Totilas' Show Come Back at 2011 CDI Hagen Cancelled

Shows

2011 CDI Hagen

The widely discussed show debut of Matthias Alexander Rath and the triple WEG gold medallist Totilas will not take place in Hagen as announced. German magazine St. Georg reported that the hoof sore, which caused the cancelling of an already postponed open training session

for the press mid April, has now turned into a "hoof injury" according to the press release sent out this afternoon.

"We deeply regret that we can't compete in Hagen but the health and welfare of our horses are always priority," said the 26-year old Matthias Alexander Rath.

The basis of the withdrawal are the "long lasting medical treatment" and the consequential waiting time, which prevent the horse from being shown. "We handle our horse with the greatest care and a hoof sore can always happen," said trainer Klaus Martin Rath.

Totilas is back in training and did some "light walk and trot" during the Easter weekend. The entire Totilas team is still full of optimism. "I had a great feeling on him right before he got injured and the preparation as well as our development as a combination went better than I expected," Rath commented. "This is why I had planned an early start in May and was looking forward to it."

The press release did not include a new date for the show debut. However, if Rath wants to capture a spot on the German team for the European Championships he will have to compete Totilas at the 2011 German Championships in Balve on 17 - 19 June 2011.

According to St. Georg the organizers of the CDI Hagen are hoping to feature Totilas at the show nonetheless and are in discussion about a possible open training session.