Category Archives: FEI

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, FEI, Vaulting

Momentous Triple Vaulting Championships Promise a Thrilling Week

Averill Saunders at the Burlington Capital FEI Vaulting World Cup Final 2023 in Omaha (USA) – FEI / Richard Juilliart

Excitement is building until the largest Vaulting Championships in history takes place in Flyinge (SWE).  The FEI Vaulting European Championship will be held in combination with the FEI World Championship for Juniors and the premiere of the FEI World Championship for Young Vaulters. Hosting the three Championships is a challenge embraced by the Swedish hosts and much anticipated by the athletes and spectators, with 26 nations and 135 horses expected to present themselves to the Ground Jury.

The first medals will be awarded to the Senior athletes on Friday, 28 July. In the hotly contested Female class, Switzerland has a strong showing with Ilona Hannich, Danielle Bürgi, and Nadja Büttiker. Bürgi, who has had an excellent season showing her calibre on multiple horses, finished second at the FEI Vaulting World Cup™ in Omaha (USA) and the CVI3* in Bern (SUI), and won the CVI** Masterclass in Wiesbaden (GER). Büttiker has a wealth of experience and Hannich has significantly increased her level as evidenced by her fourth-place finish at the CHIO Aachen (GER) in June 2023.

Austria’s Eva Nagiller will be aiming for a podium finish, after a disappointing run at the FEI Vaulting World Championship in Herning (DEN) in 2022 due to her horse becoming unsettled.

It is a family affair for Germany, as each athlete will be lunged by their parent. Kathrin Meyer, winner of the FEI Vaulting World Cup™ in Omaha in 2023 and more recently champion of CHIO Aachen, has had an almost perfect season. She will start the event as the favourite and will be lunged by her mum Sonja. Much of her competition comes from 2022 FEI Vaulting World Championship silver medallist Julia Sophie Wagner, also lunged by her mother Katja, and Alina Ross, who is striving for her first senior medal alongside her father Volker.

The family theme continues with the Brüsewitz Brüder (Brüsewitz brothers) trio, the Male contingent from Germany, comprising Viktor, Thomas, and honorary brother Jannik Heiland. While they have a plethora of medals, a senior gold medal has been elusive.

The biggest title challenge comes from the youngest contender, Frenchman and current Vice-World Champion Quentin Jabet. The 20-year-old vaults with such precision and grace that he will be hard to beat. Fellow countryman Theo Gardies also has a unique style and ability worthy of championship glory. It is a narrow but strong field with multiple highly decorated athletes, which will make for a tight and exciting battle.

Vaulting aficionados will be looking to see if Germany can remain dominant in the sport despite filling only one of their two Pas-de-Deux spaces. Diana Harwardt and Peter Künne have the nation’s hopes on their shoulders. As silver medallists at the FEI Vaulting World Championships in Herning (DEN) in 2022, there is high expectations for them to pick up the torch passed from retired teammates 2022 FEI World Champions Chiara Congia and Justin van Gerven.

Bronze medallists at the 2022 FEI Vaulting World Championship, Rebecca Greggio and Davide Zanella, will endeavour to turn the tables and bring gold home for Italy.  Both couples will face stiff competition from Switzerland and Austria. Ilona Hannich competing together with Li Laffer for Switzerland will be going after their first Championship bid, while Austrians Eva Nagiller and Romana Hintner will try to replicate or improve on their 2019 FEI European Championship bronze medal finish.

Germany’s Team Norka is on course to take the top step of the Squad podium again, and although they are in a different composition to the last few years, they have had a solid season.  Their biggest rivals are the Swiss, whom they have defeated twice this year. The third podium step is where it might get interesting, as the lack of an Austrian entry throws the floor open. The Swedish have the home advantage and they have been working hard towards this goal for a long time. Nordic rivals, Denmark, has seen medal success in recent years and will ride that wave to aim for further glory.  However, the Netherlands could ruin it for them both, as their squad has been quietly progressing and has an equal opportunity to steal the third position.

The final competition of the event will be the Official Team. One squad and two individuals from each country will combine to be crowned European Champions. Much like the Squad competition, and sadly due to the absence of a French and Austrian Squad, it looks to be a fight for the top between Germany and Switzerland. Germany has something to prove after missing out on an Official Team medal at the 2022 FEI World Championships, proving that even the best can falter under pressure. There will certainly be pressure for the Netherlands, Sweden, and 2022 vice-World Champions Denmark, as the podium lies tantalisingly close.

FEI Vaulting World Championship for Juniors

The FEI Vaulting World Championships for Juniors has an exceptional number of Female entries. A record fifty-six have declared, including Polina Shovkova and Kateryna Panasenko, Ukraine’s first representatives at a Vaulting Championship.  They will take to the circle aboard Filon, lunged by Kevine Moneuse (FRA).  Historically the World Junior Female title is reserved for Austria, and Clara Ludwiczek, Antonia Mayerhofer, and Katharina Feldhofer will try to keep up the tradition.  Switzerland offers three strong contenders, Leonie Linsbichler, Mara Hofer, Noemi Licci, and the quality presented by Germany is just as high with Mia Kluge, Mirja Luise Krohne, and Laura Seemüller.

