Tag Archives: Show Jumping

Competitions, FEI, Show Jumping

The Stage Is Set and Excitement Is Mounting ahead of Fabulous Furusiyya Final

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Tails are up and all ready to go at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain where the first warm-up class for the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final 2013 got underway this afternoon. FEI/LPpics.

Barcelona (ESP), 25 September 2013 – There is a huge sense of anticipation in the air at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain today as horses and riders are settling in ahead of this week’s inaugural Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final.  It promises to be a page-turner, as 18 nations from all around the globe will battle it out for a place in the record books as the very first Furusiyya champions.

It has been an extraordinary year since the Saudi Equestrian Fund gave their backing to the new-format series, which has opened up the sport on a global scale.  Nations that previously could only watch from the sidelines are now fully embraced, and this week’s line-up includes countries taking a big step up in competitive level, but gaining valuable experience, exposure and opportunity like never before.

Perfect Venue

Real Club de Polo provides the perfect venue, and the Organising Committee have left no stone unturned in their efforts to ensure athletes, both equine and human, have everything they need.  “The Organising Committee has gone out of its way to ensure the best possible facilities for this event, including changing the footing in the main arena from grass to sand.  They have provided optimal conditions for all competitors, and it’s no surprise that they have applied to stage the Furusiyya Final again in 2014,” said FEI Director of Jumping, John Roche, today.

This is not the first time the Real Club de Polo main arena has been transformed.  When the Olympic Games came to Barcelona in 1992 it was the venue for Jumping, and the grass was replaced by a sand arena on that occasion too.  It was returned to a grass surface once again after the Games, but with unpredictable weather conditions and the demands of the modern sport, a decision was taken to provide a top-class all-weather ring for this year’s Furusiyya Final.

The work began four months ago, and with meticulous attention to detail the end result is impressive.  Riders will have the chance to try it out in this evening’s warm-up class, and the expectation is that it will more than meet with their approval.

Spanish Sunshine

The horses are already enjoying the Spanish sunshine, with temperatures in the region of 26 degrees today, and riders are taking advantage of the all-weather canter-track that surrounds the massive polo field located near the stable area.  Despite lying in the very heart of the beautiful Spanish city, the Polo Club grounds are spacious and open, giving horses a sense of freedom they don’t always enjoy as they tour the world plying their trade. There were many top Jumping horses enjoying a nice loping canter on the all-weather track today ahead of the bigger questions they will be asked later in the week.

The layout of the entire facility is designed for the horse’s benefit, and CSIO Barcelona is a fixture with a very long tradition indeed.  It celebrates its 102nd anniversary this year, and is the oldest international sporting event staged in Spain.  It also has a very strong following, so big crowds are expected to fill the stadium seats as the week progresses.

Draw

The draw for order-of-go will take place tomorrow evening, and the first of the three Final competitions will be held on Friday. Only the top eight teams will go through to Sunday’s finale with the remaining 10 teams competing in Saturday’s Team Consolation competition.

There’s no mistaking the enthusiasm of the world’s leading riders for this new Nations Cup concept which, while still in its infancy, has captured their imagination and ensured their support.  Dutchman Jeroen Dubbeldam, individual gold medallist at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, said today, “To be honest it feels like a World Championship walking around here today; we have so many of the best riders in the world!”.  He said the Furusiyya FEI Nation Cup concept is “a fantastic system, a fantastic idea and interesting in so many ways.  Like any other sport we can’t stay the same; we have to have these kind of Finals with big money and then everyone begins to talk about it and it grows.”

Looking at the Dutch chances of becoming the very first Furusiyya champions on Sunday, he pointed out, “We’ve got to get through to Sunday first!  Our team is missing two very strong combinations so it will not be easy; we will see.  We still have good riders and good horses but we will need to have our very best day to be at the top on Sunday afternoon!”

The inaugural Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final will take place at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain from 26-29 September 2013.  For all information on the Spanish fixture, go to the event website www.csiobarcelona.com or contact Press Officer Isabel Suter at email isuter@rcpolo.com or telephone +34 760 258 222.

Facts and Figures:

18 nations will compete in the inaugural Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final.

The list of competing countries is: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, USA.

The venue for this historic event is the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain where the Jumping discipline was staged during the 1992 Olympic Games.

A total of 21 qualifying competitions took place around the globe in the lead-up to this first Furusiyya Final.

CSIO 5* Barcelona offers a massive prize-fund of €2.3m, with €2m of that allocated to the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final.

CSIO Barcelona celebrates its 102nd anniversary this year.

One of the oldest horse shows in the world, CSIO Barcelona is also the longest-established sporting event in Spain.

For further information on the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping, 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.

Audio Links:

Rob Hoekstra Chef D’Equipe GB http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Bar_hoekstra_prev.mp3

Robert Splaine, Chef D’Equipe Ireland http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Bar_splaine_prev.mp3

Beezie Madden, US team member http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/BAR_Madden_prev.mp3

Jeroen Dubbeldam, Dutch team member – Dutch audio http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Bar_Dubbeldam_prev_dutch.mp3

Jeroen Dubbeldam, Dutch team member English audio http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Bar_Dubbeldam_prev_eng.mp3

By Louise Parkes

Media Contacts:

At Barcelona:

Isabel Suter
Email: isuter@rcpolo.com
Tel: +34 760 258 222

At FEI:

Grania Willis
Director Media Relations
Grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

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

At Revolution Sports + Entertainment:

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

Championships, Competitions, FEI, Show Jumping

It’s All Gold for Brazil’s Rising Stars

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(L to R) bronze medallists from Argentina, Matias Dominino, Manuel Boragina Cerda, Nicolas Franch; gold medal winning Brazil A team, Guilherme Dutra Foroni, Antonio Pedro Costa, Victor Mariano Luminatti, Joao Pedro Lambertucci; and silver medallists Brazil V team, Kitaro Baldaia Bemfica, Rodolfo Braido Locoselli, Luis Antonio Piva Filho, Guilherme Saraiva de Moraes Filho. Photo: FEI/luciolanda.com.

Rosario (ARG), 24 September 2013 – Brazilian riders claimed all the gold medals at the FEI South American Jumping Championships for Young Riders and FEI Americas Jumping Championships for Pre-Juniors, Juniors and Children 2013 at Rosario in Argentina last weekend.  And they cemented their dominance when also taking Team silver in the Children’s, Junior and Young Rider divisions along with all three Junior Individual medals.

On their home turf at Passo Fundo last year, the Brazilians also scooped all the team gold medals along with three of the four individual titles, with Chile’s Alexandre Imschenetzky the only one to break their grip when taking the Pre-Junior Individual honours.  This time they proved a completely unstoppable force.

The history of these Championships is a long and significant one.  For almost 40 years the region has consistently encouraged its youngest Jumping athletes through the staging of Championship-level competition, and Brazilian star Alvaro Affonso (Doda) Miranda Neto first displayed the talent that would take him right to the top when claiming Junior gold at Sao Paolo back in 1990.

Rosario, in Santa Fe, Argentina, lies 300 kms north-west of Buenos Aires, and this year’s event attracted competitors from 10 countries – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, USA and Venezuela.

Children

The Brazilian rampage began when taking both gold and silver in the Children’s Team Championship.

