Three weeks before the 2006 World Cup Finals, two changes have taken place in the field of competitors. Two of the five riders that additionally earned a place in the finals based on their ranking, have been forced to withdrawn.
British Wayne Channon and Danish Nathalia Zu Saeyn-Wittgenstein won't make the trip to Amsterdam due to injured horses. They will be replaced by Russian Inessa Potouraeva and Swedish Kristian von Krusenstierna.
Wayne Channon's 13-year old KWPN stallion Lorenzo CH (Ferro x Wolfgang) injured himself in the walker where he was kicked by one of Channon's younger stallions. Though Lorenzo's injuries were not severe, Channon chose to spare his stallion from a strenous performance at the World Cup Finals. He wants to prepare Lorenzo for the upcoming outdoor season in view of being of obtaining a berth at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen this summer.
“It would have been a great opportunity to compete in the World Cup final,” said Channon. “Lorenzo is trotting up sound now and is being lunged, but he would need to be 100% and in full work beforehand for us to compete at Amsterdam. I'm disappointed, but that's horses.”
The Danish Equestrian Federation made a brief statement that Zu Saeyn-Wittgenstein's Danish warmblood gelding Rigoletto (by Rubinstein) is ill. The combination won't be able to perform in Amsterdam.
Russian Inessa Potouraeva was the first on the reserve list to make it the finals in case of withdrawals. She will be riding her number one Grand Prix horse Zorro. Swedish Kristian von Krusenstierna was second on the list and he will be the third Swede to compete in the Finals (together with Jan Brink and Louise Nathhorst). "I'm a bit in shock," a surprised Von Krusenstierna said. "I had planned to ride Wilson at the CDIO Aachen, but the Finals is fine for us." Kristian's top hat and laptop got stolen at the last world cup qualifier in 's Hertogenbosch. "I ordered a new one, but now I have to ask the maker to rush it so that it'll be ready for the Finals.