All 4 US Dressage Horses Pass First Jog for Aachen World Championships

All four horses on the Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team passed the first jog on Monday, Aug. 10, clearing the way for Meagan Davis and Toronto Lightfoot, Ashley Holzer and Hawtins San Floriana, Kasey Perry-Glass and Heartbeat W.P., and Christian Simonson and Fleau de Baian to compete at the FEI Dressage World Championships, which begin Tuesday in Aachen, Germany.

A total of 91 horses representing 34 nations trotted before the ground jury Monday morning, starting at 8:30 a.m. local time, with all accepted.

Ashley Holzer and Hawtins San Floriana. ©Shannon Brinkman Photography

Draw Order Set, US To Go Last

Following the horse inspection, officials moved on to the draw. Individual combinations not competing as part of a team were drawn first, in reverse order of FEI World Ranking. The lowest-ranked among them drew starting positions for Tuesday, the first day of the Grand Prix, while the highest-ranked individual riders drew spots for Wednesday.

The 91 combinations will be split across Tuesday and Wednesday—45 pairs compete Tuesday and 46 go on Wednesday—with team medals decided at the close of competition Wednesday. The top 30 individual scorers from both days advance to Friday’s Grand Prix Special.

Former German Olympic rider Heike Kemmer pulled the first name from the bowl: U.S.-based Julio Mendoza Loor and Jewel’s Goldstrike, who will start 38th on Tuesday for Ecuador.

Team draws followed, also conducted in reverse order of the world ranking and grouped in blocks of five nations. Ireland was the first team drawn and will go second overall. In all, 19 teams entered the draw; each team’s coach had already submitted a sealed order for that nation’s three or four riders.

Brazil’s Manuel Rodrigues Tavares de Almeida Neto and Hermes will be the first pair into the ring when the Grand Prix begins at 8:20 a.m. local time Tuesday. The final group of the draw—the Netherlands, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany and the United States—will occupy the last five starting positions.

Davis on Toronto Lightfoot, a last-minute substitution for the team, will go down centerline first for the U.S., at 12 p.m. local time (6 a.m. Eastern) Tuesday, with Perry-Glass and Heartbeat W.P. last to go Tuesday at 5:50 p.m. local time (11:50 a.m. Eastern).

Meagan Davis and Toronto Lightfoot. ©Roy Brinkman for Shannon Brinkman Photography

Simonson and Fleau de Baian will take their turn Wednesday at 12:40 p.m. local time (6:40 a.m. Eastern), and Ashley Holzer and Hawtins San Floriana will be the last pair in the ring for the Grand Prix, at 5:50 p.m. local time (11:50 a.m. Eastern) on Wednesday.

See the full order of go for Tuesday’s tests here.

Germany, Denmark Eye Podium; Belgium Targets Olympic Berth

Host nation Germany, competing for gold on home soil, will send Raphael Netz and Great Escape Camelot into the ring first, followed by Frederic Wandres and Bluetooth OLD. Katharina Hemmer (Denoix PCH) and Isabell Werth (Wendy de Fontaine) are set to ride Wednesday.

“We are very ambitious and eager to win gold,” German national coach Monica Theodorescu said. “That is our goal. But there are several strong teams, and everything will depend on the form on the day. We expect strong competition from Great Britain, but Denmark and perhaps the underdogs, Belgium, should not be ruled out as potential medal contenders either.”

Defending team champions Denmark will start with Nadja Aaboe Sloth and Favour Gersdorf, followed by Carina Cassøe Krüth and Heiline’s Danciera. Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Flash Gordon compete Wednesday alongside world No. 1 Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St. John Freestyle, considered among the individual medal favorites.

Belgium’s Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus. ©FEI/Liz Gregg

Belgian team manager Jeroen van Lent welcomed Theodorescu’s assessment of his squad, which includes world No. 2 Justin Verboomen with Zonik Plus, but was quick to temper expectations.

“I am very flattered that she says that,” he said. “Our main goal for Belgium is team qualification for the L.A. 28 Olympic Games. Anything beyond that would be the icing on the cake.

“We are not changing our objectives,” he added. “Do we have a chance of a medal? Perhaps, but that will depend on whether we can produce personal bests. It is impossible to predict. We do not want to burden the riders with the pressure of that expectation. Securing direct Olympic qualification would already make history for Belgium, and we would be very disappointed if we did not manage that.”