Tag Archives: FEI Classics

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

Jung Takes Control after Dressage at Pau

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Michael Jung (GER) and FischerTakinou. (Trevor Holt/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 14 October 2016 – Newly crowned Olympic champion Michael Jung has given himself a great chance of winning one of very few major competitions to elude him this far, the French premier event of Les 4 Etoiles de Pau (FRA), opening leg of the new FEI Classics™ season for 2015/16.

The Ground Jury, Wayne Quarles (USA), Christina Klingspor (SWE) and Alain James (FRA), awarded the only sub-40 mark, 39.3, for his performance on FischerTakinou. The nine-year-old, by Jaguar Mail, is competing in his first CCI4*, but he showed his brilliance when easily taking the European title in difficult rainy conditions at Blair Castle (GBR) last year, and the weather at Pau has been wet.

Jung explained that the chestnut gelding missed the Olympics due to a tick infection. “He is a very talented horse and always good in the dressage – he concentrates just as well whether he is at home or at a competition,” commented the world number one.

Jung is also in fourth place on the genuine mare FischerRocana FST, a dual Kentucky winner, and will take some beating as he aims to get a head start on the new FEI Classics™ leaderboard again.

German riders have headed the sought-after FEI Classics™ rankings for the last two years; Ingrid Klimke’s Pau victory in 2014 contributed to her success in 2015 before Jung took over in 2016 in the lucrative series that links the world’s six CCI4*s.

British rider Alexander Bragg, who works part time as a farrier, has produced the test of a lifetime to lie second amid distinguished company; he scored the excellent mark of 43.0 penalties on the 12-year-old Dutch-bred Zagreb, a horse he has produced from one-star level.

The pair made their CCI4* debut at Burghley but were eliminated on the Cross Country. “My main aim was an accurate test, so I am pretty happy right now!” said Bragg, 35. “Zagreb is improving on the flat all the time and is more composed in his flying changes.”

Fellow Brit Nicola Wilson, a regular visitor to the popular French event with its racecourse setting, friendly atmosphere and beautiful Pyrenean backdrop, is third on One Two Many on 43.6.

The veteran Belgian rider Karin Donckers is fifth on Fletcha van’t Verahof, only 0.1 penalty ahead of New Zealander Jock Paget, sixth on Clifton Signature. Maxime Livio (FRA) is the highest placed of the home riders in seventh on Qalao des Mers.

Two British riders hold eighth and ninth places: Laura Collett (GBR), a member of the winning British team at the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing final at Boekelo (NED) last weekend, riding Palmero, and Kirsty Johnston, who makes her Pau debut aboard Opposition Detective, yet another CCI4* sired by the famous Fleetwater Opposition, the stallion her father stands.

Tim Price (NZL), the runner-up in 2015, is in 11th place on CCI4* first timer Xavier Faer, last year’s winner, Astier Nicolas (FRA), is poised in 12th place on Molokai and experienced Cross Country rider Kristina Gifford is not far off the pace on Billy The Red and Calvino ll, currently holding 13th and 14th places.

Christopher Burton (AUS) starts the Cross Country action Saturday when he is first out on course at 1300 hours (local time); the recent Burghley winner will be hoping for one of master designer Pierre Michelet’s influential tracks as he scored the disappointing mark of 60.3 on the 17-year-old Australian Thoroughbred TS Jamaimo and is lying well down the order in 44th place out of the 49 starters.

Lower-placed Dressage competitors shouldn’t be disheartened; riders are viewing the Olympic designer’s Pau track as a challenging test, full of twists, turns and changes of camber, plus the reappearance of the carved fish that proved so influential at the 2014 World Equestrian Games at Haras du Pin.

A thrilling day’s sport is assured, and there is live coverage on FEI TV (cross country and jumping) at www.feitv.org and live results on www.worldsporttiming.com.

Full results: www.event-pau.fr

Use hashtags #FEIClassics #Eventing

See FEI Classics™ hub: www.fei.org/fei/events/fei-classics.

By Kate Green

Les 4 Etoiles de Pau Media Contact:

Véronique Triffaux
servicedepresse@centaure-production.fr
T +33 (0)5 59 92 94 25
M +33 (0)6 80 03 18 44

FEI Media Contact:

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

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

Can Olympic Champion Michael Jung Claim French Season-Opener at Pau?

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Astier Nicolas (FRA), Olympic team gold and individual silver medalist at Rio 2016 and last year’s winner at Les 4 Etoiles de Pau. (Trevor Holt/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 12 October 2016 – Les 4 Etoiles de Pau (FRA), first leg of the FEI Classics™, is the only CCI4* in the northern hemisphere to have eluded double Olympic champion Michael Jung, who has had the most extraordinary run of success over his career to date.

The clear winner of the overall FEI Classics™ title for 2015/16 with victories at Kentucky (USA) and Badminton (GBR), Jung was second last year at Pau on fischerRocana FST. He returns again this weekend with the lovely 11-year-old mare, with proven 4* form with two victories at Kentucky. He also brings his double European gold medal ride fischerTakinou and will be looking to get a head start on the FEI Classics™ 2016/17 leaderboard.

