British WEG jumping squad named
The British squad for the show jumping team and individual competitions at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen will combine many years of experience at the highest level with talented young enthusiasm.
The squad are:
- John Whitaker riding Rebecca Stones’ Peppermill
- Michael Whitaker riding Gillespie Equestrian’s Insul Tech Portofino 63 or his own Mozart des Hayettes
- Tim Gredley riding Rowena Gredley’s Omelli
- Robert Smith riding Di and Pennie Cornish’s Marius Claudius (pictured above)
- William Funnell riding Julie Slade’s Cortaflex Mondriaan
John and Peppermill are a relatively new combination, who only started competing together in February of this year. They have produced two clear rounds on Super League teams.
John’s brother Michael will ride either Gillespie Equestrian’s bay mare Insul Tech Portofino 63 or his own 10-year-old bay stallion Mozart des Hayettes. Both of these horses have shown tremendous form so far this season, Insul Tech Portofino 63 won the third leg of the World Cup final and finishing in 6th place overall. Mozart des Hayettes finished in second place in the Rome Grand Prix and fourth at Rotterdam.
20-year-old Tim will make his senior championship debut aboard his step-mother’s Omelli. The pairing have jumped a double clear round on the Super League Team in La Baule and two clear rounds but with one time fault at the Aachen Super League earlier this year.
Only Fools on Horses judge, Robert will ride Di and Pennie Cornish’s bay stallion Marius Claudius. Robert, who finished 4th at the 2005 Athens Olympic Games, was a member of the winning British Super League Nations Cup Team at Hickstead recently.
2006 Hickstead Derby winners, William and Cortaflex Mondriaan will be hoping to continue their current form after jumping a clear round on the Super League Team in Rotterdam. Following a serious colic operation in December 2005, Cortaflex Mondriaan has come back into form just at the right time.
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The squad’s chef d’equipe will be Derek Ricketts.
The show jumping competition will be held in front of a sell out crowd during the second week of WEG in Aachen, Germany (20 August – 3 September) culminating in the famous “Top 4” individual final on Sunday 3 September.
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