Oliver Townend has announced that he has withdrawn Ashdale Cruise Master (Cruising—Slys Girl), the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Henry and Edna Harding, from the reserve spot on Great Britain’s eventing team for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games according to Horse and Hound.

Townend cited a desire to concentrate on preparations for next year and the 2012 London Olympic qualifiers. He stated that Ashdale Cruise Master deserves a rest after a tumultuous eventing season that included a ghastly fall on cross-country at this year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, an accident that broke Townend’s shoulder and collarbone and caused him to miss this year’s Badminton Horse Trials (England).

He will, however, ride last year’s Burghley CCI**** winner, Carousel Quest, this fall at Burghley (England). But Ashdale Cruise Master will sit that one out as well.

Townend and Ashdale Cruise Master were reserve members of the team, along with Daisy Berkeley and Spring Along, Sharon Hunt and Tankers Town, and Lucy Wiegersma and Woodfalls Inigo Jones. The reserve members of the British Eventing Team will not travel to Kentucky.