Tag Archives: FEI Nations Cup

FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

Eight Teams at Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Seventh Qualifier in Rome

Leave a comment

Lausanne (SUI), 23 May 2013 – The seventh qualifier of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 will take place at the Rome Piazza di Siena CSIO 5* in Italy this Friday 24 May attracting a field of eight teams.

The starting order, which was determined by a draw held at Rome today, will be as follows:

  1. Italy
  2. Sweden
  3. Great Britain
  4. Germany
  5. France
  6. Switzerland
  7. Spain
  8. Ukraine

Four teams – France, Great Britain, Spain, and Ukraine – will be competing for Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping points in Europe Division 1. The updated Europe Division 1 standings can be consulted here.

Tomorrow’s competition will begin at 15.15 CEST (local time in Italy, GMT+2 hours) and will be broadcast live on FEI TV, FEI’s official online video platform.

The FEI is providing a wide range of online information resources in connection with the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping.

Dedicated webpage

Our dedicated webpage gives you access to useful information, including the calendar, latest results, updated standings, rules and news from the series.

Social Media

The FEI is posting news, images and videos on Facebook www.facebook.com/the.fei and Twitter www.twitter.com/myfei_home. Please follow us and share our content.

Our signature Twitter hashtags are: #Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup #Jumping

“Furusiyya” (Arabic: فروسيه) this single Arabic word conveys so much, embracing the idea of horsemanship, chivalry, and equestrian knowledge in general. The term is a derivation of faris, or horseman and faras, a horse.

Longines is the Official Timekeeper of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series.

Longines has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations.

Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when a timepiece was made with a horse and jockey engraved on the watch face. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1926, for the first time, the brand was involved as timekeeper for the Official International Equestrian Competition of Geneva. Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrianism includes Jumping, Endurance and flat racing.

Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 130 countries.

Media contacts:

At FEI:

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

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

At Rome:

Press Officer
Caterina Vagnozzi
cvagnozzi@gmail.com
+39 335 610 7070

At Revolution Sports + Entertainment:

Tim Welland
tim@revolutionsports.co.uk
+44 7787 780 036

Competitions, Dressage, FEI

Dutch Victorious in Opening Leg of Pilot Season for FEI Nations Cup Dressage at Vidauban

Leave a comment

Pictured on the podium are Katja Gevers, Laurens van Lieren and Stephanie Peters with trainer, Wim Ernes. Photo: FEI/Rui Pedro Godinho.

Vidauban (FRA), 18 May 2013 – The Netherlands emerged victorious as the pilot season for the FEI Nations Cup Dressage 2013 series got underway at Domain Equestre de Grands Pins in Vidauban, France yesterday. Sweden finished second at this opening event, with the host nation of France in third and Switzerland slotting into fourth place.

Great Britain sent just three riders, but their chances ended before the competition even began when Sarah Millis’ HP Frontier did not pass the first Horse Inspection, leaving just four countries to battle it out in the final analysis. The Dutch showed their strength when, with only three in their side, they overcame a strong challenge from the full Swedish team that included star riders Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Minna Telde.

Best Score of the Day

It was Vilhelmson-Silfven who produced the best score of day when posting 70.532 with the 11-year-old gelding, Divertimento.  But Holland’s Laurens van Lieren and his 10-year-old mare, Hexagon’s Welnetta, were only 0.15 marks behind in second place individually, and when this good result was added to 69.234 from team-mate Stephanie Peters with Unlimited, and 67.255 from Katja Gevers and Thriller, then the Dutch had the edge with a winning margin of 0.404 at the end of the day. Only three of the four results count toward each team total.

Minna Telde’s 69.787 with Don Charly was good enough for third individually, and the 66.149 racked up by Jeanne Hogberg and Liza Minelli completed the Swedish tally as Caroline Darcourt’s 65.447 with Paridon Magi provided the discount score.  As winning team member, Laurens van Lieren, said afterwards, “There was a combination of strong riders as well as young riders getting experience here today, so that made for a great competition.”

The French foursome of Claire Gosselin (Karamel de Lauture), Arnaud Serre (Robinson da Lafont), Catherine Henriquet (Paradieszauber) and Jacques Albeck (Collin) slotted into third when the combined totals of the first three came to 198.255.

The Swiss were less than three points further in arrears when filling fourth and last spot, Hans Staub (Warbeau), Melanie Hofmann (GB Cazzago C CH) and Elisabeth Eversfield-Koch (Rokoko N) totalling 195.598 as the 63.511 awarded to Gilles Ngovan and Solid Brown was their discount score.

Very Close

“We finished very close with Sweden,” Van Lieren said, “and with just three on our team that put a lot of pressure on our last rider.  Katja was first to go and did a really good job with 67.255.  We didn’t know what to expect from her, but she won the ‘Future Test’ which is a Grand Prix for Young Riders in Holland.  She won at ‘s-Hertogenbosch with over 70 per cent, so she was selected for the team here.  She is inexperienced at international level, but she did really well.

Stephanie and I are more experienced,” he continued.  “Stephanie was our last rider to go in and she knew she needed to get 68 per cent, but I reckoned she would be just fine.  She had one small mistake in the second passage, and we expected a bigger score for her, but she got 69.234 and it was even more exciting because we had to rely on just the three of us.  There was nowhere to hide!” Van Lierens pointed out.

He added that, while the Swedes might have been expected to win, “We were convinced we could do it!”

Convinced

Now Dutch coach, Wim Ernes, will decide who will make the team for the home event at Rotterdam (NED) on 20 June.  “I would love to be on the team there,” Van Lierens said today, “but Wim will want to send our strongest side so we will see.”

The pilot series takes place over four events, also visiting Aachen, Germany on 27 June and finally Hickstead, Great Britain on 4 August.  CDIO 3* Vidauban, CDIO 5 Rotterdam and CDIO 5* Aachen all took the option to stage a Grand Prix competition as part of this trial FEI Nations Cup Dressage season, while CDIO 3* Hickstead has chosen to stage a Freestyle to Music competition to bring the test series to a close.

The FEI Nations Cup Dressage is a new FEI series open to national teams. The inaugural trial season, taking place between May and August 2013, consists of four outdoor CDIO events held at Vidauban (FRA), Rotterdam (NED), Aachen (GER) and Hickstead (GBR). Each FEI Nations Cup Dressage fixture must host either a Grand Prix or Grand Prix Freestyle competition in which the teams can earn points towards the FEI Nations Cup Dressage Standings. Each event is of equal standing and all four competitions count towards the final result.

A minimum of four teams will take part in each event for the event to count for the series standings. A team consists of a minimum of three and maximum of four athlete/horse combinations. There is no maximum limit to the number of FEI Nations Cup Dressage events in which athletes and horses can take part.

This pilot project has been initiated in an effort to assess the attractiveness of this type of event to organisers, athletes, National Federations, spectators, the media and potential sponsors. If there is a positive evaluation at the conclusion of the 2013 season, then an official long-term series may be created.

The series detailed calendar, complete rules, and organisers details are available here.

By Louise Parkes

Media contacts:

At FEI:

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

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

Competitions, FEI, Show Jumping

Determined Dutch Win First Leg of Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 1 at La Baule

Leave a comment

(L to R front row) Remi Clero, President of the Organising Committee; Yves Petaireau, Mayor of La Baule: Carmen Barrera, FEI Bureau Member; HE Dr Mohammed Ismail al Sheikh, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to France; and Jacques Robert, Vice-President of French NF. Back row, Dutch team members Leon Thijssen, Frank Schuttert, chef d’equipe Rob Ehrens, Hendrik Jan Schuttert and Albert Voorn. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

La Baule (FRA), 17 May 2013 – The Netherlands won through when standing firm while those around them crumbled in the closing stages of the opening leg of the Europe Division 1 section of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 series at La Baule, France today. Switzerland finished second while Ireland, Great Britain and France shared third place ahead of Germany in sixth, Belgium in seventh and Spain in eighth.

