Anchored by the duo of Beezie Madden on Authentic and McLain Ward on Sapphire–both members of the gold-medal team in the 2004 Athens Olympics–the U.S. team has two of the most consistent, proven and talented horses to rely on.

Combine those with the dynamic, maturing talent of Margie Engle’s ride, Hidden Creek’s Quervo Gold, and Laura Kraut’s mount, Miss Independent, and you have a team full of experience, enthusiasm and possibilities.

After the 2004 Olympics, Madden and Ward began planning their schedules around the 2006 World Equestrian Games, picking and choosing competitions for Authentic and Sapphire to ensure they peaked again at Aachen this year. Both were crucial to the winning U.S. team effort in the 2005 Samsung Super League Nations Cup Series, and they contributed to the historic U.S. win in the Nations Cup at Aachen last year.

This year, Ward and Madden took similar approaches with their two mounts, jumping them sparingly during the Florida winter circuit. They helped the U.S. team place second in the Nations Cup at Wellington, Fla., in March and then each received a bye for the grueling WEG selection trials in April.

They proved their readiness at the first two Super League Nations Cups. At La Baule (France), Ward and Sapphire anchored the U.S. team with double-clean efforts to help them clinch second place to a strong German team. Then, at Aachen in May, Ward and Sapphire put in clean and four-fault rounds, while Madden and Authentic recorded a clean first round, for another second place to Germany.

Sapphire returned to the United States and jumped lightly, taking second at the $60,000 Hermes Grand Prix at Lake Placid (N.Y.). Authentic shipped to Spruce Meadows (Alta.), where he and Madden kept honing their skills.

While Authentic and Sapphire needed to just confirm their abilities to make the WEG team, Hidden Creek’s Quervo Gold and Miss Independent had to prove themselves.

Miss Independent started winning at the grand prix level in 2004, then matured and developed into a top talent on the 2005 Super League tour, competing in six of the eight events. Kraut jumped her infrequently during the Florida season, then rode her to finish third in the WEG selection trials.

Kraut, a veteran of the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the alternate for the 2002 WEG in Jerez (Spain), has a lot of faith in “Missy.” They’ve been showing in Europe since May.

Engle’s dream of representing the United States in a major team championship came true at the 2000 Sydney Olympics with Hidden Creek’s Perin. And now she’s poised to make her WEG debut with Quervo Gold. He was relatively unknown to show jumping fans before this year–Engle competed him sparingly due to the size of her string.

But he stormed to the top of the selection trials with consistent rounds. And Engle is confident he has the ability to handle a top championship course. “When you’re sitting on him, you feel like you could canter down to a house,” she said.

“Quervo” traveled to Malaysia to compete in the FEI Show Jumping World Cup Final–the only WEG team horse to do so–and finished as the top U.S. entry, in 11th. He then contributed clean and four-fault rounds at the Super League Nations Cups at Aachen (Germany) and Rotterdam (the Netherlands).

Team Members

AUTHENTIC: b. g., 11, Dutch-bred Dutch Warmblood by Guidam–Gerlinda, owned by Abigail Wexner.
BEEZIE MADDEN: age 42, Cazenovia, N.Y.

SAPPHIRE: ch. m., 11, Belgian Warmblood by Darco–Idjaz, owned by McLain Ward.
MCLAIN WARD: age 30, Brewster, N.Y.

HIDDEN CREEK’S QUERVO GOLD: ch. g., 13, Belgian Warmblood by Jus de Pommes–Nura, Codexco, owned by Hidden Creek Farm
MARGIE ENGLE: age 48, Wellington, Fla.

MISS INDEPENDENT: gr. m., 10, Dutch Warmblood by Kingston–Jakretia, Nimmerdor, owned by Miss Independent Group.
LAURA KRAUT: age 40, Wellington, Fla.

Reserve

ARMANI: b. g., 11, Selle Fran�ais-Dutch Warmblood by Guidam–Fzostara, G. Ramiro Z, owned by Kimmel Yeager Equine Inc.
JEFFERY WELLES: age 43, Ridgefield, Conn.

FRANCE

The French Have Choices To Make
With lots of options to put together a team, they could be strong, writes Birgit Popp.

