Tag Archives: vaulting

Training Tougher Than Competition for Ukraine’s Equestrian Vaulting Girls

Ukrainian Vaulting team in training in Bernolákovo (SVK) (Copyright: FEI/Richard Juilliart)

Bratislava (SVK), 30 May 2022 – There is no easy way to prepare for an international competition. But five young equestrian Vaulters have needed to dig extra deep for grit and determination as they trained for their first ever international competition.

Polina Shovkova (14), sisters Katya (14) and Jenya (11) Panasenko, Sonia Shulga (14), and Marta Lopaienko (15) became the first team to ever represent Ukraine in international Vaulting when they participated in the one star competition in Kaposvár (HUN) from 20 to 22 May.

The team’s participation in Kaposvár came just a few short months after fleeing their hometown of Poltova to escape the war that has upturned the lives of millions of Ukrainians. They are currently living and training in Bernolákovo, a suburb of Bratislava (SVK), where they have been welcomed by members of the local Vaulting community and supported financially by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Solidarity Fund.

“We didn’t have competitions in Ukraine because we are the first Vaulting team,” Marta explained.

“We didn’t feel too comfortable with the horses here in Slovakia at first because they are bigger and have a different rhythm to our horses at home. But now we know the character of each horse.

“We were a bit worried about taking part in our first international competition and it was important for us. But as Katya, our trainer from Ukraine, always says: ‘You have to do this performance just for you.’”

Joining the Vaulters on their sporting journey is 29-year-old Anthony Bro-Petit, himself a former international competitor for France, who has played a key role in developing the sporting infrastructure for Vaulting in Ukraine prior to the war.

“Preparing young athletes for a competition or a Championship is always tough because even when they are motivated, the mental focus is very hard to maintain. The war has added an extra layer of mental difficulty for these girls. It’s not easy to fully concentrate on your training when you know your family is not safe.

“The girls are still very young, and it is hard to know how much I can push them during their training session. But this is a good learning experience for me. I’m still learning as a coach and I have to develop my skills.

“We would have been able to prepare more if there was no war. But the team did really well in their first international competition and now we know which aspects we need to focus on more during our training.”

With their competition experience in Kaposvár under their belt, the team now have their sights set on the international Vaulting competition that will be held in Samorin (SVK) next month. The road ahead will be easier to navigate than the one they took in March this year.

“We knew that we would have to leave Poltava about a week before we had to go,” said Marta. “We first thought that we were going to France, but two days before we left, we were told that we’re going to Slovakia.

“We were on the road for three days. It was a very long journey, because of the traffic jams everywhere. It usually takes us one day to drive to the Slovak border.

“The first night we didn’t stop and we kept going. But the second night we stopped near the Carpathian Mountains, and we stayed in a flat with just two rooms. There were 15 of us, and the girls and I slept on one sofa, and the others slept on the floor. Then the third day we crossed the border very quickly. We thought it would be slow with all the traffic, but we crossed over very fast.

“We were not frightened, but we were really sad and tired. And when we crossed the border, we all started to cry.”

The girls’ trainer Kateryna (Katya) Andreiva and her 18-month son David, as well as three mothers, have accompanied the Vaulters to Slovakia, while other members of their families have all stayed back in Ukraine.

It is a situation that has caused Katya’s and Jenya’s mother Ekateryna a great deal of anguish. “When you first come from war, you think that it would have been better to stay at home because your mind cannot feel safe,” Ekateryna said.

“It’s harder to be in a safe country because you feel at fault for leaving your family. My mother is in the Kharkiv region and I know that she’s sitting in a bomb shelter while I’m here in Slovakia. But we are mums and everything we do we do for our children. You don’t think about yourself. You just think about your children.”

The Vaulters have settled into a routine at the local school, which is currently housing the group from Poltava, as well as 40 refugees from other parts of Ukraine. The girls begin each weekday morning by joining online lessons with their school in Poltova, which leaves them the rest of the day to train at the local riding school, and at the school gym that has a mechanical horse and barrels.

“It is good to see that the girls are training really hard,” said the Secretary General of the Slovak Equestrian Federation Zuzana Bačiak Masaryková.

“The community here in the Bratislava area have been extremely generous to the team. The owner of the shop that sells Vaulting shoes has given the girls free pairs, and other people have provided us with everything they require.

“My aim is to give these girls all that they need to train, so that they can forget about the war, at least for a few hours each day.”

The Vaulters and their mothers still hope that they can return home to Poltava after the competition in Samorin (SVK) that will take place from 9 to 12 June.

Until then the girls are determined to continue their training. “We are not sure if Vaulting is our sport in the long term,” Marta explained. “But in 2023, our aim is to take part in the Vaulting World Championship and we’re going to train hard for this.”