It is not only these heavyweight nations who hold Europe’s medal chances. Oceane Gehan brings high hopes for France, while Giorgia Varisco could claim her place in history for Italy. Nora Sandberg Müller is the top choice for the home nation. Of course, the title could head across the pond with Hannah Wildermuth (USA), who has had an excellent season but has not yet met the full might of European talent. The quality of participants is undoubtedly high, and success will go to those who manage the pressure of high-level competition, both mentally and physically. Of course, the calibre and composure of the horses and lungers may be the deciding factor.

Dutch Junior Male World Champion Sam dos Santos returns to defend his title after competing at the Senior Championship in Herning (DEN) in 2022. Since his victory at the FEI World Championships for Juniors in Le Mans (FRA) in 2021, he has proven himself at a level to take on and prevail over many of the top Senior Men. Triumph is not inevitable as there are other high-grade juniors out to take his title. The bronze medallist at the FEI Vaulting European Championship for Juniors in Kaposvar (HUN) in 2022, Arnee Heers, is the front runner for Germany, and his young teammate Lukas Heitmann might also manage a medal at his first major Championship. Synonymous with excellence in Male vaulting, France has two hopefuls: Baptiste Terrier and Louis Dumont.  Each must show exceptional rounds if they are to win the class for France for the first time.

Out to make history for his country, Jakub Roguski could become the first decorated Polish vaulter.  He finished sixth at the 2022 FEI European Championships for Juniors and has been producing quality performances this season. Other notable performers to look out for are Andrej Menhert of Slovakia and Switzerland’s Romain Simonet.

The Junior Pas-de-Deux class is the essence of girl power as every combination is a female partnership.  As in the senior category, Germany has elected to only present one pair: Lisa Marie Wagner and Timea Bonekat.  Austrians Anja Huber and Katharina Feldhofer could upgrade their 2022 European bronze medal but will have to fend off team-mates Sarah Victoria Köck and Clara Dick, as well as Italy’s Giorgia Varisco and Greta Gemignani, who are on course for a first Junior medal.

It is gratifying to see the increasing number of nations participating in the Championships. This year both Brazil and Canada will premiere a Junior Squad. Fierce competition awaits in the form of European Champions Switzerland. They will present the same 2022 victorious squad, albeit on a different horse – Lagrima.  They too will have to stave off competition from formidable squads from Italy, Germany, and Austria.

FEI World Championship for Young Vaulters

The Young Vaulter class was established in 2022 to bridge the gap between Junior and Senior level. The format is mainly the same as the Senior competition although the athletes, aged 16-21, perform only three of the five obligatory exercises within their Technical Test. A hugely successful 2022 FEI European Championship in Kaposvar (HUN) has led to a positive uptake in participants, with the prize to become the maiden World Champion, an alluring prospect.

Joint favourites in the Female category are current European Champion from Germany Alice Layher, with her medal winning combination and Averill Saunders, who is on the hunt for Canada’s first Vaulting medal.  Saunders has a strong chance of achieving that dream if she can control her mind and remain free of the heel injury which hampered the middle of her season.  Switzerland’s Michelle Brügger and Alicia Bärtschi will be pushing their nation towards the top of the table, alongside 2022 Junior European Champion Anna Weidenauer (AUT), who has moved into the higher age bracket this year.

Determination and dedication come in the form of Caroline Morse (USA), who has flown over her own horse Grasshopper AF for the best chance of success. Desiring to be the one to bring home honours for her country, compatriot Melanie Ford has teamed up with a German combination San Felice Z and Christina Ender. The youngest competitor at 17 years old is Italy’s Giada Samiolo, not that you could tell from her string of good results this year. Alongside Giorgia Fanucci, either would be worthy to stand on the rostrum for Italy.

Ruben Delauney (FRA), the 2022 FEI Male European Champion for Young Vaulters, has now progressed into the Senior category which leaves the title space open. Inevitably, it will be Austria versus Germany in a tussle for the top. 2022 Silver and Bronze medallists, Philip Clement and Fabian Lipp, will try to better their results for Austria, while 2022 FEI Junior European Champion Bela Lehnen (GER) has been in superb form, and is joined by Philip Goroncy and Jonathon Geib, each looking for German glory.

It will be an action-packed week of Vaulting, with quality horses, incredible skills, and a rollercoaster of emotions. The culmination of years of preparation and teamwork, it all comes down to mental toughness, steadfast horses, and a little bit of luck. History will be made once again as we eagerly anticipate the crowning of new champions.

by Joanne Littlejohn

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., FEI

France Takes FEI Eventing Nations Cup Honours on Home Turf

Gwendolen Fer (FRA) riding Romantic Love – FEI/Libby Law Photography.

