Tag Archives: FEI World Cup

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

Whisper of Excitement as New Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Season Begins

Leave a comment
Adelinde Cornelissen and Jerich Parzival from The Netherlands won the 2010/2011 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage title at Leipzig, Germany. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

Lausanne (SUI), 18 October 2011 – As the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage 2011/2012 season gets underway at Odense in Denmark this weekend (21-23 October), there is a whisper of excitement running through the world of international dressage.  This sport, which relies on the technical skills and innate instincts of the riders along with the grace, elegance, willingness and athleticism of their horses and the expertise of a panel of judges, has experienced a tsunami of change in recent years, and the new-found unpredictability of the formerly pedantic discipline has energised it like never before.

For so many years, Dressage was dominated by the same few names, but in the modern era it has grasped the concept of greater engagement with the public without shedding its links to its classical past, and many new stars have been born.  The explosive arrival of the sensational Dutch duo, Edward Gal and the stallion Totilas, blew away the cobwebs and shone a bright light into the future as they blazed a trail through the 2009 and 2010 seasons with displays of pure showmanship and energy.  That partnership no longer exists, but the legacy they have left behind includes the desire to hold onto the massive increase in public interest created by their star quality.

Continue reading Whisper of Excitement as New Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Season Begins →

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

Schwizer Scoops Maximum Points at Rolex Opener in Oslo

Leave a comment
Pius Schwizer is presented with a Rolex watch by Magali Dubois Vaucher from Rolex. Photo: FEI/Roger Svalsrod.

Oslo (NOR), 16 October 2011 – Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer swept to victory in the opening leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 series at Oslo in Norway today with a thrilling last-to-go run from Carlina.  With 14 into the jump-off it was never going to be an easy one to take, but the 49 year old rider raced home to pin Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt and Souvenir into second, while Portugal’s Luciana Diniz and Winningmood slotted into third.

“This is my very first success in a World Cup qualifier, so I’m super-pleased with the result!” Schwizer said after collecting the winner’s prize of a Rolex watch.  “I’ve been second and third a few times, but it feels really great to be first – and Carlina was brilliant today!” he added.

DIDN’T COMPROMISE
The compact Telenor Arena in Oslo measures just 35 metres by 75 metres, but course-designers Terje Olsen-Nalum and Anders Hafskjold didn’t compromise on height and width, giving the 40 starters plenty to think about.  The triple combination at fence six – oxer, vertical, oxer – proved influential, but it was the 1.70m-wide oxer at fence nine that hit the floor most often in the first round as nine horse-and-rider combinations faulted there.

Continue reading Schwizer Scoops Maximum Points at Rolex Opener in Oslo →

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

Kiel Hosts Opener for Inaugural FEI World Cup Vaulting Series

Leave a comment
Germany’s Victor Brusewitz riding on Airbus secured third place at the first FEI World Cup Vaulting Final in Leipzig (GER). Photo: Matt Lewis/Getty Images for FEI.

Lausanne (SUI), 13 October 2011 – The inaugural FEI World Cup Vaulting series will open with the first of five qualifiers in Kiel (GER) tomorrow (14-15 October), where seven athletes from four nations will battle it out at the Sparkassen Arena.

Victor Brusewitz (GER) and Lukas Klouda (CZE), who secured third and fourth places at the first FEI World Cup Vaulting Final which took place at Leipzig’s Partner Pferd in April, will compete against 19-year-old Torben Jacobs (GER).

University of Cologne student Pia Engelberty (GER), who topped the leaderboard going into the Leipzig Final and came out fourth, will be up against Rikke Laumann (DEN), Sarah Kay (GER) and the USA’s number 3 ranked vaulter Mary McCormick.

The world’s top ten male and female vaulters (listed here) will then compete in four further qualifiers in Munich (GER), Salzburg (AUT), Paris (FRA) and Leipzig (GER).

Continue reading Kiel Hosts Opener for Inaugural FEI World Cup Vaulting Series →

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

Red-Hot Opening Round to Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Season

Leave a comment
FEI World Cup Jumping 2010/2011 champion, Germany's Christian Ahlmann, will begin the defence of his title at the opening leg of the new 2011/2012 season at Oslo in Norway next Sunday. Photo: Matt Lewis, Getty Images/FEI.

Lausanne (SUI), 12 October 2011 – It’s countdown time, with just four days to go to the opening of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 at Oslo, Norway this Sunday (16 October).

And, across the globe, many riders from the 12 other qualifying leagues have already been battling it out for a place at the prestigious Final that will take place in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands next April.

The Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping title is the most coveted prize in the sport of indoor Jumping. Since the inaugural season-opener back in 1978 the series has grabbed the enthusiasm and imagination of competitors and spectators alike, and has grown in popularity and scale at a rapid rate. It has also encouraged the development of the sport across all continents, and, once again in this 34th season, fresh faces will appear and new stars will emerge to take their place in the limelight.

