European Tour Qualification

Qualification selection for the United States Big and Small Tour that will head to Europe for the Pan American Games is close at hand.

We want to congratulate our sponsored rider, Sabine Schut-Kery, who is one of the top ranked Prix St. Georges/Intermediate 1 combinations, riding Sanceo and currently seated in third in the selection rankings.

The rankings of the top four Big Tour combinations will hold their positions and not change by the last qualifying competition – the Golden State Dressage CDI3* in Rancho Murieta, California this upcoming weekend as none of the top four contenders are competing.

The selection procedures call for the top ranking Grand Prix/Special and top Prix St. Georges/Intermediate 1 pairs as of Sunday, April 5 to go to Europe to compete in a lineup of shows before selection in mid-June of the team of mixed Big and Small Tour duos at the Pan Ams in Toronto in July.

The team of four horses and riders is critically important as only one nation will qualify through the Pan Ams for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and that team must include at least one Grand Prix pair.

With just days to go for qualification for the United States Big and Small Tour combinations to head to Europe to select the team for the Pan American Games, all but a few of the highest scoring eight riders and horses are decided.

The rankings of the top four Big Tour combinations are almost certainly not going to be changed by the last qualifying competition – the Golden State Dressage CDI3* in Rancho Murieta, California this weekend – as none of the contenders are competing.

The top ranked Grand Prix/Special pairs at the end of March are:

Steffen Peters of San Diego, California and Legolas, 13-year-old Westfalen gelding owned by Four Winds Farm of Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang. The combination are the reigning U.S. champions and have an average of 77.330 in the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special required qualifying events;
Laura Graves of Geneva, Florida, and Verdades, 13-year-old KWPN gelding, the highest ranked American combination at No. 10 in the world and owned by Laura, with an average of 75.716;
Steffen Peters and Rosamunde, eight-year-old Rhinelander mare owned by Four Winds Farm of Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang, that made her international Grand Prix debut in January and have an average of 74.587, and
Allison Brock of Wellington, Florida and Rosevelt, 13-year-old Hanoverian stallion owned by Claudine and Fritz Kundrun with an average of 72.440.

Kathleen Raine of Rancho Murieta, California on Breanna, 15-year-old Hanoverian mare is in fifth place on 72.108.

The top ranked Prix St. Georges/Intermediate 1 combinations are:

Kimberly Herslow of Stockton, New Jersey on Rosmarin, 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by her family’s Kiroli Enterprises LLC, with an average of 73.086;
Olivia LaGoy-Weltz of Middleburg, Virginia on Rassing’s Lonoir, 11-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding owned by Olivia with an average of 72.941;
Sabine Schut-Kery of Thousand Oaks, California on Sanceo, nine-year-old Hanoverian stallion on an average of 72.399, and
Kasey Perry of Orangevale, California on Goerklintgaards Dublet, 12-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding owned by her family with an average of 71.711.

Charlotte Jorst of Reno, Nevada on Kastel’s Adventure in sixth place on 71.046, and Elizabeth Ball of Encinitas, California on Avanti in the seventh spot on 70.974, are competing this weekend with the aim of earning scores high enough to put them in the top four.

The European shows lined up as qualifying competitions are Munich Germany; Lipica, Slovenia; Aachen, Germany and Achleiten, Austria.