Tag Archives: FEI

Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2010/2011 – Round 6

Kevin Staut (FRA) today, Sunday 12 December 2010, won the sixth leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup in Geneva, Switzerland.

STAUT AND SILVANA SCORCH TO VICTORY IN GENEVA by Louise Parkes

Geneva SUI, 12 December 2010 – Kevin Staut and Silvana de Hus scorched to victory today in the sixth leg of the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping series at Geneva in Switzerland.  The 30 year old Frenchman, who continues to hold the No. 1 spot in the Rolex World Rankings and who was already leading the Western European League series going into today’s competition, produced a last-to-go run that squeezed Olympic champion Eric Lamaze from Canada out of the top spot while Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson finished third ahead of Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum in fourth.

It was a special afternoon for the German rider, as her three-time Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping winning partner Shutterfly – now 17 years old but looking as fresh and keen as ever – showed he is right back to his best.  And for Staut, today’s victory was further confirmation of the quality and class of the 11 year old mare which helped him claim team silver at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky two months ago.  “I have her one-and-a-half years now and this is the first big Grand Prix I have won with her – I have learned to know her a lot better over the last few months and she is a really top horse,” he pointed out.

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Journalists to Vote for Best Press Office in Rolex FEI World Cup Western European League 2010/2011 Season

Geneva, 12 December 2010 – Media accredited to cover any of the 12 Western European League qualifiers and the Final of the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup will have the chance to judge the quality of the working conditions in the series’ press offices. Journalists and photographers will be asked to evaluate the media facilities, the press conference set-up, the quality and speed of information provided to the media, including the event’s website, the services to photographers, and, of course, the efficiency and friendliness of the press office staff.

This new award for the Best Press Office of the Rolex FEI World Cup Western European League is being introduced to celebrate the hard work of the event organising teams and also to identify areas for further improvement and development.

The idea for this award, supported by the series’ title sponsor, Rolex, was first suggested at a press officers’ seminar earlier this year at the Rolex FEI World Cup Final held in Geneva. The winning press team will be awarded an especially commissioned prize presented by Rolex. And they will be able to celebrate victory in style as they will also receive a magnum of champagne.

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Swiss Jumping Team Presented with 2008 Olympic Bronze at 50th Anniversary Geneva Show

Niklaus Schurtenberger, Christina Liebherr, Steve Guerdat, and Pius Schwizer, 2008 Olympic Jumping team bronze medallists. © Kit Houghton / FEI

Geneva, 11 December 2010 – The Swiss Jumping team of Steve Guerdat, Christina Liebherr, Niklaus Schurtenberger and Pius Schwizer were tonight presented with the 2008 Olympic bronze medal at the International Geneva Horse Show.

The medals were presented by Patrick Baumann, IOC member in Switzerland and member of the IOC Executive Board. Other officials involved in the ceremony were John P. Roche, representing the FEI, Isabelle Roch-Pentucci, member of the Swiss Olympic Executive Council, Werner Augsburger, Swiss chef de mission at the 2008 Olympic Games, and Charles Trolliet, president of the Swiss Federation for Equestrian Sport.

Norway, original winners of team bronze in Hong Kong, were stripped of the medal as a result of the legal procedure which followed team member Tony Andre Hansen’s disqualification when his horse Camiro tested positive for the prohibited substance Capsaicin. The procedure began on 21 August 2008 and was completed on 30 July 2010.

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Exell Back on Track in Geneva

Boyd Exell (AUS) crossing the exciting water splash on the course in Geneva. Photo: FEI/Rinaldo de Craen

Boyd Exell is back on track after winning the fifth qualifier of this season’s FEI World Cup Driving in Geneva. Exell was too strong for IJsbrand Chardon and Tomas Eriksson and claimed his only victory rewarded with World Cup points this season. This is Boyd Exell’s third victory at Geneva’s Palexpo after his win in 2008 and the series’ Final last April.

