Leibler and Watson 108 Prepare for the FEI Young Rider World Cup Dressage Final in Germany

Lexington, KY – Isabelle Leibler and her own Watson 108 have arrived safely in Germany and have begun diligently preparing to represent the US at the FEI Young Rider World Cup Dressage Final. Leibler (Greenwich, CT) and the 14-year-old Westphalian gelding arrived early this week in Kronberg im Taunus. They will be based at Schafhof, the renowned training and breeding center of Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff, Klaus Martin Rath, and Matthias Rath, prior to heading to Frankfurt for the competition.

Leibler and Watson 108 were invited to represent the US at the 2011 Finals after posting the highest average in the FEI Young Rider Freestyle Test at CDI-Ys during the qualifying period. This pair landed in Germany after a strong 2011 campaign that included winning a team Bronze medal and two Gold medals, individual and freestyle, at the Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Riders Championships presented by Gotham North. Additionally, they were crowned National Young Rider Dressage Champions at the 2011 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Championships.

The FEI Young Rider World Cup Dressage Final will be held in conjunction with the Internationales Festhallen Reitturnier Frankfurt December 14-18 in Frankfurt, Germany. Fourteen horse-and-rider combinations from all over the world will compete in the 2011 Finals. On Friday December 16, all competitors will perform the FEI Young Riders Individual Test. The next day competitors having placed in the top half following Individual Test will vie for the top honors of the 2011 Finals by performing their Freestyle Tests. The remainder of horse-and-rider combinations from the Individual Test will perform their Freestyles on Sunday.

Keep up with Isabelle Leibler’s preparation and performance at the 2011 FEI Young Rider World Cup Dressage Final regularly – visit http://www.usefnetwork.com/blogs/equestrianUSA/read.aspx.