August 20, 2014–Totilas has been pulled out of the World Equestrian Games, the German federation announced Wednesday, with recurrence of painful bone spur.
The 14-year-old black stallion now will have missed both the 2012 Olympic Games in London when rider Matthias Alexander Rath came down with mononucleosis and now will not go to the world championships.
Withdrawal from the WEG comes four years after former rider Edward Gal of the Netherlands won team gold and the individual gold medals for the Grand Prix Special and the Freestyle at the 2010 World Games in Kentucky.
Fabienne Lütkemeier and D’Agostino, as first reserve will replace Matthias and Totilas on the team with world No. 2 Helen Langehanenberg and Damon Hill NRW, Isabell Werth and Bella Rose and Kristina Sprehe and Desperados.
Totilas and Matthias, the federation said, “showed themselves during the day in training camp on Gestüt Peterhof at Perl-Borg, Germany in impressive form.
“Shortly before the departure of the team for France, Totilas suffered from an existing bone spur that had painful reactions.
“After consultation with the leadership team, the vet team and the rider decided for the sake of the horse not to participate in the World Equestrian Games.”
Fabienne, 24, and her Hanoverian gelding rode on Germany’s gold medal team at the European Championships last year.
Totilas and Matthias had moved up to No. 4 in the International Equestrian Federation’s world rankings at the end of July, less than three months after returning to competition following an absence of two years.
The pair had been off the official standings after their competition schedule was interrupted by injury to the black stallion and illness of the rider that kept the pair from the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2013 Europeans.
Totilas (Gribaldi x Glendale) became the most famous dressage horse in history when ridden by Edward Gal and their last appearance was at the Kentucky WEG.
Totilas was then sold to Paul Schockemöhle and Ann-Katrin Linsenhof to be ridden by Matthias, Ann-Katrin’s stepson, for Germany.
The horse’s schedule was marred by injuries and Matthias struggled to achieve the same level of success enjoyed by Edward.
Matthias turned 30 years old earlier this month.