The Swiss seemed to have it in the bag after a superb opening round during which they collected just a single time fault.  But despite a brilliant double-clear from Janika Sprunger, who took the Furusiyya Rider of the Day award for her performances with Palloubet D’Halong, they were obliged to add 10 more to their tally second time out which left them trailing the winning Dutch by three faults.

The Longines timing system was busy all day as so many of the riders fell afoul of the 84 seconds time-allowed.  Frederic Cottier’s track was not over-demanding, but not one of the team that eventually won the competition managed to escape time-faults first time out when 17 of the 32 starters exceeded the target.  Dutch pathfinder, Albert Voorn, collected just a single time penalty in an otherwise foot-perfect run in both rounds with Tobalio, while the impressive young Schuttert brothers, 23-year-old Hendrik and 19-year-old Frank, improved from nine and five faults respectively to seriously bolster their country’s chances in round two with clears that eventually decided the result.

Set the Scene

Bright sunshine and perfect ground conditions set the scene for a great day of sport, and with three of the four members of the London 2012 Olympic gold medal winning side in action it seemed likely the British might, at last, record their first team success at this legendary French fixture.  But although Nick Skelton and Big Star never put a foot wrong to register the only other double-clear of the day, mistakes for Ben Maher and Celia at the oxer at fence two, for Brash Scott and Hello Sanctos at the first element of the triple combination at six and for Robert Smith and Voila at the following vertical at seven saw them sharing last place with Ireland at the halfway stage.

The triple combination and the following vertical off a left-handed sweeping turn were the two bogeys of the first round, with the water-tray under the latter seemingly influential.  The open water at nine provided little or no drama, but the vertical at three, now raised to 1.60m, and the last line that included a double of oxers and the final vertical played their part as round two unfolded.

As it began, the Dutch were sharing fifth place with the Spanish who were also carrying seven faults, Germany and Belgium were in joint-third carrying six, the French were in second with five faults on the board and the Swiss were in the driving seat carrying just the single time penalty collected by Olympic champion Steve Guerdat and Nasa.

Second Attempt

And Guerdat looked set to add just one further time penalty as he came to the last at his second attempt, only for that to fall for a total of five faults.  Since pathfinders, Paul Estermann and Castlefield Eclipse, had already added five to their four from the opening round, that would now ensure a finishing total of at least six faults if the two remaining Swiss team members could go clear. As it turned out, however, that was a big ask.

The French meanwhile were also stumbling, with an additional eight faults after single errors from pathfinder Penelope Leprevost (Topinambour) at the final element of the triple combination, and anchorman Kevin Staut (Estoy Aqui de Muze) at the previous triple bar which only fell twice throughout the day.  Although Olivier Guillon’s eight faults with Lord de Theize could be dropped when Marc Dilasser (Obiwan de Piliere) went clear, French chances were slipping away.

Germany and Belgium lost their grip on the sharp end when collecting an additional nine and 13 faults respectively, while Spain disappeared from the reckoning with 14 more in their account despite an opening clear from Pilar Cordon whose chestnut mare, Coriana van Klapscheut, put in an attention-seeking protest before the start of each of her two lovely jumping exhibitions.  The British and Irish both rallied well second time out when picking up just five faults apiece but it was all too late.  And as it came down to the wire, it was up to the Swiss to win rather than the Dutch to lose, because when last-line Dutch duo of Leon Thijssen and Tyson put the discount score of five on the board, the team total of eight faults was as good as they could make it.

Another fabulous clear from Sprunger and her 10-year-old gelding son of the great Baloubet du Rouet anchored the Swiss tally at six faults provided fourth-line rider, Pius Schwizer, could produce another clear.  But, last into the ring and under incredible pressure, his relatively inexperienced nine-year-old, Powerplay, hit the first element of the triple combination, the white oxer two fences later and added a time penalty for nine faults which meant both Estermann and Guerdat’s five had to be taken into account.  Their 11-fault final tally would be good enough for runner-up spot, but it was Rob Ehren’s Dutch team who would stand on the top step of the podium after a truly determined effort.

Big Days and Experience

At 57 years of age, and with an Olympic individual silver medal in his trophy cabinet since 2000, Albert Voorn knows all there is to know about big days and the experience of winning, and of losing.  Reflecting on today’s success, he said, “We had a great spirit on our team. When one person is not doing well then, at this moment, we are not thinking about failing, we are thinking about what we can do to help.”  He described the talented young Schuttert brothers as “two cool guys”, and talked about the challenges of today’s competition.

“I’m in favour of time faults because then the best horse wins. My own horse spooks and also jumps from left to right so I have to take care of him.  Janika’s horse is a top horse, she can ride forward from fence to fence much better than my horse and so can make the time allowed” he explained. But he is concerned about his future with the 13-year-old gelding, Tobalio, which has helped him make a welcome return to the top end of the sport in recent years.

“I called Mr Visser of Eurocommerce in 2011 and said I would like to be one of the riders to fulfill his ambitions.  He didn’t think I was still riding, because I was then doing smaller competitions, but he said ‘absolutely, we are going to do it!’, and two weeks later he called me back.  He had two horses that no-one else wanted to ride and he said you can have them and if you can’t fix them then I won’t keep them.  Try them and if it doesn’t work out I will get other horses for you.  So we did some shows at 1* and at 3* and then I joined the team for La Baule last year and we came second, and then I also competed at Hickstead and Dublin. But because of Mr Visser’s financial situation I maybe will lose my horses.  I put a lot of time into them and emotionally I’m very attached to them.  If they go to the Bank, they will be put up for sale.  So I don’t know about my future with them,” he explained.

Awaits Their Fate

While he waits to learn their fate however, he is going to enjoy them as much as he can, and he has high hopes for Dutch chances throughout this inaugural Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup season. “We will try to get our Olympic team to St Gallen, Rotterdam and Aachen,” he pointed out, “and I’m hoping to go to Falsterbo, Hickstead and Dublin.”

Meanwhile Hendrik Schuttert was just enjoying the moment and the super result achieved for his country with the help of himself and his brother.  “This is our first Nations Cup together so it’s a super feeling that we can compete together in the Nations Cup at the highest level – to win the first time for us, it’s amazing!” he said.

Under the new rules of the Furusiyya series, just four of the teams staring in today’s competition – France, Ireland, Great Britain and Switzerland – were seeking points towards the Final in September and it is the Swiss who gained the highest number of points.

The action in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 1 series now moves on to the beautiful Piazza di Siena in Rome (ITA) next Friday, while Copenhagen, Denmark hosts a leg for Europe Division 2 on the same afternoon.

For information on the Italian fixture go to website www.piazzadisiena.com or contact Press Officer Caterina Vagnozzi at email c.vagnozzi@gmail.com or Tel +39 335 610 7070. For information on the Danish fixture, check out website www.firsthorsegrandprix.dk or email csio@spr.dk.

Facts and Figures:

8 nations competed in today’s Europe Division 1 leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup at La Baule, France.

Course designer was Frederic Cottier from France.

The competition took place at the Stade Francois Andre in the heart of the lovely French seaside town.

The start-list included Olympic champion Steve Guerdat from Switzerland and three of the London 2012 Olympic gold medal winning team from Great Britain – Nick Skelton, Ben Maher and Scott Brash.

There were two double-clear performances – from Britain’s Nick Skelton (Big Star) and Switzerland’s Janika Sprunger (Palloubet D’Halong).

Two brothers competed on the winning Dutch team, Hendrik and Frank Schuttert, and the Belgian side included father and son, Ludo and Olivier Philippaerts.

7 horse-and-rider combinations jumped clear in the first round.

9 jumped clear in the second round.

The next leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 1 series takes place at the Piazza di Siena in Rome (ITA) next Friday, 24 May.

There will also be a leg of Europe Division 2 taking place in Copenhagen (DEN) on the same afternoon.

A total of 7,000 spectators enjoyed today’s sixth round of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 series at La Baule.