A total of 11 teams from seven nations – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela  – lined out here, and the Brazilian A team of Paulo Miranda (Larisa HV), Siew Chiang (VL Asterix Latin), Alexia Wunderlich Ramos da Silva (Avant Guard) and Samta Barbosa Tiveron (Upsakee) claimed pole position when completing on a zero score.   Chiang, da Silva and Tiveron never touched a pole, while Miranda made only a single error for the discount score in both rounds.

The Brazilian V team of Laura Ramos Rait (MD Quastor Jmen), Leonardo Parzainello Nassif (GB Rupina Jmen), Rafaela Piovesan Dall Oglio (Madame Lili) and Vittorio Burger (Cheese Z) took the silver when posting a finishing total of eight – Rait and Burger fault-free throughout the competition while Nassif collected a total of 16 faults and Oglio racked up eight in the first round but was clear second time out.

The Argentina A team clinched the bronze when pipping fourth-placed Chile A by a margin of just two faults. Bautista Tassara (LV Quick Francis), Melina Vernengo (Nera), Alex Dircie (Intentar) and Manuel Chechic (Margarita Jia) registered a team finishing score of 12 faults with pathfinder, Tassara, producing the only double-clear for the bronze-medal-winning side.

The battle for the Individual Children’s title came down to a two-way contest between Brazil’s Laura Ramos Rait and Ecuador’s Gabriela Rodriguez who shared a zero score after the first two rounds were completed on the last day.  And Rodriguez produced the quickest time in the jump-off with Creamy Z but left a fence on the floor, so the clear from Rait and MD Quastor Jmen gave them the gold.  Rodriguez took the silver while bronze went to Team gold medallist Siew Chiang from Brazil who completed with a single penalty-point with VL Asterix Latin.

Pre-Juniors

The victorious Brazilian side in the FEI Americas Pre-Junior Championship finished with a massive 18-fault winning margin over the silver medallists from Chile, while the Argentina A team claimed bronze another seven faults adrift.

There were eight teams from five nations in contention here, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela, and just five horse-and-rider combinations managed to jump double-clear.  Two of these – pathfinder Yasmin Almendros Marinho Santos (Piaffe de Quintin) and third-line rider Yury Guimaraes Borges (QH Clinten Toltien Z) were on the winning Brazil V side along with Gabriel Braido Locoselli (Loop du Roop) whose first-round double-error was followed by a clear second time out and Maria Victoria David Ludwig (Wellunia TH) who collected a total of 16 faults.

The gold medallists completed with just four faults on the score-board, but the silver medallists from Chile racked up a total of 22 when Benjamin Pinto (Tamanaco Gama Chhacabuco) collected five faults each time out, Rosario Vial (Gran Jefe) followed a 10-fault first effort with a single error, Laura Colombo (Encuentro Capistone) picked up eight faults in both rounds but anchor partnership Isidora Abusleme and Dinastia Valmar were foot-perfect.

Argentina A took the bronze when Santiago Brandolino (Hassan Cooper) finished with just eight faults over two rounds, Lihuel Mariano Gonzalez (LP Walace) collected a total of 12 and Josefine Rico (Entrerriano Jr) completed with a nine-fault scoreline.  Pathfinder Santiago Orifici (Marjolaine) collected 20 faults.  Argentina B filled fourth place despite first-round elimination for their pathfinding combination of Jeronimo Gimenez and CT Chasqui.

The Individual Pre-Junior champion came from amongst the five double-clears in the Team event.  Brazil’s Joao Pedro Ayres de Albuquerque Scafuro and Little Joe had a clear victory when completing on a zero score for gold, while silver when to Uruguay’s Francisco Calvelo (Racional Jed) on a four-point tally.

It took a three-way jump-off to decide bronze however, and it was Venezuela’s Gustavo Machado and New Look du Tho who clinched it with a clear in 33.97 while Brazil’s Yury Guimaraes Borges had to settle for fourth with QH Clinten Toltien despite also going clear but crossing the line almost three seconds slower.  Isidora Abusleme, star of the Chilean team silver medal side with her brilliant double-clear, had to settle for fifth place with a fence down in the jump-off.

Juniors

Junior Team gold and silver further emphasised Brazilian dominance, but the scores were high in this competition with the winning side finishing on a total of 21 faults, the silver medallists racking up 24 and bronze going to Argentina’s B team who posted a total of 59 faults.  Just five teams from three nations – Argentina, Brazil and Chile – lined out here, and the Chilean side did not post a finishing score.

There were two double-clear rounds, and one of these was from the anchor partnership on the gold-medal-winning Brazil A team, Giulia dal Canton Scampini riding the aptly-named HRC Keep on Fighting, whose fault-free effort was pivotal. Pathfinder Pedro Moura Carvalho (Royal Flow HV) picked up eight faults in both rounds, Rafael Rodrigues Moderno (RRM Calousco) made an excellent recovery from a first-round 10-fault result to go clear second time out while Sofia Monteiro da Silva Scheer (Levin Z Top Car) posted five in the first round and eight faults second time out.  The team total of 21 faults gave Brazil A just a three-fault advantage over Brazil V in silver medal spot.

Daniela Aquino de Arruda Martins (Zarisma) made a strong start to the Brazil V challenge with just four faults in round one followed by a lovely clear.  Both Bianca de Souza Rodrigues (Abernante) and Alberto Bento Sininmy (GR Armani) collected 12 faults each while Fernando Chiarotto Penteado (Arriminum TW) did a good job at recovering from a difficult first round to post just four faults at his second attempt.

And despite the withdrawal of Franco Trabucco (Ambato Neron), and a big total of 45 faults for the opening partnership of Damian Dominino and Satisfaction, Argentina B still managed to clinch the bronze when second-line rider, Amaru Buteler (Elcarco CZ) collected a relatively modest 14 over the two rounds and then Felipe Fuentes rode to the rescue with a super double-clear with Tamanaco Ares.  Argentina A lined up fourth on a finishing total of 71 faults.

The Brazilians took all three medals as well as fourth place in the Junior Individual Championship.  Giulia dal Canton Scampini and HRC Keep on Fighting made it double-gold  when their eight-fault tally left them well clear of the rest on the final day, but, once again, it took a jump-off to decide silver and bronze.

It was an all-Brazilian battle between Bianca de Souza Rodrigues and her Team silver-medal-winning cohort Alberto Bento Sininmu, and it was the former who came out on top with a clear against the clock in 46.43 seconds, while Sininmy was almost six seconds faster but had a fence down for the bronze.  Just outside the medal positions, in fourth place, was another member of the Brazilian Team silver-medal-winning side, Daniela Aquino de Arruda Martins (Zarisma).

Young Riders

Just three teams lined out in the FEI Americas Young Riders Team Jumping Championship – two from Brazil and one from the host nation of Argentina.  No double-clears were recorded, but the Brazil V team of Guilherme Dutra Foroni (Cavalo Urbano Cerana Jmen), Antonio Pedro Costa (Renomee Jmen), Victor Mariano Luminatti (Tiara WML) and Joao Pedro Lambertucci (Nutreal Take Away) posted the winning score of 13 faults.  Foroni collected a total of 25, but both Costa and Luminatti picked up just four faults each over the two rounds while Lambertucci added just a single time fault to his fourt-fault first-round result to produce the final tally.

