Sönke Rothenberger Plans Comeback with Cosmo for Hagen, Depending on Corona

Dressage

Germany

Three of four German team members, that won gold at the 2019 European Championships in Rotterdam last summer, have not competed their horses since then. Bella Rose, Showtime and Cosmo have all been absent from the winter show circuit.

While Schneider usually does compete in a few select indoor shows (she rode Showtime in Munich and Salzburg before), this year the horse was kept home. In 2018 Bella Rose did Stuttgart, but not in November 2019.

Rothenberger has systematically kept Cosmo away from indoor shows since the start of their Grand Prix career and it was no different this year. After winning team gold in the Grand Prix, the pair was unable to move onto the freestyle finals in Rotterdam, as Cosmo just was a little less sharp and on point in the Special.

"I don't pay much attention to rumours"

The pair's absence from the winter shows annually fuels rumours of injury, but Sönke stays level headed.

"I don't pay much attention to rumours," Sönke told Eurodressage. "I keep riding him for myself every day. Cosmo is doing well I'v been practising a lot on the basis and to get him even better on the aids."

Rothenberger is quite active on social media and although he shares photos of Cosmo in the barn, there never are video clips of the horse being ridden through the Grand Prix movements.

"I've been doing the same (strategy) for the last few years and then the joy when spectators and judges see him is greater when they see him," Sönke replied about not posting any videos.

Comeback in Hagen

Rothenberger confirmed that he will most likely compete his 13-year old Dutch warmblood Cosmo for the first time in Hagen, Germany (20 - 27 April 2020). Hagen has been the pair's season kick off show for the past three years. This of course pending the status Hagen with the corona crisis.

"I think I'll do the same as the years before. It also depends a little on what the others on the German team do," he said. "Up till now only one combination of the German team has competed since Rotterdam. So I'm not going to let myself be stressed. it's wait and see."

Mindful for Corona

Sönke has been competing his second Grand Prix horse, 12-year old Brandenburg bred Santiano R (by San Amour x Lord Sinclair), this winter season at CDI's in Fot, Amsterdam and Neumunster.

The pair was also entered for Dortmund this weekend, but withdrew because of the corona virus.

"I'm curious how it will go with Corona. I read that the most contaminated people in Germany are located in Aachen, so how will it go," he wondered. "Theoretically Dortmund is a selection trial for Germany. It will be interesting to see how the selections will run if other selection trials get cancelled, take for instance Aachen?"