THE BEST FEMALE RIDER IN THE WORLD OF THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED DISCIPLINE WILL BE AT THE LONGINES EQUITA LYON, CONCOURS HIPPIQUE INTERNATIONAL

The German queen and princess, battling it out in Lyon She has dominated the FEI Dressage World Cup leg in Lyon since 2010 and her first victory in Lyon-Eurexpo’s big ring. Germany's Isabell Werth, seven-time Olympic champion, a legend among the legends of the sport, feels at home at the Longines Equita Concours Hippique International, and will of course be competing with Emilio 107 against the fifteen other combinations present, for a seventh victory. But facing her will be fifteen other riders, fifteen other combinations, who will be keen to dethrone the queen, who has been in the driver’s seat at the Lyon event since... 2016! Her main rival, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, the current best dressage rider in the world, with TSF Dalera BB with whom she forms the current best combination in the world, could well put an end to her fellow countrywoman’s supremacy in Lyon: together, Jessica von Bredow and TSF Dalera BB are the current Olympic champions, the current European champions, and the winners of the most recent FEI Dressage World Cup Final! The young mother will be returning to competition in Lyon, in a ring and in an atmosphere with which she is less familiar with, to the delight of the spectators in Lyon, after taking a few months off to have her second child. In all likelihood, the Germans will make a strong impact at this FEI Dressage World Cup leg in Lyon as Benjamin Werndl with Famoso OLD, World number fourteen, and Dorothee Schneider with First Romance 2, World number 26, are also expected from 26 to 30 October.

France is preparing for Paris 2024 in Lyon 

However, the French riders, led by the experienced Morgan Barbançon, who is familiar with the Lyon event and its warm atmosphere are likely to receive more applause, than their foreign counterparts. The Longines Equita Lyon, Concours Hippique International, and GL events Equestrian Sport, the organiser of the FEI Dressage World Cup leg, have supported the request of Jean Morel, the national French dressage team coach, to welcome and train up-and-coming combinations in the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at which France will be presenting a team as the event’s host nation. Pauline Basquin and Sertorius de Rima Z IFCE, novices at this level of indoor competition and the current French champions, will be competing in Lyon for their first FEI Dressage World Cup leg. She is the first female rider from the Cadre Noir of Saumur to win the French Pro Élite Championship and will be accompanied by another representative of the Anjou based institute: Captain Guillaume Lundy, the silver medallist at the French Championships, who will be riding Tempo IFCE and will also be competing in his first FEI World Cup. Alexandre Ayache with Jolene, and Stéphanie Brieussel with Devonport will also be competing.

To showcase dressage for as many people as possible, the organisers of the Longines Equita, Lyon Concours Hippique International have decided to open the FEI World Cup to all the visitors since 2015. On Thursday 27 October in the morning and on Friday 28 November in the afternoon, spectators who have ‘exhibition’ tickets will discover the best dressage riders in the world, during performances worthy of the greatest specialists. On Thursday, the doors of the exhibition will open at 8 am to let spectators be comfortably seated in the stands at 8.30 am.