With the 1990 and 2002 World equestrian Games team gold medals to their record, the French will be hard to beat. A French rider has also claimed the WEG individual silver medal in ’94, ’98 and 2002.

The French team selectors considered the Samsung Super League Nations Cups as their most important selection trials. But in the first five Super League Nations Cups, the French team’s performance was very mixed.

They started with a third place at La Baule (France), continued with sixth at Aachen (Germany) and seventh at Lucerne (Switzerland). They then rebounded with a win in Rome (Italy) and second at Rotterdam (the Netherlands).

So far, in those first five Super League shows, 12 French riders participated. At Rome and Rotterdam, the French fielded a completely different team compared to the first three Super League events, with the exception of Michel Robert and Galet d’Auzay, who are the only combination to compete in three Super League Nations Cups for France this season. Together with Stephane Lafouge and Gabelou des Ores, they produced the only French double-clear rounds–in the Nations Cups of La Baule and Rome, respectively.

Robert, who earned team gold and individual bronze at the 1982 World Championships, and Galet d’Auzay had four clear rounds in their three Nations Cup starts. In the Grand Prix of Aachen, they placed 13th with a clear first round.

Of the combinations participating in the first three Super League Nations Cups besides Robert, Florian Angot and First de Launay HN made a good impression with clear rounds at La Baule and Lucerne. The combination has achieved several top placings in international classes, including a sixth place in the Grand Prix of Lucerne.

In the Super League Nations Cups at Rome and Rotterdam, the most outstanding combination was Lafouge and Gabelou des Ores, achieving three clears and one four-fault round. In the Grand Prix of Rotterdam, they placed sixth. Jean-Marc Nicolas and JPC Modesto Equifoam contributed a clear round in their Rome victory.

Potential candidates for the WEG team include also Hervé Godignon on Obelix, who produced–with 5 faults–the French team’s best result in the Aachen Nations Cup and was runner-up in the prestigious Grand Prix of Aachen.

Another combination to watch is Eric Levallois on Diamant de Semilly Ecolit, the only combination of the 2002 World Championship team still active. The pair won several international grand prix classes in France this year and had two four-fault rounds in the Aachen Nations Cup.

Pierre Jarry on Haxelle Dampierre had their share in the Nations Cup victory at Rome, with a clear and a four-fault round (they had 4 and 8 faults at Rotterdam). In the Grand Prix of Rome, they placed 10th, and in the Grand Prix of Rotterdam they were seventh.

Last, but not least, Stephan Delestre and Inedite de Balme, who were sixth in the Grand Prix of Rotterdam, but showed rather mixed performances in the Nations Cups at Rome and Rotterdam, still has a chance for the team.

Team Members

FIRST DE LAUNAY HN: ch. s., 13, French-bred Selle Fran�ais by Laudanum xx–Quastor mare.
FLORIAN ANGOT: age 33, St. Lo.

GABELOU DES ORES: ch. g., 12, French-bred Selle Fran�ais by Pamphile–Double Espoir mare, owned by Genevieve Lafouge.
STEPHANE LAFOUGE: age 36, Marcheprime.

JPC MODESTO EQUIFOAM: gr. s., 12, Dutch-bred Dutch Warmblood by Grandeur–Lucky Boy mare.
JEAN-MARC NICOLAS: age 55, Septeuil.

GALET D’AUZAY: ch. g., 12, French-bred Selle Fran�ais by Le Prince de Thurin–Double Espoir mare, owned by Michel Robert.
MICHEL ROBERT: age 47, Moras.

OBELIX: b. g., 10, Dutch-bred Dutch Warmblood by Burggraaf–Nimmerdor mare, owned by Herv� Godignon.
HERVÉ GODIGNON: age 54, Port Mort.


HAXELLE DAMPIERRE: b. m., 11, �French-bred Selle Fran�ais by ��Papillon Rouge, owned by Marie H. Beineix.
PIERRE JARRY: age 50, St Augustin des Bois.

DIAMANT DE SEMILLY ECOLIT: b. s., 16, French-bred Selle Fran�ais by ��Le Tot de Semilly–Elf III mare, owned by Scea Levallois.
ERIC LEVALLOIS: age 43, Beaufour Druval.