The FEI Classics™ series links the elite 4* fixtures on the international Eventing calendar, with points accumulated across the six events – Pau (FRA), Adelaide (AUS), Kentucky (USA), Badminton (GBR), Luhmühlen (GER), and Burghley (GBR).

Jung is the sole German at Les 4 Etoiles de Pau in an international field in which 13 nations are represented. Competition starts 13 October with the horse inspection at 09.00 CET, with the Dressage phase starting at 09.00 CET on Friday 14 October.

Last year Astier Nicolas, a member of the French gold medal team at the Rio Olympic Games and individual silver medalist, and sixth place overall in last season’s FEI Classics™, thrilled the home crowd by winning at Pau on Piaf de B’neville.

This year he rides Molokai, heading a strong French squad that includes his Rio team mate Karim Florent Laghouag on Punch de l’Esques, Maxime Livio (Qalao des Mers) and regular FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing rider Caroline Chadelat (Kadessia).

Britain and New Zealand have traditionally enjoyed success at Pau and the two squads this year are headed by riders who had to sit on the sidelines at the Rio Olympic Games.

Tina Cook (GBR), travelling reserve for the British team in Rio and double bronze medalist at the 2008 Olympics, brings Billy the Red and Calvino. Jock Paget (NZL), who had to withdraw Clifton Lush in Rio with an injury, was runner-up at Pau in 2012 and rides the exciting prospect Clifton Signature.

Fellow New Zealander Tim Price, second to Jung in the 2015/16 FEI Classics™ standings and third at Pau 2015, brings the 10-year-old British-bred Xavier Faer to Pau for the horse’s first 4* outing.

Fellow antipodean, Australia’s Christopher Burton, Burghley 2016 winner and fifth in the 2015/16 FEI Classics™, brings his Adelaide 2013 winning ride TS Jamaimo.

The starting line-up also features a strong contingent from Ireland, plus riders from Italy, Belgium, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and the USA.

The FEI Classics™ 2016/2017 season looks set to get off to a thrilling start at the premier French event where everyone is waiting to see what Olympic course designer Pierre Michelet has in store.

Live coverage on FEI TV (cross country and jumping) at www.feitv.org and live results on www.event-pau.fr.

Use hashtags #FEIClassics #Eventing

See FEI Classics™ hub: www.fei.org/fei/events/fei-classics.

By Kate Green

Les 4 Etoiles de Pau Media Contact:

Véronique Triffaux
servicedepresse@centaure-production.fr
T +33 (0)5 59 92 94 25
M +33 (0)6 80 03 18 44

FEI Media Contact:

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

*Featured/Spotlights, Eventing/H.T., FEI, Show Jumping

Christopher Burton Fulfils Burghley Dream

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Christopher Burton and Nobilis 18. (Trevor Meeks/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), September 4 2016 – Christopher Burton (AUS), one of the most talented riders to hit the Eventing circuit in the last few years, emerged victorious on Nobilis 18 at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR), final leg of the FEI Classics™ 2015/2016, even if he did live a little dangerously in the closing stages of the competition.

Such was Burton’s supremacy after the first two phases that he entered the Jumping arena with four fences in hand, but he did manage to hit four – if he’d had another he would have handed a sixth Burghley victory to the invincible Andrew Nicholson (NZL), who rose a place to be second on Nereo with just one down and a couple of time penalties.

Jonelle Price (NZL) scored her best CCI4* result this year, third on Classic Moet with just four faults, and her husband, Tim, who had taken the pressure off Burton with his three fences down on Ringwood Sky Boy, ended up in fourth place.

“I tried to keep it interesting for you all,” said Burton wryly. “Nobilis is usually a careful jumper, but he felt a bit tired and the ground was perhaps a little dead, but that’s three-day eventing for you.

“Never in my wildest dreams did it occur to me that I would win Burghley. I’d walked past all the plaques on Winners’ Avenue – all these old boys with their names on them! – and thought it would be nice to have my name there too.”

Andrew Nicholson may not quite count as an “old boy”, but he is 21 years older than Burton and he admits that he is not back to full strength after breaking his neck 12 months ago. “You don’t know how special this is,” he told the television cameras.

And it was particularly appropriate that this result should come on Libby Sellar’s 16-year-old Nereo, three-times a runner-up at Burghley, a winner of World and Olympic medals and a one-man horse with which the Kiwi genius has particular affinity.

Jonelle Price, who scored her best ever Burghley result, admitted that she was disappointed with her Dressage mark, which left her in 22nd place. “I feel as if I’ve been digging myself out of a hole from the start, first after the Dressage and then when I got time penalties with the wrong line at the Dairy Farm on the Cross Country. But now, of course, I’m delighted.”

Cedric Lyard (FRA) on Cadeau du Roi and Oliver Townend (GBR) on Samuel Thomas benefited from clear Jumping rounds and rose to fifth and seventh places, split by Bettina Hoy (GER), sixth, who incurred eight faults on Designer 10.

Only three other riders achieved clears over Richard Jeffrey’s influential Jumping track: Shane Rose (AUS) on Virgil, 16th, Tim Price on Bango, 21st, and Ros Canter (GBR) on Allstar B, 25th of the 38 finishers. Bill Levett (AUS) withdrew Improvise overnight when in ninth position.