Switzerland’s Janika Sprunger was presented with the Furusiyya Rider of the Day award which was judged by international rider and coach, Alice Debany Clero.

Quotes:

Albert Voorn – “With horses every day is a surprise; you never know what they will do!”

Albert Voorn – “We had a good possibility to do very well, but our sport is always unpredictable; you go out hoping to go well; that is all you can ever do.”

Olivier Guillon – “I am a little bit disappointed as my horse went clear in the first round, but it wasn’t the same in the second round; he was a little bit afraid. At the triple we just didn’t have enough legs, but I guess that’s just the way of the sport. As far as the team is concerned, for the next Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping in Rome I will hope that we can improve on this result, although unfortunately I won’t be there.”

Janika Sprunger – “The double clear felt really good and my horse jumped amazing! I am so happy with our performance, and he [Palloubet D’Halong] is at an age, and has the experience, where we can really perform well together. I will go to a three-star show in Germany next week with some other horses, and then with the same to the CSIO5* St. Gallen.”

Frank Schuttert – “I am 2 metres (tall) – as big as a door!”   I ride not only my style for this horse but for all my other horses – this horse has a lot of clears and good results and at the moment this is the best way for me to ride him.”

Hendrik Schuttert – “In the first round I came down a bit slow to the triple bar and hit the back rail. I wasn’t really in my rhythm in the first round and got time faults. I watched my first round on video to see what I did wrong and then I rode a bit more aggressive in the second round and it was much better.”

Frank Schuttert – “I got five penalties in the first round. I too always after my first round watch my video a lot of times to see what I can make better in the second round. There were for some things I could do better, for sure the time, two and a half seconds outside the time was a lot, so in the second round I started a lot more aggressive and you saw my horse jumping better and better – I thought my second round was perfect and I was easily inside the time.”

Hendrik Schuttert – “We come from the east part of Holland; I am one of three brothers. Frank is 19; I am 23. My father used to ride; I think he rode once here in La Baule. I have one other brother who is aged 20 but he does not ride at all. My parents both rode so we started riding at a young age. This is my second year riding in the Seniors, but Frank is still a Young Rider.”

FEI YouTube: http://youtu.be/9oI13OjacZ8.

“Furusiyya” (Arabic: فروسيه) this single Arabic word conveys so much, embracing the idea of horsemanship, chivalry, and equestrian knowledge in general. The term is a derivation of faris, or horseman and faras, a horse.

Longines is the Official Timekeeper of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series.

Longines has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations.

Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when a timepiece was made with a horse and jockey engraved on the watch face. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1926, for the first time, the brand was involved as timekeeper for the Official International Equestrian Competition of Geneva. Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrianism includes Jumping, Endurance and flat racing.

Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 130 countries.

By Louise Parkes

Media contacts:

At FEI:

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

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

At La Baule:

Véronique Gauthier
Press Officer
veronique-gauthier@club-internet.fr
+33 6 72 77 06 00

At Revolution Sports + Entertainment:

Tim Welland
tim@revolutionsports.co.uk
+44 7787 780 036

Competitions, FEI, Show Jumping

Eight Teams at Series Sixth Qualifier in La Baule

Leave a comment

Lausanne (SUI), 16 May 2013 – The sixth qualifier of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 will take place at the La Baule CSIO 5* in France this Friday 17 May attracting a field of eight teams.

The starting order, which was determined by a draw held at La Baule today, will be as follows:

  1. The Netherlands
  2. Spain
  3. Ireland
  4. Great Britain
  5. Belgium
  6. Germany
  7. Switzerland
  8. France

Four teams – France, Great Britain, Ireland, and Switzerland – will be competing for Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping points in Europe Division 1.

Tomorrow’s competition will begin at 14.00 CEST (local time in France, GMT +2 hours) and will be broadcast live on FEI TV, FEI’s official online video platform.

The FEI is providing a wide range of online information resources in connection with the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping.

Dedicated webpage

Our dedicated webpage gives you access to useful information, including the calendar, latest results, updated standings, rules and news from the series.

Social Media

The FEI is posting news, images and videos on Facebook www.facebook.com/the.fei and Twitter www.twitter.com/myfei_home. Please follow us and share our content.

Our signature Twitter hashtags are: #Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup #Jumping

“Furusiyya” (Arabic: فروسيه) this single Arabic word conveys so much, embracing the idea of horsemanship, chivalry, and equestrian knowledge in general. The term is a derivation of faris, or horseman and faras, a horse.

Longines is the Official Timekeeper of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series.

Longines has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations.

Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when a timepiece was made with a horse and jockey engraved on the watch face. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1926, for the first time, the brand was involved as timekeeper for the Official International Equestrian Competition of Geneva. Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrianism includes Jumping, Endurance and flat racing.

Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 130 countries.

Media contacts:

At FEI:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 33

At La Baule:

Véronique Gauthier
Press Officer
veronique-gauthier@club-internet.fr
+33 6 72 77 06 00

At Revolution Sports + Entertainment:

Tim Welland
tim@revolutionsports.co.uk
+44 7787 780 036

Competitions, Dressage, FEI

Pilot Season for FEI Nations Cup Dressage Series Begins This Week at Vidauban

Leave a comment

Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven heads the Swedish team for the opening leg of the FEI Nations Cup Dressage in Vidauban (FRA) next Friday. (Roland Thunholm/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 13 May 2013 – The Domain Equestre de Grands Pins, at Vidauban in the south-east of France, plays host to the opening leg of the much-anticipated pilot season for FEI Nations Cup Dressage next Friday, 17 May.

A total of five countries will field teams for this CDIO3* competition which will be followed by three further events over the coming months. The CDIO5* fixtures at Rotterdam (NED) and Aachen (GER) will stage legs on 20 and 27 June respectively, and the series will draw to a close at Hickstead CDIO3* (GBR) on Sunday 4 August.

The pilot project has been initiated in an effort to assess the attractiveness of this type of event to organisers, athletes, National Federations, spectators, the media and potential sponsors. If there is a positive evaluation at the conclusion of the 2013 season, then an official long-term series may be created.

Points

For this trial season, each FEI Nations Cup Dressage fixture must host either a Grand Prix or Grand Prix Freestyle competition in which the athletes can earn points towards the FEI Nations Cup Dressage Ranking. It has been left to the show organisers to decide which competition they would prefer to run, and while Vidauban, Rotterdam and Aachen have chosen to use the Grand Prix to decide the team result, Hickstead has opted for the phenomenally popular Freestyle to Music which continues to draw increasing numbers of new fans to the sport.

Each event is of equal standing, and the best two results for each nation over the four events will decide the overall result.

FEI World Rankings

A minimum of four teams will take part in each event, and National Federations must have at least four athletes on the FEI World Rankings list at time of entry. There is no maximum limit to the number of FEI Nations Cup Dressage events in which athletes and horses can take part, and organisers have the right to invite a limited number of additional home or foreign individual competitors.

Prize money for each event must be not less than €20,000 for the team classification (in addition to the standard prize money for individual classification) for CDIO 5*, €15,000 for CDIO 4* and €10,000 for CDIO 3*. If a team is eliminated it is not entitled to either prize money nor FEI Nations Cup points.

Buoyed Up

A team consists of a minimum of three and maximum of four athlete/horse combinations, and although the British come to Vidauban with just three in their side, this is a country that has been buoyed up by superb results over the past few seasons, including the spectacular performances of their team and individual gold-medal-winning partnership of Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro at the London 2012 Olympic Games last summer.

As elsewhere, the enthusiasm and excitement surrounding the sport of Dressage in Britain has never been greater, and with only the top three scores counting towards the final team total, Kay Maxted (Privaldi), Sarah Milis (HP Frontier) and Daniel Watson (Fideramber) will be determined to make every move count.