GERMANY

The Germans Are The Ones To Beat
Their depth of talent and determination make them clear favorites on their home turf, writes Birgit Popp.

The German show jumping team has only one aim: to win World Equestrian Games gold–if possible, both the team and individual medals. The Germans are always ambitious, but this time even more so, and for many reasons.

This year, the WEG takes place in their home country, on the site of their most prestigious show. At the dawn of the 21st century, they were the reigning Olympic (consecutive in 1996 and 2000) and team World Champions (consecutive in 1994 and 1998). But at the 2002 WEG in Jerez, Spain, they lost their World Championship title–finishing without a medal in fourth.

And then, in the 2004 Athens Olympics, they stood on the podium to receive the gold team medal, only to have it taken away from them two years later after Ludger Beerbaum’s positive medication case had wound its way through the appeals process.

Beerbaum’s groom used a cream with a forbidden substance on Goldfever’s fetlock, which disqualified him. The German team was downgraded to the bronze medal, giving the U.S. team the gold. The loss was emphasized by the U.S. team’s victory in the 2005 Samsung Super League Nations Cup on German turf at Aachen.

The Germans are eager to avenge these results and reclaim their gold-medal domination. It’s likely to happen, since Germany is considered to be the top favorite and has already stood the pressure in the CHIO Aachen in May, gaining victory ahead of the U.S. team.

Surprisingly early, before the German Championships in mid-July, the German show jumping committee nominated their team. As a team, they’re certainly strong, but they also have numerous formidable contenders for the individual gold.

Marcus Ehning was unbeatable this spring, winning the FEI World Cup Final on Sandro Boy, the grand prix classes at La Baule (France) and Aachen with new ride Noltes Kuchengirl, and at Rotterdam (the Netherlands) on Gitania.

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum–the 2005 World Cup Final winner– has her proven Shutterfly, who also won the 2005 Grand Prix of Aachen.

Christian Ahlmann and Cöster, the 2003 double European cham-pions and 2005 European team champions, can’t be discounted either.

Ludger Beerbaum’s protégé, Marco Kutscher, and Montender were the 2005 double European champions.

And–last but by far not least–there’s the incomparable Ludger Beerbaum, who has a new star named L’Espoir, who has all the talent to become one of the absolute top horses in the world. The individual Olympic gold medalist will be gunning for the individual WEG title because it’s just about the only thing he hasn’t won yet.

Team Members

CÖSTER: gr. g., 13, German-bred Holsteiner by Calato–Constant mare, owned by Marion Jaub.
CHRISTIAN AHLMANN: age 31, Marl.

L’ESPOIR: ch. g., 10, Belgian-bred Zangersheide by Landwind II–Feinschnitt I mare, owned by Madeline Winter-Schulze.
LUDGER BEERBAUM: age 43, Riesenbeck.

NOLTES KUCHENGIRL: b. m., 9, German-bred Bavarian Warmblood by Lord Z–Cambridge Cole mare.
GITANIA: gr. m., 14, German-bred Holsteiner by Capitol I–Sacramento Song mare, owned by Ellen and Ansgar Holtgers.
MARCUS EHNING: age 32, Borken.

MONTENDER: dk. b./br. s., 12, Dutch-bred Dutch Warmblood by Contender–Burggraaf mare, owned by Johnny Visschedijk & B&S Sportpfred GmbH.
MARCO KUTSCHER: age 31, Riesenbeck.

SHUTTERFLY: dk. b./br. g., 13, German-bred Hanoverian by Silvio–Forrest xx mare, owned by Octavia Farms LLC & Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum.
MEREDITH MICHAELS-BEERBAUM: age 35, Thedinghausen.

GREAT BRITAIN

The British Are Coming With Lots Of Firepower
Legendary names are joined by new faces for a strong team of Brits, writes Pippa Cuckson.

It’s become a tradition–the British show jumping team will feature the Whitaker brothers–John and Michael–who will be joined by fellow veteran Robert Smith and two new faces for a tough and talented World Equestrian Games squad.

