The German team for the European Eventing Championships has been named.
Ingrid Klimke, who missed out on the Tokyo Olympics due to injury, will defend her individual European title with her gold medal-winning partner from the 2017 and 2019 Europeans, SAP Hale Bob OLD.
Andreas Dibowski and FRH Corrida, who acted as the German alternate pair in Tokyo, will have the chance to start this time after being named to the squad.
The other two named reserves for the Olympics, younger riders Christoph Wahler (Carjatan S) and Anna Siemer (FRH Butts Avondale), are also on the European Eventing Championships German team.
Michael Jung is the only German rider to get the call-up for Avenches as well as for Tokyo – he will ride the nine-year-old rising star FischerWild Wave, who was fifth in the five-star at Luhmühlen Horse Trials in June.
The final spot in the squad goes to the experienced Dirk Schrade and championship first-timer Casino 80, who was recently second in the CCIO4*-S at Arville.
Andreas Ostholt and Corvette are the first reserves, while Emma Brüssau (Dark Desire GS) and Sophie Leube (Jadore Moi) are also named as reserves.
European Eventing Championships: German team mixes youth and experience
Covid-19 – which led to the cancellation of the European Championships last year and their rearrangement to 2021 – has thrown up the unique situation of nations selecting both an Olympic and a European Championships team within the same year.
Some nations are taking the opportunity to give younger riders and horses experience at the European Championships, while others will field the same riders (and in some cases, the same horses) as at Tokyo. The German selectors have opted for a mix of experience and youth in their squad in terms of both horses and riders.
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