At the 2017 CDI-W 's Hertogenbosch, Fabienne Lutkemeier secured her spot at the 2017 World Cup Finals in Omaha, NE, USA at the end of the month, but today the German announced to withdraw from competing at the Finals. Her horse D'Agostino is not the best traveller and Lutkemeier does not want to stress her horse.
"I would have loved to ride the Finals, especially as Daggi has been top fit for month, actually for years, but he has never flown," Lutkemeier explained on her website. "I won't be allowed to accompany Daggi on the flight myself. For me and my mother that was the decision to stay home. Daggi is a special horse. At shows he won't go into the washing bay, he won't load on unfamiliar lorries and he tries to jump out of his stall when he thinks he doesn't fit. At the World Equestrian Games in Caen, for instance, we had to change stall three times before he was happy. Even on our own lorry he won't load with my mom nor with Andrzej. He's very fixated on me."
Lutkemeier does not want to put D'Agostino on his first flight ever without his person of trust with him.
"If I could have been on the flight with him, I believe I would have given him the required calm and trust and I would have taken up the responsibility," she added.
Lutkemeier and her 17-year old Hanoverian gelding D'Agostino (by De Niro x Shogun xx x Wenzel I) finished fifth with 54 points on the 2017 Western European League World Cup ranking as third German rider. Her spot will now open up the next in line in the WEL ranking. The 10th placed rider - Patrik Kittel - has already confirmed that he is not going to Omaha, spot 11 is for Tinne Vilhelmson, followed by a tie for 12th place between Danish Mai Tofte Olesen and Ukrainian Inna Logutenkova.
Photo © Astrid Appels
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