Team stalwart Nick Skelton and his 2004 Athens Olympic partner, Arko III, looked to be a sure bet for the WEG team, but after disappointing performances this summer, his trip to Aachen was in jeopardy. When Arko stopped at the Longines Royal International CSI in Hickstead, England in late July, it put paid to their team chances.

After Hickstead, British team officials named the team of the Whitaker brothers, Smith, and rising stars Tim Gredley and William Funnell.

John Whitaker took over the ride on Peppermill from Stuart Harvey in February, and they’ve already made an impression on the Super League Nations Cup tour. Michael Whitaker has the choice between two mounts who have excelled this spring–Insultech Portofino and Mozart des Hayettes.

The precocious talent of 20-year-old Tim Gredley, and 42-year-old William Funnell (husband of eventer Pippa), impressed team manager Derek Ricketts enough to add their names to the legends on the team list.

Britain’s world record in show jumping has been disappointing, the last medal being a team bronze in 1998. The reliable quartet of the Whitakers, Skelton and Smith figure highly in the world rankings, but a national talking point remains their inability to pull it all together in a medal situation.

Of those lesser known to a global audience, Gredley made a valuable contribution to Britain’s Nations Cup scores this year.

He has represented Britain at the Young Rider level, winning European team gold and individual silver medals on Omelli in 2004. Tim is trained by Steven Smith, son of Harvey and brother of Robert. Robert favors taking Marius Claudius to the WEG over Kalusha, who successfully defended the British “Masters” title this spring.

Gredley’s father Bill is an international race horse owner with extensive bloodstock interests, owning Newmarket’s Stetchworth Stud. Two years ago the family bought Towerlands, a show jumping centre 50 miles north of London. It recently hosted a hit TV reality show, “Only Fools on Horses,” which involved celebrities learning to show jump from scratch.

If selected, William Funnell, son of a Master of Foxhounds, will emerge from his wife’s shadow. Indeed, he started to do so in early July, when, just as Pippa was dropped from the eventing squad, William achieved his lifetime ambition to win the Hickstead Jumping Derby with the sole clear.

William has been on 26 Nations Cups teams, seven of them winning ones, but last-minute setbacks have dashed earlier team hopes.

Competing at Aachen would be a poignant achievement as Mondriaan survived life-threatening colic surgery.

Historically, Derby winners have rarely made Nations Cup horses, but William said, “Mondriaan has to be the best I’ve ever ridden. I’ve never had another with an attitude like him. It would never occur to him to do anything you haven’t asked.”

Team Members

OMELLI: b. g., 10, Dutch Warmblood by Burggraaff–Kelly, owned by Rowena Gredley.
TIM GREDLEY: age 20, Newmarket, Suffolk.

MARIUS CLAUDIUS: b. g., 12, Dutch Warmblood by Concorde–Incara, owned by Di and Pennie Cornish.
ROBERT SMITH: age 45, Shrewley, Warwickshire.

INSULTECH PORTOFINO: b. m., 12, Dutch Warmblood by Habsburg–Betstricha, owned by Gillespie Equestrian.
MOZART DES HAYETTES: b. s., 10, by Papillon Rouge–Nimmerdor mare, owned by Haras des Hayettes.
MICHAEL WHITAKER: age 42, Whatton, Notts.


CORTAFLEX MONDRIAAN: b. g., 12, by Topaz, owned by Julie Slade.
WILLIAM FUNNELL: age 42, Dorking, Surrey.

PEPPERMILL: b. s., 9, Dutch Warmblood by Burggraaf–Litaire, owned by Rebecca Stones.
JOHN WHITAKER: age 51, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

SWEDEN

Sweden Is One To Watch
With medal-winning veterans and some new horses, the Swedes look ready to challenge, writes Birgit Popp.

The Swedish team has experienced a bit of a rebirth recently after adding renowned coach Henk Nooren to their roster as chef d’equipe.

The four stalwarts of the Swedish team for the past four years have been Peder Fredericson on Magic Bengtsson, Rolf-Göran Bengtsson on MacKinley, Peter Eriksson aboard Cardento and Malin Baryard-Johnsson with Butterfly Flip. They won silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and Eriksson and Baryard-Johnsson were also on the silver-medal team at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain.

