Tokyo Olympic Dressage Teams Switch Up
Tokyo Olympic dressage teams switch up just month before the games are set to go ahead.
With just over one month to go until the Tokyo Olympic Games begin, dressage teams have withdrawn and late invitations sent to lucky nations.
Both Norway and New Zealand have withdrawn their dressage quads from this year’s Olympics.
Norway’s only qualified rider, Ellen Birgitte Farbrot, announced her withdrawal from the Olympic Games, late last week (3 June). The announcement came following consultation with the owner of her ride, Tailormade Red Rebel.
Farbrot announced on social media:
We have chosen to withdraw from the Olympic spot. Based on the fact that Tailormade Red Rebel is still new to this level and both COVID and EHV made it close to impossible to give him the show and travel experience needed.”
“With that said my “athlete heart” wants us to go, also knowing it might never happen again. If the travel was not that far – it would have been a different story.”
“I’m still extremely happy that the qualifications went well and I’m so happy for all your support. Hopefully we can look forward to the European Ch and the World Ch next year”
Later in the week (June 5), New Zealand also announced the withdrawal of both their Olympic and Paralympic dressage squads.
Jock Paget, Equestrian Sports NZ’s High Performance General Manager, regretfully announced;
I sympathise with the riders and applaud their efforts to exhaust all options.”
“We have worked closely with the New Zealand Olympic Committee to do everything we can to try and qualify combinations and we thank them for their flexibility but unfortunately it’s not to be this time.”
“We will have to turn our attention for Dressage and Para-Dressage to the World Championships next year.”
New Zealand had qualified a single spot in Dressage through the efforts of Wendi Williamson and Don Amour MH. The nation had also qualified two in para dressage.
Fuelling future endeavours, Paget continued;
There is so much skill, hard work, commitment and sacrifice that goes into qualifying and then actually lining up for an Olympic Games, let alone trying to do it in the middle of a global pandemic,”
“I trust this will be good fuel to their WEG campaigns next year.”
Meanwhile, as two country give up their place at the historic games, two other’s make their way into the limelight; Italy and Malaysia.
The Italian Equestrian Federation confirmed it had been offered a place thanks to results obtained by Tatiana Miloserdova and Florento Fortuna.
Malaysian Equestrian Federation President, Syed Omar Syed Abu Bakar Al Mohdzar, shared his congratulations to Malaysia’s top rider, Qabil Ambak, on his spot at the Games too. Ambak will be the first ever dressage rider to compete for Malaysia at the Olympic Games.
Ambak only needs one final qualifying result to take up his Tokyo invitation, which he is hoping to achieve at Le Mans CDI4* (17 to 20 June).
The team switch up could make all the difference to the individual medal league tables at the Tokyo Olympics and further Olympic line ups. With nation’s making their first moves in to the Olympic realm of the sport, expect to see more from these late-entrants!
