Tag Archives: vaulting

Championships, Competitions, FEI, Vaulting

Lindner Takes Double Gold and Germany Dominates in Junior Category

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Lambert Leclezio (MRI) (FEI/Daniel Kaiser)

Lausanne (SUI), 21 August 2016 – Competitors from 20 different nations came to Le Mans for the World Senior Vaulting Championships and the Junior European Vaulting Championships.  The atmosphere at Boulerie Jump was electric as athletes battled it out for the eight FEI titles on offer.  Spectators were treated to a range of different themes from the individuals, Pas de deux and teams, all who were hoping for that elusive FEI medal.

Senior Female class

Coming into the senior female competition, the class was wide open with a number of competitors winning CVIs throughout the season.  However, it was Pas de deux superstar Jasmin Lindner who stole the show, leading the class from the initial compulsory round and advancing her lead throughout the following freestyle and technical rounds.  Jasmin amazed audiences with her range of moves especially a difficult combination of a backwards handstand on the handles through to an inside bounce.

Coming into the last day, Linder, who teamed up with her long term lunger Klaus Haidacher and her horse Dr Doolittle 5, competing in its first championship, needed to do a clean freestyle to take the all-important gold medal.  Last to go, she performed effortlessly and as she dismounted it was clear she would now be FEI Individual Female World Champion™ her gold medal adding to her collection of gold World medals in Pas de deux and her previous world team medals.

Scoring a total of 8,212, Jasmin commented after the event, “It’s a great feeling because it is really surprising for me that I have won individual.  I thought that I could make the top five.  But I never thought I could win this championship.”

It was a tough contest for silver and bronze with many of the women making costly errors in the initial freestyle and technical test rounds. Kristina Boe, who has been amazing audiences all year with her zombie themed freestyle, unfortunately got a costly time penalty in her first freestyle which resulted in her not getting her last risk move or dismount counted and occurring a one point deduction off her artistic score.

However, Kristina, who teamed with Don de la Mar and Winnie Schlüter, rectified the mistake and captivated the crowds in Le Mans with her portrayal of Mary Poppins in technical and the highest scoring final freestyle of 8.559 to score a total of 8.108.  Marina Mohar and Nadja Büttiker put in great performances for Switzerland to finish fifth and sixth, respectively. Janika Derks, competing on a new horse to the competition circuit, Bella Bientje, came back from a fall in the first freestyle round to take fourth place. However, it was the FEI World Equestrian Games™ silver medallist Anna Cavallaro who managed to take the bronze medal for Italy with a smooth performance on her new horse Monaco Franze 4 with lunger Nelson Vidoni at the helm.

Senior Male

The men’s competition climaxed in a gripping final. The top two competitors after first round Clement Taillez and Lambert Leclezio both made errors in one of the five important technical test moves: jump to backwards, which left them both having to fight back in order to try to fill one of the spaces on the podium.  Their mistakes left the door open for the three German competitors, Jannis Drewell, Thomas Brusewitz and Daniel Kaiser.  Jannis Drewell, last year’s FEI European Vaulting Champion™, suffered a fall from the horse in the first round freestyle whilst impersonating the famous Sherlock Holmes.  However, after a solid technical test and final freestyle, he scored 8.117 in total, thus securing a bronze medal for Germany.  Thomas, last year’s silver medallist, competing on new horse Big Star, unfortunately wasn’t able to capitalise on his first place in technical test and thus had to settle for fifth place. Vincent Haennel stunned the home crowd with his final freestyle, performing it impeccably.  Alongside his horse Quartz D’Olbiche and lunger Fabrice Holzberger, he scored a total of 8.127 which put the pressure firmly on the shoulders of the young Mauritian Lambert Leclezio who was the last to perform with his team horse Quiece d’aunis and lunger Sandra Tronchet.  The young 19 year old, who made a name for himself at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2014 and won the Longines Rising Star Award the same year, was able to show his unique strength and flexibility within his routine to score 8,593 in the final freestyle and thus with a score of 8.135 went on to win the first ever gold Equestrian Vaulting medal for Mauritius. World Champion Lambert enthused, “I am relieved.  It has been really a lot of work and I am really happy that we did it.  We had the most fun in the final round.  It felt easy today.”

Senior Pas de deux

Jasmin Lindner and Luckas Wacha treated the audience to a Pas de deux masterclass, repeating the feat they managed for the first time five years ago winning the FEI World Championship in Pas de deux.  Together with Dr Doolittle 5 and Klaus Haidacher, they were untouchable. As firm favourites of the class coming into the event the pressure was on their shoulders, yet they managed to command the class as they performed two routines to perfection, scoring a perfect 10 for artistic from judge Karolina Wickholm on day one.  This rounded off a golden day for Jasmin Lindner, Dr Doolittle and Klaus Haidacher, who took gold earlier in the female individual class.  They were the only Pas de deux to score over a 9 finishing on a total of 9.084.  Second place was closely fought between Janika Derks and Johannes Kay from Germany, Lucie and Simon Chevrel from France and Silvia Stopazzini and Lorenzo Lupacchini from Italy.  The German Pas de deux were the first of the last four to go and laid down the gauntlet for the rest of the class. Together in a historic pairing with Alexander Hartl and Holt’s Romeo – as their own horse had a little injury – they scored a total of 8.435.  Next to go was the French pair who performed their ‘Adam and Eve’ routine with an impressive stand on stand block to finish.  With lunger Elke Nousse and horse Rayo de la Luz they faced an anxious wait as their score of 8.370 put them into second place with two more Pas de deux to compete. Next to go, Silvia Stopazzini and Lorenzo Lupacchini proved that they are a pairing to watch out for in the future.  However, their score of 8.185 put them behind the German and the French pairs and with the multiple championship winning pair of Lindner and Wacha left to perform, it looked like the result would not be enough to guarantee them the medal.  Last to go, Lindner and Wacha proved that they are Pas de deux legends in the sport, being unbeatable at every World and European Championship since 2012.  The audience was electric as they appreciated the spectacle that the Austrian pair had treated them too.

