Adelinde Cornelissen, the rising star of the Dutch squad, won’t get her chance to compete against the world’s best at this year’s Rolex FEI Dressage World Cup Final. She was dealt a crushing blow when Parzival suffered a tendon injury in a warm-up ride on Tuesday, April 14.
The 29-year-old walked her gelding in the arena on Wednesday, but it was clear he was unsound, and she had to withdraw. Cornelissen came into the competition highly ranked after finishing second in the Western European League. She scored big wins over the qualifying season at the Stockholm CDI-W (Sweden), the London CDI-W (England) and the Mechelen CDI-W (Belgium).
And there was more drama in the dressage competition when ground jury member Dr. Vincenzo Truppa didn’t arrive. The Italian dressage judge found himself cast away in Ireland when his flight from Rome was forced into an emergency landing after its Alitalia pilot suffered a heart attack. All passengers are holed up in a hotel overnight and will be flown to New York tomorrow, but the show must go on without Truppa.
Assistant technical delegate and reserve judge Maribel Alonso de Quinzanos from Mexico will take his place.
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Barring any other catastrophe, U.S. rider Jan Ebeling will head first into the ring in the Thomas and Mack Arena at 12:05 pm with Rafalca. Fourteen riders will compete today, but the Grand Prix doesn’t count for the final result. It just determines the order of go for the freestyle.
Order of Go for the Grand Prix
1. Rafalca, Jan Ebeling, USA
2. Kingston, Leslie Morse, USA
3. Diamore, Marco Bernal, COL
4. Regardez Moi, Heath Ryan, AUS
5. Don Charly 1052, Minna Telde, SWE
6. Björsells Briar 899, Jan Brink, SWE
7. Pop Art, Ashley Holzer, CAN
8. Nartan, Jeanette Haazen, NED
9. Randon, Michal Rapcewicz, POL
10. Exquis Nadine, Hans Peter Minderhoud, NED
11. Satchmo, Isabell Werth, GER
12. IPS Painted Black, Anky van Grunsven, NED
13. Ravel, Steffen Peters, USA
14. Whisper, Monica Theodorescu, GER
