Matthias Alexander Rath is to take the ride on dressage wonderhorse Totilas.
It was confirmed at a press conference in Germany today that the 26-year-old German rider, who is ranked 12th in the world and was widely rumoured to be taking on the ride in recent weeks, will be riding Totilas.
Matthias was part of the bronze medal-winning team at World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Kentucky, riding Sterntaler Unicef.
WEG triple gold medal winning Totilas, was bought by former showjumper turned top European breeder Paul Schockemöhle in October.
Paul said at the time he only wanted a German rider on the horse to improve the country’s dressage chances.
Matthias’s comes from a successful equestrian background — his father Klaus Martin Rath is a trainer, his mother Melitta Huck an equestrian photographer, his stepmother Ann Linsenhoff was a dressage rider and his uncle Karsten Huck is a former Olympic champion.