The French side consists of Jacques Albeck (Collin 73), Claire Gosselin (Karamel de Lauture), Catherine Henriquet (Paradieszauber) and Karen Tebar (Florentino 47), while The Netherlands will be represented by Katja Gevers (Thriller), Danielle Heijkoop (Kingsley Siro), Stephanie Peters (Unlimited) and Laurens van Lieren (Hexagon’s Welnetta). Elizabeth Eversfield-Koch (Rokoko N) will fly the Swiss flag alongside Melanie Hofmann (GB Cazzago C), Gilles Ngovan (Solid Brown) and Hans Staub (Warbeau).

But the Swedish team looks particularly strong, with star performers Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven, third in the Grand Prix and fourth in the Freestyle at the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final 2013 on home turf last month and triumphant in both the Grand Prix and Freestyle at Munich last weekend, and Minna Telde, who finished seventh and 10th in Gothenburg, heading up the side. Vilhelmson-Silfven brings Divertimento to Vidauban, while Telde rides Don Charly on a team that also includes Caroline Darcourt (Paridon Magi) and Jeanna Hogberg (Liza Minelli).

Fantastic Opportunity

Trond Asmyr, FEI Director Dressage and Para-Dressage, says: “This new FEI Nations Cup Dressage series will provide National Federations with a fantastic opportunity to train up new athletes for teams, and offers many more riders a chance to develop their experience and skills. It is very exciting, and a whole new concept, to have team Dressage running throughout the summer season, and Hickstead will present the first official team competition in Freestyle, so will be breaking new ground.”

“We are testing different models to find the way forward for our sport and to capitalise on the enormous popularity of the Freestyle in particular. We will learn a great deal over the coming months about the future of Dressage as a Nations Cup sport.”

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts

At FEI:

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

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

Competitions, FEI, Show Jumping

French Overcome Determined Dutch to Make It a Furusiyya Double at Drammen

Leave a comment

Left to right: Nicolas Delmotte, Mathieu Billot, chef d’equipe Philippe Guerdat, Francois Xavier Boudant and Timothée Anciaume. Photo: FEI/Roland Thunholm.

Drammen (NOR), 10 May 2013 – Just seven days after coming out on top in Lummen, Belgium, French riders recorded their second win of the inaugural Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series at Drammen, Norway today.  However this time they were pushed just about as close as it could get, with the runners-up from The Netherlands keeping them under immense pressure right to the very end of a gripping competition.

It was a last-to-go, foot-perfect run from French anchorman, Timothee Anciaume, that clinched it.  “I had a lot of pressure on my shoulders coming into the second round, but the objective had been clearly set by our Chef d’Equipe, Philippe Guerdat.  This is a new team, but we came here to win!” the 34-year-old Frenchman pointed out.

Sweden finished third ahead of the host nation of Norway in fourth, while Italy slotted into fifth ahead of Finland.  At this Europe Division 2 leg of the 2013 Furusiyya series, just six of the eight competing nations returned for the second round, and it was the sides from Russia and Belarus that watched from the sidelines when squeezed out after their opening effort.

The Longines timing equipment played an important role throughout the afternoon, as the time-allowed of 80 seconds proved very difficult to get.  And the Russians were unfortunate to miss their chance to return for the second round.  They were on level-pegging with Finland after collecting 16 faults in round one, but their slower times saw them having to settle for seventh at the end of the day.

Inviting Course

Course designer, Germany’s Stefan Wirth, set them an inviting course with a few interesting questions.  Straightness and balance were key to a clear jumping round, and many of those who angled the oxer at fence four paid the price, while many more took the following left-handed turn to the Longines double too sharply and found themselves off-balance over the opening triple bar and the following vertical.  It had been expected that the line from the 1.50m x 1.60m oxer at six to the open water at seven and the vertical at eight would present some problems, but although there were a few wet hooves, the distances rode perfectly for most.

It was the triple combination, three fences from home, that was the bogey of the day. Following the inviting previous oxer, riders were obliged to rein in their horses and approach with caution in order to correctly negotiate the single stride between the opening vertical and the oxer middle-element and the following two strides to the final vertical here. It had a significant impact in the first round, and continued to play its part again as round two unfolded.

The tight time-allowed however was also a major influence, as Stefan Wirth confirmed after the competition.  “It was one of the deciding factors today alright,” he said. “I noticed that experienced riders had less problems, and also there were less time faults in the second round,” he added.

In Control

With three first-round clears, the French were in control by the halfway stage, only the third-line combination of Francois-Xavier Boudant and the 12-year-old Amadeus Z faulting at the first element of the Longines double at fence five.  But the Dutch were stalking them closely, carrying just two time penalties after both Suzanne Tepper (KM Wish) and Henk van de Pol (Liberty Antara) each exceeded the 80-second time limit, while experienced pathfinder, Eric van der Vleuten, produced the only other fault-free first tour of the track.

Sweden lay third despite a difficult pathfinding effort from Royne Zetterman who returned with 17 faults on the board partnering the nine-year-old Echo de Laubry.  Single time penalties from Emma Emanuelsson (Titan) and Peder Fredricson (H&M Cash In) were the only additions to the four faults collected by Douglas Lindelow and Udermus for a mistake in the middle of the triple combination. So with six faults the Swedes were still well in the frame going into the second round, while the host nation was only two faults further adrift, counting the five collected by Dag Ove Kingsrod (Dimaro Vd Looise Heide) who also fell victim to the middle element of the triple combination as well as the timing equipment, and the two time faults picked up by Victoria Gulliksen (Urval) and the single penalty registered by her father, Geir Gulliksen (Edesa S Banjan).

The Italians were in fifth with 14 faults and Finland was in sixth carrying 16 as round two began, but only two of the four Finnish team members returned to the arena while, despite a much-improved single time penalty from anchorman Luca Moneta (Connery), the Italians couldn’t improve their situation when adding nine more to their scoreline.

Lost Their Grip

The Norwegians lost their grip with the addition of 10, and when Zetterman endured another punishing 13-fault result it seemed Swedish chances were also dashed.  But the potential of 23-year-old Lindelow was clearly evident in a foot-perfect second effort while Swedish Chef d’Equipe, Pether Marene, was given a further boost by the determination shown by Emanuelsson.  She looked well on her way to another fine jumping round until a strong check before the triple combination left her 10-year-old partner, Titan, without any stride at all.  Having sent poles flying at the first element, the 28-year-old rider pulled up and as soon as the course was ready she re-presented the brave grey who nonchalantly soared over all three elements this time around to cross the line with just six faults after a superb recovery.  And when Fredricson went clear that was all they had to add to complete with a final tally of 12.

It would be a fierce fight to the finish between the Dutch and the French however, pathfinding Frenchman Nicolas Delmotte recording the second part of his double-clear with Number One d’Iso Un Prince, but second-line rider Mathieu Billot, collecting nine faults this time around. And the tension became almost unbearable when Francois Xavier Boudant and Amadeus Z, clear first time out, made it all the way to the penultimate oxer only to leave that on the floor.

By this stage Van der Vleuten had returned a four, Tepper had picked up just one more time penalty and third-line rider Peter Bulthuis returned clear with Atlanta.  So although Henk Van de Pol’s Liberty Antara put a toe in the water, the final Dutch score of seven faults really put it up to the final French pair.  With the three best scores to count, France needed to drop the nine collected by Billot, and even one mistake from anchorman Timothee Anciaume would result in an eight-fault final result, presenting The Netherlands with victory.

Didn’t Flinch

Anciaume didn’t flinch however, even though it was the very first CSIO and first Nations Cup for his nine-year-old horse, Quorioso Pre Noir. Asked afterwards what it felt like to be under such enormous pressure, he said, “I just really focused on my ride and my round, I didn’t let myself think of faults or results, but I concentrated on feeling confident. I knew I could afford a time fault, so I just had to focus on what I was doing”.  As he broke the beam inside the time, the job was done, and French Chef d’Equipe, Philippe Guerdat, was rightly delighted.