Leader of the standings
After his wild card wins in Hannover and Stuttgart for which he did not receive World Cup points, Exell claimed ten points in Stockholm where he came second behind wild card driver Tomas Eriksson. In Budapest, it was Switzerland’s Werner Ulrich who beat the Australian World Cup and World four-in-hand Driving Champion. Thanks to his victory in Geneva, Exell has taken over the lead in the standings and has secured his ticket for the FEI World Cup Driving Final in Leipzig at the end of April 2011. Exell will start once more this season in Mechelen, Belgium, where he will compete with his third wild card for the season.

The older the faster
Boyd Exell competed with the same four horses in all five competitions he has done so far. The Britain-based Australian title holder has been travelling with seven horses in order to be able to replace one if any injuries occurred during the long trips between World Cup events. But the geldings, which on average are 17-and-a-half years old, went faster and faster at every competition. Boyd noticed this in Budapest last week and cut down their feed supplies to help them slow down.

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Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage 2010/2011 – Preview, Olympia

Isabell Werth, riding Warum Nicht, is pictured at the prize-giving in Lyon, France together with Frederique Martin-Baste, Manager, Commercial, FEI (centre) and Lyon Show Director Sylvie Robert (right). Photo: PSV J Morel.

HADDAD POISED TO SNATCH LEAD FROM WERTH AT THE FOURTH LEG IN LONDON by Louise Parkes

London (GBR), 9 December 2010 – Germany’s Isabell Werth, a double-winner so far this season, holds a slender lead as the 2010/2011 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Western European League series moves to the hugely popular Christmas Show at Olympia in London next week.  However Werth’s decision to skip the British fixture and to aim instead for the following leg on her home turf in Frankfurt four days later has left the door wide open for second-placed Catherine Haddad to forge ahead in the rankings.

The German-based American is only one point adrift of the leader, and with third-placed Ulla Salzgeber from Germany and fourth-placed Dutch rider Christa Larakkers also missing from the action, Haddad’s nearest challenger is British veteran, Richard Davison, who lies fifth with 32 points and just eight points off Werth’s total of 40.  The British Olympian won the opening leg of the Central European League in Lipica, Slovenia last May and was fifth in the Western European League qualifier at Lyon in France in October with Hiscox Artemis.  Haddad collected points at the same two European venues, but owes her advantage to a very successful trip home to her native shores in October where she took the Grand Prix and Freestyle honours at Devon, Pennsylvania with her 10 year old gelding Winyamaro.

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In Memoriam: Gen. Samy Negm El Din (EGY)

Gen. Samy Negm El Din, FEI President HRH Princess Haya and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Isa Al Fairouz, President of the Omani Equestrian Federation, at the 2006 FEI General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur.

Lausanne, 6 December 2010 – Gen. Samy Negm El Din of Egypt, FEI official in Jumping and technical consultant to the Omani National Federation, passed away on 4 December 2010 aged 64.

Gen. Samy Negm El Din was a graduate in law and retired as a general from the police force of his home country, Egypt, in 1995. From 2000 to 2001 he served as a board member of the Egypt Equestrian Federation and was a technical consultant to the Omani National Federation until his sudden death.

Gen. Samy Negm El Din was a member of the FEI World Cup Jumping Arab League Sub-Committee and was instrumental in the organisation of many international events in Jumping and Tent Pegging in the region. He played a key role in setting up the international Tent Pegging committee in 2008.

His Highness Sheikh Khalid Chairman of Group VII said, “Gen. Samy was seen by the National Federations of the Arabian Region as one of their greatest bridges to the FEI, and he loved the organisation, and all it stood for. We are all deeply distressed and saddened by his passing, but we will strive to remember him through our work in the region.”

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In Memoriam: Eugene “Gene” Mische (USA)

Stadium Jumping CEO Eugene R. Mische (1931-2010). ©Kenneth Kraus/ PhelpsSports.com.