Senior Squad

The team competition resulted in a nail biting final.  Team Germany on Lazio lunged by Alexander Hartl led the class after the compulsory round by a significant margin.  However, after the first round freestyle Team France represented by Team Noroc and featuring 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games Champion Jacques Ferrari, started closing the gap on their rivals.  Partnered with Sandra Tronchet and horse Wizner, their revolutionary style of vaulting – dynamic, creating interesting shapes on the horse whilst interpreting different birds – amazed the crowd in Le Mans.  Also achieving a perfect 10 from Pavla Kraupse for artistic in the final day, they were able to perform two incredible freestyle performances to score 8.343 and take the gold medal ahead of the German team, who were represented by Team Ingelsberg on Lazio 9 lunged by Alexander Hartl. Austria’s ‘Revenge’ themed freestyle featured a never been done before – handstand on the straight arms of someone standing.  Along with their horse Alessio l’Amabile and lunger Maria Lehmann they were able to take the bronze a medal – one which has availed them the past couple of years.  Fourth place was occupied by Team Switzerland who managed to put on a fantastic show despite having to make changes due to injury in the past couple of weeks.

Junior Female

After a strong Austrian presence in the Junior Female class over the last few years, the German representatives stole the show and largely dominated throughout the competition resulting in them taking home every medal on offer.  This was the first time any nation has achieved this feat in the FEI European Vaulting Championship™ Junior Female class since its introduction back in 2008.  Mara Xander, her first time in these championships, took gold in emphatic style scoring 8.466 in her final freestyle leading the rest of the field by a whole 0.6 marks.  The 15 year old, alongside her horse Luigi 198 and lunger Andrea Blatz, scored a total of 8.147, performing four tight rounds and setting herself above the rest of the field. Her freestyle was perfectly balanced between artistic impression and difficulty alike.  The silver medal went to last year’s FEI World Junior Championships™ silver medallist Franziska Peitzmeier competing with her medal winning combination of Anna Brinkhamm on the lunge and 9 year old gelding Dorian Gray SN. She scored a total of 7.853.  Hannah Steverding completed the podium for Germany, her bronze medal being the first of two medals she won this championship, with an upbeat freestyle to Doris Days’ ‘Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps’.  Together with experienced horse Cyrano 147 and Doris Marquart, she was able to post a total of 7.707.

Junior Male

This year’s junior male competition was a highly competitive class which saw the leader change almost every round.  Going into the final day the title was there for anyone to take. This year also saw a lot of new young faces burst onto the scene. Last to go on the first day Philip Clement, who only turned 14 in May, cemented himself as one to watch in the future by taking the lead in the first compulsory round.  He went on to make an impact in the freestyle round with his theme of the ocean showing a mix of flexibility and strength.  He just missed out on the podium; taking fourth place, however, is an exciting prospect is for the future. Likewise, 15 year old Ludo Campïon, who was last to go on the final day with Françoise Sivar and Ipsos d’Ecotay, wowed crowds with his freestyle and full twist dismount to take home the silver medal for the host nation France, scoring a total of 7.459. However, it was Konstantin Näser who managed to put in four solid rounds to score a total of 7.479 take the title for Germany and continue the German gold rush that day.  He partnered with Cyrano 147 and Doris Marquart who had just taken the bronze medal in the Junior Female class.  In this tight final there were a number of vaulters in the running for the bronze medal.  It went to Leon Hüsgen from the famed club Neuss Grimlenhausen.  He fought back hard after a disappointing first compulsory round, where he placed eighth to come alive in the second round with a great final compulsory and freestyle set to score 7.443 and secure the third position on the podium.

Junior Pas de deux

Diana Harwardt and Julian Kögl won the Junior Pas de deux title for the first time for Germany since its inception in 2012.  Together with lunger Hendrick Falk and Longinus 4, they performed a graceful, near perfect routine both days to clinch the title with a score of 7.989 and win the class by a huge margin of 0.9. With 0.4 separating the rest of the field going into the final day all the remaining Pas de deux were in with a chance. However, it was Spain’s Lucy Mae and Layla Anne Fraser who made history by taking home the silver medal for Spain, performing their space routine to score 7.239 overall.  They were aided by their mother Diane on the lunge and horse Simbal to come through from sixth place on the first day.  This is Spain’s first ever medal in Equestrian Vaulting and the Fraser sisters, who had a tense wait in kiss and cry, could not contain their excitement as they found out they had become European medallists.  The bronze medal was hard fought and eventually went to Austria’s Clara Köpke and Lara Maurer partnering with their horse Louis Bonheur and lunger Lena Kalcher-Prein to score a total of 7.143.

Junior Squads

The junior team competition culminated in a duel between Germany – represented by Mainz Ebersheim – and Switzerland – represented by Montmirail, with the latter coming through to win the competition by a narrow 0.028 margin in the final round.  After finishing compulsories in third place, Switzerland, aided by their horse Livanto CHA CH lunged by Mirjam Degiorgi, fought back round by round putting in two energetic performances of their dynamic freestyle to score 7.610 to take home gold for Switzerland.  This is the first time Switzerland has ever won the title of FEI Junior European™ team champions.  Germany, lunged by Alexandra Dietrich on Celebration 38, had to settle for the silver medal, performing two enjoyable rounds of their Japanese inspired freestyle.  They fell just short of taking the title scoring 7.582 overall.  Third place was occupied by the current FEI Junior World Champions™ Austria, represented by the successful Club 43 competing on Darwin 5 lunged by Karen Asmera.  After a shaky first freestyle they pulled out a great final performance of their circus freestyle to score 7.321 and take the bronze medal. The Czech Republic showed great potential for the future, finishing fourth with 6.999, with Italy also delighting audiences with their Mary Poppins theme, finishing fifth on a total of 6.964.

German National Trainer Ulla Ramage commented on the success of the Germans in the Junior Championship after taking three of the four titles on offer. “I expected success but now we got more than I was expecting; we gave them more support and we had a master plan for this.  This was the reason for the success.”

Results

Individual Senior Female: Gold – Jasmin Lindner (AUT) 8.212; Silver – Kristina Boe (GER) 8.108; Bronze – Anna Cavallaro (ITA) 7.992.