The home side dominated the French leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ from beginning until end. Their overall score of 101.5 put them well ahead of Belgium, who completed on 142.8. Third place went to Great Britain who finished on 149.9.

This was the fifth leg of this popular series which took place for the first time at Haras de Jardy, Normandy and attracted nine European nations as well as Australia. The victorious French team was made up of experienced team members Maxime Livio and Gwendolyn Fer, together with up-and-coming talent, Julie Simone and Camille Lejeune. All four riders performed well enough to put them inside the top ten with Livio winning the CCIO4*-NC individually on the impressive grey, Api Du Libaire, and Lejeune finishing in second place aboard Dame Decoeur Tardonne.

Speaking after the event, the triumphant Livio summed up the result for his team and his own performance with his Selle Francais gelding. “It’s always a great feeling to have such a win, especially when we are in France for the French team. I am very pleased especially for this horse because he has come back at the high level just this week and he concluded with a win and I am so happy. It was his first big show of the season, so the pressure was a little higher. It is always a pleasure to ride at Jardy because it’s a nice place for the horses, and it was a pleasure to come back with one of my top horses and I was pleased. I really appreciated his mentality because he was really connected with me.”

With world-renowned course designer Pierre Michelet in charge of the cross-country, riders knew they would face a tough test. The French designer has designed a number of championship courses, including the Rio Olympics, the 2014 FEI World Championships in Haras du Pin, and Pau CCI 5*. Whilst France led throughout, the cross-country course shook up the order beneath that. Germany, who was second behind France after the first phase, had only one rider complete the competition and therefore finished in 10th, the bottom of the table.

Camille Lejeune commented on the severity of the cross-country course, which proved to be particularly influential and saw a number of eliminations, retirements, and both jumping and time faults throughout the day. “That was the first time for the Nations Cup in Jardy. It was a very tough course, very twisty, lots of fences and a lot of jumps. Something like 40 jumps in six minutes 38, so it was a very quick race. Everything was great with my horse.”

Livio was happy to be riding a more experienced horse on the cross-country. “The course was technical, with many combinations and big angles and different striding with many choices for the riders, but my horse is very experienced, so I was quite confident. The time here is always difficult, so I decided to go for the time at the beginning of the course and then just feel my horse. From beginning to end, he was very motivated and focused on each fence, so he finished inside the time and I think he enjoyed a lot, the course.”

The sixth leg of the Nations Cup plays out in Avenches (Switzerland), which takes place from 20-23 July. The Series will conclude at Boekelo (NED) from 4-8 October, where the final Paris Olympics team place will be awarded to the highest place nation not already qualified. Belgium, who is one of those nations looking for a place in Paris, continue to lead the series on 440 points. They have targeted the Nations Cup for the purpose of helping their chance of qualification, and have sent a team to everyone so far.

FULL RESULTS HERE

by Eleanore Kelly

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, FEI

Germany Prevails in Battle of Champions at Aachen

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (GER) riding TSF Dalera BB (© FEI/Stefan Lafrentz)

The podium looked nearly identical in the FEI Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special as Germany, Denmark, and Great Britain battled for top honors in the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ at Aachen (GER), and as the start list reached its end in the Special, only the top two athletes in the FEI Dressage World Ranking remained — Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (GER) and Charlotte Fry (GBR).

The reigning individual Olympic and FEI Dressage World Cup™ Champions, von Bredow-Werndl and DSF Dalera BB took their second victory of the week Saturday at the World Equestrian Festival, receiving 81.021% in the Special to go along with a Grand Prix win Thursday (82.304%). Those scores clinched a fourth Nations Cup victory of the 2023 season for Germany.

Led by von Bredow-Werndl, Isabell Werth (DSP Quantaz), Frederic Wandres (Bluetooth OLD), and Sönke Rothenberger (Fendi), Germany’s winning total was 468.285 points, the sum of the team’s top three scores in both tests. Denmark finished second with 460.097 points, followed by Great Britain (459.756 points).

“For me, it is not as much about winning, but instead about the development. It still feels like there is room for improvement. [TSF Dalera BB] felt so, so good,” said von Bredow-Werndl.

The Grand Prix Special was particularly impressive for Germany, who did not have a rider finish outside of the top 10. For Rothenberger, the test was especially meaningful, as he and his 9-year-old stallion Fendi improved their score by nearly five percentage points after having some tense moments in the Grand Prix.

“In preparation for the [Grand Prix], I had a really good feeling. He was super training in the main arena, and I underestimated the atmosphere [during competition],” Rothenberger said. “I don’t have a spooky horse, but I could feel he was getting quite tense, and I couldn’t support him how I would have liked to support him.”

“It took two and a half days in between [the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special] to give him security in the arena. That was my main goal, and I’m really happy with the confidence we could give him. This was the third Special [Fendi] has ever done, and I’m really happy with how well I could get him back on my side. I’m really proud of him,” said Rothenberger.