This year’s most outstanding Swedish show jumper is Bengtsson, who has won several international grand prix classes with different horses. He also rode MacKinley to seventh in the FEI World Cup Final (Malaysia). But, his horse for the WEG–Ninja La Silla–while very talented, is still relatively unknown.

Like many of Bengtsson’s horses, the 11-year-old gelding is owned by the Mexican industrialist Alfonso Romo. Ninja La Silla had one rail in each of the rounds of the Nations Cup at the CHIO Aachen (Germany) in May, and then placed eighth in the Grand Prix of Aachen with a clear and a four-fault round. In the Super League Nations Cup at Rotterdam (the Netherlands), they produced a double-clear score, helping the Swedish team to second, its best placing of this season.

So far, the 2006 Super League season has brought some ups and downs for the Swedish team. Starting in La Baule (France) with an eighth place, followed by a fifth place at Aachen, a third place at Lucerne (Switzerland), a fifth place at Rome (Italy) and, finally, a second place at Rotterdam.

Royne Zetterman–a member of the 2002 WEG team–and Isaac have also produced solid performances. They had a double-clear round–one of only three that day–in the Aachen Nations Cup, but their performance at Rotterdam was less successful, with 12- and four-fault trips.

Maria Gretzer and Spender S turned in impressive clear and four-fault rounds in Rotterdam’s Nations Cup. And then, in the Grand Prix of Rotterdam, Gretzer rode Spencer to 10th, while Zetterman and Isaac missed the jump-off by 1 time penalty, placing 12th.

Team Members

BUTTERFLY FLIP: dk. b/br. m., 15, Swedish-bred Swedish Warmblood by Robin Z–Moderne mare, owned by Kristina Larsson.
MALIN BARYARD-JOHNSSON: age 31, Norrk�ping.

NINJA LA SILLA: ch. g., 11, Dutch-bred Dutch Warmblood by Guidam–Lys de Darmen mare, owned by Alfonso Romo.
ROLF-GÖRAN BENGTSSON: age 44, Breitenburg, Germany.

VDL CARDENTO: gr. s., 14, German-bred Holsteiner by Capitol–Lord mare, owned by Jonas Persson.
PETER ERICKSSON: age 47, Flyinge.

H&M MAGIC BENGTSSON: b. g., 12, German-bred Holsteiner by Landos–Lagretto mare.
PEDER FREDRICSON: age 34, Vitaby.

SPENDER S: dk. b./br. s., 11, Swedish-bred Swedish Warmblood by Silbersee–Caretino mare, owned by Thomas and Helene Sandstr�m.
MARIA GRETZER: age 48, Tygelsjoe.


ISAAC: dk. b./br. g., 10, Swedish-bred Swedish Warmblood by Feliciano–Ramlme Z mare.
ROYNE ZETTERMAN: age 49, Linderoed.

SWITZERLAND

Keep An Eye On The Swiss Team
With recent strong Super League performances, the Swiss look ready to go for a medal in Aachen, writes Birgit Popp.

Currently, Switzerland stands FOURTH in the Samsung Super League Nations Cup series behind Germany, the United States and France. The 2000 Olympic team silver medalists and team bronze and silver medalists of the 2003 and 2005 European Championships, respectively, are in the hunt for a medal at the World Equestrian Games.

Their greatest success in the Super League series has been, so far, their victory at Rotterdam (the Netherlands) and a second place in their home CSIO at Lucerne, only bested by Germany.

At Lucerne the A-list team competed, with Christina Liebherr on No Mercy, who won team and individual silver at the 2005 European Championships, Markus Fuchs on La Toya III, Beat Mändli with Principal and Pius Schwizer on Unique X CH.

The victorious team at Rotterdam included Willi Melliger on Lea C, Niklaus Schurtenberger with Cantus, Werner Muff on Plot Blue and Schwizer with Unique X CH.

For Mändli, who has represented Switzerland several times in international championships since the 1996 Olympics, it will be a return to the Swiss team after his absence in 2005. The Olympic team silver medalist now has two horses of World Championship quality in his barn–Principal and Ideo du Thot. With Ideo du Thot, he placed third in the 2006 FEI World Cup Final (Malaysia).

