The highly mediatized Battle of the Black Titans will not be taking place in its entirety at the 2012 CDI Hagen. Carl Hester has been forced to withdraw Uthopia from the competition due to a minor hoof injury. Black stallions Totilas and Desperados are still scheduled to appear.
On Friday 20 April Uthopia pulled a shoe in the field and sustained some light bruising to his hoof. British team farrier Haydn Price assessed the horse on Monday 23 April and the team decided not to compete the 11-year old Dutch bred Uthopia (by Metall) as the horse is slightly sore.
"It is crap timing and so disappointing,” Hester told Horse and Hound. "I really wanted to go to Hagen — it would have been the first time we’d [likely Olympic teammates] all been together since Olympia. It isn’t anything major. Another 48 hours and it might have been different but it’s not a risk worth taking."
Carl will be adapting his show schedule in the lead-up to the 2012 London Olympics. He told Eurodressage that he was thinking of attending the CDI Lingen and CDIO Rotterdam as preparation for the Games.
"We’ll see how well he responds to poulticing and then when Hayden puts the shoe back on we’ll make a decision from there,” Carl told Horse and Hound.
The 2012 CDI Hagen is featuring Great Britain as guest country this year with the slogan "Horses and Dreams Meets Great Britain". The Brits will be present in Hagen at full force with Charlotte Dujardin (Valegro), Laura Bechtolsheimer (Mistral Hojris and Andretti H), Emile Faurie (Elmgardens Marquis), Henriette Andersen (Louis D’or) and Judy Harvey (Fitzcerraldo) competing.
Photo © Astrid Appels
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