Ultimately, consistency was the deciding factor when it came to separating the world’s top combinations. Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin (Imhotep) and Charlotte Fry (Everdale) were repeatedly on von Bredow-Werndl’s heels, but Wandres and Werth were never far behind, either.

“It’s always a good thing when you can show consistency, especially in team competition and especially with Bluetooth OLD. In the Grand Prix, he had a very harmonious and exceptional round,” Wandres said. “The feeling we started with [in the Special] in the extended trot to passage, forward and backward, he felt so amazing. I’m proud of him to shine in an arena like that.”

Germany extended its lead in the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ standings with 56 points. Sweden sits second with 32 points, followed by Denmark with 28 points.

The 2023 FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ season concludes at Falsterbo (SWE) on 16 July 2023.

FULL RESULTS

by Catie Staszak

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., FEI, Strzegom

Dutch Edge Closer to Olympic Qualification with Eventing Nations Cup Win

Janneke Boonzaaijer (BEL) rides ACSI Chanp de Tailleur. FEI – Libby Law

A demanding cross-country test shook up the order at the fourth leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ which took place at Strzegom (POL). Strong performances in this phase meant that The Netherlands walked away as the worthy winners. Despite having one rider eliminated on the cross-country, the Dutch finished on a final score of 133.8 with their other three riders finishing inside the top ten riders. Team USA were runners-up on 142.8, whilst Belgium finished in third on 166.1 penalties. Nine teams came forward to compete including host nation Poland who did not have such a happy time with none of their three riders completing the competition.

Dutch Chef d’Equipe Andrew Heffernen was delighted with the result. “These guys performed so well. It was a really tough competition and it was really refreshing to see such a strong and forward thinking and demanding cross-country course. It also gave us good pictures. There were no nasty falls or moments and that was really good for the sport. These guys performed fantastic and that is why we won. I am very proud.”

The Germans led the first phase with the Dutch team in third after the dressage, but this would certainly not prove to be a dressage competition. Germany slipped to eighth after the cross-country course designed by Marcin Konarski took its toll on so many combinations. Konarski has been designing international courses at Strzegom for 20 years and his accolades include World Cup Finals and Senior European Championships. The venue is famed for its technicality and big bold jumping efforts and this year was no exception. “This year’s course has a lot of technical questions. There are also a couple of very bold jumps where the horses have to show a lot of bravery,” he said.

Experienced Dutch rider Merel Blom-Hulsman, who has been a mainstay of the Dutch team for over a decade, summed up the challenge: “It was hard to get this win. It was a difficult course with a lot of technical questions and big jumps in between so I think we all really had to push to the end, so it was quite a difficult challenge.”

The Dutch team lost their fourth member Stephen Hazeleger, who was one of 13 athletes to come to grief on the cross-country. Fortunately, their other three team members achieved fast and clear cross-country rounds to put them well ahead of the rest of the field going into the final phase. Although they had a 25-penalty margin ahead of USA in second, the pressure was still on with all three athletes’ scores to count in the jumping phase, who held onto their nerves as well as first place.

There was further pressure on the result this year, as the Series takes on extra significance as the last chance to earn a single Team slot to Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Five of the nations competing are not yet qualified, including The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Austria. The FEI Eventing European Championship at Pin du Haras (FRA) this August and the 2023 Pan American Games at Santiago (CHI) in October will provide further chances for nations to qualify.

Like many other nations who are not yet qualified, the Dutch selected a more experienced team on good horses. Their sole objective this season is Olympic Qualification, explains Blom-Hulsman. “There is not a bigger motivator than Paris. We stand up every morning just pushing for Paris and we will keep pushing until we are there, for sure.”

Heffernen reinforced this notion: “We have two Nations Cup competitions coming up in the next few weeks, one in France and one in Switzerland, and of course there is the European Championships, so we are concentrating on those three competitions now, so hopefully we can repeat this performance.”

The FEI Eventing Nations Cup will now move to Haras de Jardy (FRA) which runs from 13-16 July. The Belgians lead the Series at this halfway stage, with a total of 350 points, whilst the Dutch now move up to second with 285 points. The Series concludes in Boekelo (NED) from 4-8 October, where the final team place for the Paris Olympics will be allocated to the highest placed nations not already qualified.

FULL RESULTS

by Eleanore Kelly

press@fei.org
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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., FEI, Strzegom

Strzegom Horse Trials – FEI Eventing Nations Cup

Photo: Mariusz Chmieliński

The rivalry for valuable points in the fourth leg of the Nations Cup in equestrian triathlon will be decided in Morawa, during the 20th jubilee edition of LOTTO Strzegom Horse Trials.