Individual Senior Male: Gold – Lambert Leclezio (MRI) 8.135; Silver – Vincent Haennel (FRA) 8.127; Bronze – Jannis Drewell (GER) 8.117.

Senior Pas de deux: Gold – Jasmin Lindner & Lukas Wacha (AUT) 9.084; Silver – Janika Derks & Johannes Kay (GER) 8.435; Bronze – Simon & Lucie Chevrel (FRA) 8.370.

Senior Squad: Gold – France (FRA) 8.343; Silver – Germany (GER) 8.260; Bronze – Austria (AUT) 8.159.

Individual Junior Male: Gold – Konstantin Näser (GER) 7.479; Silver – Ludo Campïon (FRA) 7.459; Bronze – Leon Hüsgen (GER) 7.443

Individual Junior Female: Gold – Mara Xander (GER) 8.147; Silver – Franziska Peitzmeier (GER) 7.853; Bronze – Hannah Steverding (GER) 7.707.

Junior Pas De Deux: Gold – Diana Harwardt & Julian Kögl (GER) 7.989; Silver – Layla Anne Fraser & Lucy Mae Fraser (ESP) 7.239; Bronze – Clara Köpke & Lara Maurer (AUT) 7.143.

Junior Squad: Gold – Switzerland (SUI) 7.610; Silver – Germany (GER) 7.582; Bronze – Austria (AUT) 7.321.

For full results and information, visit the Official Website: www.pole-europeen-du-cheval.com.

Re-watch the action on the FEI YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/feichannel.

By Hannah Eccles

Media Contact:

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

Championships, Competitions, FEI, Vaulting

USEF Announces Combinations for the 2016 FEI World Vaulting Championships for Seniors

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Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has named the following combinations to the 2016 FEI World Vaulting Championships for Seniors to be held in Le Mans, France, August 18-21, 2016. The U.S. will be represented in the Individual Female, Individual Male, Pas de Deux, and Squad Championships. Chef d’Equipe Craig Coburn and Assistant Chef d’Equipe Mary McCormick will guide the U.S. vaulting contingent.

The following athlete-and-horse combinations have been named to compete in the Individual Female Championship (in alphabetical order):

Michelle Guo (Palo Alto, Calif.) will vault on RVC Gilching e.V.’s Donatelli 11, a 2004 Bayerischer gelding, and be assisted by Lunger Julia Handel

Elizabeth Osborn (Menlo Park, Calif.) will vault on Voltigeklubben Thommysminde’s Ghost Alfarvad Z, a 2000 Zangersheide gelding, and be assisted by Lunger Lasse Kristensen

Emily Rose (Santa Cruz, Calif.) will vault on RVC Gilching e.V.’s Diva 506, a 2003 Oldenbug mare, and be assisted by Lunger Carolyn Bland

The following athlete has been named as the reserve for the Individual Female Championship:

Kimberly Palmer (Half Moon Bay, Calif.)

The following athlete-and-horse combinations have been named to compete in the Individual Male Championship (in alphabetical order):

Colton Palmer (Half Moon Bay, Calif.) will vault on KCM Vaultinghorses’ Lord, a 2007 gelding of unknown breeding, and be assisted by Lunger Andrea Bicova

Kaleb Patterson (Stanwood, Wash.) will vault on Diva 506 and be assisted by Bland

Geoffrey Woolson (Tujunga, Calif.) will vault on RVC Gilching e.V. & Annabella Röhl’s Clay’s Power Boy, a 2005 Westphalian stallion, and be assisted by Lunger Julia Handel

The following athlete-and-horse combinations have been named to compete in the Pas de Deux Championship (in alphabetical order):

Carlee Heger (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Haley Smith (Parker, Colo.) will vault on Donatelli 11 and be assisted by Lunger Bettina Gross

Cassidy Palmer (Half Moon Bay, Calif.) and Kimberly Palmer will vault on Wolfgang Renz’s Leon 364, a 1998 Wurttemberger gelding, and be assisted by Lunger Wolfgang Renz

The following athletes have been named to compete in the Squad Championship (in alphabetical order):

Kalyn Geisler (Redwood City, Calif.)
Michelle Guo
Carlee Heger
Devon Maitozo (Calabasas, Calif.)
Mattea Petry (Portola Valley, Calif.)
Geoffrey Woolson

They will vault on RVC Gilching e.V.’s Amontillado 9 and be assisted by Lunger Bland.

The following athletes have been named as reserves to the U.S. Vaulting Team to compete in the Squad Championship:

Emily Rose
Haley Smith

Find out more about the FEI World Vaulting Championships for Seniors.

From the USEF Communications Department

Dressage, Equinium Sports Mktg., Show Jumping, Vaulting

Horse and Symphony, Opening Ceremonies, and Show Jumping Kick Off CHIO Aachen 2016

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Traditionally dressed Swedish dancers and a painted Norwegian Fjord. Photos are property of Equinium Sports Marketing, LLC.

Aachen, Germany (July 13, 2016) – The king and queen of Sweden paraded into the main stadium of the CHIO Aachen Tuesday evening in grand style, accompanied by the Royal Fire Brigade of Malmo and a phalanx of mounted guards from the Swedish Royal Stables. Following a welcome to the participating nations, presented by Icelandic ponies and their riders bearing flags, Her Majesty Queen Silvia delivered the inaugural speech, officially declaring the CHIO Aachen 2016 open. With a roar of approval from the crowd the Opening Ceremony was underway, a spectacular showcase that highlighted the unique history and culture of Sweden and the equestrian roots of the CHIO Aachen.

Sweden, as the partner nation of the CHIO Aachen, presented a fabulous tribute to its equestrian, cultural, and musical traditions to a packed house at the Aachen Soers Main Stadium in a dazzling spectacle to set the mood for the week’s competition. Beginning with the middle ages, where knights from Sweden and Germany went to battle and Vikings rode again over the international show jumping field, the ceremony also included a display of midsummer songs and dances, the presentation of the Dalecarlia Horse, Wangen Trotters Quadrille, a presentation of Swedish competitors, a tribute to the storybook characters of Astrid Lindgren, and the musical stylings of both ABBA and pop sensation Mans Zelmerlow, who concluded the evening with an impressive concert framed by a spectacular sunset.

