Dutch riders face Rotterdam Olympic test

The Dutch round of the CHIO in Rotterdam has finally arrived this year, accompanied by great expectations because it is from the verdict of this event that the coach of the world champions will extrapolate the team for the Olympic Games in August.
Not an easy choice for Rob Ehrens, the head of the Dutch national team since 2002, who with the Oranje over the seasons has won title after title, but not an Olympic medal.
Available are names that would put anyone in difficulty, from world champions Jeroen Dubbeldam and Zenith SFN (not present in Rotterdam, replaced by Carusso LS La Silla) to other pairs in good shape like Michel Hendrix with Baileys, winner of 5 stars Austrian GP in Treffen.
However, it is the fact that a choice will be based on what hosts will display in the Rotterdam event, the fourth stopover of the Furusyyia Fei Nations Cup (fifth on paper but fourth in effect after the cancellation of the Lummen CSIO) for which five teams will compete: Great Britain, Switzerland, France and Sweden as well as the Netherlands.
Speaking of rankings France is showing good continuity like Holland, with Les Bleus who lead the standings with 165 points followed immediately by the Dutch on 160 but home advantage must be reckoned with: the Dutch in fact are playing at home and all pairs in the oranje field will want to prove that they are worthy of being selected for Rio de Janeiro.
The 68th CHIO Rotterdam will be inaugurated today with the dressage, which will involve the GP with the following starting order: Belgium, USA, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Sweden and France.
In this first part of competition included in the Dressage Cup of Nations Holland’s coach Johan Rockx opted for a team made up mostly of women: Danielle Heijkoop with Siro, Adelinde Cornelissen on Jerich Parzival, Diederik van Silfhout on Arlando NOP and finally Hans Peter Minderhound with Glock Johnson NOP.
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(MC)