280 horse-and-rider combinations representing 25 countries will compete in 10 international classes from one to four stars, including the FEI Eventing Nations Cup. This year, the stakes are incredibly high. The Nations Cup series is a chance for teams that have not yet qualified to secure their ticket for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris. There is a record number of teams entered this year. As many as 10 squads will compete in Strzegom, including the representatives of Japan and the United States for the very first time at the venue.

The arenas in Strzegom will host, among others: Germany’s multi-medalist Michael Jung, a double Olympic champion, who also held the titles of European and World Champion; his compatriots Andreas Dibowski and Dirk Schrade, Olympic team gold medalists; and the Dutch Merel Blom, team bronze medalist of the World Equestrian Games. The entry list also includes leading Polish eventers, members of the national team: Paweł Warszawski, Jan Kamiński, Joanna Pawlak, Wiktoria Knap, and Julia Gillmaier.

The competition starts on Thursday, June 22 with the dressage trial. During the first two days of the competition, the riders will present programs assessed by the judges in walk, trot, and gallop. Saturday and Sunday are for spectacular cross-country and showjumping trials – these requiring precision and technical skills.

The program will be complemented by a lot of attractions for spectators. The stuntmen from the Apolinarski Group will present their vaulting skills in a show of jigit, originating from the Caucasus – a Cossac riding style. For dog lovers, the organizers have prepared agility shows performed by the finalists of the “Mam Talent TVN” show. There will also be driving demonstrations, performed by the Youth National Team.

The competition will take place from 22 to 25 June at the hippodrome in Morawa near Strzegom. Admission is free. Car park costs PLN 20.

Contact:
www.strzegomhorsetrials.pl
press@strzegomhorsetrials.pl

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., FEI

Strong Squad Delivers Decisive FEI Eventing Nations Cup Victory for New Zealand

Tim Price (NZL) riding Falco. Photo Copyright: ©FEI/Libby Law Photography

Team New Zealand are setting themselves up to be strong contenders for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games next year, and results at Millstreet further reinforced that. An experienced quartet led from start to finish at the Irish event, to leave them on an impressive final score of 114.6. This is one of the best team finishing scores seen in this popular eight-leg series in recent years, perhaps unsurprising given World number one and two riders Tim and Jonelle Price made up half of the team. They were joined by the experienced Clarke Johnstone and rising star, Samantha Lissington. Team Belgium were runners-up on 131.9, whilst Ireland delighted their home crowd by finishing third in what was a fierce competition.

The cross-country course proved the make or break of many combinations and teams and making the time was suitably challenging, with no riders finishing inside. Tim Price won the class overall on Falco, the horse that also gave him an individual and team bronze in Pratoni. His wife Jonelle also played her part on the ‘pocket rocket’ McClaren. The Prices, joined by Clarke Johnstone, were all members of the bronze-medal winning team at last year’s FEI Eventing World Championship in Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA).  All three riders were mounted on experienced horses who continued their reliable form by jumping double clears in the Jumping and cross-country phases. They were joined by Samantha Lissington, who was the drop score after picking up 20 penalties for a refusal on the cross-country phase.

Chef d’Equipe of the New Zealand Team is former Olympic Eventing rider Sam Griffiths, who summed up the result. “We are really proud of their performance. Because New Zealand doesn’t have the equivalent of a European Championship, we decided that we wanted to target a couple of Nations Cups, of which Millstreet is one, so we sent a strong contingent. It’s really good to bring the group together and practice what we need to do. We will also be hoping to do well at Aachen. It’s always really good to target an event and then deliver a really good result at that event, so we are really pleased.”

Riders were full of praise for the event and cross-country phase which was designed by Mike Etherington-Smith. “One of the reasons why we targeted Millstreet is that we know how beautiful the venue is. The Duggan family takes amazing care of it. We love Mike Etherington-Smith’s courses. They are always beautifully presented and even with the going being fast, time was incredibly difficult even with experienced combinations going pretty much as fast as they could,” said Griffiths.

Tim Price was delighted with his horse Falco, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding.

“Falco is a cracking horse; he’s established now and his intelligence is being used for the good of everyone. I was really proud of him, he’s such a cool wee horse,” said Price.

“We took this seriously because the New Zealand team were using Millstreet as a marker point for the powers that be back at home. It was important that we delivered a decent result and showed that we were on track this year and through to Paris, so we treated it as such and all brought good horses onto the team. The time was very tight (on the cross-country) so it felt like a proper test.”

The Kiwis have had mixed success at major team championships in recent years, but Griffiths believes they have a great and long-lasting future ahead, with Millstreet highlighting that. “We had incredibly strong performances from Clarke Johstone and Jonelle, so we were really solid. We are really starting to grow some strength and depth. At Millstreet we had 19 combinations competing and, for a country that is on the other side of the world, that shows it is really developing.”

The Belgian team, who finished in second place, also delivered some solid jumping performances. Tine Magnus, Belgian team member spoke for the team: “We’re going for the Olympic qualification, so we’ll be off to Strzegom next – and we’re going to win! Millstreet is a wonderful place. The cross-country was great to ride; we’re not used to such lovely big galloping tracks.”

