Tag Archives: Rolex Rankings

The Rolex One to Watch – July 2011

Antonio Alfonso riding SNAI Boa Vista. Photo: SPORTFOT/Rolex

19 August 2011 – The Rolex One to Watch for July 2011 is Italian rider, Antonio Alfonso. Based at the Castello Stables in Rome, Italy, the 33-year-old jumped from number 368 to 218 during July – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 150 places.

The Rolex One to Watch is an initiative which identifies the rider who has made the biggest jump within or into the Top 250 of the Rolex Rankings the previous month.

Born in Sora – a little town near Frosinone in central Italy – on 13 January 1978, Alfonso started to ride some of his uncle’s horses when he was five-years-old. He first competed when he was 13.

Alfonso’s first trainer was Carlos Dodero, an experienced Jumping rider and trainer who has competed for Argentina in the Pan American Games and the FEI World Equestrian Games. Alfonso has also been trained by Duccio Bartalucci, silver medallist at the Mediterannean Games in Split in 1979. Currently he works very closely with Natale Chiaudani, who shares the same sponsor. Chiaudani has competed in five FEI Nations Cups and won the silver medal at the Italian Championships in 2009.

From 1 January 2011 Alfonso has ridden in 21 official Jumping competitions, both nationally and internationally. He has been in magnificent form, recording nine victories, seven second places, and nine third places.

Continue reading The Rolex One to Watch – July 2011

The Rolex One to Watch – June 2011

Hans-Dieter Dreher riding Magnus Romeo in the Rolex Grand Prix at the 2011 CHIO Aachen. Photo: Kit Houghton/Rolex

20 July 2011 – The Rolex One to Watch for June 2011 is German rider, Hans-Dieter Dreher. Based at the Grenzland Stud in Eimeldingen, Germany, the 39-year-old jumped from number 386 to 231 during June – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 155 places.

The Rolex One to Watch is an initiative which identifies the rider who has made the biggest jump within or into the Top 250 of the Rolex Rankings the previous month.

Hans-Dieter Dreher was born in Schopfheim in February 1972 and grew up on his parents’ riding yard in Adelhausen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. He started riding as a six-year-old and was trained by his father, Horst Dreher, who was himself a successful rider in the region at this time.

Hans-Dieter began show jumping at nine years old, and by the age of 13 had won his first title as junior champion of Baden-Wuerttemberg. After completing school, he finished his professional education as a rider and later worked at a stable in Alsace, France for three years. He currently rides and trains at the Grenzland Stud in Eimeldingen in the south of Germany, owned by Dr. Carmen Vogt-Brändlin.

Continue reading The Rolex One to Watch – June 2011

Eric Lamaze Reclaims the Green & Gold

Eric Lamaze wearing the Green & Gold at Spruce Meadows. Photo: Thierry Billet of Sportfot

29 June 2011 – Canadian show jumper Eric Lamaze has regained the Green & Gold armband from French rider Kevin Staut after he was crowned the Number One rider in the world according to the latest Rolex Rankings.

Lamaze originally held the Green & Gold between July and August 2010; however, following impressive performances in Dublin and at Hickstead, France’s Kevin Staut soon staked his claim to the Number One spot.

Staut has been the No 1 ranked rider since September 2010, but Lamaze’s great run of recent form, which includes 2nd place at the Rolex FEI World Cup Final in Leipzig, plus victories at the CSIO5* in La Baule (France) and Rome (Italy), and the CSI5* in Valencia (Spain), has seen him return to the top spot in the Rolex Rankings.

First launched in December 2009 and supported by the International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC), the Green & Gold is worn at all FEI competitions and bears the words “Number 1 Rolex Rankings”.

Since its launch, the Green & Gold has been worn by four riders: Marcus Ehning (GER), Pius Schwizer (SUI), Kevin Staut (FRA) and Eric Lamaze (CAN).