FEI Solidarity Relief Fund for Ukraine

Media contact:

Vanessa Martin Randin
Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications
vanessa.randin@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 73

Lupacchini Steals the Title for Italy

Lorenzo Lupacchini (ITA) and Rosenstolz 99 (FEI/Richard Juilliart)

Under the lights of the Leipziger Messe, the 2022 FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Champions were crowned. No-one could keep French Manon Moutinho from the female title, whilst Lorenzo Lupacchini took his chance to bring home the glory for Italy. Janika Derks and Johannes Kay gave a spine-tingling ultimate performance to win the Pas de Deux.

After a great start in the Technical Test the trio of Manon Moutinho, Corrine Bosshard, and Saitiri pulled out a show stopping Free Test with a perfect artistic score to win the final on 8.431.  “I am really happy. I could not have expected more from me, my horse, or my lunger. It was a really good experience to start this new season 2022. There is still some work to do, but we are only in April and I am very pleased.”

Bringing back her 2019 winning freestyle theme wasn’t enough for German defending champion Janika Derks.  She had to settle for second place, 8.257.  Making her mark in her first individual World Cup final, Kimberly Palmer (USA) was one of only three female individuals scoring over 8 points and finished in third place (8.009).

The men’s competition went to a tense finish. After slipping from the horse in one of his risk exercises, Lambert Leclezio (FRA) (8.628) had to watch the title go to Lorenzo Lupacchini (8.795). The Italian barely lost a point as he performed gracefully on top of Rosenstolz.

“I am really really happy because I didn’t expect this result. I just participated for enjoying. I was on the third place so far, so I had nothing to lose and nothing to win. So I tried to give emotions and not only exercise,” said Lupacchini.

He becomes one of only two athletes to have won the FEI World Cup™ Final in the Individual and Pas de Deux class. Jannik Heiland completed the podium for Germany (8.019).

An exquisite final performance from the German pair, Janika Derks and Johannes Kay, concluded the FEI Vaulting World Cup™ Final as well as their vaulting careers. Alongside Nina Vorberg and Humphrey Bogart OLD, they left the audience with goosebumps as they became World Cup Winners (8.754). Screaming with delight as he landed his final dismount, Johannes later summed up his experience “Yes, once in my life I competed in the World Cup: that was here and today and that was the last time – and we have won. But winning was not important to me. We made the thing out of it, what we wanted to make out of it. That worked out; we are satisfied… To have found such a beautiful conclusion, in such a beautiful atmosphere – it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Romana Hintner and Eva Nagiller managed to improve on their first round performance to move up into second place (8.016) leaving Chiara Congia and Justin van Gerven in third (7.960).

It has been an historic Final in Leipzig. France and Italy each took the title for the first time in their respective classes. Wrapping up the experience and marking the career end for Janika Derks: “I think we have achieved exactly what we wanted to achieve here again: having fun with the sport, just enjoying it – this was just the perfect show for both of us to find closure for us.”

Full results here.

by Joanne Eccles MBE

FEI Media Contact:

Shannon Gibbons
Manager Press Relations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Vaulting Favourites Reign Supreme

Lambert Leclezio with Estadoifce and lunger Loic Devedu. (FEI/Lukasz Kowalski)

Vaulting legends reigned supreme in Budapest (HUN) as FEI Vaulting made a successful return to the world stage, with Lambert Leclezio defending his World title for France, Jasmin Lindner (AUT) reclaiming the female individual gold medal, and Germany proving dominant in the Pas de Deux, Squad, and Nations Team categories.

After its triumphant debut at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2018, The Nations Team event once again returned to great acclaim, delivering the first medals of the FEI Vaulting World Championships 2021.  The competition which sees two individuals and one team from each nation line up in the quest for national glory, once again provided a stage for history to be made.

Lambert Leclezio (FRA) defends his World title, Jasmin Lindner (AUT) reclaims the female individual gold, and Germany dominate the Pas-de-Deux, Squad, and Nations Team at the World Championships.

Team Germany, consisting of Jannik Heiland (9.048), Janika Derks (8.884), and Team Germany (9.157), was in a league of its own, posting an incredible average of 9.030 to retain the Nation’s Team World title. The silver medal was awarded to Eva Nagiller (8.938), Jasmin Lindner (9.061), and Team Austria (8.207), whilst history was made with the bronze medal going to Denmark, marking their new-found eminence on the world stage after impressive performances from Sheena Bendixen (8.988), Anna Damm (7.751), and Team Denmark (8.264).

In the female category, golden girl Jasmin Lindner reclaimed the World title she won at the FEI World Championships in Le Mans in 2016. The multi-talented, highly decorated vaulter added to her already impressive collection of Individual and Pas De Deux World gold medals after again showing her formidable talent and unmatched expression within the sport.