SAME VENUE
The 13-leg Australia-Pacific league began in Sydney, Australia in April and will conclude at the same venue in December. The three-leg Central Asian League drew to a close at Astana in Kazakhstan in July, while the Central European Northern and Southern leagues both wind up in December. In China, the first of three qualifying legs took place in Beijing in August and the last will be held this weekend, while Shizouka-Tsumagoi is the venue for the Final of the seven-leg Japanese circuit, also in December.

Continue reading Red-Hot Opening Round to Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Season →

Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, FEI

Johnstone Clinches FEI World Cup Eventing 2011 Series Victory

Leave a comment

Lausanne (SUI), 23 August 2011 – Clarke Johnstone (NZL) was celebrating with a large bottle of champagne, part of his spoils from Haras du Pin (FRA), where he finally sealed victory in the FEI World Cup Eventing 2011.

“I’ve just flown five horses from New Zealand to England, so I’m not really in credit at the moment!” joked Johnstone. “But this is a very satisfying result and I’m going to enjoy it.”

Johnstone is perennially successful in FEI World Cup Eventing – he finished fifth overall last year – but this time the 24-year-old World team bronze medallist set an unmatchable target right from the start of the season. He scored a win and a third place in his native New Zealand, at Kihikihi, and when he also triumphed in the next event in the series, at Sydney (AUS), the dye was cast.

For good measure, Johnstone completed Haras du Pin (FRA), the seventh and final event in the 2011 series, in sixth place on Kihikihi winner Orient Express, but his overall series victory was assured even before the competition started at the French venue.

Another of the younger riders, Christopher Burton (AUS), tracked Johnstone all the way, only finishing four points shy to take second place in the series.

Burton put up a magnificent fight. Having slotted into second at Kihikihi (NZL) and second and fifth at Sydney (AUS); riding the same two horses, Newsprint and Holstein Park Leilani, he then finished second and third at Haras du Pin to close the gap. But even if he had won the series climax, he would still have been an agonising one point in arrears behind Johnstone.

Continue reading Johnstone Clinches FEI World Cup Eventing 2011 Series Victory →

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

New Zealand’s Johnstone Has One Last Push in FEI World Cup Eventing

Leave a comment
Clarke Johnstone (NZL) - leader since first leg of FEI World Cup Eventing 2011 in Kihikihi (NZL). Photo: Kit Houghton/FEI

Lausanne (SUI), 19 August 2011 – Antipodean riders Clarke Johnstone (NZL) and Chris Burton (AUS) are making absolutely sure of their FEI World Cup Eventing bonus by travelling to the last event in the 2011 series, which is underway at Haras du Pin (FRA) today.

Both riders are now based in Britain, where they are making quite an impact on the national circuit.

They will be hard to beat in the race to secure the FEI World Cup Eventing 2011 champion title and for Clarke Johnstone this would be a sweet victory after his brilliant wins at the first and second legs at Kihikihi (NZL) and Sydney (AUS).

A strong field of 47 riders representing 12 nations will contest this popular event, including several leading French names and Olympians such as Mark Todd (NZL) and Clayton Fredericks (AUS), so the Antipodean influence is expected to be strong.

Emily Baldwin, who scored a one-two-three on Drivetime at FEI World Cup Eventing’s third leg at Chatsworth (GBR), and was last year’s Le Pin winner, had signalled that she would be returning to the final leg of the 2011 series in her quest for further points. She will be missed after suffering a broken collarbone at Gatcombe.

Follow the event on www.legrandcomplet.com.

Continue reading New Zealand’s Johnstone Has One Last Push in FEI World Cup Eventing →

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

Lindbäck Makes It Two in a Row at Malmö

Leave a comment
Niklas Lindbäck (SWE) and Mister Pooh scored back-to-back victory at FEI World Cup Eventing at Malmö (SWE).

Lausanne (SUI), 8 August 2011 – Niklas Lindbäck (SWE) and Mister Pooh, the super-talented horse many international riders would love to own, scored a brilliant back-to-back victory in the FEI World Cup event at Malmö (SWE), the penultimate competition in the 2011 series.

Lindbäck, who triumphed in 2010 and went on to impress at several other international events, including a fifth place at Badminton (GBR) this year, jumped clear in the final phase to take the top spot after overnight leader Ingrid Klimke (GER) on FRH Butts Abraxxas hit three fences.

“I am very pleased with how Mister Pooh jumped,” said Lindbäck. “We had a few mistakes in the dressage, but he is on great form ready for the Europeans. I didn’t expect to win again and to do it in front of a home crowd is great.”

Third after the Cross-Country, Lindbäck finished the competition with just 0.4 of a penalty in hand over the highest-placed German rider, 22-year-old Julia Krajewski, second on After The Battle, for whom it was a best three-star placing.

Kai Rüder (GER) had an expensive two rails down on the stallion Leprince des Bois and dropped from second to third, but he joked: “I’m keeping my clear round for the Europeans!”