Brazil A’s Kitaro Baldaia Bemfica (Boomerang VH Kluizebos), Rodolfo Braido Locoselli (HH Corde Clasique), Luis Antonio Piva Filho (Cavalleria Toscana Zaterda) and Guilherme Saraiv de Moraes Filho (Carry 62) claimed the silver with 25 faults.  Bemfica posted 17 faults in total while Locoselli posted 19, but both Luis Antonio Piva Filho and Guilherme Saraiva de Moraes Filho improved from a single mistake in the first round to go clear at their second attempt.

Bronze went to the team from Argentina which fielded only three riders.  They were already trailing the opposition with 33 faults on the board after the first round, and when Matias Dominino (Calatino), Manuel Boragina Cerda (Lenoire Los Pinos) and Nicolas Franchi (CBC Chelana) added another 29 in round two they completed with 62 faults in total.

Team silver medallist Guilherme Saraiva de Moraes Filho claimed the Individual Young Rider title when registering a 6.75 point final score with Carry 62, and Uruguay was back on the podium when Marcelo Chirico and QH Baloudarc took silver on a final tally of 12.  Individual Young Rider bronze went to Brazil’s Antonio Pedro Costa (Renomee Jmen) with a finishing score of 17.55, while his Team gold-medal-winning team-mate Victor Mariano Luminatti (Tiara WML) lined up just outside the medal placings in fourth.

Results:

FEI South America Team Jumping Championship for Pre-Juniors:  GOLD – Brazil V, 4 faults: Piaff de Quintin (Yasmin Almendros Marinho Santos) 0/0, Loop du Roop (Gabriel Braido Locoselli) 8/0, QH Clinten Toltien  (Yury Guimaraes Borges) 0/0, Wellunia TH (Maria Victoria David Ludwig) 4/12; SILVER – Chile, 22 faults: Tamanaco Gama Chacabucco (Benjamin Pinto) 5/5, Gran Jefe (Rosario Vial) 10/4, Encuentro Capistone (Laura Colombo) 8/8, Dinastia Valmar (Isidora Abusleme) 0/0 ; BRONZE – Argentina A, 29 fault: Marjolaine (Santiago Orifici0 12/8, Hassan Cooper (Santiago Brandolino) 4/4, LP Wallace (Lihuel Mariano Gonzalez) 8/4, Enterriano Jr (Josefina Rico) 5/4.

FEI South American Individual Championship for Pre-Juniors: GOLD – Little Joe (Joao Pedro Ayres de Albuquerque Scafuro) BRA; SILVER – Racional Jed (Francisco Calvelo) URU; BRONZE – New Look du Thot (Gustavo Machado) VEN.

FEI South America Team Jumping Championship for Children: GOLD – Brazil A, 0 faults: Larissa HV (Paulo Miranda) 4/4, VL Asterix Latin (Siew Chiang) 0/0, Avant Guard (Alexia Wunderlich Ramos da Silva) 0/0, Upsakee (Samanta Barbosa Tiveron) 0/0; SILVER – Brazil V, 8 faults: MD Quastor Jmen (Laura Ramos Rait) 0/0, GB Rupina Jmen (Leonardo Parzailello Nassif) 13/4, Madame Lili (Rafaela Piovesan Dall Oglio) 8/0, Cheese Z (Vittorio Burger) 0/0; BRONZE – Argentina A, 12 faults: LV Quick Francis (Bautista Tassara) 0/0, Nera (Melina Vernengo) 4/4, Intentar (Alex Dircie) 0/8, Margarita Jia (Manuel Chechic) 4/4.

FEI South America Individual Jumping Championship for Children: GOLD – MD Quastor Jmen (Laura Ramos Rait) BRA; SILVER – Creamy Z (Gabriela Rodriguez) ECU; BRONZE – VL Asterix Latin (Siew Chiang) BRA.

FEI South America Team Jumping Championship for Juniors: GOLD – Brazil A, 21 faults: Royal Flow HV (Pedro Moura Carvalho) 8/8, RRM Calousco (Rafael Rodrigues Moderno) 10/0, Levin Z Top Car (Sofia Monteiro da Silva Scheer) 5/8, HRC Keep on Fighting (Giulia Dal Canton Scampini) 0/0; SILVER – Brazil V, 24 faults: Zarisma (Daniela Aquino de Arruda Martins) 4/0, Abernante (Bianca de Souza Rodrigues) 8/4, GR Armani (Alberto Bento Sininmu) 4/8, Arriminum TW (Fernando Chiarotto Penteado) 48/4; BRONZE – Argentina B, 59 faults: Satisfaction (Damian Dominino) 28/17, Elcaro CZ (Amaru Buteler) 9/5, Ambato Neron (Franco Trabucco) 48/-, Tamanaco Area (Felipe Fuentes) 0/0.

FEI South America Individual Jumping Championship for Juniors: GOLD – HRC Keep on Fighting (Giulia Dal Canton Scampini) BRA; SILVER – Abernante (Bianca de Souza Rodrigues) BRA; BRONZE – GR Armani (Alberto Bento Sininmu) BRA.

FEI South America Team Jumping Championship for Young Riders: GOLD – Brazil V, 13 faults: Cavalo Urbno Cerana Jmen (Guilherme Dutra Foroni) 17/8, Renomee Jmen (Antonio Pedro Costa) 4/0, Tiara W ML (Victor Mariano Luminatti) 0/4, Nutreal Take Away (Joao Pedro Lambertucci) 4/1; SILVER – Brazil A, 25 faults: Boomerang VH Kluizebos (Kitaro Baldaia Bemfica) 13/4, HH Corde Classique (Rodolfo Braido Locoselli) 15/4, Cavalleria Toscana Zaterday (Luis Antonio Piva Filho) 4/0, Carry 82 (Guilherme Saraiva de Moraes Filho) 4/0; BRONZE – Argentina, 62 faults: Calatino (Matias Dominino) 16/12, Lenoire Los Pinos (Manuel Soragina Cerda) 8/12, CBC Chelana (Nicolas Franchi) 9/5.

FEI South America Individual Jumping Championship for Young Riders: GOLD – Carry 82 (Guilherme Saraiva de Moraes Filho) BRA; SILVER – QH Baloudarc (Marcelo Chirico) URU; BRONZE – Renomee Jmen (Antonio Pedro Costa) BRA.

By Louise Parkes

Community/Charity, Show Jumping

In Memoriam: Dick Nijhof 1946-2013

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Dick Nijhof, FEI International Jumping Judge, announcer, equestrian commentator and board member of KNF (Royal Dutch Federation for Rural Riders) which eventually led to the creation of the Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation (KNHS), passed away on 21 August. (Photo: Jacob Melissen/FEI).

Lausanne (SUI), 24 September 2013 – Dick Nijhof, FEI International Jumping Judge, announcer, equestrian commentator and board member of KNF (Royal Dutch Federation for Rural Riders) which eventually led to the creation of the Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation (KNHS), passed away in Enschede in eastern Netherlands on 21 August after a long illness.

