A strong field of horses and riders make up the Luhmühlen entries for Germany’s sole four-star competition (14-17 June).
For Britain, Nicola Wilson will lead the charge on Bulana, with whom she finished second last year before claiming team gold and individual bronze at the European Championships.
Tina Cook has three horses entered — her European team gold medallist Billy The Red, plus Calvino II and Star Witness. She is likely only to start on two of them and will decide which nearer the time.
Mr Bass will make his four-star debut under Laura Collett, having been withdrawn from Badminton as she felt he was insufficiently prepared due to the bad weather this spring.
Piggy French has entered her recent Chatsworth Event Rider Master (ERM) winner, Quarrycrest Echo.
Ros Canter, third at Badminton, will line up on Zenshera, while Pippa Funnell brings forward four-star first-timer MGH Grafton Street, her Rio Olympic horse Billy The Biz and Billy Beware, who she pulled up at Badminton, having had an early run-out. Billy The Biz’s team Olympic team-mate Ceylor LAN is entered with Kitty King, having missed most of last season.
Danielle Dunn (Zocarla BLH) and Harry Dzenis (Xam) will look to put falls at Badminton behind them, while Izzy Taylor will want to make amends for an early run-out at the Gloucestershire four-star on Perfect Stranger.
The other British riders heading to the four-star are: Rose Carnegie (Landine), Tom Crisp (Liberty And Glory), Alice Dunsdon (Cool Investment), Matt Heath (One Of A Kind), Serena McGregor (Parc Diamond Lux), Willa Newton (Chance Remark), Katie Preston (Templar Justice), Franky Reid-Warrilow (Dolley Whisper), Rachel Robinson (MJI Limmerick Bell), Julie Tew (Simply Sox) and Ben Way (Galley Light).
A big Irish contingent heads to Germany, including Chatsworth ERM runner-up Sarah Ennis on Horseware Stellor Rebound, Chatsworth CIC3* winner Cathal Daniels (Rioghan Rua), Aoife Clark (Master Rory) and Sam Watson with Horseware Ardagh Highlight.
Jonty Evans is also entered on Cooley Rorkes Drift, “The People’s Horse ” who he secured through crowd funding last year. They too will want to put Badminton behind them — they jumped into the middle of an oxer on the cross-country following a good dressage score.
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Other notable entries include France’s Tom Carlile with the smart stallion Upsilon, Badminton winner Jonelle Price — this time on Faerie Dianimo — and her husband Tim on Xavier Faer, third at Badminton last year. Will Coleman starts for the USA on OBOS O’Reilly, another who put in a strong dressage at Badminton but was pulled up across country.
Most of the top German riders will start in the CIC3* rather than the CCI4*, although the four-star list does include former winner Andreas Dibowski, this time on FRH Llanero, and the experienced Marina Köhncke on four-star first-timer Let’s Dance. Michael Jung is not entered in either class.
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