Renowned for her story-telling ability, Lindner, the only female vaulter to post a freestyle score over 9.0, dominated both freestyle rounds.  Partnering with her long-term team of lunger Klaus Haidacher and Dr Doolittle 5, Lindner’s Greta Thunberg inspired freestyle helped secure her unprecedented fifth Vaulting World title (3 Pas De Deux, 2 Individual), further contributing to her legacy within the sport (8.759).

Silver individual medallist from the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™ Janika Derks (GER) once again took the second step on the podium with Dark Beluga and Barbara Rosiny.  Lindner’s fellow compatriot and training partner Eva Nagiller (8.578) took bronze after posting the highest technical test score of the female competition. Denmark’s Sheena Bendixen (8.461) and France’s Manon Moutinho (8.427) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

The male category lit up the arena in Budapest with France’s Lambert Leclezio retaining the World title he won so emphatically at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™, once again pushing the boundaries of the sport and rising to the top of the highly competitive class.

Leclezio got his quest to retain his World title off to the best possible start, leading after the compulsory round on 8.849 – a score rarely seen within the sport and evidence of his outstanding technical ability. His nearest competitor, Jannik Heiland from Germany, finished round one on 8.584, with the chasing pack narrowly behind.

This exceptional standard was further evident in the first freestyle round where Leclezio, Heiland, and rising star France’s Quentin Jabet all posted scores in excess of 9.0. The skill, flexibility, expression, and harmony of those chasing the medals thrilling to watch.

Saturday’s technical test round saw Leclezio perform a breath-taking masterclass.  The flawless, technical elements coupled with his intricate, clever composition saw him post a previously unheard-of technical test score of 9.083, creating breathing space between him and his nearest competitors Heiland and France’s Theo Gardies. A fall for Quentin Jabet in the technical round saw him fall away from medal contention.

In their first championship together, Leclezio, lunger Loic Devedu and Estado IFCE performed a jaw-dropping final freestyle to retain Lambert’s World title, and further cement his legacy within the sport (8,989). Germany’s Jannik Heiland with Barbara Rosiny on the lunge and horse Dark Beluga also retained the world silver medal from the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™.

Further evidence of France’s dominance within the male category, Theo Gardies took bronze converting his previous junior success into senior acclaim (8.659), with Quentin Jabet posting the highest final freestyle score of 9.126 to finish fourth and again prove that he is one to watch for the future.

In the squad competition Germany led through all three rounds of the competition, dominating the event.  Together with lunger Gesa Buhrig and Claus 51, the team from Fredenbeck upheld Germany’s rich history within the Squad competition to take gold. Their perfect final freestyle saw them awarded 9.224 to finish on an astonishing total of 8.735, scoring 0.7 more than second place Team Austria.  A masterclass in teamwork, coupled with incredible artistry and strength, saw the gold medal never in doubt. A commanding win for the powerhouse vaulting nation.

Representing Austria, URC Wildegg with Cornelia Trimmel and Leokado added to their already impressive tally of World and European medals taking second place (8.044). The United States of America finished in bronze medal position, the first time they have won a medal at the senior World Championships in squad since the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games™, marking their ascent back to prominence on the world stage (7.914).  Denmark rounded off a history making Championship to finish fourth (7.856).

The ever-entertaining Pas De Deux class lived up to its highly entertaining billing, once again providing edge of the seat action.  Vaulting legends from the 2014 gold medal winning team, Team Neuss, Johannes Kay and Janika Derks (GER), converted the silver medal they won at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™ into gold in untouchable fashion. A fall by their fellow countrymen and nearest competitors 2019 FEI European Gold medallists Chiara Congia and Justin Van Gerven in the first round saw them enter round 2 with an impressive 0.7 advantage.  Together with Humphrey Bogart and lunger Nina Vorberg, they proved unbeatable, finishing on an impressive total of 8.936 and taking the top step on the podium.

Chiara Congia and Justin Van Gerven came back from their round one mistake in spectacular fashion to post the highest second round freestyle of 9.092, thus securing the silver medal (8.646).  The bronze medal went to USA’s Daniel Janes and Haley Smith, securing their first ever FEI medal as a pairing after bravely changing their freestyle between round 1 and round 2 (8.469).

By Hannah Eccles

Media contact:

Shannon Gibbons
Senior Manager Sport Communications
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Historic Gold for The Netherlands at FEI Vaulting World Championships for Juniors

Sam Dos Santos (NED) on Chameur, lunged by Rian Pierik (FEI/Photos Les Garennes)

FEI Vaulting returned in great fashion over the weekend, as Boulerie Jump in Le Mans, France hosted the biennial FEI Vaulting World Championships for Juniors 2021.  An arena that has housed many momentous Vaulting moments once again provided the stage for Vaulting history, with Sam Dos Santos winning gold in the individual male competition, securing a first ever medal in Vaulting for The Netherlands.