Earlier in the week, the Prize of the Sparkasse was presented to the top FEI vaulters, and a spectacular showcase of music and equestrianism took place in the Deutsche Bank Stadium. Dubbed Pferd & Sinfonie, or Horse and Symphony, the show featured equestrian exhibitions ranging from wild west rough riders, dressage quadrilles, jumping, vaulting, and breed presentations all set to the sounds of a live orchestra, playing above the arena. In addition to traditional classical pieces, the concert set horses dancing to the tunes of mainstream movies and music including ABBA, The Pirates of the Caribbean, Forrest Gump, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Superman, and The Lion King.

The Klimkes’ pas de deux
The Klimkes’ pas de deux

Tuesday’s early mix of sun and clouds persisted throughout the day and into the Opening Ceremonies, and the first show jumping contests were held in the main stadium beginning with the STAWAG Eroffnungsspringen, a 1.45m open jumper class which was topped by Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano aboard his 11-year-old gelding, Kentucky v. Neerhof Z. The pair rode to a lead of almost four seconds over Germany’s Maurice Tebbel, the former Junior European Champion. German Olympic candidates Ludger Beerbaum, Daniel Deusser, Christan Ahlmann, Marcus Ehning, and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum used the STAWAG Open Jumping class as a warm up.

Spain’s young talent led in the second class of the day, the Spakassen Youngster’s Cup. Featuring 7- and 8-year-old horses jumping 1.40m, the class served as a qualifier for the Sparkassen Youngster’s Cup Finale, to be held on Saturday, July 16. Sergio Alvarez Moya of Spain and the 8-year-old French bred mare Unicstar de l’Aumone proved unbeatable, securing the win with a lead of two seconds. The electric atmosphere and international caliber competition of the CHIO was a true test for the young horses, giving them experience towards future competition.

The CHIO Aachen continues Wednesday and Thursday:

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Main Stadium:

Prize of Handwerks – 1.45m Jumping Competition at 11:30am
Prize of Europe, presented by Turkish Airlines – 1.55m Jumping competition with jump off, Qualifier for the Prize of the AachenMunchener and Rolex Grand Prix (Grand Prix of Aachen) at 1:45pm
Prize of StadteRegion Aachen – 1.50m two phase jumping competition at 5:30pm

A bridleless dressage presentation set to the music of Forrest Gump
A bridleless dressage presentation set to the music of Forrest Gump

Deutsche Bank Stadium:

Prix St. Georges at 3:30pm
Grand Prix de Dressage CDI 4* at 6pm

Driving Stadium:

Prize of Fa. Horsch, Der Entsorger FEI Dressage Test 11

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Driving Stadium:

Prize of Martello Immobilemanament FEI Dressage Test 8 at 10pm

Deutsche Bank Stadium:

Prize of Family Tesch – Grand Prix CDIO Nations Cup Qualifier at 10am

Main Stadium:

Prize of Familie Muter – Deutschland’s U25 Sprinkpokal der Stiftung Deutscher Spitzenpferdesport Jumping Competition at 12:30pm
Sparkassen Youngsters Cup 1.40m Finale Qualifier at 2pm
STAWAG Prize – 1.50m Prize of the AachenMunchener Qualifying competition at 4:30m
Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup Round 1 Team Jumping Qualifier at 6:30
Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup Round 2 Team Jumping Qualifier at 9:50

©2016 Equinium Sports Marketing, LLC | Wellington, Florida USA

Championships, FEI, USEF, Vaulting

USEF Announces Long List for 2016 FEI World Vaulting Championships for Seniors

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Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce the Long List for the 2016 FEI World Vaulting Championships for Seniors, including Individual, Pas-de-Deux, and Squad. By no later than August 2, 2016, the USEF will name three individual females and one alternate, three individual males and one alternate, two Pas de Deux combinations, and one Squad to the championships taking place August 17-21, 2016, in Le Mans, France.

The following athletes have been named to the Long List for the 2016 FEI World Vaulting Championships for Seniors (in ranked order):

Individual Female
Elizabeth Osborn (Menlo Park, Calif.)
Michelle Guo (Palo Alto, Calif.)
Kimberly Palmer (Half Moon Bay, Calif.)
Emily Rose (Santa Cruz, Calif.)
Emily Hogye (Ben Lomond, Calif.)

Individual Male
Kristian Roberts (Moss Beach, Calif.)
Geoffrey Woolson (Tujunga, Calif.)
Colton Palmer (Half Moon Bay, Calif.)
Kaleb Patterson (Stanwood, Wash.)
Gabe Aniello (Lake Oswego, Ore.)

Pas de Deux
Cassidy Palmer (Half Moon Bay, Calif.) and Kimberly Palmer
Carlee Heger (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Haley Smith (Parker, Colo.)

Squad
Kayln Geisler (Redwood City, Calif.)
Michelle Guo
Bodhi Hall (San Jose, Calif.)
Carlee Heger
Devon Maitozo (Calabasas, Calif.)
Naomi Morgenthaler (Menlo Park, Calif.)
Mattea Petry (Portola Valley, Calif.)
Kristian Roberts (Moss Beach, Calif.)
Emily Rose (Santa Cruz, Calif.)
Haley Smith

Find out more about the FEI World Vaulting Championships for Seniors

From the USEF Communications Department

Training/Clinics, Vaulting

Trick Riding and Beginner/Intermediate Camp

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All Ages

July 11th-15th, 2016

Riders are provided with training in several different riding styles according to their preferences and ultimate goals.

Jumping, dressage, cross country, trail riding, PLUS Trick Riding!

An amazing opportunity to learn the disciplines of trick riding, bareback, vaulting, liberty and Roman Riding. Students will learn from seasoned performers and trainers on experienced performance horses.

Enjoy this incredibly rare opportunity to learn tricks in a step by step process. No experience is necessary, just a desire for fun and adventure!

