FEI European Jumping Championship in San Patrigano: The teams are decided

Team chiefs responsible for the selection of the four riders per nation that are allowed to start in the team competition for the European Jumping Championship at San Patrignano/Italy had to make their decision on the evening of the opening of the competition on Thursday, July 21. The “four only” rule has made some prominent victims:

The British team will ride without John Whitaker and EXPLOIT DU ROULARD. The Chef d’Eqipe Derek RICKETTS gave preference to Ellen WHITAKER who will now ride with her uncle Michael WHITAKER. Together with Nick SKELTON the Whitaker family has collected 29 European medals in the past. The fourth rider will be William FUNNELL.

The defending German Champions come without Otto BECKER. The spot of the team member from Donaueschingen 2003 goes to Meredith MICHAELS-BEERBAUM. The Number 4 on the World Ranking list had to replace her main horse SHUTTERFLY with CHECKMATE only on Friday before the Championship.

Belgium will leave out Maurice VAN ROOSBROECK who is the least experienced rider in a strong team that is considered a hot contender for a win.

Piet RAYMAKERS is a prominent scratch for the Netherlands who choose to go with the newcomer Leon THIJSSSEN instead. France made Jean Marc NICOLAS with JPC MODESTO EQUIFOAM their fifth rider to go with Florian ANGOT, Bruno BROUCQSAULT, Laurent GOFFINET and Michel HECART instead.

Vincenzo CHIMIRRI became the scratch for Italy where team chief Marco DANESE relies on Andrea HERHOLDT and San Patrignano’s ambassodor SMIT instead. Together with carabiniere Bruno CHIMIRRI and Juan Carlos GARCIA they form the squadra azzurra.

AUSTRIA
Mario BIRCHLER
Jurgen KRACKOW
Wolfgang OTSCHMAIER
Gerfried PUCK



BELGIUM
Dirk DEMEERSMAN
Jos LANSINK
Ludo PHILIPPAERTS
Jean-Claude VANGEENBERGHE

DENMARK
Michael AABO
Tina LUND
Thomas VELIN


FRANCE
Florian ANGOT
Bruno BROUCQSAULT
Laurent GOFFINET
Michel HECART

GERMANY
Christian AHLMANN
Markus EHNING
Marco KUTSCHER
Meredith MICHAELS-BEERBAUM

GREAT BRITAIN
William FUNNELL
Nick SKELTON
Ellen WHITAKER
Michael WHITAKER

HUNGARY
Gabor GRUNDTNER
Mariann HUGYECZ
Zsolt PIRIK
Ference SARINGER

ITALY
Bruno CHIMIRRI
Juan Carlos GARCIA
Andrea HERHOLDT
Jerry SMIT

IRELAND
Jessica KURTEN
Dermott LENNON
Harry MARSHALL
Robert SPLAINE

NETHERLANDS
Jeroen DUBBELDAM
Yves HOUTACKERS
Gerco SCHRODER
Leon THIJSSEN
NORWAY
Christian ANFINNEN OIEN
Nina BRAATEN-JOHNSEN
Geir GULLIKSEN
Tony Andre HANSEN

SPAIN
Luis Alvarez CERVERA
Luis Jesus ESCOBAR JIMENEZ
Manuel FERNANDEZ SARO
Rutherford LATHAM

SWEDEN
Malin BARYARD
Rolf-Goran BENGTSSON
Peder FREDRIKSSON
Maria GRETZER

SWITZERLAND
Fabio CROTTA
Markus FUCHS
Steve GUERDAT
Christine LIEBHERR