The 2006 World Cup Finals kicked off yesterday with a vet inspection in which the participating horses are checked for their fitness. All horses passed except one.
Zorro, the horse of Russian Inessa Poturaeva, did not look very fit and was sent to reinspection the same day. The horse still did not appear fit in the second trot up and was given a new chance for reinspection on Thursday morning before the Grand Prix. That morning, the 12-year Ukrainian Warmblood by Ugovore did pass the test and is allowed to compete in the Grand Prix.
Guinea pig competitor in the Grand Prix was planned to be Marlies van Baalen aboard Relevant (by Rubinstein), but this pair seems to have been replaced by Kirsten Beckers on Broere Montecristo. The pair is the first to ride the Grand Prix, but their score does not count and they are not participating in the World Cup Qualifier.
The Grand Prix starts at 11.45h in the Europe Hal of the RAI building in Amsterdam. Anky van Grunsven's has mixed recollections about her performances in that Europe Hall. "I rode my depth record there with Bonfire," she joked. The horses are quite spooky in that arena and Bonfire once scored 45% in there.
The starters' list for the Grand Prix looks as follows:
- 1. 11h45 - BROERE MONTECRISTO - KWPN
Stallion\bay\1994\El Coruna x Clavecimbel\ Kirsten BECKERS (NED) - 2. 12h00 - ZORRO - UKR WB
Stallion\Black\1994\Ugovore\ Inessa POTURAEVA (RUS) - 3. 12h10 - PROTON - BWR
Gelding\dBay\1994\Patriarch x Rosenkavalier\ Cindy ISHOY (CAN) - 4. 12h20 - WILSON - SWB
Gelding\dBay\1991\Norson x Libretto\ Kristian VON KRUSENSTIERNA (SWE) - 5. 12h30 - TIP TOP 962
Stallion\Bay\1994\Master 850 x Hertensia\ Leslie MORSE (USA) - 6. 12h40 - PAGANINI - RHEIN
Gelding\Bay\1994\Pavarotti vd Helle\ Jeroen DEVROE (BEL) - 7. 12h50 - WILD ONE - HANN
Gelding\Bay\1996\Wanderer x Graetin\ Arlene PAGE (USA) - 8. 13h00 - DOUGLAS DORSEY - HANN
Gelding\Chestnut\1991\Donnerhall x Salem\ Laura BERTHOLSHEIMER (GBR) - 9. 13h10 - GUINNESS - DWB
Stallion\Black\1990\Dolomit x Elizar\ Louise NATHHORST (SWE) - 10. 13h20 - ROYAL BLACK LABEL
Gelding\Black\1995\Randa 330 x Weston\ Elena KALININA (RUS) - 11. 14h00 - LUDEWIG G - OLDBG
Gelding\Bay\1995\Landfiese x Ibikus\ Lone JöRGENSEN (DEN) - 12. 14h10 - DONATHA S - HANN
Mare\Chestnut\1994\Donnerhall x Pik Bube\ Ellen SCHULTEN-BAUMER (GER) - 13. 14h20 - WAHAJAMA-UNICEF - HANN
Mare\Black\1994\Wakant x Acapulco\ Ann Kathrin LINSENHOFF (GER) - 14. 14h30 - SALINERO - HANN
Gelding\dBay\1994\Salieri\ Anky VAN GRUNSVEN (NED) - 15. 14h40 - SUNRISE - HANN
Mare\Bay\1994\Singular Joter x Werther\ Imke SCHELLEKENS (NED) - 16. 14h50 - HEXAGON'S OLLRIGHT - KWPN
Gelding\Chestnut\1996\Rubiquil x El Corona\ Laurens VAN LIEREN (NED) - 17. - 15h00 - BJöRSELLS BRIAR 899 - SWB
Stallion\Chestnut\1991\Magini x Krocket\ Jan BRINK (SWE) - 18. - 15h10 - LINGH - KWPN
Stallion\Bay\1993\Flemmingh x Colombus\ Edward GAL (NED) - 19. - 15h20 - WARUM NICHT FRH - HANN
Gelding\Chestnut\1996\Weltmeyer x Wemtek I\ Isabell WERTH (GER)