German eventing team contender injured ahead of Rio Olympics

Andreas Dibowski’s FRH Butts Avedon is out of contention for the German eventing team for the Rio 2016 Olympics.

The horse had not shown signs of lameness, but was undergoing a routine examination by team vet Dr Carsten Rohde at Warendorf on Monday (6 June) when the warning flag was raised about a finding on the off hind.

Andreas posted on his Facebook page that increasing the horse’s training to aim for Aachen and Rio would have upped the risk of serious injury, so in consultation with the vet and team coaches he has decided to back off.

“Ave” will be treated at home, remain in light work and may be aimed at events in the autumn.

Andreas still hopes to go to Rio in his role as coach to Polish rider Pawel Spisak.

The four favourites for the German team, last year’s European team gold medal-winners, are all still fit — they are Dirk Schrade (Hop And Skip), Sandra Auffarth (Opgun Louvo), Ingrid Klimke (Horseware Hale Bob OLD) and Michael Jung, who has a choice of horses but has stated his preferred mount is FischerTakinou. Andreas Ostholt also finished second at Badminton with So Is Et.

But Germany’s back-up options should one of these horses falter are becoming scarcer. Just before Badminton Ingrid Klimke announced that 2013 European individual silver medallist SAP Escada FRH would not be available for Rio. And in the past few days Peter Thomsen has withdrawn Horseware’s Barny from the race as he is also injured.

Related articles:

• Title contender to miss Badminton after top horse injured
• Rider calls for hats to be worn at trot-ups: ‘I had 20 stitches but still jumped a double clear’
• Beginners’ guide to Olympic eventing at Rio 2016

Germany is the undisputed favourite for the eventing at Rio, having won five consecutive team golds at senior championships.

FRH Butts Avedon is a 13-year-old by Heraldik and Andreas rode his dam, Karina-Andora, at his first championships, the 1997 Burghley Europeans. Avedon was 14th at Badminton this spring and won the CIC3* at Arville in April.

The pair were members of the gold medal-winning team at the 2013 European Championships in Malmõ.

Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.