Lausanne, 6 December 2010 – Legendary horseman Eugene “Gene” Mische, the founder of Stadium Jumping Inc., passed away on 3 December 2010 at the age of 79, following a long, hard fought battle with cancer.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio (USA), in 1931, Mische, more than any horseman in history, changed the face of horse sports in the United States.

Over the course of a stellar career that spanned more than 60 years, Gene Mische managed the most prestigious shows in America, including the Budweiser American Invitational, American Grand Prix Association National Jumper Championship, New Albany Classic, Lake Placid and I Love New York Shows, Charlotte Jumper Classic, the American Gold Cup, USEF National Jumper Championships, and the National Horse Show. Other Stadium Jumping Inc. productions included the Olympic Games Jumping Team Selection Trials in 2000 and 2004, and the FEI World Equestrian Games Jumping Team Selection Trials in 2002 and 2006.

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Ultimate Win for Ulrich in Budapest

Werner Ulrich set a solid base for his victory as first starter in the Winning Round. Photo: FEI/Rinaldo de Craen

What nobody expected in Hungary’s capital city happened today: Switzerland’s Werner Ulrich stayed ahead of top favourite Boyd Exell from Australia and won the FEI World Cup Driving competition in Budapest. Exell made two mistakes and came second, ahead of Ulrich’s compatriot Daniel Würgler. This was the second FEI World Cup Driving win in Ulrich’s 31 year long driving career. His first World Cup win came in Mechelen back in 2005.

Heart for Driving
The Papp Lászlo Budapest Sportarena was filled with enthusiastic driving fans this afternoon. In Budapest you feel that driving has a special place in the people’s hearts. The driving sport is extremely popular in Hungary, stimulated even further by the Lázár brothers who are very successful in both pairs and team driving and who enjoy celebrity status in Hungary.

Hungarian O-course designer Gábor Fintha had designed one of the best courses of the season for today’s competition, with technical challenges and fast lines, including a bridge with fireworks.

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Santana and Taloubet Are in Tune to Win $50,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix, CSI 2*

Paulo Santana and Taloubet won the $50,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix, CSI 2*. Photos © Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Wellington, FL – December 4, 2010 – The $50,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix, CSI 2* was the feature event this week at the Holiday & Horses Show, held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Scoring his biggest grand prix win to date was Brazil’s Paulo Santana on Taloubet, owned by Jennifer Santana. Charlie Jayne of Elgin, IL, was second on The London Group’s Athena, while Kate Levy (USA) rode Lirving du Volsin, owned by Christian Woschenko and Kate Levy LLC, to third place.

The Holiday & Horses Show is the first competition in the Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) Holiday Series, which consists of seven shows through the beginning of January. The Holiday & Horses Show runs through Sunday, December 5.

The course designer for tonight’s grand prix was Anthony D’Ambrosio of Red Hook, NY. There were 39 entries in the grand prix, but only three could find the key to a clear round and advance to the jump-off. The fastest four-faulter in fourth place was Mario Deslauriers (USA) on Jane Clark’s Vicomte D. Fifth place went to Kent Farrington (USA) on Valhalla, owned by Hillary McNerney.

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Guatemala to Stage FEI World Jumping Challenge Final

Lausanne (SUI), 3 December 2010 – The FEI World Jumping Challenge Final, which takes place at Club Ecuestre El Cortijo, Guatemala City (GUA) next week (8-12 December), has attracted a field of 22 riders from 15 countries.

Riders from Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, South Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bermuda and Guatemala will compete in the Final on borrowed horses. Competitions will be held outdoors over 1.20 metre courses.

The format for the Final consists of a warm-up competition followed by two qualifiers. The top 50 per cent from the two qualifiers go through to the semi-final to decide the four riders for the final. The top quartet will then take part in a change-horse final, run under the same format as the world championships, to decide the overall winner. There will also be a consolation competition for riders that do not qualify for the semi-final.

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