Riders will also be taught all basic grooming skills, bathing, basic veterinary procedures, and proper hoof care, which special guest speakers throughout the week.

We will be promoting youth responsibility, leadership, proper exercise, a healthy and active lifestyle, social skills, trust of animals, awareness and appreciation of horses and nature, and all of the hard work and dedication that goes into a farm and the animals that live there.

Click here for more info and for registration forms.

Space is limited so please register soon to reserve your spot.

Contact MahanFarm@gmail.com or call/text Lindsay at 850-528-1267 with any questions.

Mahan Farm | 8150 Mahan Drive | Tallahassee | FL | 32309

Dressage, Driving, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping, Vaulting

FEI Launches Bid Process for Key Events

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Lausanne (SUI), 15 March 2016 – The bid process has opened today (15 March) for bid cities seeking to host the FEI European Championships 2019 and the FEI World Cup™ Finals in four disciplines for 2019 through to 2021.

Bids are invited for the FEI European Championships 2019 across all FEI Disciplines – Jumping, Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining – with the choice to host single or combined disciplines.

Applications for FEI World Cup™ Finals in Jumping, Dressage, Driving and Vaulting are open for 2019, 2020 and 2021, with bidders encouraged to host all four disciplines together.

Allocations will be made at the FEI Bureau meeting during the FEI General Assembly in November 2016.

“It is really exciting to launch the bid process for some of our key events,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said. “The process is designed to select candidates able to deliver sporting events of the highest quality and raise the profile of our sport.

“We are looking forward to receiving a wide range of bids from across Europe for the FEI European Championships 2019 and from cities around the world for the FEI World Cup Finals in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and expect applications from new cities as our sport continues to grow across the globe.”

The Bid Application & Questionnaire and Bid Guide is now available for download by interested parties here.

Phase 1 APPLICANT PHASE

15 March 2016: Bid Application & Questionnaire and Bid Guide available for download by interested parties on www.fei.org.

15 March 2016 – 15 May 2016: Initial Q&A with FEI regarding the Applicant’s Bid (if requested by Applicant)

15 May: Deadline for Applicants to submit Bid Application & Questionnaire

Phase 2 CANDIDATE PHASE

15 June 2016: Host Agreement provided to all Candidates

15 June 2016 – 15 October 2016: Opportunity for further Q&A with the FEI regarding Candidate’s bid

15 October 2016: Deadline for submission of signed Host Agreement

October/November 2016: FEI internal evaluation of bids

October 2016: Presentation of bids by Candidates

Phase 3 DECISION PHASE

November 2016: Decision by the FEI Bureau and announcement of the host organiser of the FEI European Championships 2019 and FEI World Cup™ Finals 2019, 2020 and 2021.

FEI Media Contacts:

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

Leanne Williams
Manager Press Relations
leanne.williams@fei.org
+41 79 314 24 38

Competitions, FEI, Vaulting

Jäiser, Kaiser, Engelberty and Jacobs Take Titles at FEI World Cup Vaulting Final in Dortmund

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Daniel Kaiser claimed the Male Individual title at the thrilling FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2015/2016 Final in Dortmund (GER). (FEI/Katja Kaiser)

Dortmund (GER), 6 February 2016 – German vaulters Daniel Kaiser, Pia Engelberty and Torben Jacobs clinched the Male Individual and Pas-de-Deux titles, while Switzerland’s Simone Jäiser brought her brilliant career to a close when soaring to victory in the Female category at the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2015/2016 Final in Dortmund (GER) over the weekend.

Kaiser sprang a big surprise when beating fellow-countryman Jannis Drewell in the Male division, but in the other two competitions the favourites won through in fine style. This sixth FEI World Cup™ Vaulting season was packed with fantastic competition, but the Final brought the tension, excitement and degree of excellence to a whole new level, and the event at Dortmund was hailed a huge success.

Female Final

Jäiser threw down the gauntlet in Friday’s first round of the Female Final when coming out on top with a score of 8.602. Germany’s Kristina Boe lined up second on a mark of 8.348 while Austria’s Isabel Fiala finished third on a score of 7.838. Anna Cavallaro was expected to be Jäiser’s strongest opponent, but things didn’t go as planned from the outset for the Italian vaulter when her top horse, Harley, didn’t pass the veterinary inspection. With her replacement horse, Dante, she posted 7.190 for sixth and last place in round one, behind Anne Sophie Musset from France with 7.238, and she couldn’t recover from there.

Switzerland’s Nadja Buttiker didn’t enjoy much luck either when the athlete who finished a creditable fourth in the first competition was dislodged during her second performance because her horse, the aptly-named Keep Cool, decided to stop for a toilet-break. As the eventual winner, Jäiser, pointed out afterwards, however, this is a situation that every vaulter has experienced. “If the horse suddenly goes faster or slower or even moves to the inside, then he’s not under your feet when you are doing your movements and it is impossible to stay on!” she said.

Cavallaro improved her score to post 7.418 but it wouldn’t be nearly enough to make an impression on the final result when all three remaining athletes scored over the 8.0 mark. Fiala really upped her game, putting 8.225 on the board for a performance that was crisp, clean and confident but then Boe piled on the pressure when earned 9.125 from Technical judge Rob de Bruin (NED) which helped secure a second round total of 8.632 and an overall total of 8.490 over the two rounds of competition.

Within her grasp

As Jäiser came into the ring, victory was well within her grasp but she admitted afterwards to feeling extremely nervous. “It was a really big dream for me to finish my career by taking the World Cup title and I knew this was the last time I would run into the arena in a competition. I had to tell myself “go for it” – and in the end it was good!” she said afterwards.

In fact it was near perfection, the 29-year-old vaulter demonstrating that awesome power, control and artistry that earned her both the gold medal at last year’s FEI European Championships in Aachen (GER) and the world number one slot. Her strength in the holding positions, her balance in the jumps and her symmetry with her horse, Luk, and her lunger who is also her mother, Rita Blieske, was stand-out from start to finish. Luk has a reputation for being sensitive and spooky in crowded circumstances but in competition he has a very different attitude. “He gets much more confident when we are in the arena – he knows his job!” the delighted new FEI World Cup™ Vaulting winner said, adding, “I never thought we could have such an amazing year!”

