Para-dressage competition at the ECCO FEI World Championships officially began Tuesday, Aug. 9, with the first horse inspection. All members of the Adequan U.S. Para Dressage Team passed and went on to ring familiarization in the BB Horse Arena in Herning, Denmark.
The riding portion of the Orifarm Healthcare FEI World Para Dressage Championship begins at 8:30 a.m. (2:30 a.m. Eastern Time) Wednesday, Aug. 10, with the individual tests for Grades IV, II and I. Three U.S. riders will compete:
Kate Shoemaker and Quiana, and 8-year-old Rheinlander mare the rider owns with Craig and Deena Shoemaker, will be the first U.S. team in the ring, riding in Grade IV at 10:24 a.m. local time (4:24 a.m. ET).
Kate Shoemaker (left) and Quiana with groom Lillie Anne Durbin and trainer Nicole Wego-Engelmeyer. Photos Courtesy Of USEF
Beatrice de Lavalette and Sixth Sense, a 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Nicholas and Elizabeth de Lavalette, will compete in Grade II at 12:24 p.m. (6:24 a.m. ET).
A medal ceremony will follow the completion of those two grades before the day concludes with Grade I, in which Tokyo Paralympics triple medalist Roxanne Trunnell will represent the U.S. on a new horse, Lehua Custer’s 6-year-old Oldenburg stallion Fortunato H2O, at 6:16 p.m. (12:16 p.m. ET).
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Beatrice de Lavalette (front) with (from left) Olga Bikaki, groom Rafael Hernandez Carrillo, Sixth Sense and trainer Shayna Simon.
Roxanne Trunnell (right) with groom Molly O’Brien and Fortunato H20.
The competition will continue Thursday with Grades III and V and the performance of the final U.S. team members, Rebecca Hart and Rowan O’Riley’s 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding El Corona Texel at 3:14 p.m. local time (9:14 a.m. ET).
After individual competition concludes, the championships will continue with the team competition, Friday and Saturday, Aug. 12-13, and conclude with the freestyle on Sunday, Aug. 14.
El Corona Texel with (from left) groom Esteban Quintero Mejia, rider Rebecca Hart and trainer Jennifer Baumert.
Watch the competition on FEI TV, which requires a subscription, or follow along on coth.com. We’re live in Denmark to bring you interviews, photos and stories from across the ECCO FEI World Championships, plus full analysis from the competition in the Sept. 5 issue of The Chronicle of the Horse magazine.
Rebecca Hart and El Corona Texel during ring familiarization Tuesday. The pair will compete in Grade III on Thursday.
Trainer Andrea Woodard rode Fortunato H20 during ring familiarization. “Tuna” and Roxanne Trunnell will pair up in Grade I.
Kate Shoemaker and Quiana will be the first U.S. pair in the ring Wednesday in the Grade IV individual competition.
Beatrice de Lavalette and Sixth Sense will compete Wednesday in Grade II.