Continue reading Eric Lamaze Reclaims the Green & Gold

The Rolex One to Watch – May 2011

Aleksandra Lusina riding Ekwador at the Sopot CSIO***. Photo by Aleksandra Szmanda

16 June 2011 – The Rolex One to Watch for May 2011 is Polish rider, Aleksandra Lusina. Based at the Agro-Handel Riding Club in Olsza, Poland, the 32-year-old jumped from number 556 to 232 during May – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 324 places.

The Rolex One to Watch is an initiative which identifies the rider who has made the biggest jump within or into the Top 250 of the Rolex Rankings the previous month.

Starting out in Dressage before moving onto Jumping, Lusina had a very successful young riding career, including winning individual silver at the Polish Championships for Young Riders. Moving into senior competition she was the first woman to ever win the Polish Championships in 2007, and again in 2009.

Currently competing in the Central European League, Lusina has had an outstanding 2011. She was placed first and second riding Kalinka MNM and Chiara MNM respectively at the Tbilisi CSI** at the end of May, as well as being placed fourth and fifth riding Chiara MNM and Bahar MNM respectively at the Baku CSI**** at the end of April. These results have helped her strong ascent within the Rolex Rankings.

Continue reading The Rolex One to Watch – May 2011

Eric Lamaze Celebrates Elevation to Rolex Rankings Number One Slot

Eric Lamaze (CAN) elevated to number one in Rolex Rankings

Lausanne (SUI), 1 June 2011 – Olympic champion Eric Lamaze (CAN), 43, is celebrating after securing the world number one slot in the Rolex Rankings for the third time in his career.

The Canadian’s back-to-back Grand Prix wins at La Baule (FRA) and Rome (ITA) on his super-stallion Hickstead have put him 111 points ahead of 31-year-old Kevin Staut (FRA), who had topped the Rolex Rankings since 1 August 2010.

Lamaze first shot to the top of the Rolex Rankings on 1 January 2009 and stayed there for three months. He was back in the number one slot for a second time in July 2010, the month in which he famously won the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen with a broken foot.

Lamaze, who took individual gold and team silver with Hickstead at the Beijing 2008 Olympic equestrian events in Hong Kong, has represented Canada at five consecutive FEI World Equestrian Games – 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 where he earned individual bronze with Hickstead – and at three Pan American Games, at which he earned team bronze in 1999 and team silver and individual bronze in 2007.

European Champion Kevin Staut is now in second place ahead of Billy Twomey (IRE), with Hong Kong individual silver medallist Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) in fourth and Twomey’s compatriot Denis Lynch in fifth.

The updated Rolex Rankings are available here.

The Rolex One to Watch – April 2011

Simone Coata - The Rolex One to Watch for April 2011

13 May 2011 – The Rolex One to Watch for April 2011 is the Italian rider, Simone Coata. Based in Campagnano, near Rome, Italy, the 24-year-old jumped from number 281 to 179 during April – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 102 places.

The Rolex One to Watch is an initiative which identifies the rider who has made the biggest jump within or into the Top 250 of the Rolex Rankings the previous month.

Simone began riding aged nine, following in his father, Piero’s, footsteps. He regularly rides with his father and his brother, Luca, and has two trainers: Giorgio Nuti – the 1972 Olympic Champion – and Gianluca Bormioli. His cousin, Stefano Brecciaroli, is a well-known Eventing rider and was a team silver medallist at the 2010 HSBC FEI European Eventing Championship in Fontainebleau, France.

As a pony rider Simone was a member of the Italian team at the FEI European Eventing Championship in Aachen, Germany, and also at the FEI European Jumping Championship in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. In 2008, he was on the senior Italian team that won the FEI Nations Cup in Athens, Greece.

Continue reading The Rolex One to Watch – April 2011

The Rolex One to Watch – March 2011

Kirsten Coe - March's Rolex One to Watch. Photo: Kenneth Kraus/PhelpsSports

13 April 2011 – The Rolex One to Watch for March 2011 is the American rider, Kirsten Coe. Based in Johnston, South Carolina, USA, the 30-year-old jumped from number 366 to 229 during March – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 137 places.