His trademark voice as announcer has been well-known to spectators at equestrian events around the world since the 1990s. His finest hour was as announcer during the 1994 FEI World Cup Jumping Final at the Indoor Brabant in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NED), when on home soil his compatriot and now six-time Olympian Jos Lansink took the series crown. More recently, television viewers knew his voice on sports network Eurosport, where he provided equestrian commentary for the weekly Wednesday Selection roundup.

Dick Nijhof began his career as an FEI Jumping Judge in 1994. Just two years later, he was appointed FEI International Level 3 Jumping Judge and went on to carry out Ground Jury President, and Member and Foreign Judge roles at wide-ranging events around the world.

“The KNHS is extremely grateful to Dick Nijhof for his proactivity and forward-thinking approach to developing equestrian sport. He was highly committed and enthusiastic, and his loss will be felt on many levels within the equestrian community,” said Theo Ploegmakers, chairman of the Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation.

“Dick Nijhof performed his role as FEI International Level 3 Jumping Judge impeccably thanks to his solid and steadfast approach, and his deep knowledge of the sport,” said John Roche, FEI Director of Jumping and Stewarding.

“His devotion to equestrianism over many years was renowned and his voice was also very familiar to thousands of fans at equestrian events around the world when he worked as an announcer, and later on television – he will be missed by many different people within the community.”

The FEI expresses its sincere condolences to Dick Nijhof’s family and friends, the Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation and the global equestrian community.

FEI Media contacts:

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

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

Breeds, Championships, Competitions, FEI, Show Jumping

Irish, Dutch and Belgian Studbooks Clinch Gold at Lanaken

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The NRPS stallion Barnike claimed the Six-Year-Old title at the FEI World Breeding Jumping Championships for Young Horses in Lanaken, Belgium today with Ireland’s Bertram Allen on board. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

Lanaken (BEL), 22 September 2012 – The annual clash of Young Horse champions produced more sensational winners today as the FEI World Breeding Jumping Championships for Young Horses 2013 drew to a thrilling close at Lanaken in Belgium.  The host country’s Royal Belgian Sports Horse Society, better known as the SBS, claimed gold in the 7-Year-Old category while the Dutch Riding Horse and Pony Studbook (NRPS) reigned supreme in the 6-Year-Old division.  And there were big cheers in the Irish camp when the Irish Sport Horse Studbook (ISH) clinched the coveted 5-Year-Old title.

Despite some poor weather earlier in the week, the event attracted another enormous crowd of enthusiastic breeders, producers, riders, trainers, owners and experts from around the globe who thoroughly enjoyed their annual reunion on Belgian soil. These Championships have long been recognised as the perfect place to share ideas, and compare the merit, development, innovation and success of the studbooks, old and new, which produce the latest stars of our modern sport of Jumping.

Five-Year-Olds

There was an unusually large number through to today’s Five-Year-Old Final competition.  A total of 63 started in the class and 25 jumped clear to go into a second-round jump-off against the clock.

The gold-medal-winning partnership of Greg Broderick and the ISH Arraghbeg Clover were eighteenth to go, and they set an unmerciful target when breaking the beam in 39.72 seconds after a scorching round in which the Tipperary rider took every risk.  This mare, by Captain Clover who is a son of the legendary Irish stallion Clover Hill, has a mix of breeding that combines the toughness of the Irish horse with the quality of the thoroughbred, Bonnie Prince, on his dam’s side and with the Dutch influence of Animo.

Broderick said, “The first qualifier for the Five-Year-Olds was very, very tough.  It was technical and the time was short and my mare had a big week, but she just kept fighting on.”  The rider, who celebrated his 28th birthday yesterday, is a prolific producer of good Irish horses and Arraghbeg Clover has earned €19,000 in prize money in the last few months having won the Irish Sport Horse Studbook 5-Year-Old League and the Breeders Classic, while also finishing third in her age category at Dublin Horse Show in August. Arraghbeg Clover – Captain Clover x Bonnie Prince – is jointly-owned by her rider and Declan Orpen.

It was fellow-Irishman, the prodigiously talented 18-year-old Bertram Allen, who clinched silver medal spot with the KWPN gelding Castlefield Denver – Quasimodo Z x Ulft – owned by Ballywalter Farms. They broke the beam in 40.86 seconds while French rider, Guillaume Batillat took the bronze with the BWP mare Invisible Star – Winningmood van de Arenberg x Skippy ll – which competed for Les Ecuries d’Ecaussinnes and was less than two seconds slower in the timed round.

Six-Year-Olds

Allen went one better when steering Ballywalter Farm’s bay stallion, Barnike – Baldwin B x Animo – to victory for the NRPS Studbook in the Six-Year-Old division.  Just 12 of the 40 starters qualified for the second round of this Final, and just six went double-clear.

The winning horse was purchased from Enda Carroll at Ashford Farm in Belgium a few months ago and had only competed at three shows with his new rider.  “We never jumped higher than 1.10m or 1.15m before.  The two qualifying classes were not too difficult, but the Final was really big so I didn’t know what to expect today.  As it turned out, he just has so much scope!”  Allen pointed out after his big win.

KWPN horses, ridden by Dutch riders, took silver and bronze.  The bay mare Calimera – Van Gogh x Perion – owned by M. Willems and Stal Ger Poels, clinched the silver with Marcel Willems on board.  “It seems I’m always second with this horse!” Willems said.  “We were second in the Dutch Young Horse Championship this year as well!”

The bronze medal went to the bay stallion Cidane – Heartbreaker x G. Ramiro Z – ridden by Kristian Houwen for owners J. C. Boekee and Houwen Sporthorses BV.  “I did everything I could, but I couldn’t have gone any faster,” said Houwen of his ride against the clock.  “Bertram went for it from the beginning to the very end, and he never took a pull with his horse,” he added.

Seven-Year-Olds

Two different Dutch studbooks took gold and silver in the Seven-Year-Old division while the Zangersheide Studbook claimed the bronze.  And Belgian riders Gudrun Patteet and Jos Lansink stood on the top two steps of the podium when producing the only double-clear performances.

Riding the SBS gelding, Sea Coast Atlantic – Schilling x Aramis de la Cense – Patteet was undisputed in the race against the clock when breaking the beam in 40.76 and leaving the full course intact.  The 28-year-old rider talked about the chestnut horse which is owned by Sea Coast Horses – “We bought him a year ago and a lot of people didn’t believe in him.  He’s not beautiful but he has a lot of quality and he even helped me on the course today when I had a wrong distance in the jump-off – he just went for it!” Patteet explained.

Lansink was delighted with the silver medal won by VDL Stud’s stallion Bacardi VDL – Corland x Kannan – representing the KWPN Studbook.  “I saw this horse as a five-year-old and wanted to buy him, but eventually VDL sent him to my stable instead.  This is a horse that will do very big classes later in his career, but I didn’t go for it in the jump-off today.  He still spends too much time in the air and he wasn’t ready for it, so I went for a nice clear round instead,” pointed out the 2006 World Champion.  The chestnut Bacardi VDL is an approved stallion but has not yet been used for breeding.  Lansink said he expects he will begin breeding next year following his great result today.

Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa steered Gustavo Mirabal’s chestnut mare, GC Atlanta Z – Andiamo Z x Heartbreaker – into bronze for the Zangersheide Studbook. This pair produced the quickest time in the jump-off when clearing the line in 37.66 seconds, but they left one fence on the floor. The FEI World Breeding Championships for Young Horses are the brainchild of Leon Melchior of Zangersheide Stud where the event takes place, so it is particularly satisfying when horses carrying the stud’s world-famous banner take a spot on the medal podium as they have done many times before.

GC Atlanta Z was bought at an auction in Lummen, Belgium and produced many good results in Wellington, Florida, USA early this year.  “She’s very fast and she’s really careful, not a 1.60m horse but she’ll be a real winner at 1.40m and 1.50m,” Pessoa said.  “She has the character of a chestnut mare, sometimes you have to do what she wants, although I tell her she also has to listen to me a little – she has great quality, and she’s a fighter,” the rider added.  The mare will now return to the USA and will take a break before being prepared for the Florida circuit once again this winter.

Five-Year-Old Final: GOLD – Arraghbeg Clover (Studbook ISH) Greg Broderick IRL 0/0 39.72; SILVER – Castlefield Denver (Studbook KWPN) Bertram Allen IRL 0/0 40.88; BRONZE – Invisible Star (Studbook BWP) Guillaume Batillat FRA 0/0 42.40.

Six-Year-Old Final: GOLD – Barnike (Studbook NRPS) Bertram Allen IRL 0/0 37.71; SILVER – Calimera (Studbook KWPN) Marcel Willems NED 0/0 39.22; BRONZE – Cidane (Studbook KWPN) Kristian Houwen NED 0/0 39.28.

Seven-Year-Old Final: GOLD – Sea Coast Atlantic (Studbook SBS) Gudrun Patteet BEL 0/0 40.76; SILVER – Bacardi VDL (Studbook KWPN) Jos Lansink BEL; BRONZE – GC Atlanta Z (Studbook ZANG) Rodrigo Pessoa BRA 0/4 37.66.

Full results at http://www.scgvisual.com/.

By Louise Parkes

Jennifer Ward, Show Jumping

Conor Swail Claims Caledon Cup at Caledon Equestrian Park

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Conor Swail and Lansdowne won the $35,000 CSI2* RAM Equestrian Caledon Cup Phase 2. Photo Credits – Shoot Photographic.

Palgrave, Ontario – For the second day in a row, Ireland’s Conor Swail emerged victorious to win the $35,000 CSI2* RAM Equestrian Caledon Cup, Phase II, presented by Aviva, and claim the coveted Caledon Cup trophy at the CSI2* Canadian Show Jumping Tournament held September 18 to 22 at the Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, ON.

On Saturday, Swail had topped a 22-horse starting field to win Phase I of the RAM Equestrian Caledon Cup competition riding Lansdowne.  A day later, their fortunes remained the same, as the pair led the victory gallop after holding off jump-off challengers Ljubov Kochetova of Russia, David Arcand, the father and son double threat of Ian and Jonathon Millar, and their student, Jordan MacPherson.

While 10 had found their way around Michel Vaillancourt’s track on Saturday without incurring faults, only eight would be successful on Sunday.  However, MacPherson’s was the only new face amongst the jump-off line-up, as Vaillancourt once again pitted the best against the best in the all-deciding final round.  The individual silver medalist at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Vaillancourt has been appointed course designer for the show jumping events at the 2015 Pan American Games, which will be hosted by the Caledon Equestrian Park.

For the second day in a row, Russia’s Ljubov Kochetova jumped clear with Wilford 2, only to be caught by the clock for one time fault, leaving her ninth in the final placings.  Chris Sorensen of Caledon East, ON, who will be representing Canada next month in Nations’ Cup competition in Brazil, turned in the fastest four-fault performance riding The Jolly Group’s Wriomf to round out the top 10.

23-year-old David Arcand of Mont-Royal, QC, produced the only four-fault performance in the jump-off to slot into eighth position with Vledder, his 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding.

With seven riders again producing clear rounds in the jump-off, time would be the final decider.  Jonathon Millar of Perth, ON, was the first rider back to attempt the shortened jump-off track with Contino 14, turning in a time of 41.51 seconds.  He would soon be overtaken by the next rider in the line-up, Swail riding Game Ready, owned by Susan Grange, who stopped the clock in 39.03.  Shaving exactly three seconds off the Irishman’s time was Jordan MacPherson, 23, who stopped the clock in 36.03 seconds with Piccobello du Val de Geer.  No strangers to the winner’s circle at the Caledon Equestrian Park, the Toronto native and her 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare had won the $35,000 CSI2* RAM Equestrian Grand Prix in August.

Ljubov Kochetova of Russia took a shot with Aslan, falling short in 38.81 seconds to place fourth overall while MacPherson’s coach, 10-time Canadian Olympian Ian Millar of Perth, ON, came close with Star Power, crossing the timers in 37.33 seconds to take third place for Team Works.

MacPherson’s time had only to withstand one last challenger in the form of Swail and Lansdowne, who had claimed victory in dramatic fashion one day earlier.  Proving to be on form, the pair tightened their turns and sailed around Vaillancourt’s track almost two seconds faster, stopping the clock in 34.07 seconds for victory.

“It always helps to go last, although Jordan was very quick and she made it where I had to take all the risks and hope that everything worked out,” said Swail, 41.  “My horse was terrific.  There were a few turns where a horse with less quality might not have come back with the same result that he did.  He’s obviously one of the favourites at the show, but it’s nice that he’s expected to do well and that he doesn’t let you down.  That’s the sign of a top horse.”

Of the conditions, the rider who hails from County Down commented, “The new footing makes a huge difference, and it even showed in the results.  The course was well-built, but the footing was so good that I think the horses jumped well off of it.  There were more clears than I thought there would be.”

In addition to winning the $35,000 CSI2* RAM Equestrian Caledon Cup, Phase II, presented by Aviva, Swail was also awarded the RAM Equestrian Caledon Cup.

“It worked out well for Lansdowne,” said Swail of the 10-year-old chestnut Dutch Warmblood stallion owned by Sue and Arial Grange of Cheltenham, ON.  “It’s his last show of the year, and it’s great for him to finish off on the best note possible.  Now he gets a well-deserved rest.”

Sunday’s victory marked the fourth one of the year for Swail at the Caledon Equestrian Park.  Before winning back-to-back grand prix events at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament with Lansdowne, Swail won the $20,000 Adequan Open Welcome with Martha Louise and the $30,000 RAM Equestrian Grand Prix with Game Ready, both owned by the Grange family, back in May.  Before this year, he had never before competed at the Caledon Equestrian Park.

And Caledon Equestrian Park is the ideal host to international competition.  Athletes come from all over the world to compete at the world-class facility, and the CSI2* Canadian Show Jumping Tournament was no exception.

“The riders jumped in reserve order of finish from yesterday, and the cream rose to the top,” said Craig Collins, managing partner of Equestrian Management Group, which operates the Caledon Equestrian Park.  “It was an exciting jump-off.  After Jordan MacPherson went, I didn’t think anyone would beat her, but the turn that Conor did at the top of the course was unbelievable!  Lansdowne jumped beautifully and deserved to win.”