Austria’s Anna Weidenauer took top honours in the female category, whilst Germany once again proved a Vaulting powerhouse taking two golds, with Arne Heers & Lily Warren untouchable in pas-de-deux and retaining the prestigious squad title.

Fifty-six competitors lined up at the start of the week in the female category showing an unprecedented standard. Coming into the final round it looked to be a two-way tussle between defending champion Mona Pavetic (GER) and Austria’s Anna Weidenauer.  Weidenauer, leader after the first round, lost some of her 0.12 advantage to Pavetic in second round compulsories, resulting in a nail-biting finish.

Hailing from URC Wildegg, which has previously produced multiple female champions, Anna Weidenauer held her nerve to add her name to the history books. Alongside lunger Maria Lehrmann and Chivas 14, she took the top step of the podium on a combined score of 7.974, narrowly taking the title from the 2019 champion Mona Pavetic (7.931), with bronze going to Germany’s Gianna Ronca (7.820).

History was made in the individual male category as 15-year-old Sam Dos Santos lead throughout all four rounds of the competition to secure the first ever medal for The Netherlands in Vaulting. Together with his lunger Rian Pierik and horse Chameur, his dynamic, expressive freestyle impressed both judges and audiences alike.  The Dutch trailblazer finished on a combined score of 8.360 marking a historic moment for Vaulting in The Netherlands.

The silver medal went to Germany’s Philip Goroncy (8.263), with his fellow compatriot Simon Stolz taking bronze (7.731).

In the pas-de-deux category Arne Heers and Lily Warren were in a league of their own.  Together with their horse Capitano 59 and lunger Sven Henze, they scored a spectacular 8.732 in the final round to finish on a combined total of 8.578, an impressive 0.5 ahead of their nearest competitors.

Anna Weidenauer secured her second medal of the day as she partnered with Paul Ruttkovsky to take the second step on the podium (8.083).  Whilst having only secured their first ever Vaulting medal mere hours earlier, Sam Dos Santos & Elise Van De Ven took The Netherland’s medal tally to two, taking bronze (8.037).

In the squad competition Germany triumphed taking top honours on a score of 7.805.  With Michelle Arcori on the lunge and horse Elias 75, the highly decorated team from Ingelsberg fought off tough competition from the field who were all vying for the much sought-after squad title.  It was a fight to the end with the United States of America taking silver (7.669) and Switzerland bronze (7.655).

This week marked Vaulting’s triumphant return on the world stage, with the emergence of new stars and another nation staking a claim on the medals; for National Coach of the Netherlands Claire De Ridder, the momentous achievements of Sam Dos Santos, Elise Van De Ven, and the depth of talent they have coming through, she hopes can inspire the next generation.

“It is really incredible; we knew before he (Dos Santos) came here how talented he was, but he didn’t have competition experience.

“I hope from the achievements here this weekend that the sport will evolve more in The Netherlands. I hope it inspires younger Vaulters and shows them that it is possible to win medals and have these successes.  I am excited for the future; we have so much talent coming through.

“To see everyone here, united, it really brings people together and that is what Vaulting is all about.”

By Hannah Eccles

Media contact:

Shannon Gibbons
Manager, Media Relations and Media Operations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

FEI Board Approves Resolutions Based on Calendar Task Forces Proposals

The FEI Board held an extraordinary meeting 27 April 2020 to review proposals from six of the discipline-specific Calendar Task Forces. Discussions at the meeting, which was held via videoconference, were on Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Vaulting, and Reining.

During the meeting, the FEI Board agreed that discussions and decisions on FEI Championships for all age categories and disciplines, and potential initiatives to help Organisers, will be deferred to its June meeting.

National Federations and Organisers whose Calendar date applications/modifications have been approved by the FEI during the Covid-19 period have been informed that no guarantee of exclusivity will be provided to them for the new Calendar dates and that equal consideration of all future Calendar date applications/modifications will be given by the relevant Calendar Task Force and by the FEI Board.

Other key takeaways from the meeting are:

Jumping: Due to the uncertainty about the organisation of Competitions worldwide during July and August 2020, the Board has approved all Calendar date applications/modifications for Jumping Events that take place up to and including 30 August 2020. No date clash rules will apply for this period.

Dressage: date applications and/or modifications for high level events (CDI5*/CDI4*/CDI3* and CDI-W) must reach the FEI eight weeks prior to the event. Date clash rules will not apply to CDI3*.

Eventing: date applications and/or modifications for CCI5* & CCI4* Long Format must reach the FEI six weeks prior to the event; date applications and/or modifications for CCI4* Short Format and all other Events must reach the FEI four weeks prior to the Event.

Driving: date applications and/or modifications must reach the FEI four weeks prior to the Event.

