Austria Decides on Team for 2025 European Dressage Championships

Dressage

Austria

The Austrian Equestrian Federation has decided to send a team of four riders to the 2025 European Dressage Championships in Crozet, France, on 26 - 31 August 2025.

The team was first announced by Pferde Revue on its Instagram and so far has not been published on the OEPS website.

The national team selection criteria for Crozet was two times minimum 70% in a Grand Prix test at a CDI 3* level or more of the rider's choice, plus mandatory participation in the team selection trial at the CDI Achleiten on 24 - 27 July 2025. The qualification period started on 1 January 2025 and ended on the nominative entry deadline.

After the CDI Achleiten and the entry deadline, four riders were nominated even though only one fulfilled the OEPS criteria.

Selected to go to Crozet are:

Florian Bacher - Fidertraum
Bettina Kendlbacher - Broadmoars Don Alfredo
Stefan Lehfellner - Roberto Carlos MT
Victoria Max-Theurer - Abegglen

No reserve has been named.

Victoria Max-Theurer has L'Espoir de Massa as a reserve horse on the nominative entry list.

A Look at the Scores

The only rider who fulfilled the OEPS team selection criteria
for Crozet this year: Vici Max-Theurer on Abegglen

Max-Theurer and her Paris Olympic horse Abegglen fulfilled all criteria. She scored 71.587% at the CDI Margarethen, 71.826% at her home CDI show in Achleiten in June, and 70.000% at the July CDI Achleiten.

Olympic duo Florian Bacher and Fidertraum only achieved one 70% score this year: 70.848% at the CDI Achleiten in June. At the mandatory Achleiten CDI in July he got 68.397%

Victoria Max-Theurer's life partner Stefan Lehfellner and Victoria's 15-year old Oldenburg Roberto Carlos MT (by Rosandro x De Niro) also had one 70% instead of the required two. He got 70.543% at his home CDI show in Achleiten in June, but in Munich in May he got 66.370% and in Achleiten in July the score was 65.848%. The pair competed in two Grand Prix Special test: In Munich they had 69.000%, but at the last mandatory CDI in Achleiten the Special score was 63.234%.

Bettina Kendlbacher and her 12-year old Broadmoars Don Alfredo (by Destano x His Highness) competed in seven CDI's this year. She never scored 70% or more. Her high scores were 69.435% in Gossendorf, 69.217% in Lipica, and she got 68.109% at the mandatory CDI in Achleiten in July.

On the Reasons to Send a Team

To many Austria's this team nomination has come as a surprise with three riders not meeting the set criteria. Austrian team captain Dr. Ursula Barth explained the decision process.

"There is an obvious trend that marks in international judging went down compared to years ago, so our federation decided to send a full team instead of only one rider," Barth told Eurodressage. "We carefully reviewed all the results throughout the whole year."

Particularly Lehfellner's inconsistent results this season were reasons for questioning team eligibility, but not so for OEPS. Barth also referred to a recent national score at the CDN Stadl Paura on 16 August, where the Paris Olympian won a Grand Prix class in a field of two riders and carrying a whip is allowed.

Lehfellner "had marks over 70% in Munich (sic) and Achleiten in June and and just got a mark of 72,133% in a national show last weekend. So we think he will be doing very well for the team this year," Barth explained.

Austria currently has only a handful Grand Prix riders in the running in general as the bar was set at a CDI 70% minimum at the start of the year. Peter Gmoser, Franziska Fries, Ulrike Prunthaller, Katharina Haas and Diana Porsche began the year as candidates for the Austrian team, but did not end up on the nominative list, each for different reasons.

"We are facing the wonderful news of Diana having a baby and on the other hand some riders whose horses are not yet ready for a major event like the championship," Barth explained.

When asked if this sudden flexibility in the rules sends the right message across of fair team selection and whether it doesn't take the wind out of some riders' sails, Barth replied, "I cannot see riders that gave up trying. Our intention is to motivate and support all Austrian riders to qualify for a team at every age."

Barth is looking forward to Crozet next week where Austria will be with a full team of four.

"I am happy to have a team of experienced riders and horses as well as Bettina who we really like to welcome on her Austrian bred horse in her first Championship this year," said Ursula.