United States Eventing Association

The good news for competitors at Luhmühlen CCI4* presented by DHL, penultimate leg of the FEI Classics™ 2015/2016, is that Michael Jung (GER) can’t win it: the runaway series leader, winner of Kentucky and Badminton, does not have a ride at his country’s premier event.

However, this doesn’t mean that it won’t be a German victory; although many leading riders, including last year’s winner Ingrid Klimke (GER) are running their Olympic prospects in the CIC3*, previous winners Andreas Dibowski and Bettina Hoy plus younger riders Julia Krajewski, Claas Romeike and Kai Rüder are flying the flag for the hosts.

A New Zealand win is also well on the cards, with former winners Andrew Nicholson (2013) and Tim Price (2014) returning to the scene of previous successes.

Price, who could rocket up the FEI Classics™ rankings from current 10th place, rides the experienced Ringwood Sky Boy, a runner-up at Badminton in 2014.

Nicholson, clearly back to his best form after a serious fall last year, comes here on the back of a brilliant CCI3* win at Bramham (GBR) at the weekend. The 54-year-old rides the bright chestnut Perfect Stranger, whose support team can’t be missed in their orange clothing, and the lovely Spanish-bred mare Qwanza.

Australia is represented by Andrew Hoy on the veteran Rutherglen, Emma Dougall (Belcam Bear) and Bill Levett (Alexander NJ and Improvise).

Hoy, a triple Olympic gold medalist, says Luhmühlen is one of his favourite events. “Julia [Otto, Director] does a great job, the organisation is excellent and I love Mark Phillips’s courses here.”

Oliver Townend heads the British contingent, with the New Zealand Thoroughbred Black Tie, which he retired near the end of the course at Badminton when going well, and Dromgurrihy Blue, and Joseph Murphy (Sportsfield Othello) the Irish squad.

Boyd Martin is the sole U.S. representative riding Lucy Boyton Lie's Crackerjack, a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. They are rerouting to Luhmühlen after an unfortunate end to their weekend at Badminton last month.

There are also riders from Italy, Belgium, Sweden and the US and don’t be surprised if we have Luhmühlen’s first French winner: a trio of in-form Frenchmen, Arnaud Boiteau, Maxime Livio and Geoffroy Soullez, all have winning claims.

After 12 years, this is Captain Phillips’ last year as Course-Designer – he will be succeeded in 2017 by the dual Olympic designer Mike Etherington-Smith (GBR).

The track will go in the same direction as last year, but riders shouldn’t be complacent. “Last year’s course went well and if it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” he said. “The questions are still very different, though. The first three fences are the same, after that it’s all new.

“I think the course is very fair to the horses. As ever it’s a true CCI4* test and the riders have to concentrate all the way round. I don’t think there will be one influential fence but a number of significant questions spread evenly throughout the course. Again, we have used frangible devices in every place possible but the most important safety aspect is the riders’ respect for the jumps. It’s a question of the balance between forgiving fences for the horses and questions that are taken seriously by riders.”

The action starts this afternoon, with the first horse in the Dressage arena at 1400 local time. Follow the competition with live coverage on FEI TV (www.feitv.org) and live results on www.luhmuehlen.de.