Tag Archives: FEI World Cup

FEI, USEF, Vaulting

Aniello Set to Compete as First American at FEI World Cup Vaulting Final

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Lexington, KY – Gabe Aniello (Redwood City, CA) is set to compete at the FEI World Cup Vaulting Final in Braunchweig, Germany March 14-17. Aniello is the first American vaulter to qualify to compete in the FEI World Cup Vaulting Final. He will vault on Pino del Rio and be lunged by Elke Schelp-Lensing. Aniello will contend against five other top male vaulters including France’s Nicolas Andreani and Ivan Nousse, Lukas Klouda of the Czech Republic, Germany’s Torben Jacobs, and Koen Akkerman of The Netherlands.

Aniello has found success on the international competition scene. He represented the U.S. last year at the 2012 FEI World Vaulting Championship in Le Mans, France, where he placed tenth in the Individual Male championship. Aniello qualified for the FEI World Cup Vaulting Final with solid performances in CVI-W competitions in Paris, France, Leipzig, Germany and Bordeaux, France. The 21-year-old began his qualification process with a third-place finish in Paris at the beginning of December lunged by Schelp-Lensing on Pino del Rio. He then kicked off the new year with a sixth-place effort in Leipzig partnering again with Pino del Rio and Schelp-Lensing, prior to claiming his Final’s qualification with a fourth-place finish in Bordeaux with Carlos 190 and lunger Schelp-Lensing.

Visit the competition website here.

To learn more about the 2012 FEI World Cup Vaulting Final and 2012/2013 qualifying season, visit: http://www.fei.org/events/series-and-finals/fei-world-cup%25E2%2584%25A2-vaulting/calendar-and-rules.

Follow the 2013 U.S. Vaulting Team here.

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, FEI

Belarusians Dominate Central European League Qualifiers, Ryan Wins Pacific League Final

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Australia’s Lyndal Oatley will represent the Pacific League at the forthcoming Reem Acra FEi World Cup Dressage Final 2012/2013. FEI/©Jon Stroud Media.

Lausanne (SUI), 11 March 2013 – Sviatlana Loika and Katsiaryna Varchenia from Belarus are joint-leaders of the FEI Central European World Cup Dressage 2012/2013 League while Australia’s Rozzie Ryan won the Pacific League Final in recent months.  The Central European qualifying spot for the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final 2012/2013 in Gothenburg, Sweden next month has yet to be decided by results from the regional Final which will take place at Zhashkiv, Ukraine from 29 to 31 March.

Meanwhile, Ryan has opted not to travel to Europe, so the Pacific League qualifying spot will be taken up by European-based Lyndal Oatley.

Central Europe

A total of eight qualifying legs took place in the Central European region, with riders also permitted to take points from the Western European legs at Stuttgart, Germany and Stockholm, Sweden last November.  The series began in Zhashkiv last May, where Austria’s Stefan Peter won through with Don Walesko ahead of the Ukraine’s Inna Logutenkova who filled both second and third places partnering Vian Stallone and Don Gregorius respectively.  Loika and her top ride, Gulbis, only managed a fifth-place finish this time out to slot in behind Yassine Rahmouni (Floresco NRW) from Morocco.

However Loika moved up to third place at the following event in Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia last June where the host country’s Alexandra Korelova and Baikal stood top of the podium with Katsiaryna Varchenis and Redford 2 in runner-up spot.  The big guns came out for the third leg at Lipica, Slovenia where Switzerland’s Marcela Krinke Susmelj and Smeyers Molberg held sway over Italy’s Valentina Truppa who would go on to make a big impact later in the year in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Western European League series.  Frenchman Arnaud Serre and Helio took third at Lipica ahead of Germany’s Matthias Kempkes and Corado, but at Bmo-Panska Licha in the Czech Republic a few weeks later, Poland’s Katarzyna Milczarek and Ekwador headed Sebastien Duperdu from France with Passe Partout.  Austria’s Karis Kosak (Lucy’s Day) finished third here while Germany’s Martina Hannover-Sternberg (Ratino H) filled fourth spot.

Russian riders reigned supreme in Moscow in early September where Tatiana Dorofeeva (Khorovod) pipped fellow-countrywoman Alexandra Korelova (Baikal), but Loika’s points accumulation was steadily building with third spot here ahead of Russia’s Ksenia Morozkina (Absolutely Fabulous) while Loika’s Balarusian counterpart, Varchenia, finished fifth.

