Wellington sees in start of FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ 2024 season with new format

he FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ 2024 season kicks off Thursday, 22 February in Wellington (USA) as four teams square off with a newly restructured format.

Defending champions Germany will face Canada, Sweden and the home nation United States at the Global Dressage Festival for CDIO3* competition. Five legs make up the 2024 season, which will continue from the United States to France, Hungary, the Netherlands and Sweden.

Germany has prevailed in two of the last three seasons and has won three consecutive FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ events in Wellington. They'll open the season with the same four athletes that led the nation to victory at the venue in 2023: Anna-Christina Abbelen (Sam Donnerhall), Felicitas Hendricks (Drombusch Old), Michael Klimke (Domino 957) and Frederic Wandres (Total Recall). Both Abbelen and Hendricks will also bring forward the same horses.

"This Nations Cup here is for sure something special.  "The atmosphere and the team spirit between the teams is the best of the Nations Cups I have been to."

Frederic Wandres (GER)

In previous years, the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ competition spanned multiple tests, with some events putting forward teams of both Big Tour and Small Tour combinations. In 2024, however champions will be crowned following one competition: the Grand Prix.

The home nation finished just behind Germany in 2023 and will present veteran Jan Ebeling (Jubi's Tenacity) alongside Kevin Kohmann (Duenensee), Erin Nichols (Elian Royale) and Jennifer Williams (Joppe K) this year. 

Canada sends forward three riders and will not have a drop score; their team consists of Mathilde Blais Tetreault (Fedor), Danielle Gallagher (Come Back de Massa) and Rakeya Moussa (Davidoff v.h. Trichelhof). 

Sweden, who finished third in 2023 will be led by veteran Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén (Devanto). Her teammates are Caroline Darcourt (Lord Django), Christina Devine (Slaebaekgaard's Santino) and Karin Persson (Giuliano B).

Additional details about the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ series can be found here.