German Long List for 2024 European Under 25 Championships, Rothenberger Excluded

Dressage

Germany

The German equestrian federation has announced the long list for team selection for the 2024 European Under 25 Championships and has excluded brand new 2024 German Under 25 champion Semmieke Rothenberger from the list.

The 2024 European Under 25 Championships will take place in St. Margarethen, Austria, on 12 - 16 July 2024.

Team trainer Sebastian Heinze and the dressage selection committee of the DOKR decided and nominated the following riders on the long list:

Luca Sophia Collin - Ferrero D
Helen Erbe - Carlos FRH
Anna Schölermann - Bon Scolari
Moritz Treffinger - Cadeau Noir or Fiderdance
Lia Welschof - GB Dolcino
Elisabeth von Wulffen - Triple A

Semmieke Rothenberger Excluded

The announcement of the list has sent a shockwave through Germany as Semmieke Rothenberger, the winner of last weekend's German Under 25 Championships and long-time medal winning youth team member, has been excluded from the long list. At the National Championships in Balve, Rothenberger and the 14-year old KWPN gelding Farrington (by Jazz x Samba Hit) were second in the Intermediaire II (73.789)% and won U25GP gold (74.790%) as well as Kur gold (80.675%).

"The two of them performed excellently in Balve," said Klaus Roeser, Chairman of the DOKR Dressage Committee. "However, what counts for the dressage committee when making the nomination is the impression of the entire year and the entire selection process, which was communicated to the riders at an early stage. For reasons of sporting fairness, we have therefore given priority to those pairs that have completed the entire process. We are certain that we are well positioned with the pairs mentioned. The decision on the shortlist will be made on July 2nd."

"Entire Process"

The German equestrian federation had set the Piaff Forderpreis in Mannheim and the Under 25 Championships in Balve as the two team selection/observation trials for long list nomination.

Balve was Farrington's first show in nine months. He last competed at the national U25 classes at the 2023 European Championships in Riesenbeck in September 2023. Two months earlier he helped secure team gold for Germany at the 2023 European Under 25 Championships in Pilisjaszfalu, but got eliminated from the U25-GP during the tack check where a spur mark was detected. In November 2023 she withdrew Farrington from the Piaff Forderpreis finals because of a minor injury.

Rothenberger was absent from Mannheim, but so was long listed Helen Erbe on Carlos FRH. This year Erbe competed at the national show Agravis Cup in Munster (72.480%% in senior GP) in January 2024 and at the CDI Lier at the start of March 2024 (67.108% in senior GP). At the German U25 Championships, Erbe won the Inter II, was fifth in the U25-GP and won silver in the Kur.