Talking about his team, Guerdat said afterwards, “I asked Timothee to go last because he is the most experienced rider in today’s team.” And he was very happy with the performances of the rest of his side.  “For Francois-Xavier Boudant this was his first Nations Cup.  He had no experience at this level, so it is really good for him to start with a winning result!” he said.  “Nicolas Delmotte did a really good job there, and he definitely has a horse for the future, and Mathieu Billot is our youngest rider today.  He did very well.  He was a European Junior Champion eight years ago and will definitely be one for the future,” he added.  There were just two-double clear performances recorded today, and both by French riders – Nicolas Demotte and Timothee Anciaume.

For Norwegian Chef d’Equipe, Ulf Storemark, today was also a great day. Like so many other nations, the Norwegians are chasing points in this first Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup inaugural season, and the 75 they collected this afternoon have moved them into third place at this early stage on the Europe Division 2 league table.  Sweden heads that leaderboard, with Finland in second and Belarus in fourth.

It was a wet and cold day in Drammen today, but the excitement of another thrilling clash of nations ensured the spectators had plenty to keep them warm. And now the series heats up a whole lot more as the first leg of Europe Division 1 takes place next Friday at La Baule, where the French will be hoping to make it three-in-a-row with victory on their home turf.

Result:

1. France 4 faults: Number One d’Iso Un Prince (Nicolas Delmotte) 0/0, Pardoes (Mathieu Billot) 0/9, Amadeus Z (Francois Xavier Boudant) 4/4, Quorioso Pre Nois (Timothee Anciaume) 0/0.

2. Netherlands 7 faults: Wan Architect (Eric van der Vleuten) 0/4, KM Wish (Suzanne Tepper) 1/1, Atlanta (Peter Bulthuis) 4/0, Liberty Antara (Henk van de Pol) 1/4.

3. Sweden 12 faults: Echo de Laubry (Royne Zetterman) 17/13, Udermus (Douglas Lindelow) 4/0, Titan (Emma Emanuelsson) 1/6, H&M Cash In (Peder Fredricson) 1/0.

4. Norway 18 faults: Dimaro Vd Looise Heide (Dag Ove Kingsrod) 5/4, Urval (Victoria Gulliksen) 2/2, CC Top (Ole Kristoffer Meland) 9/4, Edesa S Banjan (Geir Gulliksen) 1/10.

5. Italy 23 faults: Loro Piana Acamar (Massimiliano Ferrario) 5/4, Baretto (Roberto Turchetto) 4/4, Silverstras (Giovanni Consorti) 5/8, Connery (Luca Maria Moneta) 16/1.

6. Finland 88 faults: Cue Channa (Sebastian Numminen) 13/Withdrawn, Elba (Niklas Aromaa) 2/16, Quenaro (Mikko Maentausta) 9/18, Celestine (Satu Liukkonen) 5/Withdrawn.

7. Russia 16 in FIRST ROUND: Like You 2 (Sergey Khomashko) 10, Pimlico (Anna Gromzina) 5, Triggy Puh (Olga Chechina) 9, Littlefoot 22 (Vladimir Beletsky) 2.

Belarus 30 faults in FIRST ROUND: Wacantos (Yahor Morotski) 15, Lodonkor (Vasil Ivanou) 14, Clooney (Ibragim Vaskov) 10, Colin (Maksim Kryna) 6. Detailed results here.

Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013, Europe Division 2 Updated Leaderboard, after Drammen:

  1. 1. Sweden       152 points (70 points in Lummen, 5th, and 82 points in Drammen, 3rd)
  2. 2. Finland      141 points (75 points in Lummen, 4th, and 66 points in Drammen, 6th)
  3. 3. Norway       139 points (64 points in Lummen, 8th, and 75 points in Drammen, 4th)
  4. 4. Belarus      123 points (59 points in Linz, 10th, and 64 points in Drammen, 8th)
  5. 5. Austria      75 points (75 points in Linz, 4th)
  6. 6. Italy        70 points (70 points in Drammen, 5th)
  7. 7. Denmark      66 points (66 points in Linz, 6th)
  8. 8. Belgium      66 points (66 points in Lummen, 6th)
  9. 9. Russia       65 points (0 point in Linz, 11th, and 65 points in Drammen, 7th)

Facts and Figures:

8 nations competed in today’s fifth leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series at Drammen, Norway.

Drammen lies 40 kilometers south of the Norwegian capital city of Oslo.

5 countries – Belarus, Finland, Italy, Norway, Russia and Sweden – were battling for points towards the Final which will take place in Barcelona, Spain in September.

Father and daughter, Geir and Victoria Gulliksen, competed for the host nation team.

Course designer was Germany’s Stefan Wirth.

This was the second French win in the 2013 Furusiyya series.  France also came out on top in Lummen, Belgium last Friday.

The youngest horse in today’s competition was the 7-year-old Cue Channa ridden by Finland’s Sebastian Numminen.

The oldest horse in the class was the 16-year-old Pardoes ridden by Mathieu Billot for the winning French team.

Two double-clear performances, from French riders Nicolas Delmotte (Number One d’Iso Un Prince) and timothee Anciaume (Quorioso Pre Noir).

Quotes:

French Chef d’Equipe, Philippe Guerdat, talking about today’s course – “The level wasn’t too difficult but the time allowed was very short. Many mistakes came from the time. For the second round, we were not so lucky with our second horse, so I had to put a bit of extra pressure on horses three and four.”

Winning Chef d’Equipe Phillipe Guerdat, talking about his plans for the season – “I am new Chef d’Equipe for France and I am at competing in as many Nations Cup competition with as many riders as possible so that I can select the best.”

Stefan Wirth, course designer, talking about the ground conditions today – “I am very happy with it (the all-weather surface). It can take a lot of water/rain. Even if more rain is to come, we know the ground is good enough that it won’t influence the sport.”

Timothee Anciaume, France – “The whole purpose of coming to Drammen was to gain experience and build towards the future.  Today we were all thrilled with the result.”

For further information on the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series, check out this link.

“Furusiyya” (Arabic: فروسيه) this single Arabic word conveys so much, embracing the idea of horsemanship, chivalry, and equestrian knowledge in general. The term is a derivation of faris, or horseman and faras, a horse.

Longines is the Official Timekeeper of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series.

Longines has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations.

Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when a timepiece was made with a horse and jockey engraved on the watch face. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1926, for the first time, the brand was involved as timekeeper for the Official International Equestrian Competition of Geneva. Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrianism includes Jumping, Endurance and flat racing.

Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 130 countries.

By Louise Parkes

Media contacts:

At FEI:

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

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

At Drammen:

Therese Alhaug
Press Officer
therese@equilife.no
+47 414 13 747

At Revolution Sports + Entertainment:

Tim Welland
Email: tim@revolutionsports.co.uk
Tel: +44 7787 780 036

FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

Eight Teams at Series Fifth Qualifier in Drammen

Leave a comment

Lausanne (SUI), 9 May 2013 – The fifth qualifier of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 will take place at the Drammen CSIO 3* in Norway this Friday 10 May attracting a field of eight teams.

The starting order, which was determined by a draw held at Drammen today, will be as follows:

  1. Sweden
  2. The Netherlands
  3. Russia
  4. Norway
  5. Finland
  6. France
  7. Belarus
  8. Italy

Tomorrow’s competition will begin at 17.00 CEST (local time in Norway, GMT +2 hours) and will be broadcast live on FEI TV, FEI’s official online video platform.

The FEI is providing a wide range of online information resources in connection with the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping.

Dedicated webpage

Our dedicated webpage gives you access to useful information, including the calendar, latest results, updated standings, rules and news from the series.

Social Media

The FEI is posting news, images and videos on Facebook www.facebook.com/the.fei and Twitter www.twitter.com/myfei_home. Please follow us and share our content.

Our signature Twitter hashtags are: #Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup #Jumping

“Furusiyya” (Arabic: فروسيه) this single Arabic word conveys so much, embracing the idea of horsemanship, chivalry, and equestrian knowledge in general. The term is a derivation of faris, or horseman and faras, a horse.