Andrew Nicholson was also pleasantly surprised to find himself the recipient of 20,000 USD for leaping into third place in the FEI Classics™ 2015/2016, an astonishing achievement considering he has only competed at two CCI4* events this season – he was fifth at Luhmühlen in June.

No one was ever going to catch Michael Jung (GER), the runaway winner of the 40,000 USD FEI Classics™ 2015/2016 first prize with victories at Kentucky and Badminton plus a second place at Pau last year, but Tim Price, who was third at Pau and fourth at Luhmühlen as well, managed to hold onto second place and he takes home a cool 30,000 USD.

It has been an FEI Classics™ season of great thrills and stories, but one man has stolen the show and set the standard: the unmatchable Michael Jung.

About the Burghley winner

Christopher Burton, 34, is the current world number two. He has won Adelaide CCI4* twice, in 2008 on Newsprint and in 2013 on the catch ride TS Jamaimo, but he really sprang into the public consciousness with a brilliant trailblazing Cross Country ride at the London Olympic Games in 2012 where he finished 16th on Holstein Park Leilani.

Burton, who is married to fellow rider Rebekah, has been settled in Britain, in Surrey, for five years, notching up several good international placings including third and fourth places at Burghley last year on TS Jamaimo and Haruzac, and second place on Nobilis 18 at Blenheim CCI3*.

This year, he won the CCI3* at Saumur on Santano ll, his ride in the Rio Olympic Games where he led after the Cross Country phase and finished in eventual fifth place with a team bronze medal.

Nobilis 18 is an 11-year-old Hannoverian-bred gelding by Nobre owned by Sue Lawson, Carolyn Townsend and Chris Burton.

About the FEI Classics™ 2015/2016 winner

Michael Jung (GER), 34, has won an individual medal every year since 2009, six of them gold, and is the first rider in history to have held Olympic, World and European titles simultaneously.

Riding La Biosthetique Sam, he won the world title in Kentucky (USA) in 2010, double European gold in Luhmühlen in 2011 and double Olympic gold in London (GBR) in 2012 plus individual gold and team silver at the Rio Olympic Games (BRA) this year. He has won three European titles on three different horses: in 2011 on Sam, in 2013 on Halunke and in 2015 on FischerTakinou. He also won world team gold and individual silver medals on fisherRocana FST in 2014.

Jung, who lives at Horb, Germany, where his parents, Joachim and Bridgette, own a riding establishment, has also won Kentucky twice in succession on FischerRocana and in the last 12 months added victories at Burghley and Badminton on Sam to take the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. This is his first FEI Classics™ victory.

FEI Classics™ 2015/2016 Final Leaderboard – see full results here

Use hashtags #FEIClassics #Eventing

By Kate Green

Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials Media Contact:

Carole Pendle
Press Officer
Carole.pendle@caa.com
+44 7768 462601

FEI Media Contact:

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

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

Burton Rules Supreme at Burghley

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Christopher Burton (AUS) and Nobilis 18 (Trevor Meeks/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), September 3, 2016 – Christopher Burton (AUS) and Nobilis 18 were pure class at the end of a challenging Cross Country day at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR), final leg of the FEI Classics™ 2015/2016. They had the second fastest time of the day – finishing just 8 seconds over the optimum time of 11 minutes 11 seconds – and now have two fences in hand to win Sunday.

Burton had to wait until nearly the end of the day and admitted to nerves. “Sitting watching in the riders’ tent didn’t help,” he confessed. “But I’m delighted now; the horse gave me a great feel.”

Experienced antipodean riders dominated an exciting day and now fill seven of the top 10 places. Last year’s runners-up Tim Price (NZL) and Ringwood Sky Boy are in second place again, with the third fastest round of the day (6 time penalties), and five-time winner Andrew Nicholson (NZL) is lying third on the 16-year-old Nereo, collecting 12 time penalties.

“Nereo doesn’t really like it at Burghley, because he’s a long-striding horse and finds the undulations difficult, but he always does the job,” said Nicholson. “I’ve got a soft spot for him. I’ve taken him all round the world and he always comes up with the goods.”

Jonelle Price (NZL), now in fourth place, was quickest of all, only 4 seconds over time on Classic Moet, but was cross with herself for having to take a muddled line through the fence dressings at the Dairy Farm (fence 14). However her performance was, in reality, brilliant, for time penalties in double figures were the order of the day even before the heavy rain started to fall around lunchtime.

Bettina Hoy (GER), the Dressage runner-up on Designer 10, admitted to feeling “intimidated” and set off tentatively, but the further she went the more polished she looked and she finished strongly with 19.2 time penalties to take fifth place at this stage.

Hoy said: “It was tough and I was a bit ‘backwards’ to start with and had to give myself a good talking-to, but what a horse! I’m so pleased. I don’t have many horses nowadays so I think I am able to have a good relationship with them and they help me out.”

Sir Mark Todd (NZL) has risen four places to sixth with NZB Campino, having feared that the German-bred 14-year-old would not like the undulating ground. Todd and Nicholson were two of the best riders through the water complex at the Trout Hatchery (20, 21), both opting for a bold four strides instead of five to on the curve from the corner to the third element, a skinny in the second pond.