Pole Position

At Wroclaw, Poland later that month a number of the Western European League contenders lined out once again, and it was Krinke Susmelj who took pole position ahead of Canada’s Pia Fortmuller (Orion) while Milczarek had to settle for third with Florencia B.  The Netherlands’ Marlies van Baalen and BMC Miciano slotted into fourth with Sweden’s Roe Mathisen (Bocelli) in fifth while the well-travelled Polish partnership of Michel Rapcewizz and Randon took sixth spot.

Just three lined out at Minsk in Belarus in late September where Varchenia improved her position with victory riding Redford ahead of Loika and Gulbis while Russia’s Morozkina and Absolutely Fabulous took third behind the Belarusian partnership who, by now, were already on level-pegging for top spot in the series.

Lyndal Oatley’s victory for Australia with Sandro Boy at Kaposvar in Hungary last October therefore caused them no concern.  Milczarek and Edwador lined up second here ahead of Fortmuller and Orion in third and Kosak and Lucy’s Lady in fourth.  However it was a huge day for Oatley who recorded her very first Grand Prix victory with a personal-best score of 76.525.

And the significance of Oatley’s performance was borne out when the 32-year-old German-based rider who hails from Sydney was offered a wild-card entry to the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final 2012/2013 in Gothenburg, Sweden next month.  Her name was put forward by Equestrian Australia when both winner, Rozzie Ryan, and runner-up Maree Tomkinson declined the opportunity to avail of the invitations available to them following their successful runs in the Pacific series.

Pacific League

All of the Pacific League events took place in Australia, and at the opener in Werribee, Victoria last March, Tomkinson and Diamantina pipped Heath Ryan and Regardez Moi for top spot with Tor van den Berge (Fishermans Friend) slotting into third ahead of Fiona McNaught (Ostra) in fourth.

It was Heath Ryan’s turn to head the line-up in Melbourne in June where Caroline Wagner and Tango V took second ahead of Jeremy Janjic (Django of Cacherel) in third and Kerry Mack (Mayfield Pzazz) in fourth – Tomkinson and Diamantina having to settle for fifth this time out.

At Brisbane in July, David Shoobridge and OO-Seven pleased the Ground Jury best, but the ever-consistent Heath Ryan finished second while van de Berge was third and Caroline Wagner was next in line. However Tomkinson bounced back with another win at Sydney in October, demoting Shoobridge to runner-up spot here while Sheridyn Ashwood (Prestige VDL) finished third ahead of Heath Ryan and Regardez Moi in fourth.  Ryan then recorded a double of his own when reigning supreme in Melbourne in November where Mary Hanna and Sancette lined up second ahead of Tomkinson in third and Shoobridge in fourth.

However it was another Ryan who stole the show when the series returned to Werribee again for the last qualifying leg in December.  Heath’s wife, Rozzie Ryan, scored 70.275 with the 16 year old GV Bullwinkle to leave Tomkinson and Diamantina in second ahead of Shoobridge and OO-Seven in third.  Both Heath and Rozzie have represented Australia at Olympic Games, FEI World Equestrian Games and FEI World Cup level, and when Rozzie also won the series final at Melbourne later that month she was offered the qualifying spot available at the forthcoming Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final. She decided not to travel however, and when Maree Tomkinson did likewise, the opportunity arose for Oatley who will now fly the flag for the Pacific League.

Results:

FEI Pacific League World Cup Dressage Final 2012/2013 – 1, GB Bullwinkle (Rozzie Ryan) AUS 67.106; 2, Diamantina 4 (Maree Tomkinson) AUS 66.936; 3, OO Seven (David Shoobridge) AUS 66.83; 4, Tango V (Caroline Wagner) AUS 65.234; 5, Mayfield Pzazz (Kerry Mack) AUS 64.319; 6, Sheer Etiquette (Susan Paix) AUS 64.000; 7, Roxbury Armistice (Meaghan Willis) AUS 60.596; 8, Ostra (Fiona McNaught) AUS 60.000.

FEI Central European World Cup Dressage League 2012/2013:

1. Katsiaryna Varchenia BLR – 60
1. Sviatlana Loika BLR – 60
3. Katarzyn Milczarek POL – 57
4. Tatiana Dorofeeva RUS – 43
5. Ksenia Morozkina RUS – 40
6. Alexandra Korelova RUS – 37
7. Inna Logutenkova UKR – 28
8. Yulia Vinnitskaja RUS – 23
9. Halina Zotava BUL – 19
9. Grete Barake EST – 19

FEI World Cup Dressage, the only worldwide series in this discipline, has entered its 28th season. The series, created in 1985, comprises four leagues: Western European, Central European, North American (including Canada) and Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, Asia). Each FEI World Cup Dressage qualifier consists of a Grand Prix test, which in turn is a qualification for the Freestyle to music competition, where league points are accumulated towards places in the Final. Judged on both technical and artistic merit, the FEI World Cup Dressage combines art, sport and partnership between horse and rider at the highest level and consistently proves a winning formula with audiences all over the world.

