As next month’s U.S. Olympic Dressage Selection Trials approach, the candidates are scurrying to secure their final qualifying scores before the June 4 deadline.
The top 12 horse/rider combinations in the country will be invited to compete at the trials, held over consecutive weekends, June 11-13 and June 18-20, at the Oaks Blenheim equestrian facility in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. The rankings are determined by the average score from the Grand Prix obtained in qualifying competitions.
On the first weekend, riders will contest the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special, and on the second weekend, they’ll contest the Grand Prix and freestyle.
The Grand Prix counts for 60 percent of the score (30% for each test), the Special is worth 25 percent, and the Grand Prix freestyle is worth 15 percent.
The top three riders from the trials will then be placed on the Olympic short list and will be required to compete in one European competition prior to the Olympics. A number of scenarios could determine the fourth member of the U.S. team, but, essentially, the results of competition in Europe will be used to select the last berth (see full selection procedure rules on www.USEF.org)
As of May 18, Debbie McDonald and the indomitable mare Brentina are topping the list with an average Grand Prix score of 75.79 percent.
Despite Brentina’s minor injury in March, which prevented them from defending their 2003 FEI World Cup title in Dusseldorf, Germany, in April, Peggy Thomas’ mare still shoulders U.S. medal hopes on her broad back.
The other rider/horse combination with a secure spot in the standings is five-time Olympian Robert Dover and his newest Olympic-hopeful partner, FBW Kennedy. Jane Clark bought the chestnut from Denmark’s Lone Jorgenson in late fall 2003.
After a jam-packed and successful winter season of showing in Florida, Dover and Kennedy are second with a 73.20 percent average.
Guenter Seidel and Nikolaus 7, who finished sixth in the World Cup Final, are third with an average of 71.42 percent.
Lisa Wilcox, who lives and trains in Germany, with Gestut Vorwerk’s stallion Relevant, lies fourth, only 0.20 points behind Seidel and .08 points in front of Tina Konyot and her promising mare, Anna Karenina.
While Wilcox has a proven past-performance record against the best in the world, because she’s chosen to qualify for the Olympic team on European soil and hasn’t made plans to compete in the final selection trials, her status on the team teeters on the edge.
According to the selection procedure, riders who don’t return for the selection trials must have a European average 2 percentage points higher than the fourth-ranked combination at the conclusion of the selection trials.
Wilcox has shown lightly this year as Relevant is a breeding stallion and his breeding season has just concluded. According to Christy Baxter, the USEF’s assistant dressage director, she is planning to show at Wiesbaden CDI (Germany), May 29-31.
Baxter cautioned that the current USEF list still included scores that could become drop scores once the qualifying period ends. The USEF automatically drops each horse’s lowest Grand Prix score, provided he’s competed in three or more qualifying combinations.
For instance, Baxter said, if she factored the drop scores into the current list, Wilcox would move into third place and Leslie Morse, who is currently 14th, would shoot up to eighth place. The 12 riders (some of which will have more than one horse) who will contest the trials will be announced by June 7.
2004 USEF Grand Prix Rankings
(As of May 18, 2004)
1. Debbie McDonald, Brentina 75.79%
2. Robert Dover, FBW Kennedy 73.20
3. Guenter Seidel, Nikolaus 7 71.42
4. Lisa Wilcox, Relevant 71.29
5. Tina Konyot, Anna Karenina 71.21
6. Steffen Peters, Grandeur 70.37
7. Robert Dover, Ranier 69.29
8. Lisa Wilcox, Royal Diamond 69.27
9. Steffen Peters, Floriano 68.55
10. Arlene Page, Claire 68.24
11. Guenter Seidel, Aragon 67.81
12. Jan Brons, Fernando 67.63
13. Carol Plough, Komo 67.49
14. Leslie Morse, Kingston 66.33
15. Susan Dutta, Gumshoes DC 65.87