And she is looking forward to working as a coach, now that her competitive career has come to a close.

“I’m already training a junior team – we have nearly 100 members in our vaulting club, with six individuals and three pas-de-deux pairs, juniors and squads so it’s going to be very busy!” Jäiser explained.

Pas-de-Deux

Both the Female and Pas-de-Deux Finals took place on Saturday night, and Engelberty and Torben produced an exemplary performance to seal the latter. Having taken command with a score of 8.763 on Friday, they raised the stakes even higher with scores well in excess of 9 from three of the four judges to post a second-day total of 9.217 and an overall total of 8.990.

As expected their closest rivals were the young Italians, 19-year-old Erika Forti and Lorenzo Lupacchini who turned 20 in January. They scored a highly-competitive 8.183 on Friday and added 8.111 in Saturday’s second round which again earned high artistic marks. Their final total of 8.147 left them 0.843 adrift of the winners, but there is no denying the lightness and fluidity of their work together and this pair look set for extraordinary success in future years.

American sisters, Kimberly and Cassidy Palmer, were thoroughly consistent when scoring 7.916 and 7.708 for a final tally of 7.812 for third place while Germany’s young pair of Jolina Ossenberg-Engels and Timo Gerdes, again just 19 and 20 years of age respectively, look set to follow closely in the footsteps of their more senior stars when also impressively rounding up their scoreline at 7.700 for fourth of the four starting Pas-de-Deux partnerships.

It was an emotional evening for Engelberty who, like Jäiser, has decided to quit while at the top of her game. There was a lot of pressure on this Germany duo. “We knew we should win but the pressure was high because everyone expected we would win. It was never going to be easy; we knew we just had to stay relaxed and to concentrate. We told ourselves, “Okay, we don’t have to do magic, just do it as usual – stay calm – that was our plan and it worked out at the end!” said Engelberty afterwards.

Close to my club

“I have no exact plans for the future,” said the 25-year-old athlete, “but I do know I will stay close to my club. I have been in this club for 16 years and it is part of my life and has given me so many opportunities.”

Engelberty said she was feeling “everything at the same time, sad, happy, really thankful – I know I have so many special moments in my life because of this sport and I’m going to miss it, but I’m happy looking forward. I always said I want to stop before nobody wants to see me anymore!”

Her vaulting partner, Jacobs, said he was also “happy and sad at the same time, so we celebrate our last freestyle together and it’s hard to believe it is coming to an end.” Without Engelberty he has to take a whole new look at his future in the sport, and for now that means he will start with a team for the rest of this year and may find another pas-de-deux partner sometime in the future.

As he pointed out, much of the success he enjoyed with Engelberty, including silver medals at both the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy (FRA) 2014 and at last summer’s FEI European Championships in Aachen (GER) came about due to fantastic choreography allied with the vaulter’s hard work. “We trained together since 2012 and there’s always been a good harmony between us. It’s very important for pas-de-deux to have good artistic skill and choreography. It was our goal for this year to focus more on the music and choreography and it worked well,” he added.

Male Individual

The Male Individual produced the highest drama when firm favourite, Jannis Drewell, was, quite literally, thrown off course in Friday’s first Freestyle. “I made a big mistake at the mount when I lost the grips,” said the 24-year-old who burst to prominence with a spectacular win at last summer’s European Championships. His first-round score of 8.225 on Friday left him chasing Daniel Kaiser, who posted 9.473 to sit in the driving seat going into the second and deciding competition.

Czech Republic’s Lukas Klouda had already scored 8.010 and Switzerland’s Lukas Heppler posted 8.087 before French vaulters Clement Taillez and Vincent Haennel each put 8.317 and 8.479 on the board, but the real action came down to the final two contenders. Knowing that only a disaster could prevent Kaiser from taking the title, Drewell knew he had it all to do today and put in a brilliant performance that earned 8.847 to shoot way into the lead.

But Kaiser really kept his cool, his lovely horse Down Under LR giving him the firmest base on which to display his skills, and when the scoreboard shows 8.697 that was good enough for runner-up spot on the day and the overall Final title. It was a desperately closely-fought affair, however, with only 0.1 points separating the two Germans in the final analysis.

Absolutely amazed

Kaiser said he was “absolutely amazed” by his victory. “Jannis has been so dominant over the last months and even though I knew I would compete on a good level, that fact that I beat him is a small wonder for me! He had a big mistake yesterday which was good for me, but I had two good rounds,” he added. He was performing a new programme based on the theme of the famous escapologist Harry Houdini, so was covered in chains during his performance. “In Leipzig (in January) I felt it was over for the old programme, and after talking with the judges I decided if I wanted to have a chance I needed to do something new,” he explained. “I’ve been working on this new programme now for more than a year,” said the vaulter who was forced to take time out for more than two years due to health problems, but who has bounced back with a vengeance this season.

Today’s victory was all the more special because his wife and family were all there to cheer him on and join in the celebrations. “This is my first international title!” said the delighted athlete who has been competing since he was six years old and who was assisted in his success this weekend by lunger Nina Vorberg, wife of the German national trainer.

Changes

Second-placed Drewell was one of the first to congratulate the new title-holder and talked about some changes he too has planned. “I’m happy and glad today to win the second round and to be able to show my freestyle in a really good way for the last time. I think tomorrow the outfit from Charlie monk will be in wardrobe – I might take it out again for a show or something like but we are already working on a new programme,” he explained.

“Today I was really satisfied because everything worked and my horse was really good. Daniel had the advantage from first round and it is good he won,” said the sporting young German. “He did so much for FEI World Cup Vaulting, he brought a lot of support for this Final and he did not make a mistake on Friday. It’s great for the home crowd to have first and second today, and for me this was special because Dortmund is only one hour from home, so many family and friends and supporters came to see me which was a lot of fun!”