FEI Eventing Director Catrin Norinder was also present at the event, and said: “We’d like to thank Millstreet and the Duggan family for putting on such a great FEI Eventing Nations Cup™. The surroundings and cross-country course are amazing. It was truly competitive and a unique opportunity to get so many nations together.”

This FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ series is of particular significance to some nations this year, as the highest-placed team according to the final team classification of the 2023 Series, excluding teams/NOCs already qualified, will be allocated a place for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

This was the third leg of the Series which will now move to Strzegom (POL) which runs from 21-25 June. The Belgians lead the Nations Cup Series at this early stage, with 270 points scored, after winning the opening event in Montelibretti last month to add to their second place.

FULL RESULTS

by Eleanore Kelly

press@fei.org
www.fei.org

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, FEI, Show Jumping

Swiss Sweep to Victory Again in St Gallen

Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei. FEI/Martin Dokoupil

They waited 22 years to post a long-awaited win on home ground in St Gallen last year, and Team Switzerland stole the show once again when topping the opening leg of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2023 Europe Division 1 series at their home venue.

Their back-to-back victory was no walk in the park, however, with the result only decided in a thrilling jump-off against the clock in which home hero Martin Fuchs sealed it with a clear round from Leoni Jei, while Brazil’s Yuri Mansur and Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm QH were quicker but left the very last fence on the floor.

The Brazilians were truly impressive, firmly in the lead at the halfway stage on a zero score and without even having to call on their anchor partnership of Pedro Veniss and Nimrod de Muze Z. But in the end, it was Fuchs and teammates Edouard Schmitz, Bryan Balsiger, and Steve Guerdat who stood top of the podium, both Balsiger and Guerdat bolstering Swiss chances with superb double-clear performances.

Generous

The time-allowed of 77 seconds proved generous over Swiss course designer Gerard Lachat’s 12-fence track, but the final line of three fences that included a triple bar to a tight double of vertical-to-oxer and the final planks proved influential.

In glorious sunshine, the horses looked fresh and full of enthusiasm as they enjoyed the big open arena, and when Francisco Jose Mesquita Musa (Alea Marathon), Rodrigo Pessoa (Major Tom), and Mansur and his impressive 10-year-old mare all went clear first time out, then Veniss didn’t need to go as only the best three scores would count.

However, Great Britain and Switzerland were only a fence behind, on four faults going into round two when the British fell back with the addition of eight, while the Swiss, in contrast, really rose to the challenge to add nothing to their four-fault scoreline.

Chink

The first chink in the Brazilian armour was a brick out of the wall at fence two in an otherwise foot-perfect second run from Mesquita Musa. Pessoa produced a second spectacular clear and Veniss was faultless on his first tour of the track, but when Mansur’s mare kicked out the top plank at fence five at her second attempt, then they moved also on to a four-fault tally, forcing a third-round head-to-head.

That was also a thriller, Fuchs throwing down a superb target time of 42.14 seconds with a clear that had the home crowd gasping all the way. But Mansur was well up on time coming to the last and broke the beam in 41.84 seconds. Fuchs didn’t see the final fence fall for the Brazilian and initially thought he’d been beaten.

“I couldn’t even watch the last fence because I was looking at the time on the clock hoping Yuri would be slower. And then the clock stopped and he was faster and I was ‘whaaaat’!” said Fuchs.

As it happened, he had nothing to worry about. “I have to say congrats to team Brazil and Yuri Mansur for really making it so exciting for everyone today,” he added.

A great day

“What a great day!” 30-year-old multiple champion Fuchs said. “It was a very exciting class; my teammates were fantastic and my horse was great. I had a rail in the first round and was obviously very disappointed with that, because he jumped fantastic and I really thought we could go for the clear. But in the next round he really gave everything, and that’s also why we decided I would be the one to jump off, because my horse felt great today.”

When Swiss pathfinder Schmitz had the first element of the triple combination at fence six down on his second tour of the track, there was nothing sure about the destination of the St Gallen Nations Cup title.

“Now I knew we had to deliver clear rounds, because the Brazilian team looked very, very strong in the first round. We knew we had to put pressure on them and that’s how it turned out. It worked out really great, and it’s always very sweet to win in front of the home crowd,” Fuchs added.

Encouraging

When asked if the result is encouraging ahead of the challenge of achieving qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which until now has evaded Team Switzerland, Fuchs quickly replied, “We don’t need any encouragement! We are all already highly motivated to get this Olympic qualification, and a win like this gives you confidence, gives you a boost. If you can win in front of the home crowd where the pressure is high, then you know you can deliver also at a Championship, and that’s an important point we can take away from today,” he said.

