With four victories in the Western League World Cup Qualifiers, Anky van Grunsven took a firm lead in the Western League ranking. Aboard the Hanoverian gelding Salinero (by Salieri x Lungau), Van Grunsven won the qualifiers in Maastricht, London, Mechelen and 's Hertogenbosch
, and gathered 80 points in total, which puts her first in the final Western League standing.
Nine riders in the Western League are qualified to compete at the 2006 World Cup Finals in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, April 20-23, 2006. Cindy Ishoy won the Canadian League Finals, Elena Kalinina the Central European League Finals, Arlene Page and and most likely Leslie Morse won a ticket to Amsterdam in the U.S. League Finals and Matthew Dowsley placed first in the Australian/Pacific League.
Dowsley is currently in Europe training with Ulla Salzgeber, but he will most likely not compete at the Finals. Leslie Morse's qualification for the finals is not certain yet. Because Morse did not score 68% or higher in the Grand Prix at the League Finals, the USET had to hold a meeting on March 21, 2006, in which they would decide on her participation. So far, their decision has not been officially published.
Several more wild cards will be distributed for the World Cup Finals to create a filled up field of competitors. Andreas Helgstrand and the Danish Equestrian Federation have already applied for a wild card, but have not yet received a reply.
2006 Western League Final World Cup Standing
- 1 Anky van Grunsven - Salinero - NED - 80
- 2 Edward Gal - Lingh - NED - 68
- 3 Isabell Werth - Warum Nicht FRH - GER - 62
- 4 Ellen Schulten-Baumer - Lesotho - GER - 60
- 5 Laurens van Lieren - Hexagons Olright - NED - 57
- 6 Imke Schellekens - Sunrise - NED - 53
- 7 Ann-Kathrin Linsenhoff - Wahajama Unicef - GER - 51
- 8 Laura Bechtolsheimer - Douglas Dorsey - GBR - 49
- 9 Lone Jorgensen - Ludewig G - DEN - 46
- 10 Louise Nathhorst - Guinness - SWE - 45
- 11 Hubertus Schmidt - Forest Gump - GER - 42
- 12 Jan Brink - Bjorsells Briar - SWE - 40
- 13 Wayne Channon - Lorenzo CH - GBR - 39
- 14 Andreas Helgstrand - Blue Hors Cavan - DEN - 35
- 15 Patricia Callaghan - Joy - NED - 32
Image copyrighted: Dirk Caremans
Related Link
Home-Ground Record for Anky and Salinero in Den Bosch
Back to the 2006 World Cup Finals Index