Collins continued, “Michel Vaillancourt did a great job and was complimented by everyone on his courses.  Yesterday was a supreme test of the new footing with all of the rain, and everyone commented on how good the ground was and how good the footing was.  We had riders from Ireland, Russia, Vanessa Mannix from Calgary, and Quebec was very well-represented.  We had competitors from right across the country.  And it was great to have Jonathon Millar back with us, qualifying two horses for the jump-off.”

Sydney Vince rode Echodancer van de Heffinck to victory in the inaugural $20,000 MVS Solutions Junior/Amateur Pan Am Challenge
Sydney Vince rode Echodancer van de Heffinck to victory in the inaugural $20,000 MVS Solutions Junior/Amateur Pan Am Challenge

While the Caledon Cup was the featured event of the day, the inaugural $20,000 MVS Solutions Junior/Amateur Pan Am Challenge proved to be a spectacular addition to the Tournament’s schedule.  Riders qualified throughout the season in the 1.20m, 1.30m and 1.40m divisions, and went head-to-head jumping at their respective heights at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament.  Sydney Vince, competing in the 1.30m section of the competition, emerged victorious riding Echodancer van de Heffinck, earning $6,000 in prize money for owner Trinity Farms of Burlington, ON.  Page Mawson and her own Under Pressure took second place and $5,000 in prize money while Adrien Vilcini and her Gervantus earned $3,000 for their third place finish.

The CSI2* Canadian Show Jumping Tournament is proud to benefit the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada, raising more than $15,000 in 2013 for the non-profit organization.  This year’s fundraiser saw corporate partners uniting to underwrite the costs of hosting a two-day Children’s Wish celebration which included brunch and ringside tables for Saturday and Sunday’s grand prix events.  Thanks to the generosity of Alberta Premium, Brick Brewery Co., Brookvalley Developments, Schickendanz Brothers, TechPower Developments, and Gourmandissimo Catering and Fine Foods, every dollar from the purchase of tickets went directly to the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada.

With the final event of the season having come to a conclusion, phase two of construction now begins at the Caledon Equestrian Park in preparation for hosting the 2015 Pan American Games.  A new grand prix stadium, spectator pavilion, indoor complex, and new FEI barn are all expected to be complete by spring of 2014.

For more information on the CSI2* Canadian Show Jumping Tournament, including full results, please visit www.equiman.com.

Contact:  Jennifer Ward
Starting Gate Communications
Cell: (613) 292-5439
www.startinggate.ca

Competitions, Show Jumping, USEF

Olivia Champ Is Champion in Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search West

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Olivia Champ (Flying Horse Photography)

Los Angeles, California – After placing second in last year’s Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals West, 15-year-old Olivia Champ (Karen Healey and Michelle Morris, trainers) came back to win it all this year. “This is the most fun day at the horse show and the most amazing final in the entire country,” Champ remarked. “This final is really important to me because it really tests you as a rider and it’s all about how you can ride a jumper course. Since I want to continue in jumpers and maybe eventually ride for the U.S. team, winning this final was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had.”

It is often said that consistency wins medal finals, and Champ demonstrated that throughout the final on Lamont (Catherine Boettcher, owner). She led the Flat Phase with a score of 90 and held the lead through the Gymnastics Phase. “My dressage training really helped me, especially in the flat and the gymnastics,” Champ commented. “It’s all about the flat work.” As the leader, she had the opportunity to go last in the jumping phase on the grass field and watched as 31 other riders went before her.

The course, set by Guillherme Jorge (Brazil) with input from judges Mandy Porter and Jimmy Torano, asked several questions of the riders who had to navigate a one stride bank, an open water fence, a triple combination, and several related lines. Though most riders and horses handled the course well, the tight time allowed caused time faults for the majority of the riders. “We really wanted the riders to demonstrate their ability to ride and make adjustments,” Porter explained. “The course gave some of them trouble, but others showed they’d learned something from the Gymnastics Phase.”

After the grueling Show Jumping Phase shook up the placings – for all but leader Olivia Champ – the door was open for Erin Fry (Robyn Stiegler, trainer) and her Whisper to move up from eighth and Julia Nagler (Benson Carroll, trainer) on Vendetta (Sheila Sosnow, owner), who had been in sixth place, to join Halie Robinson (Elvenstar Farms, trainer) on My Boy Balou (Rocking D Ranch, owner) and Champ in the top four for the final phase.

For the final phase of the Talent Search, the top four riders each had to ride a shortened course four times: first on their own horse, then again on each of the other three. All riders went into the last phase with a clean slate, so their final performance would be crucial in determining the overall placing. “It was such an amazing group of talented riders and horses in the top four. All of the horses were so different but wonderful to ride,” Champ said. “Once I was in the top four, I just tried to think about going in there and having fun because that’s all you can do. I always try to relax and ride tough.”

“Olivia was the most consistent throughout the phases without a doubt,” Porter explained. “She made no major mistakes in the final phase like the others did.” Torano heartily agreed. “She was a real stylist all the way through. She never cracked; she just kept bringing it and getting the job done.”

Champ did ride tough and consistently on all four horses, as did Fry who has some experience with riding different horses. “I ride for the equestrian team at the University of South Carolina,” Fry explained. “It is pretty difficult to switch horses, especially at this level, but I think it helped to have the experience of riding on the team. We ride a lot of different horses in lessons and in competitions.”

“Erin had a little trouble on the first horse she switched to, but she got better and better throughout the phase,” Torano commented. “She had a nice style on the flat. We think she’ll be one to watch once she gets some more experience.”

Robinson and Nagler rode the final phase well, but each made major mistakes that placed them third and fourth, respectively. “We loved Halie; she’s a very good rider and was another who kept coming in and getting the job done,” Porter added. “We gave her the highest score of the day on Lamont, which was a 90. It was unfortunate she had a cross-canter on Whisper, which dropped her down.”

Fry was thrilled to win second place. “This was my first year doing this class, so I was really looking forward to it,” Fry elaborated. “It just means everything to me and I’m so excited to win the reserve championship. Whisper went through an injury and came back so beautifully and to get to do this with him and have it go so well was unreal.”

Fry has had Whisper for three years and the two have worked through a lot together. “I’ve come such a long way with him. He was my first 3’6″ horse and I had a difficult time with him at the beginning,” Fry recalled. “But as the years have gone on, I’ve gotten to know him better and now we know each other inside and out.”

Though she didn’t know Lamont well, Champ was grateful to ride such a talented horse. “Lamont was literally pulled out of a field in Europe, and Catherine, who used to ride with Karen, brought him over about a month ago. He’s never done anything remotely close to this,” Champ explained. “He is the most willing horse. He will do whatever you ask him to.”

“Lamont was definitely the best horse in there, so we gave him the best horse award,” commented Torano.

It was Lamont’s calmness on the grass field on LEG’s Jumper Schooling Day after Gold Coast 6 that convinced Champ to ride him in the finals. “I actually brought my jumper and Lamont to see which horse would take better to the grass field. My jumper was really sensitive about it, so I went with Lamont. I advise anyone who does the Talent Search Final in the future to definitely go to the schooling day because it’s the best way to see if your horse will react well to the grass field.”