FEI Top Vaulters Awards

In an exciting new initiative, FEI Director of Driving, Reining and Vaulting, Bettina de Rham, presented Top Athletes Awards for Vaulting for the very first time, based on the annual rankings list for this discipline. The first recipient was World No 1, reigning European champion and newly-crowned FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2015/2016 Female series winner Simone Jäiser, while Drewell was presented with the Top Male Athlete Award as World No. 1 in the Male category.

These awards will be decided on a yearly basis, in this case from January to December 2015, so the Pas-de-Deux award goes to reigning European champions Lukas Wacha and Jasmin Lindner who held the World No. 1 slot at year-end.

Looking back on a fantastic weekend of top sport, Bettina de Rham said, “We want to thank the Organising Committee at Dortmund for putting on such a great show. The spectators and the atmosphere were amazing, and everyone including the vaulters, the horses and the officials were all very happy. I hope we can come back here again next year!”

For further information on the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting Final 2015/2016 in Dortmund, Germany, visit http://www.escon-marketing.de or contact the Press Office at presse@escon-marketing.de, Tel +4473-9411-141.

Detailed results here

FEI YouTube here.

The full list of qualified vaulters, calendar of events, results and standings here.

Series hashtag: #WorldCupVaulting

By Louise Parkes

Media contacts:

At Dortmund:

Press Office
presse@escon-marketing.de
+4473-9411-141

At FEI:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

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

Competitions, FEI, Vaulting

Palmers Earn FEI World Cup Vaulting Final Pas-de-Deux Bronze Medal

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Cassidy and Kimberly Palmer with Leon (www.sportfotos-lafrentz.de)

Dortmund, Germany – Cassidy and Kimberly Palmer put together a skillful and expressive performance to earn the pas-de-deux Bronze medal at the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting Final . They finished with an overall score of 7.812 behind Gold medalists Pia Engelberty and Torben Jacobs of Germany, with an overall score of 8.989, and Silver medalists Erika Di Forti and Lorenzo Lupacchini of Italy, with an overall score of 8.146.

“I am happy to win Bronze. Of course, we wished for the Gold, but the competition was very tough. I am satisfied with the freestyle so that’s what is the most important,” said Cassidy.

Kimberly added, “Making it on the podium is always a good thing, so of course I am happy. I always expect more of myself and the pas-de-deux; however, I am very happy we completed a clean freestyle for the audience.”

Cassidy and Kimberly (Half Moon Bay, Calif.) mimicked yesterday’s routine to the theme of the movie “Frozen,” for a chance to improve upon their first day’s score. After struggling with the dismount during their first freestyle, they settled for a score of 7.916. They cleaned up simple mistakes from yesterday’s routine. Unfortunately, their mount Leon, Wolfgang Renz’s Württemberger gelding, lost points during today’s routine. Despite this, the sisters performed smoothly on Leon. They assembled a strong, rhythmic routine with the assistance of lunger Renz for a second freestyle score of 7.708.

“Today’s freestyle felt a lot better than yesterday. It was much smoother, and everything went the way it should have. Altogether, it was definitely a better round,” said Cassidy.

Kimberly added, “I feel today’s routine was much better than yesterday. We cleaned up the little mistakes we made in the first round. I was very happy with how we preformed.”

Filled with lots of emotion, Engelberty and Torben performed a dynamic, expressive routine to earn a second freestyle score of 9.217, sealing the Gold medal. This was Engelberty’s final competition before retiring from the sport. Di Forti and Lupacchini were unable to improve upon their first freestyle score but managed to keep their second place position on a second freestyle score of 8.111.

Complete Results

From the USEF Communications Department

Competitions, FEI, Vaulting

Dortmund Set to Deliver Fascinating FEI World Cup Vaulting Final

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(L to R) Simone Jaïser (SUI), Anna Cavallaro (ITA), Anne Sophie Musset (FRA), Kristina Boe (GER), Isabel Fiala (AUT) and Nadja Buttiker (SUI) will all be chasing the Female title when the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2015/2016 Final gets underway in Dortmund (GER) on Thursday 3 March. (FEI/Daniel Kaiser)

Lausanne (SUI), 2 March 2016 – The stage is set for a fascinating series of contests when the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2015/2016 Final gets underway in Dortmund (GER) tomorrow, Thursday 3 March. This is the sixth season of World Cup competition in this discipline which has grown a big audience in recent years, and which continues to attract top athletes whose courage, skill and determination are tested to the limit every time they compete.

The qualifying rounds were filled with drama, as well as great sport, and as the 2016 Final plays itself out over the coming days plenty more of the same can be expected. Performing demanding gymnastic and balletic movements on a cantering horse is no easy feat, and the level of excellence required to take any one of the three titles on offer is very high indeed.

A total of six Male and six Female vaulters have made the cut for the Final, along with four Pas-de-Deux partnerships, and the pressure will be intense from the moment the Warm-up classes begin tomorrow evening.

Female title

It’s likely to be a game of cat-and-mouse between Switzerland’s Simone Jaïser and Italy’s Anna Cavallaro in the battle for the Female title.

Both athletes have scores to settle, Jaïser pinned into runner-up spot at the 2015 FEI World Cup™ Vaulting Final by the back-flip queen, Austria’s Lisa Wild, who reigned supreme on home turf in Graz 12 months ago.

Cavallaro, meanwhile, had to settle for silver behind Jaïser who claimed gold at last summer’s FEI European Championships in Aachen (GER). However, the Italian came out on top on the only occasion they pair met during the current season’s qualifying series at Salzburg (AUT) last September. Cavallaro’s winning margin was a very narrow one, but suggests that Jaïser will need to remain right at the top of her game if she is to claim the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting title this time around.

With three wins from four starts Jaïser looks favourite at the outset but, along with Cavallaro, Anne-Sophie Musset from France, Germany’s Kristina Boe, Isabel Fiala from Austria, and Switzerland’s Nadja Büttiker also have the coveted Female trophy in their sights.

