Sunday, June 9, 2002

Week Two Of USET Dressage Selection Trials - page 5

Wilcox In Germany Needs 2 Points More Than Fourth Placed Rider at Gladstone

German-based Californian Lisa Wilcox, 36, who qualified with two horses owned by Gundula Vorwerk and Dr. Claus Crone-Munzebrock, was number one going into the trials. However, Wilcox elected to remain in Germany and not to participate at Gladstone. In order to stay in contention for the team, her current score of 73.145% with Relevant 5, a 16.3-hand Oldenburg stallion, must be two percentage points higher than the fourth-placed rider at Gladstone.

McDonald, Traurig, and Seidel, the current top three, have mixed feelings about Wilcox not competing in the Selection Trials with them.

“She’s proven herself over there. It’s a journey to come here, but I have to journey too,” said McDonald. “She’s committed to being there and I hope it works out for her.” McDonald also added that Wilcox did not experience as much stress as those riders at Gladstone. “It’s not fair,” she said. “It would be nice to go head-to-head. That changes the whole thing.” McDonald, who will not be going to Aachen because of the quarantine restrictions on mares, said that it would be “politically hard to go over there and beat her.”