The French Equestrian Federation has announced that a French team will represent the country in the FEI Nations Cup on home turf at the 2019 CDIO Compiègne next week.
French national Grand Prix trainer Jan Bemelmans proposed a team of four riders for Compiègne as a late entry to the already confirmed starting field for the CDIO 5* show
The French team will include
- Morgan Barbançon Mestre - Sir Donnerhall II
- Stéphanie Brieussel - Amorak
- Arnaud Serre - Ultrablue de Massa
- Anne-Sophie Serre - Vistoso de Massa
At the beginning of 2019, the French Federation tightened the squad criteria and put strict limits on CDI competition. Only A-squad (Group 1) listed riders would be allowed to CDI's at 4* or 5* level, CDIO's and CDI-W.
The new squad criteria led to the fact that the A-squad was temporarily empty with no riders having achieved the newly set standards. Spanish gone French Morgan Barbançon was the first to achieve the criteria and to be submitted to Group 1, Stephanie Brieussel followed last month. After the CDI Saumur last weekend, Arnaud Serre got added to.
Surprisingly, the French team for Compiègne does include on Group 2 rider, Anne Sophie Serre, who in principle is not eligible to compete at a 5* event.
"As we have three combinations "qualified," we were able to have a team, the FFE Technical Dressage Director Emmanuelle Schramm told Eurodressage. "It’s really 'dangerous' to start with only threeriders in a Nation Cup especially in our own country. So we decided to select the best combination of the group 2. It’s a decision that is not against our rules but in accordance of the spirit of sport. To help the team. The riders of both groups all agreed."
Photo © Astrid Appels
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