Olympic places are on offer at the forthcoming FEI Jumping European Championship and at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final 2023, which will take place in Barcelona (ESP) at the end of September. But before all that, there will be another five exciting rounds to decide the line-up for the Longines Final to which the top seven of the ten nations competing in Europe Division 1 will make the cut.

Sopot in Poland is the next port of call for competitors in this exciting top-level series, which also stops off at Rotterdam (NED) later in June before moving to Falsterbo (SWE) and Hickstead (GBR) in July and finally visits Dublin (IRL) in August.

by Louise Parkes

press@fei.org
www.fei.org

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., FEI, Strzegom

The Race for the Nations Cup in Eventing Is On in Strzegom

Photo: Leszek Wójcik

The competition for the Nations Cup in the equestrian triathlon will take place at the hippodrome in Morawa during LOTTO Strzegom Horse Trials. Will the Polish team take the win once again?

The FEI Eventing Nations Cup season began in March in Montelibretti, Italy. The tour includes eight legs all over Europe. After two competitions, the Belgian team are the current leaders. This year, the fight is not only about Nations Cup points. A high position in the classification of the entire series is a chance for teams that have not yet qualified to secure their team for the Olympic Games – Paris 2024

During LOTTO Strzegom Horse Trials, the fourth leg of the Nations Cup will be settled. In Poland, it will be the highest-ranked class in eventing, i.e. an equestrian triathlon, in which riders and their horses compete in three trials: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping.

For the last three years, the Polish national team ended the fight at the Strzegom stage of the Nations Cup for with a place on the podium, and last year, for the first time in history, the white-and-red team were victorious.

In addition to the Nations Cup, the sports program includes as many as nine international classes from one to four stars, including ones for all youth categories. Powerhouse eventing teams have already announced their participation: Great Britain and, for the first time in history, a team from the United States.

“This year we celebrate the jubilee 20th edition of the competition. Much more than the sporting spectacle awaits the fans. The program includes many attractions for the audiences. Let’s celebrate together,” says Marcin Konarski, chairman of the organizing committee.

The Hobby Horse competition, which has recently been beating popularity records, will be a surprise innovation. It is a new sport discipline in which competitors challenge themselves on “horses” made of a horse’s head on a wooden bar, and the rules of competition are inspired by the regulations of equestrian shows. The two-day tournament, on June 24-25, will be held in eventing for the first time in Poland.

The program also includes performances by stuntmen who will present their vaulting skills in the show of the Caucasian jigitovka, as well as dog agility shows.

The competition will take place on June 22-25, at the hippodrome in Morawa near Strzegom, Lower Silesia. Admission is free.

Contact:
www.strzegomhorsetrials.pl
press@strzegomhorsetrials.pl

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, FEI, Show Jumping

United States Is Golden in the Golden State

McLain Ward (USA) riding Contagious (FEI/McCool Photos)

The United States won their second consecutive Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ event Sunday in San Juan Capistrano (USA), securing a comfortable victory in front of a home crowd at The Oaks International Grand Prix Field two weeks after triumphing in Mexico.

The event marked the first Nations Cup event held in the state of California, and Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland brought forward a powerhouse team that featured Lillie Keenan (Argan de Beliard), Karl Cook (Kalinka van’t Zorgvliet), Laura Kraut (Dorado), and McLain Ward (Contagious).

The squad delivered. Over Leopoldo Palacios’ (VEN) 1.60m track, they finished on a total score of 12 faults. Ireland finished second (17 faults), with Mexico third (33 faults).

“Qualifying for the Nations Cup [Finals] in Barcelona had to be a major priority, because that’s one of two ways left to qualify for the Olympics. We basically took our ‘A’ team at the beginning of the year and split it in half. We sent the first half to Mexico [and came here] with the other half,” said Ridland.

All three riders from the U.S.’s silver medal-winning squad from Tokyo were represented across the two teams. In Mexico, Kraut delivered three clear rounds when prevailing in a jump-off against Mexico. In San Juan Capistrano, it was Ward’s turn to lead the way. Ward produced the only double-clear effort on the day aboard his partner from the Tokyo Olympic Games, Contagious.

“I thought Leopoldo set a very challenging track. When I walked it, I have to say I was a tiny bit surprised at how big it was,” Ward said. “But it’s a five-star Nations Cup. There are huge consequences to this qualification, and that’s the way it should be.”

The United States boasted a comfortable lead heading into the second round, with more than a rail in hand over Canada. But Ireland launched a tremendous rally their second time around the course. Neither Andrew Bourns (Sea Topblue), David Blake (Claude), nor Conor Swail (Nadal Hero & DB) touched a pole, finishing the round with just a single fault added to their scorecard.

That put a greater amount of pressure on the home nation, but veterans Kraut and Ward were clear for the U.S., securing the victory. Not a single U.S. rider incurred more than 4 faults in a single round of competition.

“When this group of riders that we have here are on form, it suits us when it’s more difficult. So I think it worked in our favour,” said Ward.

