Michael Jung will be the one to beat at the German four-star at Luhmühlen this week (18-21 June).
The home side rider has taken the unusual step of entering horses who ran successfully at Rolex Kentucky in April for the event. He brings the American classic winner FischerRocana FST and La Biosthetique-Sam FBW (pictured top), who finished third.
Both horses have fabulous CVs. Sam was the first horse to simultaneously hold the Olympic, world and European eventing titles, while FischerRocana stepped into the limelight when she took individual silver at last year’s World Equestrian Games.
Germany has 11 horses in the competition and most of them should be competitive. Ingrid Klimke is riding her European individual silver medallist FRH Escada JS, while Andreas Dibowski brings forward European team gold medallist FRH Butts Avedon, who was third here in 2012.
Young Niklas Bschorer has two rides, including Tom Tom Go 3, who impressed in the dressage at Badminton before being pulled up after Niklas nearly fell — performing a remarkable save — at The Lake. And Claas Hermann Romeike, son of 2008 Olympic champion Hinrich, makes his four-star debut with Cato 60.
Britain has 10 entrants. Nicky Roncoroni will be looking for a good performance with the grey four-star debutant Stonedge, who could be in the running for the Blair Europeans in August.
And it will be interesting to see if Tom McEwen can regain his form with Diesel, who won the 2013 under-25 class at Bramham and was selected for that year’s Europeans, but who hasn’t really fulfilled that promise since.
Two Brits make their four-star debut — Kirsty Johnston (Opposition Detective) and Adam Trew (Willows Accent), while H&H blogger Coral Keen is seeking a first four-star completion with Wellshead Fare Opposition, who was pulled up early on at Burghley last year when he had a couple of run-outs.
Others to watch include Australian Andrew Hoy with Algebra, a new ride for him this season, and Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier with Ducati Van De Overdam, 10th at Badminton last year. For Ireland, Joseph Murphy has his faithful campaigner Electric Cruise in the mix.
New Zealand has some interesting starters — Mark Todd’s London team bronze medallist NZB Campino, Andrew Nicholson on the mare Qwanza, Lizzie Brown with the 2013 Boekelo winner Henton Attorney General, four-star debutant Jesse Campbell and Kaapachino, plus Jonelle Price with the much-admired grey Faerie Dianimo, fourth at Pau last year.
Sweden’s Ludwig Svennerstal (King Bob) and the USA’s Clark Montgomery (Loughan Glen) are also worth a punt in this cosmopolitan field.
Check back later in the week for updates from Luhmühlen. For a full report don’t miss next week’s issue of Horse & Houdn magazine, out Thursday 25 June