Caroline Powell (NZL) has dropped three places to seventh on Onwards and Upwards with 21.6 time penalties, but France’s Cedric Lyard and Cadeau du Roi, a classy Thoroughbred galloper, have moved up from 14th to eighth and Australia’s Bill Levett has risen three places to ninth on Improvise.

British number one Oliver Townend, fifth after Dressage on MHS King Joules, was last out on course and was going well until he missed his line at the Trout Hatchery. Townend then retired after a run-out at the third element of the Discovery Valley (27), but he is now the best-placed of the home side in 10th place on his first ride, Samuel Thomas.

Blyth Tait (NZL), riding at Burghley for the first time in five years, pronounced himself “rapt” with the former hunter Bear Necessity V. They dropped two places to 11th after negotiating a couple of unplanned long routes, but Tait joked modestly: “If Andrew Nicholson gets 12 time penalties, then 24 is very good for me!”

Olympic reserve Kristina Cook (GBR) was at her very best on Star Witness, despite the horse pulling off a shoe, and is in 12th place, a rise of 32 places after Dressage. They had a nervous moment when the horse tripped in the water at the Trout Hatchery and had to jump the big brush corner out of trot, but Cook never lost her conviction.

“Burghley is always enormous and scary and you have to pick your horse,” said Cook, who works as assistant to her racehorse trainer brother Nick Gifford. “Star Witness is amazing; he’s a Thoroughbred with a pony attitude, and he makes me look fast, which I love.”

Cook described the course as “big and testing” but said the organisers had done “a fantastic job” on the going which other riders reported to have held up well, despite an afternoon of torrential rain.

Andrew Hoy (AUS), who had been in sixth place after Dressage on The Blue Frontier, took a ducking in the Trout Hatchery, but he is in 15th place after a good ride on Rutherglen. Sam Griffiths (AUS), eighth after Dressage on Happy Times, made a valiant effort to continue after a stirrup broke, but was unfortunately forced to pull up.

Fellow Australians Shane Rose, Sonja Johnson and Paul Tapner didn’t have the best of days either. Rose pulled up Shanghai Joe at the Road to Rio double in the main arena (28, 29) and incurred 11 penalties for breaking a frangible device at the Cross Rails (25); Johnson fell from Parkiarrup Illicit Liaison at the Rolex corner (15), and Tapner was taken to hospital for a precautionary check-up after a fall with Up In the Air at the rails at Herbert’s Hollow (22).

Forty riders completed with 28 clear rounds; Holly Payne-Caravella (USA) is best of the 16 Burghley first-timers in 17th place on Never Outfoxed.

Although Christopher Burton is the clear leader going into Sunday’s Jumping phase, and looks set to become the first Australian to win Burghley for 10 years, the cash prizes in the FEI Classics™ are till up for grabs with Tim Price and Mark Todd, in particular, looking to make gains, and riders placed sixth to 10th all within a rail of each other.

Follow the finale with live results on www.burghley-horse.co.uk and video action on www.burghley.tv.

Use hashtags #FEIClassics #Eventing

By Kate Green

Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials Media Contact:

Carole Pendle
Press Officer
Carole.pendle@caa.com
+44 7768 462601

FEI Media Contact:

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

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

Burton Blazes the Trail at Burghley

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Christopher Burton (AUS) and Nobilis 18 (Trevor Meeks/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), September 2, 2016 – The stylish Christopher Burton (AUS) is on course to win his first CCI4* on British soil after storming into the lead at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR), final leg of the FEI Classics™ 2015/2016, with a stunning Dressage test on the 17hh Nobilis 18.

Burton, who also led the Dressage at the Rio Olympic Games last month, eventually finishing fifth with a team bronze medal, wowed the Ground Jury, Sue Baxter (GBR, President), Anne Mette-Binder (DEN) and David Lee (IRL), with his graceful riding and the Hannoverian gelding’s luxurious paces and balanced outline., scoring just 30.2 penalties.

He now has 4.3 penalties in hand over first-day leader Bettina Hoy (GER) in a top 10 which, as predicted, is dominated by antipodean flags.

“Nobilis was fantastic and I’m so proud of him,” said Burton of the 11-year-old that was initially produced by last year’s Burghley winner, Michael Jung (GER). The pair has won four of their nine international starts and were second at Blenheim CCI3* (GBR) last year.

“He can be quirky and he got rather lit up at Badminton [where they fell on the Cross-Country], but here he let me ride him and put my leg on. I can’t believe it.”

This time last year, five-time Burghley winner Andrew Nicholson (NZL) was watching on television at home, as he recovered from a broken neck. However, the 55-year-old Kiwi never doubted he would return to top level and now he is back at the event that brings out the best in him, in third place on Nereo, with the excellent mark of 35.2.

The 16-year-old chestnut gelding, a world bronze medallist in 2010 and an Olympic team bronze medallist in 2012, produced a smooth test, with particularly smart lateral work, the only slight hiccup coming when the horse trod on himself during the rein-back.

Nicholson, 55, has had the Spanish-bred Nereo since a three-year-old. “I think the soft going in the arena perhaps shut his power off a bit, and as he’s a sensitive horse I thought I’d accept it rather than pushing him,” he reported. “Nereo has been one of my favourite horses ever since I got him and I trust him to behave with the crowd and to concentrate.”