Champ had planned on riding her own horse Le Prince in the Talent Search finals, but his recent injury meant she had to find another horse. “I would have so loved to do this final on Le Prince, but I have been so fortunate to be able to ride so many nice horses the last couple of weeks and throughout my career as well. I think that also helped me to adapt to all the different horses during the final round.”

Her win was a triumphant finish to a difficult year. “It’s been a year of ups and down. I was trying to qualify for young riders and it didn’t work out and then my horse got injured,” Champ enumerated. “Karen has been so supportive the whole way through and I can’t thank her enough for everything she’s done for me. She is the most dedicated trainer on the show grounds and is an amazing person.”

Watch Phases III and IV On Demand on the USEFNetwork.com presented by Smartpak: http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/2013USEFShowJumpingTalentSearchFinals/.

By Jennifer Walker for LEG Up News

Competitions, Show Jumping, USEF

Champ Leads Platinum Performance USEF Talent Search Finals West after Two Phases

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Los Angeles, California – Following the completion of Phases I and II of the Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals West Olivia Champ (La Canada Flintridge, California) holds the lead heading into Saturday’s final two phases.

Phase I

After a demanding Flat Phase where USEF Talent Search Final judges Jimmy Torano and Mandy Porter worked the riders in groups of eight, Olivia Champ (Karen Healey Stables, Trainer) took the lead with a strong score of 90.  On her heels was Jayme Omand (Kelly VanVleck, Trainer) with a score of 88.  “The top two really showed workmanship throughout the Flat Phase with great extensions and fluidity in their movement. They were very solid,” stated Torano.  “We were looking for smooth transitions as well as effectiveness,” added Porter. “The connection between the rider and their horse was important for us to see.”

Friday night the riders tackled the Gymnastics Phase where their scores counted one and a half toward their overall ranking and determine the order for the Jumping Phase on the grass field at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

Phase II

Judges Torano and Porter wasted no time posing questions to the thirty-three riders who tackled the Gymnastics Phase of the Platinum Performance/ USEF Talent Search Finals West.  The course started with a canter rail to a vertical with a landing rail and the rail fell often.  Riders then had to trot into a grid comprised of a trot rail to a vertical then 23 feet to an oxer followed by 21 feet to another oxer.

Hannah Von Heidegger found the best answers to questions posed by grand prix veterans Torano and Porter.  “Hannah nailed it,” stated Porter. “She rode with conviction.”  Although she had trouble with the counter canter last night, her score of 82 in the Gymnastics Phase vaulted her into seventh.  Chandler Meadows was the only other rider who earned a score in eighties and moved up to fourth.

Olivia Champ put in a solid performance, but she dropped rails in the bounce and her horse bucked and kicked out. Regardless, with a Gymnastics score of 76.5 she holds on to the lead with a score of 204.75 with Sydney Hutchins on her heels with a score of 202.5.

“We wanted to see them do something,” continued Porter. “We wanted to see riders put their leg on their horse (at the trot grid). The distance to the oxer got long and a lot of riders just sat there.”

Torano agreed with Porter’s assessment. “To me it looked like our gymnastics exercises were foreign to most riders. The test of three verticals set with 18′ distances created a lot of problems. That exercise lives in my ring.”

The bounce at the far end of the ring created its share of problems, and riders had to negotiate it both ways.  “Bounces can be difficult for horses,” stated Porter, and the judges did not heavily penalize riders if a rail was not the fault of the rider.

The whole course was testy, and the line along one length of the ring presented the riders with two verticals with planks set at 21′ followed by an 80′ line to two oxers set at 26′.  The judges did not care if riders rode up in five strides between the two combinations or compressed for six, but they wanted to see a definite plan and they wanted it executed well.  Most riders opted for the six strides, and of those who chose to ride for five strides not many did so effectively.  “Olivia was particularly good in that line,” commented Torano.

Competition concludes Saturday afternoon with Phases III and IV. The Show Jumping Phase will count for double the score, where the Gymnastics Phase counted 1.5 and the Flat Phase was a multiplier of 1.  The top four after the Jumping Phase will enter the ride off where the riders negotiate a shorter course on their own horse, and then again on each of the other top four horses.

Watch Phases III and IV live on the USEFNetwork.com presented by Smartpak: http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/2013USEFShowJumpingTalentSearchFinals/.

From an edited release by LEG Up News

Community/Charity, Show Jumping

In Memoriam: Peter Herchel, 1945-2013

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Peter Herchel, FEI International Jumping Judge, Steward and Course Director for FEI Jumping Judges passed away on 11 September. (Photo: Slovak Equestrian Federation)

Lausanne (SUI), 20 September 2013 – Peter Herchel, FEI International Jumping Judge, Steward and Course Director for FEI Jumping Judges, passed away on 11 September following a battle with cancer.

He was born on 29 August 1945 in Veľký Biel, in the Senec District of western Slovakia, close to Bratislava. As a youngster, he dedicated his time to athletics and downhill skiing, and it was while studying engineering at the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra that he became interested in equestrian sports. After graduating, he began co-organising what has now become the biggest horse show in Slovakia – the Grand Prix CSIO Bratislava.

In 1985, he became an FEI Jumping judge. He went on to become an FEI Level 4 International Jumping Judge, and was appointed as Ground Jury President at numerous FEI Championships. One of his own career highlights was carrying out the role of Ground Jury member at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Peter was fluent in Dutch, English, German, Hungarian and Russian, which was invaluable in his work as an FEI Level 3 Steward. Due to his long and varied experience of judging, he was also appointed FEI Course Director for Jumping Judges.

”Peter Herchel will be greatly missed – he contributed tremendously to our sport. We are forever grateful to him for his devotion and his close co-operation with us during the last 28 years,” said John Roche, FEI Director of Jumping and Stewarding.

“His friendly approach in dealing with everyone on the Jumping circuit, and especially during large-scale international equestrian events, is well-known and was fully appreciated by those who had the pleasure of working with him.

“Equally, his dedication to judging and stewarding, and to passing on his skills and wealth of experience to future generations of judges was highly respected.”

The FEI expresses its sincere condolences to Peter Herchel, his family and friends, to the Slovak Equestrian Federation and the global Jumping community.

FEI Media contacts:

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

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

FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

Spectacular Line-Up for Inaugural Furusiyya Final

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The new Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping trophy will be claimed by the winning team at the Final of the inaugural Furusiyya 2013 season in Barcelona, Spain next week.

Lausanne (SUI), 19 September 2013 – It could hardly be more exciting as the star-studded line-up for the inaugural Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final has now been confirmed. Horse-and-rider combinations from 18 countries will gather at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain next week – from 26 to 29 September – to decide who will carve their names into the history books as the very first Furusiyya champions.

When the Saudi Equestrian Fund pledged its support to the new-look series during last year’s FEI General Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey it marked a turning-point for the cherished FEI Nations Cup Jumping concept, extending it from its traditional European base to reach out to every country around the globe. The four-year, €16M Saudi sponsorship package, and the commitment of the FEI’s new Top Partner, the Swiss watchmakers Longines who are Official Timekeepers for the series, have broken new ground and moved the sport into an exciting new era.

