With her eighth-placed finish in the final qualifying competition of the 2010/2011 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Western European League at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, U.S. rider Catherine Haddad celebrated her birthday and secured a trip to the Final with Winyamaro.  

The pair scored 74.10 percent to lead at the halfway mark in the freestyle, but they ended up eighth in ‘s-Hertogenbosch with another impressive effort in the toughest World Cup Qualifying League.

Haddad, who lives in Vechta, Germany, and blogs for the Chronicle, has strung together an impressive list of World Cup efforts with the 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Walt Disney—Taiga, Trapper). She earned fifth place in the Western European League Rankings with good results throughout Europe and punched her ticket to Leipzig for the Final April 28-May 1. 

“I am both amazed and and pleased at the progress that Winyamaro has made as an international Grand Prix horse,” said Haddad. “He did his first international in May 2010 at the Hamburg CIDI***. Less than one year later, he is holding his own at the toughest competitions in Europe. He IS ‘too sexy for his shirt!’ “

The final North American League qualifier will be held this weekend, March 31-April 3, at the Festival of the Horse CDI-W in Burbank, Calif., and two U.S. riders will be named from that League for the Final.   

As of March 13, Tina Konyot led the North American standings on an average of 74.55 percent with Calecto, but she’s indicated that she’s not planning on going. Next in line are Jan Ebeling on Rafalca (73.18%) and Shawna Harding on Come On III (70.83%). Both have said they intend to ride if they qualify.

The Chronicle will have reporters on the scene in Germany. Coverage on www.chronofhorse.com begins on Thursday, April 28.