Another New Zealander, Caroline Powell, who won Burghley in 2010 on Lenamore, is right up at the sharp end, in fourth place on Onwards and Upwards with the good score of 37.8, and the 2009 winner, Oliver Townend (GBR) is best of the home side on fifth place on MHS King Joules, a horse previously ridden by Andrew Nicholson and Mary King (GBR), on 38.1.

Two Irish-bred horses are in sixth and seventh: The Blue Frontier, ridden by dual Burghley winner Andrew Hoy (AUS), and last year’s runner-up, Ringwood Sky Boy with Tim Price (NZL).

Burton’s Rio team mate Sam Griffiths (AUS) is having his seventh Burghley ride on the 17-year-old Happy Times and is in eighth place on 39.6. “He’s like Roger Federer – he’s quite old but I like to think he’s still got it!” joked Griffiths.

Two seasoned New Zealanders complete the top 10, with Blyth Tait (Bear Necessity V) heading five-time winner Sir Mark Todd (NZB Campino) by 2.2 penalties.

Tait, who has only competed once at Burghley since he first retired from the sport in 2004, was thrilled at the progress made by his mount, an 11-year-old former hunter, following their 13th place at Badminton.

“If Pippa [Funnell] or Bettina had him, he’d probably be better, but we’ve come on together and the horse has exceeded all my expectations,” he said.

“Burghley has always been a happy hunting ground for me. The unique undulations will be influential, and the size of the fences is frightening, but they make you ride well.”

Seventy horses completed the Dressage; Rodolphe Scherer (FRA) was eliminated when the Ground Jury decided that Makara de Montiege looked unlevel.

Burton, a dual winner of the Adelaide CCI4* (AUS), wasn’t allowing himself to get too carried away. “I think I’m more terrified than excited. It’s hard to feel confident when you’re facing the Cross Country at Burghley – it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been here, the Leaf Pit is still huge – but I’m on a blood horse and this place always gets me going.”

Andrew Nicholson considers that Course Designer Mark Phillips, who has produced a “fair and horse-friendly track”, has “got the hang of making the optimum time near impossible”. This means that a thrilling competition is in store, and the heavy rain that is forecast in the middle of the day could change the leaderboard.

The action starts at 11am local time; follow with live results on www.burghley-horse.co.uk and video action on www.burghley.tv. Please check www.burghley-horse.co.uk for broadcast times.

Use hashtags #FEIClassics #Eventing

By Kate Green

Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials Media Contact:

Carole Pendle
Press Officer
Carole.pendle@caa.com
+44 7768 462601

FEI Media Contact:

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

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

Bettina Hoy Has Designs on Burghley

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Bettina Hoy (GER) and Designer 10 (Trevor Meeks/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), September 1, 2016 – Bettina Hoy (GER) lit up the arena on day one of the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR), final leg of the FEI Classics™ 2015/2016, with a beautifully executed Dressage test on Designer 10 that was in a class of its own and may prove hard to beat.

The only fault in a show-stopping exhibition of lightness, smoothness and balance seemed to be a bit of tension in a flying change, and, with a score of 34.5, Hoy has a comfortable eight-penalty margin over Bill Levett (AUS) on Improvise after the first day of Dressage.

The experienced German rider’s illustrious career stretches back to the 1984 Olympics and she took the European title at Burghley in 1997 on Watermill Stream. Hoy, 53, is a popular and familiar face on the British circuit, but she has never won a CCI4* here, her best result being fifth at Badminton this year on Designer 10.

“I think Designer must have been having a little chat with [my other horse] Seigneur Medicott, who usually does the better test, as he felt great in there,” said an elated Hoy. “I’ve developed a special programme for him in the warm-up because he can get a bit tense. Every time I feel him tighten, I go into rising trot and that helps.”

Hoy reported that she had been working hard with her trainer, Sebastian Langehanenberg, as her 12-year-old Westphalian gelding by Dali X “is not built for dressage”. He had suggested changing from a snaffle bit to a double bridle because having two bits in his mouth seemed to settle the horse.

Hoy added: “I’m feeling very motivated after Rio [where she was training a Russian rider]. Burghley holds a special place in my heart and, although it won’t be a dressage competition, I know Designer can do it.”

Levett, also 53, has been based on Britain for many years and has been getting closer to CCI4* success all the time. He re-routed Improvise to Luhmühlen, where the horse finished 13th, after an early retirement at Badminton in May.

Paul Sims, 31, a relative newcomer to this level, finds himself the best British rider at this stage, having scored his best CCI4* dressage result on the white-faced Glengarnock to lie third on 46.6. This is their third Burghley, having finished 25th last year. Sims admitted to feeling quite confident: “He’s a reliable cross-country horse, as long as I don’t make any mistakes.”

Burghley first-timer Elisa Wallace’s (USA) campaign got off to a good start when she scored 46.8 on the American Thoroughbred Simply Priceless for fourth place at this stage. “He can be quite tense so it’s been a huge journey to get him to be expressive,” she said. “When I looked up at the scoreboard and saw the score, I couldn’t believe it.”

Hoy’s main challengers Friday look to be New Zealanders Sir Mark Todd (NZB Campino) and Andrew Nicholson (Nereo), who have 10 Burghley wins between them, plus the Dressage leader in Rio, Christopher Burton (AUS) on Nobilis 18 and his team mate Sam Griffiths on the veteran Happy Times.

