Monday July 19, 2004

American Olympic Dressage Team Selected

Chef d'Equipe Jessica Ransehousen, team trainer Klaus Balkenhol and the short listed American Dressage riders had a "conference call" on Sunday July 18, 2004 at 3 PM in Aachen to announce the selection of the definite team for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

The Dressage High Performance Committee announced, after consultation with the coach, chef d'Equipe, and veterinarians and after approval by the Executive Committee of USEF, the official American Olympic Dressage Team. It will include: Debbie McDonald on Brentina, Robert Dover on FBW Kennedy, Guenter Seidel on Aragon and Lisa Wilcox on Relevant. The alternate rider is Steffen Peters on Floriano.

Based on Wilcox' performance at the CDI Lingen the first weekend of August 2004, it will be decided if Wilcox can keep her spot on the team or if Peters moves up the ranks into the fourth team spot in case Relevant does not show the required fitness for the Olympics.

Because Wilcox chose not to compete in the American Selection Trials in California, she had a hard time trying to qualify in Europe. Based on her excellent performance at the 2003 European Dressage Championships and other high scores, Wilcox did not compete during the 2004 spring show season in order not to lower her average score in case of a bad performance. It was a period of anxious waiting for her, before she heard in June she was on the Olympic Short list.

Wilcox chose not to compete Relevant in Hagen, nor Aachen to get the horse fully fit for the final American qualifier in Lingen, Germany. Wilcox is ecstatic that she has been officially named for the team and is dedicating this achievement to her mother, who passed away in June 2003.

Text and Photo by Astrid Appels of Eurodressage.com

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