The Rolex One to Watch is a new initiative which identifies the rider who has made the biggest jump within or into the Top 250 of the Rolex Rankings the previous month.

Kirsten Coe, who grew up on the West Coast, spent much of her childhood in the saddle and her skills were honed from an early age on the Desert Circuit in California.

Coe has had a great start to 2011 and was placed fourth with Vernon G in the Green Cove Springs Welcome CSI in January. During the first week in March, Coe and Tristan teamed up to win the $31,000 HITS Welcome Classic presented by Pfizer Animal Health at Thermal, and the following week, riding Kilkenny Randall Z, she was second in the $200,000 Lamborghini Grand Prix.

Continue reading The Rolex One to Watch – March 2011

Rolex One to Watch – February 2011

Jamal Rahimov - February's Rolex One to Watch

17 March 2011 – The Rolex One to Watch for February 2011 is the Azerbaijani rider, Jamal Rahimov. Based in Belgium, the 23-year-old jumped from number 469 to 198 during February – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 271 places.

The Rolex One to Watch is a new initiative which identifies the rider who has made the biggest jump within or into the Top 250 of the Rolex Rankings the previous month.

Having represented his country at Junior and Young Rider Championships, Rahimov went on to ride at the 2008 Olympic Games. Late in 2009 he won the Grand Prix at the CSI2* event in Paris. 2010 witnessed solid performances by the young Azerbaijani at Arezzo (ITA), Offenburg (GER) and Nantes (FRA). Recent victories include the 2011 CSI2*-W Baku (AZE) Embawood Cup, part of the “Winter Cup” Tournament, which he won with the gelding TOPIC V.V.

For details online featuring the Rolex Rankings please visit: The Rolex Rankings and for a more detailed biography of Jamal Rahimov, please visit the FEI website.

Continue reading Rolex One to Watch – February 2011

European Jumping Champion Holds Number One Position in Rolex Rankings

Kevin Staut wearing the Green and Gold, courtesy of Rolex.

European Jumping champion Kevin Staut (FRA) has retained his place as the world Number One rider in the Rolex Rankings for September 2010, as published by the FEI.

The 29-year-old Frenchman, who won individual gold at last year’s Alltech FEI European Jumping Championships in Windsor, UK, retains the Green and Gold armband ahead of Marcus Ehning (GER) in 2nd place, and Olympic champion Eric Lamaze (CAN) in 3rd place.

The current Top 10 Riders are as follows:

1st         STAUT, Kevin (FRA)
2nd        EHNING, Marcus (GER)
3rd         LAMAZE, Eric (CAN)
4th         SCHWIZER, Pius (SUI)
5th         BENGTSSON, Rolf-Göran (SWE)
6th         LYNCH, Denis (IRL)
7th         BEERBAUM, Ludger (GER)
8th         KÜRTEN, Jessica (IRL)
9th         WARD, Mclain (USA)
10th       ALEXANDER, Edwina (AUS)

For full details of the Rolex Rankings please click here.

European Champion Takes Over Number One Slot in Rolex Rankings

European champion Kevin Staut (FRA) has taken over the number one slot in the Rolex Rankings for the first time in his Jumping career. (Photograph: Kit Houghton/FEI)

9 August 2010 – European champion Kevin Staut has jumped up to claim the world number one slot in the latest edition of the Rolex Rankings published by the FEI today.

The 29-year-old Frenchman, who won individual gold at last year’s Alltech FEI European Jumping Championships in Windsor, has moved up from third to take over the Green and Gold armband from Olympic champion Eric Lamaze (CAN).

Lamaze, who held the world number one position last month, has now dropped down to second ahead of Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer.

Staut has been a pivotal member of the French team that last week claimed its second successive victory in the Meydan FEI Nations Cup series in Dublin. His consistent performances in the series have now been further rewarded with a first-ever world number one slot in the Rolex Rankings for the popular French star.

View the full Rolex Rankings at www.fei.org.

Media Contact:

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