Lindbäck now moves into 10th place in the FEI World Cup Eventing rankings, with one more event to go, at Haras du Pin (FRA). However, the main beneficiary from Malmö was Lucy Wiegersma (GBR), the sole British rider to make the long journey. She was fourth on Simon Porloe and seventh on Woodfalls Inigo Jones and now moves into eighth place in the rankings.

Continue reading Lindbäck Makes It Two in a Row at Malmö →

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

Tseliapushkina in the Driving Seat, but Faminou Moves to Third in FEI World Cup Rankings

Leave a comment
Alena Tseliapushkina (BLR) on her 2008 Beijing Olympic horse, Passat, puts her stamp on the fifth leg of FEI World Cup Eventing 2011 in Minsk.

Lausanne (SUI), 18 July 2011 – Alena Tseliapushkina (BLR) led from the start to put her stamp on the fifth leg of the FEI World Cup Eventing held on her home ground at Minsk (BLR).

Riding her 2008 Beijing Olympic horse, Passat, she scored the only sub-50 Dressage mark and added just 1.6 time penalties across the country to finish ahead of Russian rider Mykhailo Nastenko on Coolroy Pit.

In what Technical Delegate Andy Griffiths (GBR) described as a first-class event, attended by the Belarusian Minister for Sport, there was an impressive 30 starters from Russia and Belarus. A total of 23 finished the Cross Country, with 15 of those clear over the fences and three also inside the time. Twenty-three horses completed the competition, which was televised.

Runner-up Nastenko also gained useful extra points with an eighth place, but it was Aliaksandr Faminou (BLR) who made the biggest impact on the FEI World Cup Eventing rankings by shooting into third in the standings when scooping fourth, sixth and seventh placings.

New Zealander Clarke Johnstone is still way out in front in the rankings, having won the first two events of the season. He is now based in Britain, from where he can easily compete at the next leg in Malmö (SWE) on 05-07 August 2011 and the final event at Haras du Pin (FRA) on 18-21 August to secure his pole position.

Continue reading Tseliapushkina in the Driving Seat, but Faminou Moves to Third in FEI World Cup Rankings →

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

Jung Rockets to Third Place in FEI World Cup Eventing Rankings

Leave a comment
Reigning World Champion Michael Jung (GER) has established his position in the 2011 FEI World Cup Eventing rankings after Strzegom (POL).

Lausanne (SUI), 28 June 2011 – Reigning World Champion Michael Jung (GER) has established his position on the 2011 FEI World Cup Eventing rankings after scoring an emphatic one-two at Strzegom (POL), the fourth leg of the series.

In a remarkable record, Jung, the reigning Series Champion from 2010 and winner of the 2009 FEI World Cup Eventing Final in Strzegom was winning at this leading Polish venue for the third consecutive time.

The German rider was in first and second position throughout the competition, only swapping the order of his horses in the final phase when Leopin, which had been re-routed after retiring the previous weekend in Luhmühlen CCI4*, jumped clear to take the top spot. Leopin was the only horse to achieve the optimum Cross Country time and, with his faultless Jumping round, was the only horse in the competition to complete on his Dressage score.

The Cross-Country leader, La Biosthetique Sam, the brilliant horse on which Jung won individual gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games last year, as well as the Luhmühlen CCI4*, the FEI World Cup Eventing Final and a European bronze medal in 2009, faulted just once in the final phase to drop to second place.

Continue reading Jung Rockets to Third Place in FEI World Cup Eventing Rankings →

Community/Charity, Competitions, Events, FEI, Hunter/Equitation, Maclay, National Horse Show, Phelps Media Group, Products/Services, Show Jumping

Alltech National Horse Show Accepting Official Media Partnerships

Leave a comment

Lexington, KY – June 25, 2011 – The Alltech National Horse Show, 128th edition, is now accepting a limited number of Official Media Partners for this year’s debut event in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition, will be held from November 2-6, 2011, at the beautiful new Alltech Indoor Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

In exchange for advertising space, detailed editorial content and coverage, Official Media Partners of the Alltech National Horse Show will receive a link on our Media Partners page on the ANHS website, recognition in the Official Alltech National Horse Show Program and exclusive rights to distribute magazines on the grounds during this year’s show. Only officially recognized magazines will be allowed during the Alltech National Horse Show.

For information regarding the Official Media Partnership, please contact Mason Phelps, Jr. or Karen Lucca. Mason Phelps can be reached at mpjr@phelpsmediagroup.com. To get in touch with Karen Lucca, email kll@phelpsmediagroup.com. Both can be reached by calling 561-753-3389.

The Alltech National Horse would like to welcome the following media outlets who have already signed on as Official Media Partners: the Lexington Herald Leader, Sidelines Magazine, PhelpsSports.com, ShowNet.biz, Equine International and Wellington the Magazine.

Equine International was recently named as the Official Publication of the Alltech National Horse Show.

The Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition, will be held from November 2-6, 2011, at the beautiful, new Alltech Indoor Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

Continue reading Alltech National Horse Show Accepting Official Media Partnerships →