Follow the action on www.burghley.tv and live results on www.burghley-horse.co.uk.

Use hashtags #FEIClassics #Eventing

By Kate Green

Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials Media Contact:

Carole Pendle
Press Officer
Carole.pendle@caa.com
+44 7768 462601

FEI Media Contact:

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

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

Antipodean Stars Vie for Glory at Burghley

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Andrew Nicholson (NZ) and Avebury (Trevor Holt/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), August 31, 2016 – The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR) has long brought out the best in antipodean riders and predictions are that one of the strong representation from ‘Down Under’ will triumph in this final leg of the FEI Classics™ 2015/2016, set against a typically historic British backdrop of ancient parkland surrounding a beautiful 16th-century country house.

Four New Zealanders have won the prestigious Burghley trophy 13 times between them since Sir Mark Todd scored the first of his five triumphs in 1987, and they will be aiming to give Kiwi supporters a boost after the team came agonizingly close to a medal at the Rio Olympic Games earlier this month.

Todd, who rides NZB Campino, and Andrew Nicholson (Nereo and Qwanza), another five-time Burghley winner, probably understand the challenging nature of the parkland here better than anyone else and have produced many vintage cross-country rounds over the decades. Victory for either would be hugely popular, but there’s also former winners Blyth Tait (Bear Necessity V) and Caroline Powell (Onwards and Upwards) to consider, plus the 2015 runner-up Tim Price (Ringwood Sky Boy and Bango) and his wife Jonelle (Classic Moet).

Andrew Hoy (Rutherglen and The Blue Frontier), whose two victories were 25 years apart (in 1979 and 2004), is the only former Australian winner in the field (the other was Lucinda Fredericks), but Olympic team bronze medalist Christopher Burton (Nobilis 18) has been the in-form rider this year and starred at Burghley 2015 in third and fourth places.

Burton’s team mates Sam Griffiths (Happy Times) and Shane Rose (Shanghai Joe and Virgil) are also in the frame, as is the USA’s individual Olympic bronze medalist Phillip Dutton (Fernhill Fugitive).

None of them can catch Olympic champion Michael Jung (GER), the runaway leader of the FEI Classics™, but Price, Todd and Rose are all closely bunched in the race to secure the subsidiary cash prizes.

Eight nations are represented in the field, but it is the British who will perhaps be most anxious to seize the trophy back onto home ground for the first time since William Fox-Pitt won in 2011. Fox-Pitt is absent this year, but contenders include Olympic team member and 2003 winner Pippa Funnell (Second Supreme), 2009 winner Oliver Townend (MHS King Joules and Dromgurrihy Blue) and Kristina Cook (Star Witness).

Around 75 horses will come before the Ground Jury in the first horse inspection and Tom Crisp (GBR) on Coolys Luxury will be first into the Dressage arena Thursday morning at 9am (local time).

Follow the action on www.burghley.tv and live results on www.burghley-horse.co.uk.

Use hashtags #FEIClassics #Eventing

By Kate Green

Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials Media Contact:

Carole Pendle
Press Officer
Carole.pendle@caa.com
+44 7768 462601

FEI Media Contact:

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

*Featured/Spotlights, Eventing/H.T., FEI, Show Jumping

Andreas Dibowski Wins Luhmühlen for the Second Time

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Andreas Dibowski and It’s Me XX (Eventing Photo/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), June 19, 2016 – German rider Andreas Dibowski jumped a faultless clear round in the final Jumping phase to hold on to his overnight lead with It’s Me XX and win Luhmühlen CCI4* (GER), presented by DHL, penultimate leg of the FEI Classics™ 2015/2016.

There was no margin for error for the 50-year-old as second-placed Maxime Livio and Qalao Des Mers (FRA) jumped clear with less than two penalties between the top two.

But Dibowski, veteran of many medal-winning German Eventing teams, held his nerve in front of his enthusiastic home crowd on Susanne Heigel’s 12-year-old ex-racehorse, a son of the Epsom Derby winner Kahyasi.

Dibowski said: “I still cannot believe it. It is quite incredible. My horse performed exceptionally on all three days. He is not a born Dressage horse, but on the Cross Country he is outstanding.”

He explained: “I got It’s Me after his racing career when he was four years old.  When he was five and six he was ill and needed intensive care, and only came back to Eventing three years ago aged nine. He felt very well this morning before the Jumping. He loves the atmosphere in a big arena.”

Dibowski was winning Germany’s premier event for the second time after triumphing in 2011 with FRH Butts Leon.

It’s Me XX finished the Dressage phase in fourth place but moved up to pole position after Cross Country, adding just 0.4pen for being one second over the optimum time.

The experienced French combination of Maxime Livio and the Selle Français 12-year-old Qalao Des Mers, winners of the CCI3* at Saumur (FRA) in 2014, finished on their Dressage score of 44.9 to take second.

Livio said: “My horse is a good jumper, and today he was perfect: careful, powerful and concentrated. He gave his best.”

Germany’s Julia Krajewski and Samourai du Thot had led the Dressage but dropped to fifth after Cross Country with 10 time-faults. However, a clear Jumping round elevated them once again to third place.

