WEG countdown: eight weeks to go

Event rider Sacha Pemble will hope to make her debut squad appearance for Ireland after being listed on the seven-strong WEG “performance squad”. Sacha is listed with her Punchestown winner I’ve Been Dun and Dazzling Effects. The other riders are Ann Hatton (Cool Kiwi), Mark Kyle (Drunken Disorderly), Austin O’Connor (Swynerton), Michael Ryan (Old Road), Jonty Evans (Cregwarrior) and Niall Griffin (Lorgaine). Other riders are seeking qualification to be put forward for selection.

Reigning Olympic and Super League Champion America is the first of the “big guns” to announce her show jumping team. Chef d’equipe George Morris will travel to Aachen with a team comprising Beezie Madden (Authentic) and McLain Ward (Sapphire), both of whom competed on the winning team in Athens; Margie Engle, who went well on last winter’s World Cup circuit with Quervo Gold, and Laura Kraut, on her nine-year-old Miss Independent. The reserves are Jeffrey Welles (Armani) and Molly Ashe (Neuville).

Recent Luhmühlen winners Frank Ostholt and Air Jordan 2 will lead the home side’s eventing squad in Aachen. They will be joined by Bettina Hoy (Ringwood Cockatoo), Ingrid Klimke (Sleep Late) Hinrich Romeike (Marius Voigt-Logistik), Anna Warnecke (Twinkle Bee) and Andreas Dibowski (FRH Little Lemon, Euroridings Butts Leon or FRH Serve Well). Dirk Schrade (Sindy 43) is first reserve, second reserves are Peter Thomsen (The Ghost Of Hamish or Lost For Words) and Stefanie Thompson (Jacko’s Delight or Hilton Star).

New Zealand has added five more possible eventing combinations to the six already announced. They are recent Taupo CCI*** winner Matthew Grayling (NRM Gordon), Emily Butcher (Southern Ben), Blair Richardson (Maximum Overkill), Donna Smith (Call Me Clifton) and Jonelle Richards (Mazetto).

Australia’s dressage squad short-list is: Heath Ryan (Greenoakes Dundee); Rachael Sanna (Chatham Park Jac); Kelly Layne (Amoucher); Kristy Oatley (Quando-Quando and Don Bolero), and Matthew Dowsley (Cinderella).

American dressage rider George Williams is out of WEG contention due to an injury sustained by Rocher, with whom he was fifth in the 2003 World Cup final.

• This report was first published in Horse & Hound (22 June ’06)

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