The complete rules, calendar, updated ranking and results are available here.

The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), founded in 1921, is the international body governing equestrian sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and includes 133 National Federations. Equestrian sport has been on the Olympic programme since 1912 with three disciplines – Jumping, Dressage and Eventing. In 2012 equestrian sport will celebrate its centenary as an Olympic sport. It is one of the very few sports in which men and women compete on equal terms. It is also the only sport which involves two athletes – horse and rider. The FEI has relentlessly concerned itself with the welfare of the horse, which is paramount and must never be subordinated to competitive or commercial influences.

By Louise Parkes

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Beezie Madden and Cortes ‘C’ Victorious in $125,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix

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Parkland and Lillie Keenan Are an Unstoppable Force in Small Junior 16-17 Hunters

Wellington, FL – February 16, 2013 – Two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist Beezie Madden and Abigail Wexner’s Cortes ‘C’ were victorious on Saturday night in the $125,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix, CSI 3*-W presented by Spy Coast Farm, during week six of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) in Wellington, FL. Madden beat out an impressive roster of top riders and finished in first place over Katie Dinan (USA) and Nougat du Vallet and Shane Sweetnam (IRL) aboard Amaretto d’Arco, who finished second and third respectively.

Brazil’s Guilherme Jorge set the track for 46 entries in Saturday night’s grand prix with nine jumping clear to advance to the jump-off. Four were able to complete the short course without fault, with the fastest time of 41.50 seconds belonging to Beezie Madden and Cortes ‘C’ took top prize.

Watch an interview with Beezie Madden!

Margie Engle (USA) and Elm Rock, LLC’s Royce were first to clear the jump-off course in 45.69 seconds and eventually placed fourth. Shane Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm, LLC’s Amaretto d’Arco cleared the jump-off track in 42.56 seconds to place third. Up next, Katie Dinan and Grant Road Partners, LLC’s Nougat du Vallet upped the ante with their time of 41.84 seconds to place second. They were immediately followed by an even faster clear round from Beezie Madden and Cortes ‘C’ in the winning 41.50 seconds. Week four grand prix winners Ben Maher and Jane Clark’s Cella had the fastest time of the night in 40.46 seconds, but had one rail down in the short course to place fifth.

Spy Coast Farm owners Robert and Lisa Lourie were thrilled with the success of the evening and the great class along with a third place finish for their horse and rider. Lisa Lourie commented, “I think it was an extremely exciting grand prix. It was very competitive and you could not have asked for a better lineup for the jump-off. It was a world-class event and we were happy to be a part of that jump-off. As they say, anytime you lose to Beezie when she is riding at her best, that is not a bad thing. We are very pleased with how it went and very happy to do it.”

Madden’s winning mount for the evening, Cortes ‘C’, is an eleven-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Randel Z x Darco that Madden has now had for three years. Madden describes Cortes as a horse with fantastic ability. “He can jump the moon,” Madden stated. “He’s a bit of an internal worrier and I think he is just starting to come into his own. If he can relax like he did tonight under the lights in a big atmosphere I think he’s going to be fantastic.”

This was the first big grand prix of the year for Cortes and Madden was happy with his performance. “He felt fantastic,” she smiled. “Last year he was a little inexperienced under the lights and he was very tense when he came up here each time. This time he started out very relaxed and he felt terrific.”

“He felt very relaxed in the first round; very rideable and jumping well,” Madden continued. “I saw Katie go right before me. I was lucky to go right behind her so I could see how fast she went, so the strategy became try to pull out all the shots you can and it worked.”

In addition to the grand prix win, Madden was named the Leading Lady Jumper Rider, an award presented by Martha Jolicoeur of Illustrated Properties in memory of Dale Lawler.

“I’d just like to thank Spy Coast and the Louries,” Madden said. “They are great enthusiasts of the sport and without people like them we wouldn’t be here.”

Second place finisher, nineteen-year-old Katie Dinan, has grown up with Beezie Madden as a riding idol and was excited to finish in the top of the class with her. Dinan’s horse, Nougat du Vallet, jumped two great rounds as well. “He felt great,” Dinan smiled. “He jumped so well in the first round and we had a good school before the jump-off. I knew he wasn’t going to try to touch any of the jumps. It was just up to me to go fast. He can do most things for me, but I have to tell him when we need to go fast. He felt really good.”