The 27-year-old was delighted with her CCI4* debut, and said: “I hoped to be among the first five. Now I am on the podium – that is fantastic! Samourai du Thot jumped like a rubber ball today. I could ride fast and it is really fun to jump him when he is like this. I am very proud.”

New Zealand’s Tim Price, who won Luhmühlen CCI4* in 2014, dropped a place from third to fourth this time with a rail down on Ringwood Sky Boy.

Another former winner, Andrew Nicholson (NZL), who took the 2013 event, finished fifth and seventh on Qwanza and Perfect Stranger. Nicholson suffered a neck injury in August 2015 at Gatcombe Park (GBR), but returned seamlessly to the top of the sport and won Bramham CCI3* (GBR) a week ago.

There were just seven clear rounds over Heiko Wahlers’ Jumping track from the 26 competitors who reached the final phase of the CCI4*.

Oliver Townend (GBR), fourth after Cross Country on Black Tie II, withdrew the horse before the final horse inspection, as did Australia’s Emma McDougall, seventh after Cross Country with Belcam Bear.

This was the final time that Captain Mark Phillips will design the Luhmühlen Cross Country course, as Mike Etherington-Smith takes over from 2017. There were no falls and 26 of the 28 Cross Country starters completed with 18 clear rounds, four of which were inside the optimum time.

About the winner

Andreas Dibowski (GER) is based in Dohle, near Hamburg. He has been a regular member of Germany’s international Eventing teams since 1997, and competed at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the Athens Olympics in 2004 and the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he was part of the team that won the gold medal. He has twice been a member of the gold medal-winning team at the FEI European Championships.

Among his major individual successes are wins in the CCI3* at Boekelo, NED in 2011 on FRH Butts Avedon, Luhmühlen (GER) CCI4* in 2011 on FRH Butts Leon, Pau (FRA) CCI4* in 2010 with FRH Fantasia and the Aachen (GER) CICO3* in 2009 with FRH Serve Well.

He is married to Susanna and has three children. When not competing horses, Andreas enjoys breeding doves and exotic birds.

It’s Me XX is a 12-year-old thoroughbred by Kahyasi out of Itza (Local Suitor) and raced four times unsuccessfully in France  In 2016, he finished second in the CIC3*s at Arville (BEL) and Baborowko (POL).

See the full results on www.luhmuehlen.de.

Use hashtags #FEIClassics #Eventing

See FEI Classics™ hub: www.fei.org/fei/events/fei-classics.

By Catherine Austen

Luhmühlen CCI4* Media Contact:

Dr. Friederike Stüvel-Huck
media@luhmuehlen.de
+49 (0) 171 5382900

FEI Media Contacts:

Grania Willis
Director Press Relations
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 787 506 142

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

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

Andreas Dibowski Takes the Lead at Luhmühlen

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Andreas Dibowski and It’s Me XX (Eventing Photo/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 18 June 2016 – The experienced German rider Andreas Dibowski has leapt to the top of the leaderboard with a typically fast and determined Cross Country round at Luhmühlen CCI4* (GER), presented by DHL, penultimate leg of the FEI Classics™ 2015/2016.

Dibowski, winner of Germany’s premier event in 2011, has risen from fourth place after Dressage on the 12-year-old It’s Me XX, formerly an English racehorse by Kahyasi. In a brilliantly accurate performance, he finished just one second over the optimum time of 11 minutes 10 seconds.

“I am super happy,” said Dibowski, who turned 50 in March this year. “My horse did a wonderful job. He may be small, but he has the biggest heart.”

However, the 2008 Olympic team gold medallist has no margin for error in Sunday’s Jumping phase as the speedy Frenchman Maxime Livio, lying second on Qalao des Mers, New Zealander Tim Price (Ringwood Sky Boy), third, and Britain’s Oliver Townend, fourth on the New Zealand Thoroughbred Black Tie, are all within a Jumping fence of the leader.

“My horse is a very good jumper,” warned Livio of his 12-year-old Selle Francais. “If he has poles down it will be my fault, not the horse’s, because he always gives his best.”

Of the Cross Country track, Livio commented: “The ground was very good and it was a nice course. There were more twists and turns that I am used to.”

Price reported that the course was tight for his long-striding horse. “He answered every question though,” added the rider. “It was a matter of keeping the rhythm.”

Julia Krajewski (GER), the Dressage leader, rode a beautiful neat round on the athletic Samourai du Thot, but she got behind the clock and 10 time penalties dropped her to fifth place. However, it was a stylish CCI4* debut.

“I wanted to give my horse a good experience so I didn’t push for the time too much,” she explained. “I am very proud of him.”

Emma Dougall (AUS), third after Dressage on Belcam Bear, also accrued 10 time penalties and is now in seventh place behind Andrew Hoy (AUS) and Rutherglen, who have moved up six places to sixth after finishing just two seconds over time.

Andrew Nicholson (NZL) survived an investigation into whether his first ride Qwanza had glanced off the Ariat Horses fence near the end of the course, but he was judged to have jumped it clear and has moved up a place to eighth at this stage of the competition.

At the end of the day, the veteran Kiwi rider also produced a masterful performance of balance and accuracy on CCI4* first-timer Perfect Stranger and moved up 12 places to 11th.