Male title

Germany’s Jannis Drewell is the unchallenged favourite in the Male Division, having followed his gold-medal-winning performance at the FEI European Championships 2015 in Aachen with a runaway three wins from three starts during the new FEI World Cup™ Vaulting season. He has consistently been awarded big scores from the judges who are just as impressed by his physical strength as they are by his artistic programme which allows him to express his infectious youthful enthusiasm. Adored by the spectators wherever he goes, the 24-year-old can be expected to electrify the Dortmund arena from the moment the warm-up gets underway on Thursday.

However, Drewell’s German compatriot, Daniel Kaiser, who topped the podium at the opening leg of the series in Madrid (ESP) in November, has a great deal more experience and mileage on the clock, and along with French vaulters Clement Taillez and Vincent Haennel, Switzerland’s Lukas Heppler and Lukas Klouda from the Czech Republic, Kaiser will be determined to keep plenty of pressure on his fellow-countryman.

Pas-de-Deux

In the Pas-de-Deux, the reigning European silver medallists, Germany’s Pia Engelberty and Torben Jacobs, may well prove the ones to beat. The consistency of their quality performances, which earned them a double of wins during the qualifying season, is unquestionable, but they are likely to face serious opposition from all three opponent pairs.

Italy’s Erika Di Forti and Lorenzo Lupacchini were hampered by a fall at the last qualifier in Leipzig (GER), but it is incidents such as this that separates the true champions from all the rest. The age-old saying, so clearly understood by equestrian athletes in all disciplines, is that when you fall then the very first thing you must do is climb back onboard right away. And the young Italians did just that to retrieve the situation as best they could to finish second behind Engelberty and Jacobs.

The American sister-act of Kimberly and Cassidy Palmer also suffered the same fate in Paris, but they are always an exciting combination to watch and with the German duo of Jolina Ossenberg-Engels and Timo Gerdes also in action over the coming days, the Pas-de-Deux competition look set to make a big impact.

Programme of events

The programme of events begins with Individual Female, Male and Pas-de-Deux Warm-Up session on Thursday 3 March with the first round of competitions taking place on Friday. On Saturday night the Individual Female and Pas-de-Deux Freestyle winners will both be decided, while we will have to wait until Sunday morning to see who claims the new Individual Male Freestyle title.

The full list of qualified vaulters, calendar of events, results and standings here.

Series hashtag: #WorldCupVaulting

By Louise Parkes

FEI Media contacts:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

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

Competitions, FEI, Vaulting

Dortmund to Host FEI World Cup Vaulting 2015/2016 Final

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Germany’s Jannis Drewell, the reigning European Male Individual champion, has been thrilling audiences throughout the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2015/2016 qualifying rounds and has his eyes firmly set on the 2016 title at the Final on home soil in Dortmund. (FEI/Daniel Kaiser)

Lausanne (SUI), 26 January 2016 – Dortmund (GER) has been confirmed as the venue for the Final of the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2015/2016 series from 3-6 March 2016. The FEI Bureau had originally allocated the Final to Vienna (AUT), but when the Vienna Organising Committee announced on 18 November 2015 that their event was cancelled, the application process was re-opened. Bids were subsequently received from Dortmund and Saumur (FRA).

The FEI Bureau decided to allocate the Final to Dortmund, and with the host agreement now in place it is all-systems-go for a thrilling finale to the winter-long series.

A total of six Male and six Female vaulters have made the cut for the Final, along with four Pas-de-Deux partnerships.

Maximum score

Switzerland’s Simone Jaïser secured her third win of the five-leg qualifying series when coming out on top in Leipzig (GER) earlier this month where she posted a maximum 10 artistic score in the first round of competition. The 29-year-old, who was runner-up at the 2015 FEI World Cup™ Final, claimed the European individual title in fine style at Aachen (GER) last summer and is right on top of her game. Her only defeat this season was at the hands of Italy’s Anna Cavallaro who topped the line-up in Salzburg (AUT) in December, pipping the Swiss vaulter by the narrowest of margins.

The Dortmund Final will be a fascinating re-match for this pair, as Cavallaro had to settle for silver behind Jaïser at the FEI European Championships in Aachen last August. The Italian was a double-winner in the current season’s qualifying series, also coming out on top in Paris (FRA) in November where Jaïser did not compete.

Completing the list of those qualified for the Female Individual Final are Anne-Sophie Musset from France, Germany’s Kristina Boe, Isabel Fiala from Austria, and Switzerland’s Nadja Büttiker.

High-energy performances

Jannis Drewell (GER), who set last year’s FEI European Championships alight with his high-flying and high-energy performances, has continued through the winter series in the same vein and looks untouchable for the FEI World Cup™ 2015/2016 Individual Male title. On his three appearances during the five qualifying rounds he was nothing short of sensational, with breath-taking jumps and exceptional strength earning big scores for the 24-year-old whose infectious enthusiasm captivated spectators as he registered three successive victories in Salzburg (AUT), Mechelen (BEL) and on home turf at Leipzig.

He will be joined at the Final by compatriot Daniel Kaiser, who topped the podium at the opening leg of the series in Madrid (ESP) in November, and by French vaulters Clement Taillez and Vincent Haennel, along with Switzerland’s Lukas Heppler and Lukas Klouda from the Czech Republic.

Crowd-pleaser

The Pas-de-Deux has really established itself as a crowd-pleaser in recent years and the reigning European silver medallists, Germany’s Pia Engelberty and Torben Jacobs, asserted their authority when securing their second victory of the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2015/2016 qualifying season at Leipzig 10 days ago.

However, Italy’s Erika Di Forti and Lorenzo Lupacchini really sparkled in Salzburg, where they pinned Germany’s Jolina Ossenberg-Engels and Timo Gerdes into runner-up spot. The Italian duo were hampered by a fall in Leipzig where they had to settle for second place, but they could prove the strongest opposition to Engelberty and Jacobs at the much-anticipated Final in which Ossenberg-Engels and Gerdes, and the exciting American sister-act of Kimberly and Cassidy Palmer who topped the podium in Paris, will also compete.

The full list of qualified vaulters, calendar of events, results and standings for the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2015/2016 are available here.

Check out the schedule of for the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2015/2016 season on FEI TV here.

Series hashtag: #WorldCupVaulting

By Louise Parkes

Media contacts:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

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