Final Show Down for Belgian, Australian, American, British Olympic Candidates at 2016 CDIO Rotterdam

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2016 CDIO Rotterdam

The 2016 CDIO Rotterdam, which kicks off on Thursday 23 June 2016, will be the final show down for Olympic team candidates for countries such as Australia, Belgium, Great Britain and the United States. Rotterdam has been picked as final team observation and selection trial by the national federations of those four nations.

For Australia six riders will be contesting the CDI 3* classes in Rotterdam as part of their second out of two European Olympic team qualification events. American based Kelly Layne, who competed at the first trial in Odense and scored 67.880%, has withdrawn from showing in Rotterdam as her horse Udon P has not yet fully recovered from a minor injury. Lyndal Oatley and Sandro Boy, who were unable to ride at Odense due to an injury, will be in Rotterdam. She will be joined by Mary Hanna (Boogie Woogie, Umbro), Sue Hearn (Remmington), Kristy Oatley (Du Soleil), Brett Parbery (DP Weltmieser) and Maree Tomkinson (Diamantina).

For Belgium two candidates are in the running for one Olympic individual spot. Rotterdam will be the final head-to-head event for Jorinde Verwimp (Tiamo) and Jeroen Devroe (Eres DL). After the show, the Belgian equestrian federation will announce who got the spot, taking all season scores as well as Rotterdam's results into account. Verwimp and Devroe are joined by Delphine Meiresonne (Wipsy van het Heihof) and Mario van Orshaegen (Wilco V) for the Nations' Cup.

British Charlotte Dujardin, Carl Hester and Fiona Bigwood are almost guaranteed of a team spot on the British Olympic team due to their stand out performances this season and past merit. Dujardin has not competed Valegro since the 2015 European Championships last August and will only do a dress rehearsal at the CDI Hartpury before going to Rio. In Rotterdam the fourth British team spot is up for grabs. Gareth Hughes (Briolinca), Laura Tomlinson (Rosalie B), Lara Griffith (Rubin Al Asad) and Michael Eilberg (Dornroschen) will be battling it out in the Nations' Cup, while Eilberg will also ride Marakov in the CDI tour. Rotterdam is the last opportunity for the Brits to produce top scores before team announcement. Surprisingly absent from Rotterdam is Spencer Wilton (Super Nova) who is also in the running for the fourth spot. Gareth Hughes' Briolinca did not pass the vet check today but will be presented for re-inspection tomorrow morning before the Grand Prix starts at 11 AM.

Juliette Ramel schooling Buriel KH at the 2016 CDIO Rotterdam The American Equestrian Federation has marked Rotterdam as last, mandatory Olympic selection trial and chef d'equipe Robert Dover is testing his most likely Olympic team in the Nations' Cup (Peters on Legolas, Graves on Verdades, Francis on Doktor and Perry on Dublet). Allison Brock and Rosevelt will ride the CDI 3* tour as Francis has two horses in the running and had to split them up between the two tours. Of course Arlene Page (Woodstock), Guenter Seidel (Zero Gravity) and Steffen Peters (Rosemunde) will be trying for personal best performances and grab a team spot for themselves. The battle will be tough.

Sweden will also come full force to Rotterdam with Tinne Vilhelmson (Don Auriello), Patrik Kittel (Deja), Rose Mathisen (Zuidenwind) and Juliette Ramel (Buriel KH) but for them the international show in Falsterbo will be the final selection event.

For The Netherlands, Rotterdam is the first of two observation trials. Team trainer Johan Rockx will announce the Dutch Olympic team after the Dutch Championships which are held the same weekend as the CDIO Aachen. Germany is not sending its A-team riders to The Netherlands but is still fielding a strong B-team in Rotterdam with Juliane Brunkhorst (Furstano), Kathleen Keller (Daintree), Charlott Maria Schurmann (Burlington), and Bernadette Brune (Spirit of the Age OLD).

Eurodressage will be in Rotterdam to cover the CDIO Grand Prix ! We are not missing a bit of this Olympic race!