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European
Dressage News
Anna Merveldt-Steffens Wins Irish Field Award For
Second Time
 Senior
Irish International rider, Anna Merveldt-Steffens is
the winner of the prestigious "Irish Field" Dressage
Rider of the Year award for the second year in a row.
Despite only one international outing in the first
six months of 2001 due to the foot and mouth restrictions,
when placing seventh in the Grand Prix Speciale at the
Munich CDI** last May, Anna Merveldt-Steffens put in
a top class performance to qualify for the individual
final at the European Dressage Championships in Verden,Germany.
Riding the hannovarian gelding Darius she easily qualified
for the Grand Prix Speciale from a field of fifty starters
on the opening day. With only fifteen places on offer
for the Grand Prix Kur (individual Final) on the last
day of the championships Anna maintained her good form
to qualify and go on to place fourteenth in the final
individual classification. This was the best performance
by an Irish rider at a championships since she herself
placed sixth in the World Equestrian Games eight years
ago.
With Darius out of action later in the year Anna brought
out her trainer Johann Hinnemann's westphalian gelding
Fosbury and what a memorable debut it turned out to
be. Having placed fourth in the Grand Prix on the opening
day of the Stadl Paura CDI*** in Austria last November
they saved their best for the final day when Fosbury
produced a stunning test in his first Grand Prix Speciale
to place second. A top ten finish at the Oldenburg CDI***
a fortnight later followed by a third place finish in
the Speciale at Munich Indoors in December rounded off
a good year for the Irish rider confirmed by her return
to the top fifty in the FEI/BCM World Dressage Rankings.
Anna has qualified to represent Ireland at the World
Equestrian Games in Spain next September.
Related Link
Anna Merveldt-Steffens
wins Irish Dressage Rider of the Year Award 2000
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