Lausanne (SUI), 2 September 2011 – The FEI European Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships, held under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium, got underway yesterday in Moorsele with 79 riders from 19 countries set to compete at the Club Quadrille in Belgium.
Great Britain have been the Para-Equestrian Dressage power-house of recent times and are current Paralympic, World and European title holders, but with recent announcements that both nine-time Paralympic gold medallist Lee Pearson and Beijing silver medallist Ricky Balshaw will not be competing due to injuries, Germany and Denmark will be looking to shift the traditional British domination of the sport.
“Due to the absence of Pearson and Balshaw, outsiders Germany, who finished second at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, and Denmark, who came in third, have a golden opportunity to finally take the European title,” said Quadrille’s founder and Belgian Dressage Champion from 1977 until 1982, Anne D’Ieteren who is also the current President of the Belgian Paralympic Committee and member of the FEI Para-Equestrian Committee since 2010.
Belgium also has a strong team. “Bert Vermeir, bronze medallist in Athens 2004, should be considered a serious candidate for the Grade III medals, despite having suffered a severe injury in Deauville four months ago. Tthe same applies for José Lorquet in his come-back in Grade Ib. And I hope Ciska Vermeulen, one of our rough Belgian diamonds, will wow in her first European Championships,” added d’Ieteren.