Kraut was the only rider to have also competed in Mexico. In that event, she rode her Tokyo Olympic Games mount, Baloutinue. In San Juan Capistrano, she brought forward 10-year-old Dorado for his Nations Cup debut.

“I was thrilled with him,” Kraut said. “I will tell you, in the first round, he definitely was impressed. I agree with McLain that the course was much more difficult than I was expecting, and it caught me off guard. [Dorado] was a little bit shy from the first round, and he could have gotten smaller for the second round, or he could have grown. He grew and rode around beautifully, like he’d been doing it a long time.”

With their victory, the United States increased their lead in the North and Central America and Caribbean division; they boast 200 points. Mexico sits second with 170 points, and Canada is third (150 points).

The division concludes in Vancouver (CAN) on 4 June 2023.

Full Results

By Catie Staszak

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, FEI, Vaulting

It’s the American Dream for Germany, Taking Top Honours in All Classes

Chiara Congia and Justin Van Gerven (GER) with Max – FEI / Richard Juilliart.

While there was little doubt that Germany would go home with a title, the question ahead of the Burlington Capital FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Final was just how many could they win?

Kathrin Meyer (GER) had one foot firmly on the podium after her technical test, and she made it clear with her freestyle that she had no intention of letting anyone else have the top spot. Powerfully, she moved through her robotic freestyle to take the title at her debut FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Final. Together with her Mum, Sonja Meyer, and her own horse, San Classico S, the trio proved an unbeatable combination (8.428).

“I’m really happy; it was the first time I showed my new freestyle… and my new inside ground jump worked pretty well. I’m really happy with that,” said Meyer.

Danielle Bürgi (SUI) remained hot on the heels of the German vaulter. However, even with her creative freestyle winning the round, it wasn’t enough. Vaulting on Best Brew, lunged by Andrea Selch, she finished in second, only 0.082 behind (8.346).

Professionalism and experience shone through for Julia Sophie Wagner of Germany. A technical hitch led to a music error at the start of her round, but she didn’t falter and instead pulled off an excellent freestyle to rise up the rankings and finish in bronze medal position atop DSP Sir Laulau with Hendrik Falk (7.791). The USA’s Kimberly Palmer was left just outside the medal positions, scoring 7.736.

In the Men’s competition, the first-round scores made all the difference. Home favourite Daniel Janes performed the second-best freestyle but was unable to move up the leader board, finishing in sixth (7.190). Switzerland’s Andrin Müller excited the crowd and he clung on to his well-earned day one third place, giving Andrea Selch and Best Brew another podium finish (7.514).

Despite overbalancing in an early ground jump, Sam dos Santos just about held it together.  He recovered well and showed glimpses of huge potential in his freestyle for this season. The Dutch vaulter finished his first FEI Vaulting World Cup Final™ in second place, with Max and Sarah Krauss, and is sure to already have his eyes on the title (8.052).

On this occasion, the men were completely outclassed by Jannik Heiland. With a 0.5-point lead, and on his 5th attempt, the German vaulter calmly executed his freestyle and took Sonja Meyer and San Classico S to the top of the podium for the second time.

“It’s a massive arena; it was a very great feeling and it’s an honour for me to be here. To win the World Cup Final, it was a big wish for me to get this title my whole life,” he said.

The German domination continued into the Pas de Deux class. There was no problem for DSP Sir Laulau and Hendrik Falk, allowing Diana Harwardt and Peter Künne to dig deep and ensure to overcome as much of the deficit from the first round as possible. A massive 8.516 in the second round threw down the gauntlet for the remaining combinations and set 7.876 as the final score to beat.

“We were so grateful that we could show the whole freestyle, and the last block was good, and we couldn’t hope for more,” said Künne.

Danish combination Freja Linde and Maria Thinggaard Sorensen went smoothly, but it wasn’t enough, and they settled for fourth, 7.641.  With slight hesitations, Romana Hintner and Eva Nagiller couldn’t keep Austria ahead as they were pushed into in third place at 7.832.

As Chiara Congia and Justin van Gerven entered for their swan song, they only had to be clean to take the title. In a momentary loss of balance, Justin came off the horse after a freestanding lift. Quick reactions from Chiara kept her on and reduced the points lost by the error.

They completed the test in spectacular style, but had to wait for the final scores to see if the slip had cost them the title. Fortunately, they proved too strong for their competitors and clearly won the class, with Alexandra Knauf and Max. They finished as the only pair with a final score above 8.0 (8.341).

“It’s always special to win a competition. Then it’s a World Cup Final; that’s amazing, a new title for us; we weren’t able to win that one yet, and then flying to America and to make this amazing journey is also really special,” said Van Gerven.

The Burlington Capital FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Final has proved an incredible show of teamwork and horsemanship for all involved. The first Final out with Europe was a huge success; however, the Germans have shown they mean business and they don’t look like they’re willing to give it up any time soon.

FULL RESULTS

by Joanne Littlejohn

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