Denmark’s Olympic Silver Medal Team to Launch Western Europe’s World Cup Circuit in Herning – Dressage-News

Oct. 15, 2024

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

Denmark’s Olympic silver medal team led by the top Paris partnership of Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St. John Freestyle launch Western Europe’s World Cup circuit in Herning, Denmark this week. Even before the start of the circuit of 11 qualifiers leading to the Final next April, seven riders have already earned at least as many points as the winner will receive on Saturday.

The Olympic team of Cathrine and the 15-year-old mare, Nanna Skodborg Merrald and the 16-year-old gelding Blue Hors Zepter and Daniel Bachmann Andersen on the 13-year-old stallion Vayron head a lineup of six Danish riders in the total of 15 combinations at Herning.

Patrik Kittel of Sweden will ride the 13-year-old stallion Zoulmate instead of Touchdown that he rode to claim the 2024 title and also competed at Paris. As defending champion, he needs to compete in two competitions this season to automatically earn one of the 18 starting places in the Final.

Among the five Germans to start in Herning is five-time Olympic eventer and World Championship dressage medalist Ingrid Klimke who will ride First Class, 12-year-old mare. Ingrid rode Franziskus FRH in the World Cup Final at Omaha in 2023.

Two other Germans in Herning include Maik Kohlschmidt on Pasadena, a 12-year-old mare, who has already earned 23 points by competing in the Central European League, and Bianca Nowag-Aulenbrock on Florine OLD who collected 20 points for victory on the 12-year-old mare also in Central Europe.

Austrian riders Bettina Kendlbacher with 26 points tops the Western European standings, with Diana Porsche one point back. Neither rider will be in Herning.

Other riders with at least 20 points are also German and not in Herning–Antonia von Dungern on 22 points, Helen Langehanenberg and Dorothee Schneider each with 20.

Western Europe gets nine of the 18 Final slots, with no more than three from the same nation. North America is awarded three spots, Central Europe two, the Pacific League one, one for the defending champion and the other two by different requirements.

The Central European series has already conducted 11 of 14 events on its calendar.

North America began its series last month but the schedule of 10 events was cut with TerraNova canceled because of the effects of Hurricane Milton on Florida’s Gulf coast. The next event is scheduled for the Mexico City area later this month.

Four of the remaining qualifiers are scheduled for Florida–one in Ocala, three in Wellington–and three in California with two in Thermal and one in Del Mar.

The Finals of dressage, jumping and vaulting will be in Basel, Switzerland next April 1-6.