Shane Sweetnam was pleased to finish in the top three for Spy Coast Farm with their top stallion Amaretto d’Arco, and had a great night.

“I was very happy with my horse tonight,” Sweetnam stated. “Obviously, the Spy Coast Grand Prix, I would have liked to have won it, but I was very happy. It is his first grand prix of the year and I’m just happy to be here.”

“Guilherme did a good job with the course,” Sweetnam said. “I think nine is a good number for clear rounds. No one got hung up anywhere, so for the young riders it was good experience for them as well as a good class for the public.”

Also showing in the International Arena on Saturday, Jessica Springsteen and Stone Hill Farm’s Vindicat W won the $15,000 RCG Farm SJHOF High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Lucas Porter and Mill’s Georgia, owned by John Roche, won in the Hollow Creek Farm Medium Junior Jumpers. Alvaro Tejada Arriola and Isabel Tejada’s Velinta Palo Blanco won in the Animo USA Medium Amateur-Owner Jumpers, and Diederique Van Der Knaap and G&C Con Air won in the Griffis Residential High Junior Jumpers.

Parkland and Lillie Keenan Are an Unstoppable Force in Small Junior 16-17 Hunters

Parkland and Lillie Keenan continued their domination of the Small Junior Hunter 16-17 division during week six of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. The pair has taken home championship honors every week they have competed in the division, making this win their fourth tricolor victory.  Keenan and Parkland, an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Jennifer Gates, were a force to be reckoned with throughout the two days of competition for the division. They placed third and first over fences on day one and won both over fences rounds day two before wrapping up the division with a fourth place on the flat.

Lillie Keenan and Parkland. Photo © Anne Gittins Photography
Lillie Keenan and Parkland. Photo © Anne Gittins Photography

Reserve champion was Romance, ridden and owned by Spencer Smith. Smith and Romance were sixth over fences on day one and placed second in both over fences rounds day two. The pair edged out Keenan and Parkland under saddle, placing third in the final class of the division.

Romance and Smith were also honored with the Owner/Rider championship title for the division. The award recognizes riders in junior divisions competing on their own horses and is tallied separately from overall division championship awards. Reserve Owner/Rider champions were MTM U Call It and Cloe Hymowitz.

Keenan, of New York City, and Parkland began their partnership during week one of the FTI WEF, when the pair first took home the tricolor prize.  Since then, the two have proven that it wasn’t just beginner’s luck that earned them top honors.

“He’s a really special horse. He’s really fancy and it’s nice to have [a horse] in the division that you can trust to do his part. He’s a great mover and his strongest quality is how beautiful he is across the ground. His owner, Jennifer Gates, is so nice and comes to see him all the time, so it’s nice to have a lot of support behind you with a horse as special as Parkland,” Keenan stated.

“We’ve gotten closer as circuit has gone on,” Keenan continued. “He’s really part of the [Heritage Farm] family. When he first came, I’d never ridden him before he got to Florida but we’ve gotten to know each other very well. We can rely on each other in the ring.”

Keenan attributes much of her success with Parkland to the gelding’s incredible natural talent, but the bond the two shares is an undeniable factor.  “I know what he likes and I know what to expect. He’s a very reliable horse. The style I ride is very similar to the way he wants to go. It’s a lot easier to match up with a horse that goes the way you like to ride. We naturally have a connection and we’ve worked on it a lot,” Keenan described.

“He’s dead brave and he moves and jumps well, which is a great foundation to work from. I just have to hold him together and keep him in a solid rhythm. It’s really just monitoring his pace and that’s all it takes,” Keenan continued.

Keenan and Parkland will aim to continue their winning streak over the remaining six weeks of the FTI WEF. Keenan is eager to return for week seven of the FTI WEF for the World Championship Hunter Rider Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular, hosted in the International Arena next week.

Week six of the FTI WEF concludes Sunday with the La Mundial Adult Amateur Hunter 18-35 Section B division, which will determine its champion in the E. R. Mische Grand Hunter Arena. The $33,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic will conclude jumper competition in the International Arena. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.

Lauren Fisher and Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival
The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 9 through March 31. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.

About FTI Consulting
FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 3,800 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.56 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2011. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.

