Just one day before the horse inspection at the 2021 European Dressage Championships in Hagen, Belgium had to carry through a last minute replacement to its team.
Belgian Olympian Laurence Roos will not be competing her long-timer equine partner Fil Rouge (by Stedinger x Argentinus). The horse is not fit to compete.
"And then it feels like the world stops turning," Roos took to Facebook. "Fil Rouge pulled something this week. We will not be able to travel to the European Championships on Saturday. I hope that he's soon be his youthful self and can shine again in the arena."
The first reserve rider, Larissa Pauluis, will be substituting but she is not taking her Tokyo Olympic ride Flambeau (by Ampere x Zeoliet) but her second Grand Prix horse Valentin, a Westfalian stallion by Vitalis x Fidermark.
The other three Belgian team riders are Domien Michiels (Intermezzo van het Meerdaalhof), Alexa Fairchild (Dabanos d'O4) and Thibault Vandenberghe (Santiago Song).
Photo © Astrid Appels
Related link
Belgian Teams Selected for 2021 European Dressage Championships
Eurodressage Coverage of the European Dressage Championships - U25/Seniors