Fuchs and La Toya III have many top placings this year, including 10th in the Grand Prix of Lummen (Belgium) and a victory in the Grand Prix of CSI Pforzheim (Germany).

Team Members

LA TOYA III: b. m., 11, Belgian-bred Belgian Warmblood by Fortuin A–Notaris mare.
MARKUS FUCHS: age 51, St. Josefen.

L.B. NO MERCY: b. g., 11, Dutch Warmblood by Libero H–Dillenburg mare.
CHRISTINA LIEBHERR: age 27, Bulle.

PRINCIPAL: gr. g., 10, German-bred Mecklenburg by Prinz Oldenburg–Grabensprung mare.
IDEO DU THOT: b. g., 10, Selle Fran�ais by Arioso du Thelillet.
BEAT MÄNDLI: age 36, Ebertswil.

CANTUS: gr. g., 11, German-bred Baden W�rttemberg by Cantus–Lanzer I mare, owned by Paul Emi.
NIKLAUS SCHURTENBERGER: age 38, Neuendorf.

UNIQUE X CH: b. g., 10, by Ulysse de Thurin, owned by Armin Uebelhard.
PIUS SCHWIZER: age 44, Oensingen.

THE NETHERLANDS

The Dutch Have A Strong Core To Their Team
Three veterans will lead them to Aachen–looking for a team medal, writes Birgit Popp.

The Dutch team has three combinations confirmed to the team– Gerco Schr�der on Eurocommerce Berlin, Harrie Smolders with Exquis Oliver Q and Albert Zoer on Okidoki. Dutch team coach Rob Ehrens has five or six riders to choose from for his fourth team slot and alternate position, and he’ll make that decision after the Super League Nations Cup at Hickstead (England) on July 28 and Dublin (Ireland) on Aug. 11.

Among those are 2000 Olympic individual gold medalist Jeroen Dubbeldam, but not with his team and individual bronze-medal horse from the 2005 European Championships, BMC Nassau. Nassau is not at top form, so Dubbeldam would compete with BMC Up And Down.

From the three riders nominated, only Schr�der was a member of the fourth-placed 2004 Olympic team and on the 2005 European Championship bronze-medal team. But he rode Eurocommerce Monaco to those results, not Eurocommerce Berlin.

Schröder and Berlin were on the fourth-placed Dutch team at the first Super League Nations Cup in La Baule (France) and had rounds of 8 faults and a clear. In the same class, Zoer and Okidoki turned in two five-fault rounds. But at Aachen, Schr�der and Berlin were the worst of the Dutch, having two eight-fault trips, while Zoer rode to the best Dutch result with a clear round and 4 faults.

Leopold van Asten on Fleche Rouge and Juergen Stenfert on Octavia joined them in Aachen for a disappointing eighth place.

At the third Super League Nations Cup of this season, at Lucerne (Switzerland), the Dutch team finished fourth, mainly due to Schröder and Berlin contributing a double-clear score. In the Super League Nations Cup at Rome (Italy), the Netherlands finished fifth. There, Smolders and Oliver Q were the best combination with a clear and a four-fault round.

Then, at Rotterdam (the Nether-lands), the Dutch team–including the three nominated combinations plus Dubbeldam and Nassau– finished in a disastrous eighth place, with the only bright spot being Smolders and Oliver Q who posted a clear and a one-fault round.

But Chef d’Equipe Ehrens is optimistic. “When the three combinations already nominated have a good day, they can win an individual medal as well as a team medal,” he said.

Team Members
EUROCOMMERCE BERLIN: gr. s., 12, German-bred Holsteiner by Cassini–Caretino mare, owned by Eurocommerce Promotion.
GERCO SCHRÖDER: age 28, Tubbergen.

EXQUIS OLIVER Q: ch. s., 10, Dutch-bred Dutch Warmblood by Quattro–Maukel mare, owned by Team Exquis.
HARRIE SMOLDERS: age 26, Lage Mierde.

OKIDOKI: b. g., 10, Dutch-bred Dutch Warmblood by Jodukas–Topas mare, owned by Albert Zoer.
ALBERT ZOER: age 31, Echten.

