The anniversary in Achleiten (Upper Austria) will be a sporting highlight! The 25th international dressage show from Friday to Sunday (June 11 to 13) in the castle park arena is probably one of the most exciting CDI4* events ever in the show history of the riding club. Since 1992, the Achleiten Castle Riding Club has successfully acted as organizer.
The international field of participants is impressive. In addition to the number 1 in the world, the German exceptional rider Isabell Werth, who is coming with Emilio, other top stars such as Valentina Truppa from Italy, Estelle Wettstein from Switzerland, Jeanna Hogberg from Sweden and Team USA with Anna Buffini, Katie Johnson and Günter Seidel are starting. Some of them are on their way to the Olympic participation in Tokyo.
All of Austria’s top riders are coming with their best horses to earn a spot at Olympic Games in Tokyo (23 July to 8 August 2021) or the European Championships in Hagen (7 to 12 September 2021).
"We are all very much looking forward to great sport and beautiful rounds," says organizer Sissy Max-Theurer. "On Friday, both Grand Prix competitions will take place in front of international five-star judges. Two of them will also be in action in Tokyo." After that, it should be decided who will ride for Austria at the Olympic Games in Japan.
Austria’s team is led by Victoria Max-Theurer with Abegglen FH NRW. The four-time Olympic competitor and her 11-year-old sport partner stand at an elective Grand Prix score of 75.804 percent. They are joined by Florian Bacher with Fidertraum (73.043), Christian Schumach with Te Quiero SF (72.609) and Astrid Neumayer with Zap Zap (72.609). These four have the best changes for the three Olympic spots.
Potential Olympic rider Timna Zach, who twice narrowly missed the required 72-percent-mark with Farant, is showing, just as Belinda Weinbauer with Fustanella OLD and Stefan Lehfellner with Delizia.
Renate Voglsang, Olympic starter in London, has to concentrate on the European Championships in Hagen with Fürst Ferdinand zur Fasanenhöhe, because for Tokyo her horse was not registered in time (by 15 January 2021) as being owned by an Austrian.
Olympic team rider Ulrike Prunthaller, who did not take part in any of the five elective CDI4* competitions in the run-up to the compulsory show in Achleiten and withdrew her entries for Mannheim and Ornago at short notice in each case, can be found on the entry list with two horses. The Upper Austrian wants to use the show, like Renate Voglsang, for a possible European Championship qualification.