Tinne Vilhelmson's Don Auriello Out of 2017 European Championship Contention

Dressage

Swedish Dressage News

Swedish Olympian Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven will not be contending for a Swedish team spot on her number one Grand Prix horse Don Auriello for the 2017 European Championships in Gothenburg. The Hanoverian gelding is injured.

Vilhelmson and her sponsor Antonia Ax:son Johnson's 15-year old Hanoverian gelding Don Auriello (by Don Davidoff x White Star) last competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro nine months ago. They were 8th in the Rio Kur to Music finals.

Vilhelmson now confirmed to Ridsport that the horse has sustained an injury to a ligament and will not be fit for the summer competitions.

"I can't see that there is any chance that he will heal and be ready on time for the preparations for the European Championships. There are only three months left," said Vilhelmson. "It's not a serious injury and he will be back for sure. He has more ti give, but the time before the Europeans is too short."

Vilhelmson has been competing Paridon Magi extensively during the 2017 Florida winter show season and in Europe this spring. The 14-year old Swedish warmblood gelding (by Don Primero x Napoleon) was originally competed by Tinne's assistant trainer Caroline Darcourt but in 2015 Tinne already did two World Cup qualifiers on him and as of the summer of 2016 Tinne has been showing him full time as her substitute number one Grand Prix horse.

Tinne's third Grand Prix option, Benetton Dream, has not yet been able to make a clear international break through. In Florida he did only two CDI's. He got eliminated in the first one after a nose bleed and he was withdrawn from the freestyle in the second one after scoring 67.140% in the Grand Prix. Vilhelmson has two rising Grand Prix hopefuls on the way, the small tour horse Esperance and her newly acquired Dutch warmblood Etoine.