Vaulting: date applications and/or modifications must reach the FEI four weeks prior to the Event.

Reining: date applications and/or modifications must reach the FEI four weeks prior to the Event.

Detailed information on resolutions for each discipline are available here.

The Dressage Calendar Task Force held its second meeting 28 April to review applications received for higher-level events. The Jumping Calendar Task Force will hold its third meeting on 4 May 2020, followed by Eventing’s second meeting on 14 May when its Task Force will review applications for higher-level event date changes.

Media contacts:

Grania Willis
Director Communications
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

Shannon Gibbons
Media Relations and Communications Manager
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 4

FEI.TV Available Free of Charge while Live Sport Is on Hold

Swedish Dressage athlete Patrik Kittel tries out the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ trophy for size, whilst compatriot, former European Champion Peder Fredricson, takes hold of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ trophy. (FEI/Liz Gregg)

FEI.TV, the FEI’s online television platform, will be providing all its coverage of past events and special equestrian features free of charge to everyone while live sport is on hold until end of June.

Under normal circumstances, FEI.TV live-streams all major FEI Series and Championships, with an extensive range of replays, special features, and historic events coverage available on-demand combining to provide unparalleled coverage of equestrian sport year-round.

But with no live sport, access to FEI.TV will be free and existing subscribers will be compensated for the months of April, May, and June. They will get automatically refunded on their accounts. All content on the platform, including VOD, will be freely available to all users who will need to register, meaning that fans can re-live all the action from past events so there’s no need to miss out on your fix of equestrian sport.

“Premium content like this usually sits behind a paywall and is normally available only to subscribers, but while there is no ‘live’ sport, we want to give equestrian fans the chance to binge-watch for free during this terrible pandemic,” FEI Commercial Director Ralph Straus says.

This week’s Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ and FEI Dressage World Cup™ Finals in Las Vegas were one of the early high-profile victims of the Covid-19 outbreak when they were cancelled in mid-March. But Jumping and Dressage fans now have the opportunity to relive some of the very best moments of the FEI World Cup™ Finals from the past five years – 2015 to 2019 – live and free on FEI.TV, FEI Jumping and Dressage Facebook pages, and FEI YouTube channel daily. And if you can’t watch it live, catch it on replay on FEI.TV.

For fans of the other equestrian disciplines, FEI.TV has lots more unique content, ranging from FEI Vaulting and Driving World Cup™ highlights to wrap-ups of the FEI Eventing and Dressage Nations Cup™ series.

An additional broadcast offering has been made available by the FEI, equestrian sport’s global governing body, providing free access to video archive footage to TV broadcasters in EBU member territories across Europe through its partnership with EBU, and to key territories in the rest of the world via its partnership with IMG.

“Our broadcast partners are struggling to fill their air-time without live sport, so this initiative has been put in place to ensure that they have access to top equestrian footage and, together, we can keep our fans around the world happy with their daily dose of equestrian content,” Straus says.

Media contacts:

Grania Willis
Director Communications
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

Shannon Gibbons
Media Relations and Communications Manager
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 4

USET Foundation Supports Next Generation through Pathway to the Podium Participation Challenge

Lucy Deslauriers and Hester competing for the United States in the $290,000 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of the United States of America CSIO5* during the 2019 Palm Beach Masters Series.

Gladstone, N.J. – July 18, 2019 – With the launch of the new Pathway to the Podium Participation Challenge, the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation encourages everyone to get involved in paving the way for our U.S. equestrian teams to prepare and compete at the upcoming 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru and the 2019 Adequan®/FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC), presented by Gotham North.

By participating in the challenge, the Foundation’s supporters and fans open the pathway to the podium for U.S. athletes, from developing to elite squads, across the nation in the eight FEI disciplines of dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, para-equestrian, reining, show jumping, and vaulting.

The mission of the USET Foundation is to provide the necessary resources to make equestrian competitive excellence possible, now and in the future. These key funds support the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America’s elite and developing international and high performance horses and athletes in partnership with US Equestrian (USEF), which does not receive any direct or indirect government subsidy.

High performance programs train and support our top athletes and horses to compete at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, World Equestrian Games, Pan American Games and other top international competitions. In addition, these programs provide support for our world-class coaches, international competition for developing athletes, training grants, national training sessions, and talent search programs to identify future elite equestrian athletes.

Contributions made to the USET Foundation directly support the grants that the Foundation makes to the USEF for the high performance programs. Annually, the USET Foundation awards grants covering approximately 50% of the high performance program budget. The funding, made possible through USET Foundation donations, creates the support programs for athletes who aspire to be on the podium someday in any of the eight FEI disciplines.

