Two Swiss pairs and one Russian combination have now been eliminated under blood rules at the European Dressage Championships in Gothenburg. Switzerland’s Charlotte Lenherr was stopped midway through her grand prix test, when the judge at C, Germany’s Evi Eisenhardt, spotted pink foam in the mouth of Darko Of De Niro ZS CH. Charlotte has campaigned the 13-year-old black stallion by De Niro internationally since last October, and this is the first championship for both of them. The Swiss team went on to finish eighth in the team competition, with grand prix scores in the high 60s from the remaining three riders, but suffered another blow when Anna-Mengia Aerne was eliminated following her grand prix special test with Raffaelo VA Bene earlier yesterday. Blood was found on the 16-year-old grey stallion’s flank at the post-competition check. The Dutch judge at C, Francis Verbeek van Rooy, was informed and the pair, who scored 68.67% in the grand prix, were eliminated. Russian team hopes were dashed on the second day of grand prix competition when their top combination, Inessa Merkulova and Mister X, were eliminated due to fresh blood being discovered in the horse’s mouth at the post-test horse inspection.
Two Swiss pairs and one Russian combination have now been eliminated under blood rules at the European Dressage Championships in Gothenburg. Switzerland’s Charlotte Lenherr was stopped midway through her grand prix test, when the judge at C, Germany’s Evi Eisenhardt, spotted pink foam in the mouth of Darko Of De Niro ZS CH. Charlotte has campaigned the 13-year-old black stallion by De Niro internationally since last October, and this is the first championship for both of them. The Swiss team went on to finish eighth in the team competition, with grand prix scores in the high 60s from the remaining three riders, but suffered another blow when Anna-Mengia Aerne was eliminated following her grand prix special test with Raffaelo VA Bene earlier yesterday. Blood was found on the 16-year-old grey stallion’s flank at the post-competition check. The Dutch judge at C, Francis Verbeek van Rooy, was informed and the pair, who scored 68.67% in the grand prix, were eliminated. Russian team hopes were dashed on the second day of grand prix competition when their top combination, Inessa Merkulova and Mister X, were eliminated due to fresh blood being discovered in the horse’s mouth at the post-test horse inspection.