Considering some news found in national and international sites and magazines about the selection criteria of the Dressage Portuguese Team for the next European Championship, the national selector,
the president of the Dressage technical committee and the director of the Dressage Portuguese Association, decided to clarify the issue of the selection criteria for the formation of national teams.
Official Statement
After the election of the new coming board of the Portuguese Equestrian Federation and formed the Dressage Department, the criteria selection of the Portuguese Team for the 2011 European Championship were approved and published on the Circular no15/DIR of 2011, based on the Circular no22/DIR of 2010. Located here and here.
By the time when the criteria were determined, the participant riders in ‘Big Tour’ were the following: Carlos Pinto with Poderoso do Retiro; Daniel Pinto with Ostil and Talio; Filipe Canelas Pinto with Ulisses; Gonçalo Carvalho with Rubi; Jeannete Jenny with Spartacus and Ufano; Luis Principe with Washington; Mafalda Galiza Mendes with D’Artagan; Manuel Veiga with Varao da Broa and Quinteiro da Broa, Maria Amaral with DJ; Maria Caetano with Xiripiti, Miguel Ralao with Regalo; Nuno Palma with Sal, Pedro Torres with Oxidado, Raquel Falcao with Real.
Once it is compulsory for each rider to get the minimum results required by the Portuguese Equestrian Federation and by the International Equestrian Federation in National and International Qualifying Competitions, it was decided to get an international competition in order to test the riders in equality.
After the publication of these rules, no disagreement or any other kind of suggestions about this process have been known.
Since some Portuguese riders possible to be selected are living in England, France and Germany, the International Dressage Competition in Pompadour was chosen for being situated in the most available geographic location for all of them.
After the deadline to enroll this competition in Pompadour, five riders confirmed their application: Carlos Pinto with Poderoso do Retiro, Daniel Pinto with Talio, Gonçalo Carvalho with Rubi; Luis Principe with Washington and Maria Caetano with Xiripiti.
As the horse Ta?lio died and owing to a lesion of the horse Poderoso do Retiro, the riders Daniel Pinto and Carlos Pinto could not participate in this competition.
So, the Portuguese Team will be formed by: Gonçalo Carvalho with Rubi, Luis Principe with Washington and Maria Caetano with Xiripiti.
In short, in fifteen riders competing now in the ‘Big Tour’, only five confirmed their enrolment in the Pompadour competition, the last selective degree, and only three of them get the whole requests.
We hope to clarify this matter on behalf of Portugal and the Portuguese Dressage.
The best wishes for the Portuguese Team,
our best regards Carlos Lopes, Luis Machado e Filomena Albano
Photo © Astrid Appels
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