for an individual medal, after Isabell Werth’s World Championship horse Satchmo and Anky van Grunsven’s hot tempered Hanoverian Salinero. The Swedes can also count on Tine Vilhelmson, riding the powerful former brood stallion Solos Carex and Louise Nathhorst who rides Isodor, a son of prize winning Guiness. Per Sandgaard is the fourth member, riding Orient.
The British riders Emma Hindle/Lancet, Carl Hester/Lecantos, Fiona Bigwood/Mr G de Lully and Laura Bechtolsheimer/Mistral Hojris didn’t have a lot of stress preparing for Torino; they knew well in advance that they were in the squad.
THIRD HORSE
The Danish team has been weakened loosing Matine’s or Don Schufro’s top score. But Andreas Helgstrand is a top class rider, who prepared a third horse, Gredstedgards Casmir, for the job. Helgstrand is joined by Nathalie zu Sayn Wittgenstein/Rigoletto, Sanne Henningsen/Clearwater and Joachim Thomsen/Mikado Engvang.
Too bad for the French, who have become stronger and stronger over the years, that part-German Karen Tebar can not ride, but police officer Hubert Perring is doing a wonderful job with Diabolo St Maurice. The other team members are Odile Van Doorn, Julia Chevanne and Tebar’s substitute Constance Menard, who will ride her Dutch bred coach horse Lianca.
HISTORIC MOMENT
The FEI European Dressage Championship at La Mandria will experience a historic moment in the development of Dressage. The growing popularity of the sport, not just within traditional countries, but throughout Europe, results in an unprecedented field of participants. The Dressage bug has ‘infected’ nations all over the continent, giving the FEI European Dressage Championship an enormous boost.