Longines is the Official Timekeeper of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series.

Longines has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations.

Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when a timepiece was made with a horse and jockey engraved on the watch face. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1926, for the first time, the brand was involved as timekeeper for the Official International Equestrian Competition of Geneva. Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrianism includes Jumping, Endurance and flat racing.

Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 130 countries.

Media contacts:

At FEI:

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

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

At Drammen:

Therese Alhaug
Press Officer
therese@equilife.no
+47 414 13 747

At Revolution Sports + Entertainment:

Tim Welland
Email: tim@revolutionsports.co.uk
Tel: +44 7787 780 036

*Featured/Spotlights, FEI, Show Jumping

Formidable French Win Furusiyya Leg in Lummen

Leave a comment

Marc Dilasser and Obiwan de Piliere Jo produced one of the two double-clear rounds that helped secure victory for France at the fourth leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 series in Lummen, Belgium. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

Lummen (BEL), 3 May 2013 – The French swept to a clear and concise victory in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 leg at CSIO 4* Lummen in Belgium today.  However they were pushed all the way by a highly-competitive and considerably less-experienced Swiss side that had to settle for runner-up spot in the final analysis, while The Netherlands finished a distance behind in third.

There were four countries seeking points towards qualification for the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final which will take place in Barcelona, Spain next September and fourth-placed Finland earned 75 points, while fifth-placed Sweden took 70 and Belgium claimed 66 when slotting into sixth spot.  Great Britain was not in the points race when finishing seventh, so the Norwegian side that finished last of the eight competing nations claimed 64 points for their effort.

Never Flinched

The French took the lead from the outset and never flinched.  Double-clears from Marc Dilasser (Obiwan de Piliere Jo) and Aymeric de Ponnat (Armitages Boy) placed them in a strong position and pathfinder, Jerome Hurel (Ohm de Pontual) was the only member of the side to drop a fence throughout the entire competition. French anchorman, Olivier Guillon, was clear first time out with Lord de Theize to ensure a zero team score and didn’t need to return to the ring in the second round as the result was already decided.

The Swiss had to count a single error from Martin Fuchs and Conte della Caccia in the opening round when their pathfinding partnership of Romain Duguet and Quorida de Treho left two on the floor.  And in the end that was the deciding factor, as that single fence separated the two sides at the end of the day when neither added any more to their scorelines.

Interesting Challenge

Course designer, Lucien Somers, set out an interesting 12-fence challenge in the grassy Lummen arena.  The triple combination at fence five, and the following oxer at six with its 1.70 m spread were both influential.  It was at the latter that Sweden’s Lisen Fredricson second round came to an end when Thriller P threw in a refusal, and it was a tough day for the 37-year-old rider as she had already been eliminated for a fall in round one.

The Longines double at fence eight also made its mark, and Somers really put it up to them on the final run home with the open water providing the penultimate obstacle on the course.  The sign of a good track however is the ability of riders to show improvement over it as the competition progresses, and this was how it played out for the team from Finland who were lying second-last at the end of round one.

It was Anna-Julia Kontio’s 13-fault score with Fardon that was the Finnish discount at the end of the first round by which time they had already accumulated a team total of 14 after Kaarlo Kovacs (Agropoint Cassius) added five to the four collected by his pathfinding brother Henri (Carolus Z) and Maiju Mallat (Urleven van de Helle) also picked up five with a fence down and a time fault recorded by the Longines timing system.  Clears from Henri Kovacs and for Kontio seriously bolstered their position second time out however, and despite 17 from Kaarlo Kovacs and two mistakes for Mallat, their overall total of 22 was good enough to move them up three places in the final standings.

On the Sidelines

Unfortunately for the Norwegian team, their 15-fault first-round total left them sitting on the sidelines when only seven nations returned to battle in round two. The British filled that seventh spot when they added 25 more to their tally, their best result registered by Belgian-based Joe Clee and Diablesse de Muze whose only mistake was at the second element of the triple combination on their second tour of the track.

The host nation of Belgium, carrying 13 faults, struggled to leave the fences up once again, adding 13 more to maintain their sixth place at the end of the day. Reigning world champion, Philippe Le Jeune from Belgium, admitted that “at this level you can’t win if you keep making four faults.  One fence down is too much, clear rounds are the only things that win a Nations Cup. Our horses didn’t jump too bad but there were too many four faults” he said after his side registered a final score of 26.

Despite Lisen Fredricsson’s drama, Sweden managed to fill fifth place on a total of 24 faults while the Dutch held on to third spot even though they added 12 more to their scoreline.  The Swiss really kept the pressure on the leading French when Duguet produced a zero score second time out and Fuchs and Pfyffer followed suit.  In fact Pfyffer produced one of just three double-clears recorded in the class, and came in for high praise from Swiss Chef d’Equipe Renate Fuchs.  “Carlo is new to the team and did a great job” she said, adding that her son, 20-year-old Martin Fuchs, also gave a good account of himself.

Well-Pleased

French Chef d’Equipe, Philippe Guerdat, was well-pleased with his winning side’s performance.  “I wanted to come to Lummen with a strong team to ensure a good result ahead of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in La Baule. We’re fairly lucky in France right now with a large pool of good riders and good horses. It’s not always easy to choose between the available riders, but we’re trying to make sure everyone feels involved and to give everyone the opportunity to compete in the various Nations Cups this season. The next Nations Cup for us will be in Drammen (Norway) where I will take five other riders” he said.

And he wasn’t the only happy team manager at Lummen today.  Finland’s Lors Parmler sees a real future for his side after today’s good finish in strong company. “I’m very happy with the performance of my team.  It’s a new team and we now have the Kovacs brothers, Henri and Kaarlo, competing for us.  They used to ride for Hungary until last year but they have a Finnish mother so they have chosen to ride for us.  They are two really nice boys and we really like having them on our team” he said.

And he continued “we were happy with the course, it was difficult enough for young riders like that but rideable, it was a course for forward riding.  Next week in Drammen we will have another team but we will use these riders again later in the year.  With the Kovac brothers I think we now have a bigger chance to pick up points in the Furusiyya series.”

So all sights are now on next week’s Norwegian fixture in Drammen as the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 series begins to gather pace.

Result:

  1. France 0 faults; Ohm de Ponthual (Jerome Hurel) 4/0, Obiwan de Piliere Jo (Marc Dilasser) 0/0, Armitages Boy (Aymeric de Ponnat) 0/0, Lord de Theize (Olivier Guillon) 0/DNS.
  2. Switzerland 4 faults: Quorida de Treho (Romain Duguet) 8/0, Conte della Caccia (Martin Fuchs) 4/0, Notre Moinerie (Carlo Pfyffer) 0/0, Loxy de la Reselle (Andreas Ott) 0/DNS.
  3. The Netherlands 17 faults: Haertthago (Leon Thijssen) 0/4, Warwick (Roelof Bril) 14/4, Atlanta (Peter Bulthuis) 5/4, Warrant (Henk van de Pol) 0/8.
  4. Finland 22 faults: Carolus Z (Henri Kovacs) 4/0, Fardon (Anna-Julia Kontio) 13/0, Agropoint Cassius (Kaarlo Kovacs) 5/17, Urleven van de Helle (Maiju Mallat) 5/8.
  5. Sweden 24 faults: Click and Cash (Niklas Arvidsson) 4/8, Newton Nickel (Angelie von Essen) 0/4, Thriller P (Lisen Fredricson) Elim/Elim, H&M Damgaardens Extens (Peder Fredricson) 4/4.
  6. Belgium 26 faults: d’Atlantique Royale (Francois Mathy Jr.) 13/8, Chamonix H (Olivier Philippaerts) 4/5, Vingino (Annelies Vorsselmans) 4/4, Loro Piana Once de Kreisker (Philippe Le Jeune) 5/4.
  7. Great Britain 34 faults: Varo M (Daniel Neilson), Caritiar Z (Phillip Miller) 1/13, Ondine du Logis (Simon Crippen) 13/8, Diablesse de Muze (Joe Clee) 0/4.
  8. Norway 15 faults in the FIRST ROUND: Diablo (Line Raaholt) 9, Urval (Victoria Gulliksen) 5, CC Top (Ole Kristoffer Meland) 1, Quartel du Mazes (Tony Andre Hansen) 27.

