Kristina Bröring-Sprehe and Desperados FRH. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.
Balve, Germany – July 16, 2016 – The German Olympic Equestrian Committee has announced the four horse and rider combinations and one reserve combination who comprise the German team for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
The team is identical to the Nations Cup team that dominated the Aachen Nations Cup CDIO5* this week, winning by a large margin with three riders earning scores over 80 percent in both Thursday’s Grand Prix and Saturday’s Grand Prix Special. Hubertus Schmidt, who performed well in the CDI4* at Aachen, joins the team as the reserve.
Germany will be a formidable opponent for its rivals in Rio. World number one Kristina Bröring-Sprehe and Dorothee Schneider were team silver medalists together at the 2012 London Olympic Games, and they are joined by four-time Olympian and multiple gold medalist Isabell Werth as well as young rising star Sönke Rothenberger.
The 2016 German Olympic team is as follows:
Kristina Bröring-Sprehe and Desperados FRH, a 15-year-old Hanoverian stallion owned by Gestüt Sprehe and Paul and Albert Sprehe.
Sönke Rothenberger and Cosmo 59, a 9-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Rothenberger im Gestüt Erlenhof
Dorothee Schneider and Showtime FRH, a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Gabriele Kippert.
Isabell Werth and Weihegold OLD, an 11-year-old Oldenberg mare owned by Christine Arns-Krogmann.
Reserve: Hubertus Schmidt and Imperio 3, a 13-year-old Trakehner stallion owned by Bayrisch Haupt-u.Landgest Schwaiganger.