Since its inception, the USET Foundation has awarded millions of dollars to support the USEF’s high performance programs and athletes along the pathway, including the likes of Kent Farrington, Philip Dutton, Laura Graves, Laura Kraut, McLain Ward, and countless others who, thanks in part to the support received from the USET Foundation, went on to represent and achieve historic results for the U.S. at the highest levels of the sport.

From the beginning, the USET Foundation’s focus has always been on providing funding for the next generation’s international success. At the NAYC, presented by Gotham North, to be held July 24-28 (eventing) in conjunction with The Event at Rebecca Farm and July 30 – Aug. 4 (dressage and show jumping) at Old Salem Farm, the USET Foundation annually presents the coveted Maxine Beard Show Jumping Developing Rider Award.

In 2018, the Maxine Beard Show Jumping Developing Rider Award was given to Daisy Farish as the highest placing U.S. Young Rider in the individual show jumping final. As the recipient of this immense honor, Farish had the opportunity to represent the U.S. in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final along with the other top finishers in the NAYC individual show jumping final, Samantha Cohen, Madison Goetzmann, and McKayla Langmeier, in Opglabbeek, Belgium in September 2018.

Another young talent, Lucy Deslauriers (20), has progressed up the pathway through the NAYC and U25 division to now representing the U.S. with podium finishes in Nations Cup competitions and most recently being named to the NetJets® U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2019 Pan American Games.

“I feel so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to represent our country at the senior level in Nations Cup competitions over the past year,” said Deslauriers. “Only with the support of the USET Foundation and the US Equestrian pathway programs have I been able to fulfill some of my show jumping dreams.”

The Pathway to the Podium Participation Challenge is one that rallies support from all members of the USET Foundation community from the $10 first-time donor to the invested and dedicated trustee. From now through Aug. 11, the more people who participate by making a gift, of any amount, the closer we get to unlocking $100,000 of additional support, which will help elevate up-and-coming athletes and provide valuable opportunities on their journey to equestrian excellence.

Be a part of history and show support for Team USA during these pivotal weeks and beyond! Participate in the Pathway to the Podium Participation Challenge at USET.org and spread the word on social media. Current supporters of the Foundation can participate in the challenge and move the USET Foundation one donor closer by giving again now.

For more information on the USET Foundation, visit www.uset.org.

Support Team USA in USET Foundation’s New Pathway to the Podium Participation Challenge

Graphic: Courtesy of the USET Foundation

Gladstone, N.J. – July 11, 2019 – The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of a transformative new initiative, the Pathway to the Podium Participation Challenge.

“During the Pathway to the Podium Participation Challenge, we invite you to get to know the USET Foundation and the countless ways that we support equestrians across the country,” said Bonnie Jenkins, USET Foundation executive director. “For some, this is our first opportunity to show how we help make representing America possible. For many others, this challenge serves as a fond reminder of the USET Foundation’s great history of support and a rally for success. We thank you and our teams thank you.”

The USET Foundation is the philanthropic partner of US Equestrian (USEF) and works to make the dreams of competing on a U.S. team possible. Join the Foundation in supporting America’s equestrian athletes of today and tomorrow. By participating in the challenge, donors open the pathway to the podium for U.S. athletes, from developing to elite squads, comprised of young and old as well as male and female athletes across the nation in the eight FEI disciplines of dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, para-dressage, reining, show jumping, and vaulting.

For decades, equestrian athletes have represented the United States in international competition, bringing home medals that have clearly established the U.S. as among the world’s equestrian elite. Unlike other countries, U.S. equestrian teams do not receive any government subsidies. Instead, the USET Foundation provides the main source of funding, made possible through individuals whose interest in and commitment to equestrian sport motivates them to make generous charitable contributions. Since 2004, the Foundation has awarded more than $42 million in grants to support the USEF’s high performance programs and athletes along the pathway.

As our United States equestrian team athletes and horses prepare for an intense season of competition with the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru and the 2019 Adequan®/FEI North American Youth Championships, presented by Gotham North, quickly approaching, the USET Foundation wants our athletes and teams to know that we are with them all the way.

The goal of the Pathway to the Podium Participation Challenge is simple: from now through Aug. 11, the more people who participate by making a gift, of any amount, the closer we get to unlocking $100,000 of additional support.

The USET Foundation board of trustees believes in the power of participation and is grateful for your support. This is why they are challenging equestrians, and equestrian supporters, across the nation to the task of unlocking the funds they have pledged for this initiative.

Every equestrian athlete starts somewhere, and every person’s support counts toward our U.S. equestrian teams’ international success.

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Countries Line Up to Host FEI World Championships in 2022

A total of 10 countries have put in formal bids to host the FEI World Championships 2022, including two proposals to host the multi-discipline FEI World Equestrian Games™. Bidding countries are Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America.

