The 29-year old Michael Bugan is on the road to become the first Slovakian dressage rider ever to qualify to compete at the European Dressage Championships. Bugan obtained his first qualification score at the 2017 CDI-W Brno on 16 - 18 June 2017.
The Slowakian Bugan is based with his business in Austria and trains with Elisabeth Waldbauer-Schall as well as with German 5* judge Peter Holler.
Aboard Eva Buchar's 9-year old Austrian warmblood gelding For President (by Fontane x Brentano II), Bugan made his international Grand Prix debut at the 2016 CDI Achleiten in June a year ago. In October he dropped the horse back to small tour level for the CDI Le Mans, only to bring it back to Grand Prix at the CDI Mariakalnok in April 2017.
Bugan and For President achieved their first 65% qualification scores at CDI-W Brno (65.120%). Bugan celebrated his qualification for the Europeans Championships too hastily, posting on Facebook that he made it to Gothenburg.
"We've done it, we're going to the European Championships in Gothenburg," said an ecstatic Bugan. "For President and I are writing history. We are the first pair from Slovakia who did this.. and him being only 9-years olds. I'm incredibily proud of him and grateful that he went through the Grand Prix (in Brno) despite the rain and a nervous rider. It was only our fourth Grand Prix test."
However he was too hasty in his conclusions, not knowing the qualification rules properly. He believed he had already obtained his second qualification score of 65.843% at the CDI-W Lipica the month before, but this score was achieved in the Grand Prix Special, which does not count.
Photo © Lukasz Kowalski
Related Links
Eurodressage Coverage of the 2017 European Dressage Championships
Slovakian Michael Bugan Grabs Ermelo Qualification with Young Horse Scarlett O Harrah