Please visit www.equestriansport.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Events, FEI, FEI

Langehanenberg Makes It Two-in-a-Row at Neumuenster

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Neumuenster (GER), 17 February 2013 – In a double of doubles, Helen Langehanenberg and Damon Hill NRW today recorded a back-to-back victory in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Western European League 2012/2013 series when heading the line-up on home turf at Neumuenster, Germany where the pair also reigned supreme last season.

The 30-year-old rider and her 13-year-old stallion produced a performance of such quality that the result was in no doubt once they posted their score of 87.800.  At Amsterdam in The Netherlands four weeks ago, they beat defending double-champions Adelinde Cornelissen and Jerich Parzival in Freestyle for the very first time. And today the dynamic German duo showed even greater confidence and composure as they strutted to success in front of their home crowd.

Cornelissen’s grip on the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage title looks set to be seriously challenged when the series Final takes place in Gothenburg, Sweden at the end of April.  “When we go to the Final we will give our very, very best, and if we keep this form it will be really good sport and very interesting!” Langehanenberg said today.

Top Three Places

Of the 15 riders from eight nations, Germany fielded four today and captured all of the top three places. Kristina Sprehe, one of the new wave of exciting younger riders emerging into the sport for Germany and a member of the London 2012 Olympic team silver medal side, slotted into second with Desperados FRH while the veteran and former FEI World Cup Dressage champion, Isabell Werth, finished third with Don Johnson FRH.

Danish riders claimed fourth and fifth places, and once again Sidsel Johansen and Schianto won the hearts of the spectators with another joyous and pleasing performance. And, for the second time this season, the crowd expressed their disappointment at the score awarded to the Danish duo.  But judges Katrina Wuest (GER), Dr Evi Eisenhardt (GER), Ghislain Fouarge (NED), Leif Tornblad (DEN) and Marietta Almasy (FRA) were very much in agreement as Johansen’s 72.660 left them in fifth place.

Today’s result has rocketed Sprehe up to the top of the leaderboard, with, however, just a single-point advantage over long-time leader Valentina Truppa from Italy going into the last qualifying leg at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands in four weeks’ time. Langehanenberg lies third ahead of Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven in fourth and Dutchman Edward Gal in fifth place.

Today’s result also mirrored that of yesterday’s Grand Prix in which Damon Hill’s score of 83.310 left Langehanenberg almost five full marks ahead of Desperados and Sprehe while Don Johnson and Werth claimed third.

Freestyle

As today’s Freestyle got underway, it was Finland’s Terhi Stegars and the handsome Trakehner, Axis TSF, who were the first to score over 70 per cent when achieving 71.150, and then The Netherlands’ Marlie von Baalen and BMC Miciano raised the bar with a score of 73.850. However it was the latter’s Dutch counterpart, Patrick van der Meer, who held the clear lead before the judging break with a lovely performance from the 11-year-old Uzzo that included elegant piaffe and passage for a mark of 76.425 – a personal-best Freestyle score for this talented partnership.

Third to go of the final group however, Langehanenberg and Damon Hill were stunning from start to finish, the stallion’s big, clean and rhythmic passage, his boldness in canter and his stillness in piaffe, their steadiness, fluency and togetherness and their overall air of absolute confidence saw them rewarded with artistic marks of 94.000 per cent by Wuest, 92.000 from both Eisenhardt and Fouarge, 91.000 per cent from Almasy and 86.000 from Tornblad.  The crowd erupted with delight and appreciation as 87.800 went up on the scoreboard.

Now it was simply a matter of who could come closest, and multiple champion, 43-year-old Isabell Werth, steered Don Johnson to a score of 83.000 before 23-year-old Anna Kasprzak launched into her floor plan that began with canterwork and earned her a mark of 81.075 with Donnperignon.

The remaining Danish partnership of Johansen and Schianto were second-last to go, and the 14-year-old horse, who always looks as if he is thoroughly enjoying himself in the ring, showed tremendous elevation in passage and piaffe, power and courage in extended canter and a general joyousness that has proven particularly infectious this season. Their mark of 80.050 didn’t please the onlookers, but Johansen’s ear-to-ear grin showed that she knew they had once again produced a crowd-pleasing effort.

Sprehe was last into the ring, and the 26-year-old rider could have been forgiven for a little uneasiness as the crowd’s reaction to Johansen’s score seemed to disturb the concentration of her horse at the very start.  But the pure quality of his movement was sufficient to guarantee a strong result for Desperados who recovered to demonstrate strong piaffe and piaffe/pirouette on their way to clinching runner-up spot with 84.425 per cent.

