2008 World Cup Finals

Schellekens and Nathhorst Receive Wild Card for 2008 World Cup Finals

March 6, 2008

Imke Schellekens-Bartels and Louise Nathhorst have received a wild card to compete in the 2008 World Cup Dressage Finals held in 's Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, March 27-30, 2008.

The Dutch Imke Schellekens finished 11th in the Western European League but only the top seven of the League qualified for the Finals. The FEI has now decided that Schellekens should be a recipient of a wild card based on her second place at the 2007 World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, USA, and team gold medal at the 2007 European Dressage Championships

"Of course I love to ride at Indoor Brabant and I was secretly hoping for a wild card," Schellekens commented. "This is also the reason why I didn't compete at the CDI-W Neumunster. That competition after Amsterdam did not fit my schedule for Hong Kong. That's why I gambled on a wild card."

Swedish Louise Nathhorst has also received a wild card to compete in the Finals with Isidor (by Guinness). The pair finished 9th in the Western European League and will now join team mate Jan Brink and Briar in 's Hertogenbosch

"I'm extremely happy to go," said Nathhorst, who will be riding her ninth World Cup Finals

Coby van Baalen and Ojay (by Jazz x Formateur) have been invited to be the World Cup "guinea pig", which means judges can use her as unofficial combination to get their scoring started before the first World Cup rider enters the ring.

The Grand Prix is on Thursday March 27, the Kur to Music Finals on Saturday March 29, 2008.

Photo copyrighted: Dirk Caremans

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