Australia to Defend Nations Cup Title

By: Jo McKinnon/Equestrian Australia

Tomorrow marks the opening day of competition for Australia’s Eventing team at Aachen as they aim to defend their Nations Cup title. 

This year’s team includes Rio bronze medallists Chris Burton and Shane Rose as well as Emma McNab, Isabel English and Katja Weimann.

For 34-year-old Katja Weimann her inclusion in the team is a significant step in her lifelong riding career. It will be the first time she has ever represented her country at major international level and her long awaited Aachen debut.

“It’s very exciting,” Weimann said.

Only several months ago the Victorian rider moved herself and her three homebred horses, BP Cosmopolitan, BP Escapade and BP Flamboyant to Germany where she is now based indefinitely.

“It’s been good so far and I’m really pleased with my horses,” she said.

Since relocating to the Northern Hemisphere she has competed in one CCI4* event which was a leg of the 2017 Event Rider Masters Series at Luhmuhlen in Germany in June.  At Luhmuhlen she started her 14-year-old gelding BP Flamboyant and finished in 17^th place.

Her Australian team mount at Aachen this week is 14-year-old BP Cosmopolitan. His most recent official outing was the CIC3* at Camden Equestriad in NSW where he finished in second position.

Chris Burton, one of last year’s Nations Cup winning Australian team members will campaign his top class 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding Nobilis 18 at the Aachen this week. It will be the horse’s first event since he won the CCI4 * at Burghley last September. Notably,  Nobilis 18 finished 5^th (individually) at Aachen last year.

The Aachen hopes of Burton’s regular Australian team mate Shane Rose will be carried by CP Qualified. After a lengthy break on the sidelines the big grey made his return to competition in the CIC3 * class at Barbury Castle earlier this month. Despite a fresh display that proved costly in the dressage phase CP Qualified finished 11^th overall.  Emma McNabb will ride Fernhill Tabasco.

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