Facts and Figures:

8 teams participated in today’s Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping leg at CSIO 4* Lummen in Belgium.

This Furusiyya fixture was part of Division 2 – Europe.

Course designer was Lucien Somers who has also experience as Chef d’Equipe of the Belgian team in previous seasons.

Kurt Graemeier from Germany is currently Chef d’Equipe for the Belgian side.

The youngest horse in today’s competition was the eight-year-old Dutch-bred chestnut mare Atlanta, ridden by Peter Bulthuis from The Netherlands.

The oldest horse was the 16-year-old Belgian-bred bay stallion Urleven van de helle ridden by Finland’s Maiju Mallat.

There were three double-clear performances – from Marc Dilasser (Obiwan de Piliere Jo) and Aymeric de Ponnat (Armitages Boy) for France, and from Switzerland’s Carlo Pfyffer (Notre Moinerie).

Both France and Switzerland fielded just three riders in the second round as the results was already decided before the fourth-line rider was due to enter the arena for a second time.

Four countries were battling for points at this leg of the Furusiyya series – Belgium, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

Quotes:

Olivier Guillon, France – “My horse doesn’t do too many indoor competitions during the winter. So it was a good way for us to start the season.”

Swedish Chef Sylve Soderstrand – “We didn’t have high expectations because we brought a very green team and new horses.  I was very happy with Angelie Von Essen and Peder Fredricson.”

Belgian Chef Kurt Gravemeier – “I’m particularly pleased with the performance of Annelies Vorsselmans.  She was twice in the water but never touched a fence; it was a nice performance.”

Jerome Hurel, FRA, talking about the course – “It was fairly normal for a competition like this. I had a pole down at the first obstacle because I put too much pressure from the start but other than that, it went really well.”

For further information on the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series, check out this link.

“Furusiyya” (Arabic: فروسيه) this single Arabic word conveys so much, embracing the idea of horsemanship, chivalry, and equestrian knowledge in general. The term is a derivation of faris, or horseman and faras, a horse.

Longines is the Official Timekeeper of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series.

Longines has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations.

Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when a timepiece was made with a horse and jockey engraved on the watch face. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1926, for the first time, the brand was involved as timekeeper for the Official International Equestrian Competition of Geneva. Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrianism includes Jumping, Endurance and flat racing.

Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 130 countries.

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts:

At Lummen

Edith de Reys
Press Officer
Email: edr.press.service@gmail.com
Tel: +32 475 65 92 81

At FEI

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

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

At Revolution Sports + Entertainment

Tim Welland
Email: tim@revolutionsports.co.uk
Tel: +44 7787 780 036

Competitions, FEI, Show Jumping

Swiss Win Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in Tense Thriller at Linz

Leave a comment

Pictured left to right – Pascal Bettschen, Christina Liebherr, Claudia Gisler and Theo Muff. Photo: FEI/Krisztian Buthi.

Linz (AUT), 3 May 2013 – The Swiss team won through in an edge-of-the-seat battle with Australia at the third leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 series in Linz, Austria this afternoon. Germany finished a close third ahead of the host nation in fourth, and the Polish team had to settle for seventh behind Denmark and Ireland when, despite threatening the leaders with a superb performance in the early part of the competition, their chances suddenly slipped away during the dramatic closing stages.

From a starting field of 11 nations, just eight returned to the second round. And although they didn’t manage to make the cut, the team from Belarus collected some of the precious qualifying points on offer in the tussle for a place at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final which will take place in Barcelona, Spain in September.

Just four nations were in line for points at this fixture, and Austria collected 75 while Denmark picked up 66 and Belarus 59.  But a last-place finish for Russia left them on a zero score.

Perfectly Pitched

The first-round track designed by Austria’s Franz Madl was perfectly pitched for CSIO 3* standard.  Winning team member, Christina Liebherr, described it as “not so big, but very technical.  The ground was up and down so you could easily make mistakes with your distances, and some horses jumped a bit flat here and there – but there were mistakes everywhere on the course so it was definitely very fair,” the Swiss rider said.  And she recognised that today’s Swiss victory wasn’t easily earned.  “The Australian horses jumped really well and the Polish team might have won it too – it was a very exciting competition right to the very end,” she pointed out.

Madl sent them off over an oxer followed by a vertical with a bending line to the Longines double at fence three.  The following triple bar to vertical proved influential, with the latter regularly hitting the floor and then there was a full circle to the narrow wall at six which didn’t prove attractive to a number of horses. The oxer at seven was followed by the open water, and German chances were undermined when their second-line partnership of Joachim Heyer and Aquarell PW ran into trouble here, while the following triple combination would also penalise many before the oxer at fence 10 led to the final line.  Some riders chose to cut tight to the penultimate oxer, but time and again this proved to be a mistake as horses were asked to jump off-balance and riders paid the price, while the final vertical also hit the floor on many occasions at the end of an otherwise foot-perfect round.

Halfway Stage

By the halfway stage, however, the Australians were looking very good indeed with just a single time penalty between them.  The Swiss lay second, with five faults on the board, while Poland was in third carrying eight, Germany was next with 10 and the home team from Austria was on level-pegging with the Italians carrying 12.  The Danish side had already collected 16 faults while the Irish filled the last of the first-round qualifying spots with 21.  Great Britain’s 23 faults, the 31 accumulated by Belarus and the 32 picked up by the Russian side left these three countries on the sidelines as round two began.

There were just two double-clear performances on the day, and the first of these was recorded by the impressive 25-year-old Polish pathfinder Lukasz Koza with the athletic El Camp.  And when Igor Kawiak and his lovely grey, Centino du Ry, followed his double-error in the opening round with just a single mistake at the penultimate oxer this time out then Poland pulled out in front temporarily.  Even when third-line rider Ewa Mazurowska followed her first-round four faults with 20 at her second attempt there was still a chance they could come out on top because a clear, or as it turned out even eight faults, from last-to-go Piotr Morsztyn and Osadkowski van Hallen would be plenty good enough.  But it all fell apart for Morsztyn who couldn’t find a stride to the double at fence three, and when his horse, Ponita, dropped back to trot but still bravely attempted to take on the first element, it all ended with falling poles and an unseated rider for elimination.

Battle Continued

Meanwhile the battle continued to rage between the Australians and Swiss.  Australian opener, Alison Rowland, made her only mistake of the day when the busy little Bickley Brook Bella put a foot in the water second time out, but William James Passy followed his opening one-time-fault effort with Yirrkala Corina with two poles down and when Philip Lever became one of the very many to lower the first fence, but the only rider of the day to dislodge a brick from the narrow wall at fence six, then the Swiss began to sneak ahead.

Liebherr’s LB Callas Sitte Z faulted at the water in another otherwise copybook round, Muff hit the final element of the triple combination and Bettschen became yet another victim of the first fence before his horse, Milor Landais, also got his feet wet for a total of eight faults.

With just two riders to go it was still very much hanging in the balance.  Both Switzerland and Australia were on 21 faults now, so it was up to their anchor partnerships to decide the result.  A clear from Claudia Gisler and Touchable would pile the pressure on the final Australian duo by reducing the Swiss total to just 13, and it looked like they were about to do just that until the very last fence hit the floor to bring the final tally to 17 faults.

The Australian’s could finish on 13 however if they could drop one eight-fault result and if their last rider could keep a clean sheet.  It was a big ask, but with the atmosphere at boiling point Rory Hovell and Yalambi’s Val d’Isere VDL made it all the way to the final element of the triple combination before that fell, and when the following oxer also bit the dust then it was all over.  Their 21-fault finishing score would relegate the Australians to runner-up spot behind the considerably more experienced Swiss side.  Germany was just one fault further behind with 22 faults while Austria finished a very creditable fourth on a total of 24.

