The world's elite dressage riders will gather for the annual Horses & Dreams competition at Hof Kasselmann in Hagen, Germany on 24 - 28 April 2019.
This year's edition of the CDI/CSI Hagen celebrates partner country France. Horses & Dreams Meets France will be the official outdoor, international show season opener in Germany.
World Elite in Hagen
Host nation Germany will have their best riders competing in Hagen, including three of the gold medal winning team riders of the 2018 World Equestrian Games. Sönke Rothenberger is scheduled to make his come back on Cosmo since Tryon, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl is bringing her number one Dalera BB and Isabell Werth has Don Johnson and Emilio on the starting list. They are joined by Anabel Balkenhol (Heuberger), Jan Dirk Giesselmann (Real Dancer), Insa Hansen (Diamond's Diva), Ingrid Klimke (Franziskus), Fabienne Lutkemeier (Fabregaz), Hubertus Schmidt (Escolar), Benjamin Werndl (Famoso OLD), and Frederic Wandres (Duke of Britain) amongst others.
The Swedish team will be full force in Hagen with Therese Nilshagen on Dante Weltino, Patrik Kittel on Well Done de la Roche and Juliette Ramel on Buriel KH.
Four Brits are entered for Hagen: amongst them Olympians Emile Faurie (on rising star Cafe's Caletta), Emma Hindle (on Romy del Sol and Diesel) and Laura Tomlinson( on Capri Sonne JR). They are joined by Susan Pape, who just returned from Florida with PSI Auction price highlight Don Nobless.
Denmark will be fielding Anders Dahl on his Grand Prix star Selten HW as well as his shooting star Fidelio van het Bloemehof. Austria's Astrid Neumayer will present Sir Simon, who was previously shown by Ulla Salzgeber.
Swiss WEG team rider Birgit Wientzek-Pläge will bring the Livanos family's Robinvale back home to Hagen as the gelding was scouted and trained at Hof Kasselmann before selling to Switzerland. American Shelly Francis will kick off her 2019 euro tour in Hagen on Danilo.
One to watch is Holland's Marieke van der Putten who is set to make her CDI debut on Her Majesty TF in Hagen. The horse was purchased by RS2 Dressage in Wellington, Florida, for Van der Putten to ride. She will be joined by Holland's squad listed riders Danielle Heijkoop, Diederik van Silfout and Anne Meulendijks.
Kick Off for Nurnberger Burgpokal and Louisdor Cup
Hagen is also the season opener for the Nurnberger Burgpokal and Louisdor Cup qualifiers, the German circuit for Developing Prix St Georges and Grand Prix horses.
For the Louisdor Cup, numerous professionals are introducing their green Grand Prix horses to competition.
German based Spaniard Borja Carrascosa is entered with Bordeaux' Barolo, Insa Hansen appears on the American owned Rebroff, Senta Kirchhoff will present her World Young Horse Championship finalist L'Arbuste, Ingrid Klimke takes the Russian owned PSI auction price highlight Bluetooth into the Grand Prix ring. Therese Nilshagen will make her big debut on the Oldenburg licensing champion For Romance.
There will be a happy return to the arena for Norbert van Laak. The coach will put his tails back on to compete Fernando 697. Isabell Werth will make her show come back on the now gelding Belantis. She last competed him in Hagen in the Louisdor cup one year ago.
View the complete participants' lists here.
Photos © Astrid Appels
Related Link
Eurodressage "On the Scene" at the 2019 CDI Hagen