More than 20 years after Rome stepped in as host city of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 1998 following Ireland’s late withdrawal, the Italians are looking to once again host the full Games. The Saudi Arabian capital city of Riyadh is also in the running having put forward an all-discipline bid for 2022.

“The number of formal bids that we’ve received for single and multi-discipline FEI World Championships and full Games is an excellent indication that the interest in the World Championships is as strong if not stronger than ever,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “We knew that some of the countries that put in expressions of interest back in February were just dipping their toes in the water, but these formal bids are a great validation of the new bidding process and show that we have a really strong product.”

The FEI initiated a bidding process for individual World Championships in all disciplines for 2022 after the FEI General Assembly in Manama (BRN) in November 2018.

The FEI Board decided that multi-discipline bids would be given preference, and that Dressage and Para Dressage should be combined. The World Championships in 2022 in the Olympic and Paralympic disciplines will serve as qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The new bid process allows for the sustainable and cost-effective use of existing equestrian sports facilities, and was put in place to provide the opportunity for the FEI to partner with National Federations that may have hesitated to put forward multi-discipline bids in the past.

In a key change to the bid procedure, the FEI hosted an interactive workshop at the end of March 2019 in Lausanne for all National Federations/Organising Committees that had submitted an expression of interest.

The workshop provided interested parties with detailed information of the structure, opportunities, and minimum requirements for hosting the FEI World Championships 2022. By working more closely with the National Federations and Organising Committees from the outset, the FEI and its stakeholders can establish an achievable set of goals and work towards a unified vision for 2022.

All bids will be fully evaluated over the summer and allocation of FEI World Championships 2022 will be made at the in-person Board meeting during the FEI General Assembly in Moscow (RUS) in November this year.

All Disciplines

  • Pratoni del Vivaro (Rome), Elementa (Rome) & Isola della Scala (Verona) (ITA), World Equestrian Games
  • Saudi Equestrian Federation, Riyadh (KSA), World Equestrian Games

Multi-Discipline

  • Dubai Equestrian Club (UAE), Jumping & Endurance
  • Herning (DEN), Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage
  • WestWorld of Scottsdale, Arizona (USA), Reining & Vaulting

Jumping

  • Dubai Equestrian Club (UAE) – part of a multi-discipline bid
  • Herning (DEN) – part of a multi-discipline bid
  • Pratoni del Vivaro (Rome), Elementa (Rome) & Isola della Scala (Verona) (ITA) – part of a WEG bid
  • Saudi Equestrian Federation, Riyadh (KSA) – part of a WEG bid

Endurance

  • Jazdecký Klub Napoli, Samorin (SVK)
  • Stichting Endurancesport, Ermelo (NED)
  • Padise Equestrian Centre (EST)
  • Dubai Equestrian Club (UAE) – part of a multi-discipline bid
  • Pratoni del Vivaro (Rome), Elementa (Rome) & Isola della Scala (Verona) (ITA) – part of a WEG bid
  • Saudi Equestrian Federation, Riyadh (KSA) – part of a WEG bid

Driving

  • National Stud of Szilvásvárad (HUN)
  • Pratoni del Vivaro (Rome), Elementa (Rome) & Isola della Scala (Verona) (ITA) – part of a WEG bid
  • Saudi Equestrian Federation, Riyadh (KSA) – part of a WEG bid

Dressage

  • Herning (DEN) – part of a multi-discipline bid
  • Pratoni del Vivaro (Rome), Elementa (Rome) & Isola della Scala (Verona) (ITA) – part of a WEG bid
  • Saudi Equestrian Federation, Riyadh (KSA) – part of a WEG bid

Para Dressage

  • Herning (DEN) – part of a multi-discipline bid
  • Pratoni del Vivaro (Rome), Elementa (Rome) & Isola della Scala (Verona) (ITA) – part of a WEG bid
  • Saudi Equestrian Federation, Riyadh (KSA) – part of a WEG bid

Eventing

  • Millstreet Equestrian Services, Millstreet (IRL)
  • Pratoni del Vivaro (Rome), Elementa (Rome) & Isola della Scala (Verona) (ITA) – part of a WEG bid
  • Saudi Equestrian Federation, Riyadh (KSA) – part of a WEG bid

Reining

  • WestWorld of Scottsdale, Arizona (USA) – part of a multi-discipline bid
  • Pratoni del Vivaro (Rome), Elementa (Rome) & Isola della Scala (Verona) (ITA) – part of a WEG bid
  • Saudi Equestrian Federation, Riyadh (KSA) – part of a WEG bid

Vaulting

  • WestWorld of Scottsdale, Arizona (USA) – part of a multi-discipline bid
  • Pratoni del Vivaro (Rome), Elementa (Rome) & Isola della Scala (Verona) (ITA) – part of a WEG bid
  • Saudi Equestrian Federation, Riyadh (KSA) – part of a WEG bid

FEI contacts:

Grania Willis
Director Communications
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 787 506 142

Vanessa Martin Randin
Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications
Vanessa.Randin@fei.org
+ 41 78 750 61 73

Equestrian Sport Boosted with Allocation of Major Events through 2021

Photo: FEI/Richard Juillart.

The Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) has allocated host cities for 13 FEI Championships for the next two years and nine FEI Driving World Cup™ legs for the 2019/2020 season.

Budapest (HUN) will lead the way as host of the FEI Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage, Driving, and Vaulting European Championships in August 2021. This will be the first time that the Hungarian capital, which has a long tradition in equestrian sport, will host a multi-discipline FEI European Championships. The event will mark the 50th anniversary of the first FEI Driving European Championships, which were held at the same venue – Kincsem Park in the heart of the city – in 1971.

Two other major Championships were also allocated for 2021, with the FEI Eventing European Championships going to Haras du Pin (FRA) and the FEI Endurance European Championships to Ermelo (NED).

“The FEI European Championships are among the FEI’s most important events, attracting top class athletes and horses for over six decades,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “During the next two years equestrian fans will have the opportunity to enjoy thrilling sport in some of Europe’s biggest cities. The allocation of the FEI Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage, Driving, and Vaulting European Championships to Budapest will further promote horse sport in Hungary, which already has a remarkable equestrian history.”

The FEI Board also allocated nine legs of the FEI Driving World Cup™ series for the 2020-2021 season. This is the first time that the FEI has launched a bidding process for the FEI Driving World Cup™ legs, as previously only the FEI Driving World Cup™ Final was open for bids.

“This bidding process reinforces the FEI’s policy of transparency and fairness,” the FEI President commented. “It is a key step forward in harmonising the bidding for all FEI Championships, Finals, and Series.”

The allocations were made by the FEI Board, the body responsible for the general direction of equestrian sport’s global governing authority, at its in-person meeting at FEI Headquarters in the Olympic Capital, Lausanne (SUI).

The FEI Driving World Cup™ Final 2021 which will take place from 4-7 February was allocated to Bordeaux (FRA) by the FEI Board in March 2019.

The FEI Board decided to re-open the bid process for a multi-year allocation for the FEI WBFSH World Breeding Championships for Young Horses in the disciplines of Jumping, Dressage, and Eventing for the years 2021, 2022, and 2023. Allocations will be made at the FEI Board meeting in November 2019 at the FEI General Assembly in Moscow.

Championships

The full list of Championships allocated at the FEI Board meeting at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) is:

2020

  • FEI Dressage European Championships U25 – Pilisjászfalu (HUN), July or August (dates to be confirmed)
  • FEI Dressage European Championships for Children – Pilisjászfalu (HUN) July or August (dates to be confirmed)

2021

  • FEI European Championships – Jumping, Dressage & Para Dressage, Driving, Vaulting – Budapest (HUN), 9-22 August or 16-29 August (dates to be confirmed)
  • FEI Jumping European Championships for Young Riders, Juniors & Children – Oliva, Valencia (ESP), 19-25 July
  • FEI Jumping European Championships for Veterans – Le Mans (FRA), July or August (date to be confirmed)
  • FEI Dressage European Championships U25 – Donaueschingen (GER), 12-15 August
  • FEI Eventing European Championships for Young Riders & Juniors – Segersjö (SWE), 26-29 August
  • FEI Eventing European Championships – Haras du Pin (FRA), 11-15 August
  • FEI Driving World Championships for Ponies, Four-in-Hand, Pairs, Singles – Haras du Pin (FRA), 16-19 September
  • FEI Endurance World Championships for Young Riders & Juniors – Ermelo (NED), 6-11 September
  • FEI Endurance European Championships – Ermelo (NED) 6-11 September
  • FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses – Arbore, Sardinia (ITA), 15-19 September
  • FEI Vaulting World Championship for Juniors – Le Mans (FRA), July – August (date to be confirmed)

FEI Driving World Cup™ series legs

The legs of the FEI Driving World Cup™ series for the 2019-2020 season were allocated as follows:

  • Lyon (FRA) 30 October – 3 November 2019
  • Maastricht (NED) 8-10 November 2019
  • Stuttgart (GER) 13-17 November 2019
  • Stockholm (SWE) 28 November – 1 December 2019
  • Budapest (HUN) 30 November – 1 December 2019
  • Geneva (SUI) 12-15 December 2019
  • London (GBR)         16-22 December 2019
  • Mechelen (BEL) 26-30 December 2019
  • Leipzig (GER) 16-19 January 2020

FEI media contacts:

Grania Willis
Director Communications
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 787 506 142

Olga Nikolaou
Media Relations Officer
olga.nikolaou@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 56