Pivotal

For Langehanenberg, the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage series has been pivotal.  “It’s true, I have grown up in this series; it has helped me to be better in every way!” said the rider who first came to real prominence during the 2010/2011 season. While well-known on the national circuit prior to that, she only really began to show her colossal potential at international level throughout the winter of 2010 and, over the two subsequent seasons, she has blossomed into a super-star of the sport. Runner-up behind Cornelissen at last year’s Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final, she looks well set to oust her biggest rival this time around if all goes to plan.

But bragging and boasting is not her style. So when asked today if she thought she could leave Cornelissen in her wake when it comes to the Final in Gothenburg later in the spring, Langehanenberg said with some stoicism, “We all have so many hopes and so many dreams but they don’t always come true.  My dreams and my aims have always been clear, but I don’t let them put pressure on myself or on my horse.  You just never know how it will work out. We stay focused and we work hard to achieve our goals, I am just very happy that we are succeeding right now,” she pointed out.

That focus is on the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage 2012/2013 title. Today she was unsure if she would bring out her stallion at ‘s-Hertogenbosch next month. “We will now make a plan for how to use the time in between now and the Final.  I’m not sure yet exactly what we will do; we will make a decision next week,” she explained.  One way or another, she looks set to provide formidable opposition to the rest of the world-class line-up as the series Final begins to unfold….

For further information on the seventh leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage 2012/2013 series in Neumunster (GER) check out website http://pst-marketing.de/index.php/home-vr-classics.html or contact Press Officer Andreas Kerstan Email andreas.kerstan@comtainment.de, Tel +49 4307 827973, +49 3416 786 012. The next leg, and last qualifier in the Western European League, takes place at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands on Saturday 16 March 2013.  For details of the Dutch fixture go to website http://www.indoorbrabant.com/en/ or contact Press Officer Denise van der Net, Email denisene@xs4all.net, Tel +31 6270 31674.

Result: 1, Damon Hill NRW (Helen Langehanenberg) GER 87.800; 2, Desperados FRH (Kristina Sprehe) GER 84.425; 3, Don Johnson FRH (Isabell Werth) GER 83.000; 4, Donnperignon (Anna Kasprzak) DEN 81.075; 5, Schianto (Sidsel Johansen) DEN 80.050; 6, Uzzo (Patrick van der Meer) NED 76.425; 7, Smeyers Molberg (Marcela Krinke-Susmelj) SUI 73.875; 8, BMC Miciano (Marlies van Baalen) NED 73.850; 9. Biggles (Kristian von Krusenstierna) SWE 73.850; 10, Rubins Royal (Anabel Balkenhol) GER 72.900; 11, Axis TSF (Terhi Stegars) FIN) 71.150; 12, Heimliche Liebe (Emma Kanerva) FIN 71.000; 13, HP Frontier (Sarah Millis) GBR 70.000; 14, Orion (Pia Fortmueller) CAN 69.500; 15, Charming Boy (Sofie Lexner) SWE 67.625.

Full results here.

Facts and Figures:

The penultimate qualifying leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Western European League 2012/2013 series was staged today at the famous Holstenhalle in Neumuenster in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
The winners, Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg and the stallion Damon Hill NRW, also won the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage qualifier at the same venue last season.
15 riders from eight nations – Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Great Britain and Canada – competed in today’s Freestyle.
Runner-up spot went to Germany’s Kristina Sprehe who subsequently moved into pole position on the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Western European League leader board.
Sprehe holds a slender one-point advantage over long-time league leader Valentina Truppa from Italy.
The last qualifying leg in the Western European League series will take place at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands on 16 March 2013.
The series final takes place in Gothenburg, Sweden 24-28 April 2013.

Quotes:

Helen Langehanenberg – “He [Damon Hill NRW] really has settled everywhere – in the preparation, in the arena and, as I think I have said many times before, it is such a pleasure to ride him!”

Helen Langehanenberg, when asked about how difficult it was to ride in the Holstenhalle in Neumuenster in which the dressage arena is a very tight fit – “[The crowd] is very close to the arena and this makes it extra special.  The spectators are great, and they celebrate every rider even if their test is not so good.  We have lots of standing ovations here!”

Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage 2012/2013 – Standings after Round 7 at Neumuenster (GER):

1.    Kristina Sprehe GER                –    68
2.    Valentina Truppa ITA                –    67
3.    Helen Langehanenberg GER            –    66
4.    Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven SWE            –    63
5.    Edward Gal NED                    –    55
6.    Patrick Kittel SWE                    –    50
6.    Marcela Krinke Susmelj SUI            –    50
8.    Minna Telde SWE)                    –    49
8.    Isabell Werth GER                    –    49
10.    Sidsel Johansen DEN                –    46
11.    Anna Kasprzak DEN                –    43
12.    Marlies van Baalen NED                –    36
13.    Imke Schellekens-Bartels NED            –    36
14.    Pia Fortmueller CAN                –    31
15.    Patrick van der Meer NED                –    30
16.    Anabel Balkenhol GER                –    29
17.    Kristian von Krusenstierna SWE            –    27
18.    Lyndal Oatley AUS                     –    23
18.    Silvia Rizzo ITA                    –    23
20.    Karin Kosak AUT                    –    22

FEI World Cup Dressage, the only worldwide series in this discipline, has entered its 28th season. The series, created in 1985, comprises four leagues: Western European, Central European, North American (including Canada) and Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, Asia). Each FEI World Cup Dressage qualifier consists of a Grand Prix test, which in turn is a qualification for the Freestyle to music competition, where league points are accumulated towards places in the Final. Judged on both technical and artistic merit, the FEI World Cup Dressage combines art, sport and partnership between horse and rider at the highest level and consistently proves a winning formula with audiences all over the world.

The complete rules, calendar, updated ranking and results are available here.

The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), founded in 1921, is the international body governing equestrian sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and includes 133 National Federations. Equestrian sport has been on the Olympic programme since 1912 with three disciplines – Jumping, Dressage and Eventing. In 2012 equestrian sport will celebrate its centenary as an Olympic sport. It is one of the very few sports in which men and women compete on equal terms. It is also the only sport which involves two athletes – horse and rider. The FEI has relentlessly concerned itself with the welfare of the horse, which is paramount and must never be subordinated to competitive or commercial influences.

FEI YouTube: http://youtu.be/pf7Tsq53Bdg.

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts:
At Neumuenster
Press Officer: Andreas Kerstan
Email: andreas.kerstan@comtainment.de
Tel: +49 430 7827973/ 49 341 6786 012

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

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

FEI, USEF, Vaulting

Aniello Becomes First American to Qualify for the FEI World Cup Vaulting Final

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Gabe Aniello at the 2012 FEI World Vaulting Championship. Photo: www.barny-th.de

Lexington, KY – The United States has a qualified vaulter to compete in the FEI World Cup Vaulting Final for the first time in 2013. Gabe Aniello is among six of the top male vaulters in the world to qualify to compete at the 2013 Final in Braunschweig, Germany March 14-17.

Aniello (Redwood City, CA) is no stranger to international competition after having represented the U.S. at the 2012 FEI World Vaulting Championship, where he placed tenth in the Individual Male championship. He has qualified for the FEI World Cup Vaulting Final on the strength of competitive performances in CVI-W competition in Paris, France, Leipzig, Germany and Bordeaux, France. The 21-year-old began his qualification process with a third place finish in Paris at the beginning of December. He then kicked off the new year with a sixth place effort in Leipzig, prior to claiming his Final’s qualification with a fourth place finish in Bordeaux.

Continue reading Aniello Becomes First American to Qualify for the FEI World Cup Vaulting Final →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Driving, Events, FEI, FEI

Nicolas Andreani and Simone Jäiser Shine in Last Qualifier

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Simone Jäiser and Luk, lunged by Simone’s mother Rita Blieske, won the final FEI World Cup Vaulting qualifier of the season in Bordeaux. © Christophe Bricot/FEI

Lausanne (SUI), 11 February 2013 – World champion and local hero Nicolas Andreani (FRA) and Swiss national champion Simone Jäiser (SUI) were celebrating victories this weekend at the fifth and last leg of the FEI World Cup Vaulting 2012/13 series in Bordeaux (FRA).

French double

Andreani, 28, vaulting on Just A Kiss HN lunged by Marina Joosten Dupon, won on 9,154 points and was in a class of his own in the men’s category.

The French vaulter, who was injured during last year’s Final, commented, “Last year I was in Bordeaux as a commentator for French television and I saw how fascinating Vaulting was for spectators. That made me want to be back at the centre of the ring. It is great to perform in such a large arena in front of so many people.”

This year the freestyle specialist demonstrated the full scope of his talent and scored marks above 9.1 in both rounds, defeating the remaining four male vaulters by a substantial margin.