From the Outset

And from the outset at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in February, where Saudi Arabia and Qatar qualified, to the last leg of the European Division 2 series at Arezzo in Italy just two weeks ago where Brazil won through and Austria clinched the very last of the much-sought-after qualifying spots, it has been a rip-roaring first season.

A total of six countries have qualified from Europe Division 1 – France, Great Britain, Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Ukraine – while Belgium, Sweden and Austria have emerged from Europe Division 2. With the world divided into six regions, the USA and Canada qualified from the North America, Central America and Caribbean region.

For some countries however it was less of a battle because, if the region was not in a position to stage a relevant CSIO, then the qualifying spots were determined by positions on the Longines Rankings. As a result, South America’s Brazil and Colombia have made the cut while Australia and Japan will represent the Asia/Australasia region. Egypt has declined the invitation to compete on behalf of the African region.

Final Format

The action gets underway with the horse inspection on Wednesday 25 September while the draw for order-of-go will be staged on Thursday 26 September. The first of the three Furusiyya Final competitions will be held on Friday 27. It will be a one-round class over a 1.60m course built by Spanish course designer Santiago Varela Ullastres, and all 18 teams will compete. Only the top eight teams will go through to Sunday’s finale.

The remaining 10 teams will line out on Saturday in the Team Consolation competition which again is a one-round 1.60m class and which offers €300,000 in prize money.

Sunday’s third and last leg of the Final offers a massive €1,500,000 in prize money and is a one-round competition with a jump-off, if required, to decide first place. All nations start on a zero score, and with the added incentive of an additional prize pot of €200,000 which will be equally divided between all those achieving a clear round in the first Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final competition on Friday, and/or a fault-free effort in the first round on Sunday afternoon, it is no surprise that so many of the biggest names in the sport are on call over this historic weekend.

In fact 10 of the top 20 riders from the current Longines Rankings will be there including World No. 1 Ben Maher from Great Britain along with his London 2012 Olympic Games and PSI FEI European Championships 2013 gold-medal-winning team-mate Scott Brash. What a hat-trick it would be if the British could add the inaugural Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping title to their recent haul of loot.

Looks Strong

New FEI European Individual champion, Roger-Yves Bost from France, will not line out with his great mare, Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois, because she has picked up an injury, but the French team still looks strong with Patrice Delaveau, currently No. 13 in the Longines Rankings, and Penelope Leprevost amongst the five French team contenders.

The Australian side will be led by Edwina Tops-Alexander, while the Austrian selection includes Dieter Kofler, Julia Kaysar and Stefan Eder who worked so hard to help clinch that last-minute qualifying spot in Arezzo. Like several other countries, the Belgians have opted for new faces alongside considerably older ones, 17-year-old Jos Verlooy having earned his spot with a spectacular performance at the recent PSI FEI European Jumping Championships 2013 in Denmark.

Running on Adrenalin

The Brazilians will still be running on the adrenalin created by their brilliant victory in Italy two weeks ago, and with Rodrigo Pessoa and Alvaro Affonso De Miranda Neto on board they may well prove very tough nuts to crack. The Canadian side includes 2008 Olympic champion Eric Lamaze while Daniel Bluman, who won the hearts of spectators at this year’s Dublin Horse Show, is a crucial member of the Colombian side.

Ireland’s Denis Lynch and Billy Twomey, Taizo Sugitani from Japan, Qatar’s Sheikh Ali bin Khalid Al Thani, 2000 Olympic champion Jeroen Dubbeldam from The Netherlands, 2012 Olympic Champion Steve Guerdat from Switzerland, 2011 European Champion Rolf-Göran Bengtsson from Sweden, Ulrich Kirchhoff who took team and individual gold for Germany at the Atlanta Games in 1996 but who now competes for Ukraine, and 2013 FEI World Cup Champion Beezie Madden from the USA – the cast of stars is an extraordinary one.

Different Pressure

For the Spanish and Saudi Arabian sides however there is a different kind of pressure. The home runners will want to put their very best foot forward on home ground so there will be a lot riding on the performances of Sergio Alvarez Moya and Pilar Cordon in particular. Meanwhile the Saudi Arabian team looks formidable, with three members of their London 2012 bronze medal winning team – Kamal Bahamdan, HRH Prince Abdullah Al Saud and Ramzy Al Duhami – in action. They will surely want to leave their mark on this inaugural Final supported by the Saudi Equestrian Fund.

The sport of Nations Cup Jumping has long been recognised for camaraderie and sportsmanship matched with the fierce passion and great pride of competing for one’s country. Described by FEI President, Princess Haya, as “the jewel in the crown” of the FEI, it continues to grow and thrive 104 years after it all began. The inaugural Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final looks set to launch it to a whole new level, and it’s just around the corner.

The first Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final will take place at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain from 26-29 September 2013. For all information on the Spanish fixture, go to website www.csiobarcelona.com or contact Press Officer Isabel Suter at Email isuter@rcpolo.com or Tel +34 760 258 222.

Facts and Figures:

The very first Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final will take place at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain from 26 to 29 September 2013.

The venue was home to the Jumping discipline during the 1992 Olympic Games.

A total of 18 nations will be represented at the inaugural Final – Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and USA.

Course designer will be Spain’s Santiago Varela Ullastres.

CSIO5* Barcelona offers a total prize fund of €2,310,500, with €2M of that allocated to the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 Final.

There will be three competitions during the Furusiyya Final – the first on Friday 27 September in which all teams will compete over one round, the second a consolation class on Saturday 28 for the teams not finishing within the top eight on the previous day and the third in which the leading eight nations will battle it out for the brand new Furusiyya trophy on Sunday 29 September.

For further information on the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping, 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 Barcelona:

Isabel Suter
Email: isuter@rcpolo.com
Tel: +34 760 258 222

At FEI:

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

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

At Revolution Sports + Entertainment:

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

Show Jumping, USEF, USEF

Strong Field Lines Up for 2013 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals West

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Lexington, Kentucky – The 2013 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals West kicks off this week at the prestigious Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, California. The prominent competition will once again showcase the top rising talent the West Coast has to offer. Mandy Porter and Jimmy Torano will serve as judges and course designers for the four-phase competition which will be held September 19-21.

Competition officially gets underway on Thursday as 35 entries complete their flatwork in the Large Oval during Phase I. The following day, competitors will head to the Equidome for Phase II, gymnastics. The winner will be crowned on Saturday following the completion of Phases III and IV. In Phase III, all entries will show their ability over a jumper-styled course on the Cricket Field and, following its conclusion, the top four competitors will be called back for a ride-off. Phase IV will showcase the same format used for the Show Jumping World Championships, with each rider completing a course on his/her own horse, as well as the three other riders’ horses.

The Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search boasts a roster of graduates that include multiple Olympic, FEI World Equestrian and Pan American Games medalists. This year’s field includes many riders that have already garnered top honors in prestigious competitions in their young careers. Olivia Champ (La Canada Flintridge, California) rode to second-place honors in last year’s Finals and will look to go one better in 2013. Additionally, Hannah Von Heidegger (Chatsworth, California) has enjoyed a successful 2013 season, which included earning a Team Silver medal at the summer’s Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North, and will try to add a Finals victory to her resume.

For more about the 2013 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, visit: http://usef.org/_IFrames/breedsdisciplines/discipline/alljumping/sjTalentSearch.aspx.