The Western European League World Cup show circuit continues in the new year with the CDI-W Amsterdam as first World Cup qualifier of 2017. Amsterdam is the fifth out of nine qualifiers in Western Europe before the 2017 World Cup Finals in Omaha. One of Holland's strongest pairs, Diederik van Silfhout and Arlando, have withdrawn from competing in Amsterdam though.
"There is nothing serious going on, but his right hind is swollen," said Van Silfhout on his Facebook page. "There's an infection and he now gets antibiotics. It's a bummer, but you can't do anything about it."
Patrick van der Meer and Zippo will be replacing this A-team duo. The other Dutch riders in Amsterdam are all A-squad members: Edward Gal (Voice), Hans Peter Minderhoud (Flirt), Emmelie Scholtens (Apache) and Madeleine Witte-Vrees (Cennin).
Van Silfhout is not too disappointed about missing out on Amsterdam as the rider had no intentions of qualifying for Omaha anyway.
The Dutch will be joined on their home turf by victory favourite Isabell Werth on Weihegold, who won the CDI-W Amsterdam in 2016, as well as Spanish heart throb Severo Jurado Lopez (Lorenzo), British's star Carl Hester (Nip Tuck), Swedish A-team riders Patrik Kittel (Deja) and Rose Mathisen (Zuidenwind) amongst other competitors from Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France and Ukraine.
Photo © Dirk Caremans
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