Julian Despontin (BEL), the Dressage runner-up, is now in 18th place on Waldano 36 with 34 time penalties.

Course Designer Mark Phillips (GBR) played a major part in bringing a CCI4* to Luhmühlen for the first time in 2005 and he should be proud of this year’s track, his last after 12 years, which exerted exactly the right influence.

There were no falls and 26 of the 28 Cross Country starters completed with 18 clear rounds, four of which were inside the optimum time. Six nations are represented in the top 10.

“I owe Mark big thanks,” said Event Director Julia Otto. “We have worked together for many years now and I owe him so much.”

The drop into the DHL water at 28 caught a few riders off balance and Class Hermann Romeike (GER) on Cato 60, eighth after Dressage, had no chance of negotiating the next narrow fence after pitching on landing.

Townend retired his first ride, Dromgurrihy Blue, after a run-out at the skinny fence out of the water at the Meisner Teich (fence 19) and Arnaud Boiteau (FRA) pulled up Quoriano ‘ENE HN’ after an early refusal at fence 5, a house into water. Levett had a run-out at the third element of this complex with his first ride, Improvise, seventh after Dressage and Sarah Bullimore (GBR), 10th after Dressage, had a run-out on Reve du Rouet at the bounce of beer barrels at fence 15.

The home crowd will be hoping to see their local rider take the trophy Sunday, but he will have a fight on his hands with riders of the calibre of Livio, Price and Townend breathing down his neck.

Follow the competition with live coverage on FEI TV (www.feitv.org) and live results on www.luhmuehlen.de.

Use hashtags #FEIClassics #Eventing

See FEI Classics™ hub: www.fei.org/fei/events/fei-classics.

By Kate Green

Luhmühlen CCI4* Media Contact:

Dr. Friederike Stüvel-Huck
media@luhmuehlen.de
+49 (0) 171 5382900

FEI Media Contacts:

Grania Willis
Director Press Relations
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 787 506 142

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

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

Julia Krajewski and Samourai du Thot Lead Luhmühlen Charge

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Julia Krajewski and Samourai du Thot (Eventing Photo/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 17 June 2016 – Julia Krajewski, a rising star on the German eventing scene, is enjoying her moment in the spotlight after taking the Dressage lead at Luhmühlen CCI4* (GER), presented by DHL, penultimate leg of the FEI Classics™ 2015/2016.

Krajewski and the 10-year-old Selle Francais, Samourai du Thot, scored the only sub-40 mark and has taken a narrow 1.2 penalty lead over first-day leaders, Belgium’s Julien Despontin and Waldano 36.

“I originally planned to ride in the sunshine, but in the end the rain was helpful as Sam lifted his feet really nicely in the puddles,” Krajewski said. “His trot was particularly expressive, and he stayed really relaxed throughout the whole test. Walk and canter also went really well. He obviously liked the atmosphere from the grandstand and the whole arena.” And on her hopes for the Cross Country with Samurai du Thot: “He is a very gentle horse and we have collected quite a lot of experience at three-star level. He’s fit and I hope we put in a flowing round tomorrow.”

Krajewski, 27, whose parents run a small stud farm near Luhmühlen, has yet to complete a CCI4*, but the German combination recently won the CIC3* at Renswoude (GER).

Despontin and Waldano, a horse previously ridden by Andreas Ostholt (GER), now have a long-standing partnership and regularly shine in the Dressage arena, finishing 20th at Luhmühlen last year.

“He’s a great horse with a big personality,” explained the 26-year-old. “He was a little tense at first so I had to ride the canter work cautiously, but his walk and trot were much improved from last year.”

Australia’s Emma Dougall is in third place on 40.6 penalties with CCI4* first-timer Belcam Bear, ahead of the seasoned German Olympian Andreas Dibowski on It’s Me XX.

Tim Price’s Ringwood Sky Boy, one of the most experienced horses in the field, missed Badminton but is now in with a great chance of a high placing at Luhmühlen. The New Zealand combination is in fifth place on 44.6, just 0.3 ahead of the talented Frenchman Maxime Livio with Qalao des Mers.

Riders have been giving their views on Captain Mark Phillips’ Cross Country course and the general opinion seems to be that it’s a fair track but stronger and with more demanding lines than last year.

“The jumps have been beautifully built and the ground is exceptional,” Despontin said. “If Waldano and I get round and past the Meßmer water complex, we should be able to finish on a decent score.”

Twenty-eight combinations are set to start Saturday’s Cross Country – Germany’s Bettina Hoy (Seigneur Medicott) and France’s Geoffroy Soullez (Madiran du Liot) withdrew before Dressage. First out on the course at 14.00 local time is Britain’s Louise Harwood on Mr Potts.

Follow the competition with live coverage on FEI TV (www.feitv.org) and live results on www.luhmuehlen.de.

Use hashtags #FEIClassics #Eventing

See FEI Classics™ hub: www.fei.org/fei/events/fei-classics.

By Kate Green

Luhmühlen CCI4* Media Contact:

Dr. Friederike Stüvel-Huck
media@luhmuehlen.de
+49 (0) 171 5382900

FEI Media Contacts:

Grania Willis
Director Press Relations
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 787 506 142

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38