Dutch rider Marieke van der Putten has withdrawn Torveslettens Titanium RS2 from the FEI Dressage World Cup Final freestyle taking place tonight, April 7, in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation released the following statement: “We were utterly surprised this morning that Torveslettens Titanium RS2 was colicky. It has never happened before. For the welfare of the horse and to keep him pain free, he has been withdrawn from the freestyle. Marieke van der Putten is devastated. It is very unusual, but all we want to do is keep him comfortable and listen to the horse.”

Torveslettens Titanium RS2 and van der Putten finished eighth in Wednesday’s Grand Prix. Van der Putten is the second Dutch rider to withdraw from the competition; Dinja van Liere and Hermes N.O.P. withdrew shortly before the Grand Prix test, posting on social media that the horse had likely stumbled and was not 100 percent. German rider Ingrid Klimke, who finished fourth in the Grand Prix, also withdrew Franziskus FRH from the freestyle after the stallion took a misstep.

The Chronicle has a reporter on the ground in Omaha, bringing you photo galleries and stories about each day’s competition at the FEI World Cup Finals on www.coth.com. Also make sure to follow along on the Chronicle’s social media outlets: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For useful links and more information on how to follow the competition, click here.