The Paris Olympics 2024 eventing qualification hunt will heat up in the Netherlands this week, as riders plan their seasons around the Games.
Tom McEwen and David Doel are among the British riders who have made the journey to Kronenberg, while other competitors include New Zealand’s Tim Price, France’s Astier Nicolas and Australia’s Chris Burton.
To be eligible to compete at Paris 2024, combinations must have a qualifying result at either a CCI5* or a CCI4*-L and a CCI4*-S between 1 January 2023 and 24 June 2024. In addition, pairs need a qualifying result at any CCI5*, CCI4*-L or CCI4*-S between 1 January 2024 and 24 June 2024 (the “confirmation result”).
Horses who have missed part or all of 2023 through injury are therefore likely to be seeking three four-star qualifying results this spring. Tim Price’s 2022 Maryland 5 Star winner Coup De Coeur Dudevin is one of these horses and is entered to start in the CCI4*-L this week at Kronenberg. Tim’s world double bronze medallist Falco, who missed the back end of last year after having a tumour removed, has one CCI4*-S qualification from Millstreet last year already under his belt. He is also in the Kronenberg CCI4*-L line-up.
Astier Nicolas’ double Blair Castle Horse Trials CCI4*-S winner Babylon De Gamma only did one international last year, gaining a CCI4*-S qualification at Lignières in the autumn, and will take on the CCI4*-L at Kronenberg.
Tom McEwen’s ride JL Dublin and David Doel’s Galileo Nieuwmoed both had podium finishes at five-star last year, so they only need their “confirmation result” to tick the formal qualification box for Paris. Both will seek this in the CCI4*-S at Kronenberg. Tom also has CHF Cooliser in this class, an exciting return to competition for this mare, who sat out most of last year.
Other British entries in the CCI4*-S include 2022 Luhmühlen Horse Trials five-star runners-up Kirsty Chabert and Classic VI, Bubby Upton (who continues her comeback from serious injury with Cola and Magic Roundabout) and up-and-coming rider Georgia Bartlett with Spano De Nazca.
New Zealand’s Caroline Powell will seek her Paris confirmation result in the CCI4*-S with Greenacres Special Cavalier, who was sixth at Maryland 5 Star last year. Others who will aim to gain their confirmation result in this class include Belgium’s Karin Donckers, with her experienced 19-year-old Fletcha Van’t Verahof, and her compatriot Lara de Liedekerke-Meier on last year’s Boekelo runner-up Ducati D’Arville.
New – and reunited – combinations also have to tick all the qualification boxes over the next few months. Japan’s Yoshiaki Oiwa will start his international campaign in Kronenberg with the former Pippa Funnell ride MGH Grafton Street. And while publicity around Chris Burton’s return to eventing and assault on the Australian team has been centred around him taking on Ben Hobday’s Shadow Man, he is also quietly back riding Clever Louis, who has been piloted by Jonelle Price and Bubby Upton since Chris stopped eventing in 2021. Chris and Clever Louis are entered in the CCI4*-S at Kronenberg.
Australia’s Bill Levett bagged an early Olympic qualification last weekend when he took the CCI4*-L at Montelibretti in Italy on Sligo Candy Cane.
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