Continue reading Nicolas Andreani and Simone Jäiser Shine in Last Qualifier →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

Dreher and Magnus Romeo Bag Victory in Bordeaux

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Hans-Dieter Dreher and Magnus Romeo won the eleventh leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2012/2013 series. Photo: FEI/Christophe Bricot

Bordeaux (FRA), 9 February 2013 – Germany’s Hans-Dieter Dreher and the stallion, Magnus Romeo, secured the biggest victory of their career together when topping the eleventh leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Western European League 2012/2013 series at Bordeaux, France tonight.  In a dramatic eight-horse jump-off, they pipped the increasingly impressive partnership of Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann and Gotha FRH for the honours, while host nation representative, Penelope Leprevost, slotted into third with Nayana.

Tonight’s result has also earned the winning rider a spot at the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2012/2013 Final which will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden at the end of April.  “This will be my first time to make it to the Final, so I’m very happy about that, and my horse is in super form!” Dreher said.

Fair and Not Too Big

He described the first-round track set by Italy’s Uliano Vezzani as “fair and not too big”, but it certainly presented plenty of problems for many of the 39 starters.  As Leprevost said afterwards, “When we walked the course it didn’t seem too difficult, but with Uliano you always know there is something to think about!”, and so it turned out.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Driving, Events, FEI, FEI

Koos de Ronde Is Crowned FEI World Cup Driving Champion 2013 in a Thrilling Finale

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Koos de Ronde, the FEI World Cup Driving champion 2013, on his way to victory in the series’ Final in Bordeaux last night. (Photo: Rinaldo de Craen/FEI)

Bordeaux (FRA), 10 February 2013 – Flying Dutchman Koos de Ronde drove two impeccable clear rounds in the thrilling final competition of the FEI World Cup Driving Final in the fully packed arena in Bordeaux (FRA) last night to become the series’ new champion. After four years as the FEI World Cup Driving champion, the Australian driver’s dominance has come to an end. He finished second, ahead of IJsbrand Chardon (NED) in third.

Demanding and fast course
The Final on Saturday night was very exciting and the suspense lasted until the very end. International O-course designer Gábor Fintha (HUN) had laid out a very demanding and fast course, which was great to watch for the spectators. It included a technical obstacle and a speed obstacle, inviting the drivers to go fast but to remain careful. It was Fintha’s first FEI World Cup Driving Final as a course designer and he was very proud of the opportunity to design a course for the world’s best drivers.

Bottleneck
The drivers had carried forward 50% of the score differential in seconds between them and the winner in the first competition Boyd Exell which resulted in a tight line-up.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Driving, Events, FEI, FEI

Boyd Is Best in Bordeaux as FEI World Cup Driving Final Kicks Off

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Boyd Exell on his way to victory in the first competition of the FEI World Cup Driving held in Bordeaux. (Photo: Rinaldo de Craen/FEI)

Bordeaux (FRA), 9 February 2013 – Australia’s Boyd Exell is well on his way to secure his fifth FEI World Cup Driving champion title in a row. Exell was the only competitor to drive a double clear in the first competition of the exciting FEI World Cup Driving Final which got under way in Bordeaux, France last night. Koos de Ronde (NED) finished second, ahead of Jozsef Dobrovitz (HUN) third and IJsbrand Chardon (NED) fourth.

The enthusiastic spectators of the Jumping International de Bordeaux enjoyed a very exciting competition. The rule, according to which 50% of the score differential converted into seconds are carried forward to the competition on Saturday, ensured that all seven drivers, who are competing in the Final, had to give it their best from the start, which resulted in an excellent show.

Ups and downs
While some drivers put on top class performances, others were not as successful as they would have liked.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Driving, Events, FEI, FEI

FEI World Cup Driving Final in Bordeaux – An Exciting Finale to a Thrilling Season

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Boyd Exell (AUS) will be aiming for a historic fifth victory in Bordeaux this weekend. (Photo: Rinaldo de Craen/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 5 February 2013 – The eyes of the equestrian world will be set on the French city of Bordeaux this weekend for the exciting Final of the FEI World Cup Driving 13th season. Six top four-in-hand drivers have qualified for the Final after eight thrilling events and they all have good chances to be crowned the season’s champion. The World Cup points accumulated throughout the season will not be taken into consideration and the drivers will start with a clean sheet.

Title defender Boyd Exell
Title defender and 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 FEI World Cup Driving champion, Boyd Exell (AUS), was victorious four times this season, two of which while competing with a wild card. With strong performances at Hannover (GER), Stuttgart (GER), Geneva (SUI) and London-Olympia (GBR), Exell took the lead of the standings just ahead of Dutch drivers IJsbrand Chardon and Koos de Ronde, both of whom managed to beat Exell once and who are breathing down his neck.

Continue reading FEI World Cup Driving Final in Bordeaux – An Exciting Finale to a Thrilling Season →