In a press release relating to the CDI Achleiten, coming up 12 - 15 May 2011, Sissy Max-Theurer, president of the Austrian Equestrian Federation, stated that the main goals for the Austrian dressage riders are the 2011 European Championships and 2012 Olympic Games.
"We have the possibility to send a team to the European Championships, but it is not yet foreseeable whether four riders will achieve the necessary level in August," Max-Theurer stated.
Candidates for the Austrian team for the Rotterdam championships are Victoria Max-Theurer (with Augustin or Eichendorff), Renate Voglsang (Fabriano), Andrea John (Esperanto) and Christian Schucmach (Picardo). Other A-team members, such as Peter Gmoser (Cointreau), Nikolaus Erdmann (Danny Wilde) and Hannes Mayr (Ellis), are also still in the running of achieving a spot on the team.
"The final decision will be made in July", Max-Theurer explained. "Until then good performances at the upcoming international shows will matter."
As all top level riders, the ultimate goal are the Olympic Games and this also counts for the Austrians. "Because they are relatively close (in London), the Games are logistically more interesting again. Our long term planning is based on this goal and we hope to improve on our team and individual achievements of Athens and Hong Kong. This means that we'll have to work hard at it. No pain, no gain."
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