Almost exactly a year ago, Victoria Max-Theurer didn’t feel like laughing at all. A purulent molar from her gelding Abbeglen put a damper on the dressage rider’s fourth Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The years of preparation and the journey, which lasted several weeks, were suddenly in vain.
In the meantime, however, the 36-year-old’s smile has returned. At the World Championships in Herning, which runs from today until August 14, she is leading Austria’s 29-rider squad – and she has taken her new top horse Topas with her to Denmark. It is the first major tournament for the offspring of the famous Totilas, who was considered the most expensive dressage horse in the world. “We are at the beginning of our partnership,” says Max-Theurer, who clearly doesn’t want to rush things. She is convinced of the talent of the Württemberg Warmblood.
young relationship
When they first competed together in mid-June, the duo had already scored an impressive 76.34 percentage points at the local CDI Achleiten. “I’m just grateful that I can ride this horse,” was Max-Theurer’s first reaction at the time. The symbiosis of rider and horse worked right away. This connection has grown since then. “I’ve been on the road a lot with Topas now and it worked well,” she says. The results are stable, now it is important to approach the next bigger stage at the World Cup. “Without pressure,” adds Max-Theurer, who is back at a World Championships for the first time since the 2014 World Equestrian Games – at that time she surprised with two sixth places in the individual.
Yesterday the dressage riders completed their first training session in the football stadium in Herning after passing the medical check. Stefan Lehfellner, whose Oldenburg gelding goes by the name of Robert Carlos, is another Upper Austrian in the OePS squad. The championship is new territory for the duo.
High hurdle for show jumpers
Together with dressage, vaulting in Herning marks the beginning. After the resignation of the multiple world and European champion Jasmin Eder, the division is in a state of upheaval in this country. “We can still fight at the front,” says Veronika Greisberger, Isabel Fiala’s lunge leader. In addition to Fiala, Alina Barosch, Eva Nagiller and Dominik Eder are at the start.
For show jumping and para dressage, the title fights only begin on Wednesday. Pepo Puch probably has the best chance of a medal for red-white-red in para dressage.
The show jumpers are led by Max Kühner, currently twelfth in the world rankings (with Elektric Blue P) and Julia Houtzager-Kayser (High Five). The team around Kühner is hoping to make the leap to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. However, a fifth place in the team competition would be necessary for a direct qualification.
Riding: World Cup squad
Dressage: Victoria Max-Theurer (Upper Austria), Stefan Lehfellner (Upper Austria), Florian Bacher, Christian Schumach.
Para dressage: Pepo Puch, Michaela Ferringer (Upper Austria), Julia Sciancalepore, Bernd Brugger.
Jump: Max Kühner, Julia Houtzager-Kayser, Katharina Rhomberg, Christoph Obernauer; Reserve: Bianca Babanitz (rides for an Upper Austrian stud farm).
vaulting: Alina Barosch, Isabel Fiala, Eva Nagiller, Dominik Eder, Theresa Thiel, Romana Hintner, Lena and Nina Bachbauer, Rebecca Frießer, Georg Gabl, Sarah Gollubics, Sophie Pittl, Sophia Wackerle.
Source: Nachrichten