BMC NASSAU: ch. s., 11, Dutch-bred Dutch Warmblood by Indoctro–Soveriegn Bill mare, owned by M. Hausmsman & Gebr. van Manen.
JEROEN DUBBELDAM: age 33.

INDIVIDUALS TO WATCH



BRAZIL

Pessoa Will Try To Stay On Top Of The World
He and Baloubet du Rouet are aiming to earn another gold medal, writes Molly Sorge.

He’s the reigning individual Olympic gold medalist. He won individual gold at the 1998 World Equestrian Games. He’s won the FEI Show Jumping World Cup Final a remarkable three times (and placed second twice). Last year, he won his second FEI Top-Ten Final in Geneva (Switzerland). Rodrigo Pessoa knows how to win.

His partner for all those victories (and many more in between), except the 1998 WEG medal, was the incomparable Baloubet du Rouet. The fabulously talented chestnut stallion has competed in eight consecutive FEI World Cup Finals, missing this year’s in Malaysia only to avoid the long travel, and won three of them. He also jumped to Pessoa’s Olympic gold. Now 17, Baloubet has been exquisitely managed throughout his lengthy career and has plenty of jump left in him.

Pessoa has–as always–carefully planned Baloubet’s schedule to have him arrive in Aachen ready to win. They spent the winter in Florida at the Winter Equestrian Festival. There, he and Baloubet made short work of trouncing the U.S. riders in one of their most prestigious classes–the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational. They then stopped briefly in Charlotte, N.C., to win the $30,000 Welcome Stake and take third in the $150,000 Grand Prix of Charlotte, before shipping home to Brussels, Belgium.

But they had a hiccup at the Aachen CHIO (Germany) in May, when Baloubet stopped and was eliminated. They then competed at the Cannes CSI (France), taking 15th in the grand prix there.

While the incredibly scopey and athletic Baloubet has plenty of talent, he’s also chosen some notably inopportune moments to misbehave–such as when he stopped during the individual final of the 2000 Sydney Olympics while Pessoa was in position to win the gold medal.

The remaining members of the Brazilian team have historically had trouble following his winning lead, but Bernardo Alves–a teammate on the 2004 Athens Olympic team and the 2002 Jerez WEG team–has been steadily improving and gaining excellent international results.

He rode Canturo to fourth in the Grand Prix of Aachen in May, and second in both the Rotterdam (the Netherlands) grand prix and the grand prix at Wiesbaden (Germany).

BALOUBET DU ROUET: ch. s., 17, French-bred Selle Fran�ais by Galoubet A–Messange du Rouet, Starter.
RODRIGO PESSOA: age 33, Brussels, Belgium.

CANTURO: b. s., 11, German-bred Holsteiner by Cantus–Calando mare.
BERNARDO ALVES: age 32.

CANADA

Lamaze Has A Hot Star In Hickstead
A talented new mount has been making an international impression, writes Molly Sorge.

A consistent presence on Canadian championship teams, with three World Equestrian Games appearances to his resume, Eric Lamaze will travel to Aachen, Germany, with one of his most talented horses yet–Hickstead. And since they’ve been quietly making an impression at the biggest grand prix classes in the world, don’t count them out of the running.

Placing third in the Grand Prix of Aachen in May, with three clean rounds and a jump-off time just under the pace, was perhaps the highlight of Lamaze’s spring. But he’s also won classes at the Spruce Meadows (Alta.) venue, and a World Cup-qualifier at Blaineville (Que.). They were rarely out of the ribbons in grand prix classes during the Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.) and finished their time there by contributing to Canada’s win in the CN Nations Cup.

He’ll be joined on the Canadian team by the inimitable “Captain Canada,” Ian Millar, on In Style, the young star Chris Pratt on Rivendell, Jill Henselwood on Special Ed, and Mario Deslauriers on Paradigm.

HICKSTEAD: dk. b./br. s., 10, Dutch-bred Dutch Warmblood by Hamlet–Ekstein, owned by Torrey Pines Stables.
ERIC LAMAZE: age 38, Schomberg, Ont.