Rallied Strongly

The Irish rallied strongly in round two to finish fifth, and the astonishing potential of 17-year-old Bertram Allen, who was making his senior team debut, was further underlined by his double-clear with Romanov which, when added to a second-round clear from Anthony Condon (Special Lux) and a much-improved four-fault effort from anchorman Capt Michael Kelly (Annestown) seriously bolstered the Irish position. Denmark finished with 28 faults on the board, Poland completed with 32, and Italy with 40.

Liebherr was delighted with the result which paves the way for her return to top-level FEI Nations Cup jumping at the Europe Division 1 Furusiyya fixture in Rome (ITA) later this month.

She took some time out of the top level of the sport to develop horses through 3* and 2* competition in recent years, “but I’m trying to move up again now,” she said today.  “I have some great new horses.  My father is also my sponsor and he is very motivated for me to be back at top level again.  I have three or four nine-year-olds coming along slowly this year with good results,” she pointed out.

Liebherr spent some time training with Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum, “and I’ve taken a lot from that time,” she said today.  “Ludger is fantastic; he doesn’t try to change the horse or the rider, but he gives you small tips that make a big difference; I learned so much from him,” said the unassuming Swiss Olympian.

Today’s leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series at Linz was part of Europe Division 2.  The next leg of this series takes place on Friday 10 May in Drammen, Norway.

Result:

1. Switzerland 17 faults: LB Callas Sitte Z (Christina Liebherr) 0/4, Leszek (Theo Muff) 4/4, Milor Landais (Pascal Bettschen) 1/8, Touchable (Claudia Gisler) 4/4.

2. Australia 21 faults: Bickley Brook Bella (Alison Rowland) 0/4, Yirrkala Cortina (William James Passy) 1/8, Da Vinci’s Pride (Phillip Lever) 0/8, Yalambi’s Val d’Isere VDL (Rory Hovell) 4/8.

3. Germany 22 faults: Little Pezi (Mario Stevens) 0/4, Aquarell PW (Joachem Heyer) Elim/19, Cassydy (Markus Renzel) 6/0, Queen Mary (Jan Wemke) 4/8.

4. Austria 24 faults:  Glock’s Prince de Vaus (Dieter Kofler) 4/8, Duc de Revel (Astrid Kneifel) 8/4, Sterrehof’s Ushi (Julia Kayser) 8/0, Concordija (Stefan Eder) 0/8.

5. Ireland 25 faults: Je T’Aime Flamenco (Billy Twomey) 8/12, Special Lux (Anthony Condon) 13/0, Romanov (Bertram Allen) 0/0, Annestown (Capt Michael Kelly) 16/4.

6. Denmark 28 faults: Allerdings (Andreas Schou) 8/8, Kamila (Kim Kristensen) 4/4, Charly (Lars Bak Andersen) 8/4, Cartani (Charlotte von Roenne) 4/4.

7. Poland 32 faults: El Camp (Lukasz Koza) 0/0, Centino du Ry (Igor Kawiak) 8/4, Ponita (Ewa Mazurowska) 4/20, Osadkowski van Halen (Piotr Morsztyn) 4/Elim.

8. Italy 40 faults: Neptune Brecourt (Luca Maria Moneta) 0/4, Villeneuve D (Eleonora Zorzetto) 8/12, Chico Z (Riccardo Pisani) 4/12, New Zealand Delle Roane (Fabio Brotto) 8/12.

The following teams did not jump in the second round:

9. Great Britain 23 faults: Goodman Accobado (Jo Pay) 4, Winner (Louise Saywell) 4, Quentin Tarantino (Timothy Page) 16, Fandango (William Whitaker) 15.

10. Belarus 31 faults: Wacantos (Yahor Morotski) 17, Lodonkor (Vasil Ivanou) 12, Clooney (Ibragim) 6, Unique Cheval (Maxim Kryna) 13.

11. Russia 32 faults: Like You (Sergey Khomashko) 16, Wilandra (Vadim Konovalov) 12, Kilar (Natalia Simonia) 8, Rocketman (Vladimir Beletskiy) 12. Detailed result here.

Facts and Figures:

11 nations competed in today’s third leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series at CSIO 3* Linz, Austria.

The Linz fixture is part of the Furusiyya Division 2 – Europe series.

Course designer was Austria’s Franz Madl.

There were 12 fences on the first-round track.

There were four countries battling for the all-important qualifying points on offer at this fixture – Austria, Belarus, Denmark and Russia.

There were two double-clear performances in today’s competition – from 25-year-old Polish rider Lukasz Koza (El Camp) and 17-year-old Irish schoolboy Bertram Allen (Romanov).

Quotes:

Bertram Allen (IRL) – “Finishing with a double clear was an unbelievable feeling, hard to describe. I’ve only been with Romanov between six to eight weeks, but we seemed to click very quickly. He won the Grand Prix at Magna Racino (ITA) for me two weeks ago, and was very good here yesterday. I’m delighted with today’s result.”

Christina Liebherr (SUI), talking about the large number of faults at the first fence in today’s competition – “We were coming out of a corner and there wasn’t much space so some of the horses were a bit surprised by it and there were quite a lot of mistakes.”

For further information on the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series, check out this link.

“Furusiyya” (Arabic: فروسيه) this single Arabic word conveys so much, embracing the idea of horsemanship, chivalry, and equestrian knowledge in general. The term is a derivation of faris, or horseman and faras, a horse.

Longines is the Official Timekeeper of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series.

Longines has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations.

Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when a timepiece was made with a horse and jockey engraved on the watch face. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1926, for the first time, the brand was involved as timekeeper for the Official International Equestrian Competition of Geneva. Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrianism includes Jumping, Endurance and flat racing.

Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 130 countries.

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts:

At Linz

Nora Kronheim
Press Officer
Email: Press@linzerpferdefestival.at
Tel: +43 660 653 1825

At FEI

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

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

At Revolution Sports + Entertainment

Tim Welland
Email: tim@revolutionsports.co.uk
Tel: +44 7787 780 036

Competitions, FEI, Show Jumping

Eight Teams at Series Qualifier in Lummen

Leave a comment

Lausanne (SUI), 2 May 2013 – The fourth qualifier of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 will take place at the Lummen CSIO 4* in Belgium this Friday 3 May attracting a field of eight teams.

The starting order, which was determined by a draw held at Lummen today, will be as follows:

  1. Sweden
  2. The Netherlands
  3. Finland
  4. Norway
  5. France
  6. Switzerland
  7. Belgium
  8. Great Britain

Friday’s competition will begin at 15.30 CEST (local time in Belgium, GMT +2 hours).

The FEI is providing a wide range of online information resources in connection with the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping.

Dedicated webpage

Our dedicated webpage gives you access to useful information, including the calendar, latest results, updated standings, rules and news from the series.

Social Media

The FEI is posting news, images and videos on Facebook www.facebook.com/the.fei and Twitter www.twitter.com/myfei_home. Please follow us and share our content.

Our signature Twitter hashtags are: #Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup #Jumping.

“Furusiyya” (Arabic: فروسيه) this single Arabic word conveys so much, embracing the idea of horsemanship, chivalry, and equestrian knowledge in general. The term is a derivation of faris, or horseman and faras, a horse.

Longines is the Official Timekeeper of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series.

Longine has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations.

Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when a timepiece was made with a horse and jockey engraved on the watch face. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1926, for the first time, the brand was involved as timekeeper for the Official International Equestrian Competition of Geneva. Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrianism includes Jumping, Endurance and flat racing.

Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 130 countries.

Media contacts:

At FEI:

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

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

At Lummen:

Edith de Reys
Press Officer
Email: edr.press.service@gmail.com
Tel: +32 475 65 92 81

At Revolution Sports + Entertainment:

Tim Welland
Email: tim@revolutionsports.co.uk
Tel: +44 7787 780 036