Will Coleman and Diabolo win the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
We’re just two days away from the first horse inspection – and the Opening Ceremony – of the 2024 Paris Olympics, and today’s moving-in day for horses at the Versailles stabling. It’s a big day by anyone’s reckoning, but one made even bigger by changes made to two of the biggest national contenders for team medals.
Team USA’s Will Coleman will now ride his direct reserve horse, Kentucky CCI4*-S winner Diabolo, a twelve-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Diarado x Aljano 2) owned by the Diabolo Group, instead of the stalwart Off The Record. No reason has been made public yet for this swap, and the dynamics of the rest of the team remain the same, with Liz Halliday and Cooley Nutcracker retaining the travelling reserve spot at this time.
Julia Krajewski and Nickel 21. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
In team Germany, the changes are slightly bigger: Sandra Auffarth and Viamant du Matz, who were part of the Tokyo 2020 team, have withdrawn following ‘abnormalities’ in the Tuesday evening veterinary check in the final trot-up. That means that reigning Olympic champion Julia Krajewski is now on the team of three with her Aachen winner, ten-year-old Nickel 21, and 23-year-old Olympic debutant Calvin Böckmann and The Phantom of the Opera, who made their five-star debut at Kentucky this spring and were runners-up at Aachen, are now in the travelling reserve role.
We’ll keep you updated with all the breaking news from the ground in Paris as we get it. Go Eventing!
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