Road to Paris, the 18 stars for World Cup Dressage final

The 18 top names who will light up the stage at the Accorhotel Arena for the 2018 FEI World Cup Dressage Final in Paris have been unveiled.
Defending champion Isabelle Werth will be on the front line to fight the competition of contenders from all over the world. Amongst other big names from Western Europe are Patrik Kittel atop of Deja and Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven with Paridon Magi for Sweden; Dutch riders Madeleine Witte Vrees on Cennin and Edward Gal, who is top shape with his stallion Glock’s Zonik; Werth’s German fellow countrywomen Dorothee Schneider with Sammy Davis Jr. and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl on Unee BB; Denmark’s Daniel Bachmann Andersen atop of Blue Hors Zack and Britain’s Emile Faurie with Delatio.
The starting list for North America includes last year’s finalist in Omaha, Laura Graves with Verdades, and Shelly Francis on Danilo. The two wild cards from Central Europe are Russian Inessa Merkulova with Mister X and Belarusian Hanna Karasiova on Arlekino.
It will be the first time ever for the Philippines to be represented in a World Cup final, with Ellesse Tzingberg, a 26-year-old former fashion model who traded the catwalk for the Dressage arena.
From the Pacific League comes Australia’s Mary Hanna atop of Calanta, along with Dominican Yvonne Losos de Muniz with Foco Loco W. French Ludovic Henry with After You has been given one of the two extra starting places awarded by FEI to riders who had not qualified.
Full starting list: http://inside.fei.org/system/files/Definite%20Entries%20List%20Dressage%…
www.fei.org
Photo: Laura GRAVES (USA) rides VERDADES in The FEI World Cup™Dressage Final ll, Grand Prix Freestyle, April 1 2017 
Photo Cara Grimshaw/FEI