13 May 2011 – The Rolex One to Watch for April 2011 is the Italian rider, Simone Coata. Based in Campagnano, near Rome, Italy, the 24-year-old jumped from number 281 to 179 during April – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 102 places.
The Rolex One to Watch is an initiative which identifies the rider who has made the biggest jump within or into the Top 250 of the Rolex Rankings the previous month.
Simone began riding aged nine, following in his father, Piero’s, footsteps. He regularly rides with his father and his brother, Luca, and has two trainers: Giorgio Nuti – the 1972 Olympic Champion – and Gianluca Bormioli. His cousin, Stefano Brecciaroli, is a well-known Eventing rider and was a team silver medallist at the 2010 HSBC FEI European Eventing Championship in Fontainebleau, France.
As a pony rider Simone was a member of the Italian team at the FEI European Eventing Championship in Aachen, Germany, and also at the FEI European Jumping Championship in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. In 2008, he was on the senior Italian team that won the FEI Nations Cup in Athens, Greece.
Since 2009, along with Italian stars Natale Chiaudani, Gabriele Grassi and Antonio Alfonso, Simone has been riding for the SNAI Team.
Simone has had a phenomenal 2011 with 26 victories, six second places and nine third places in national and international competitions. These results have helped his rapid ascent within the Rolex Rankings.
May’s Rolex One to Watch will be announced at the beginning of June 2011.
• Kevin Staut (FRA) is currently ranked number one in the Rolex Rankings and therefore holds the Green & Gold armband which bears the words “Number 1, The Rolex Rankings”.
• Marcus Ehning (GER) was the first rider to be awarded the ‘Green & Gold’ in December 2009 and Kevin Staut continues to wear it in all competitions whilst he is the Number 1 ranked rider on the Rolex Rankings.
• The Rolex Rankings are the only official guide to excellence in Jumping recognised by the FEI, and the Green & Gold has been devised for equestrian fans at events and watching on TV internationally to instantly recognize the world’s best/leading rider.
• The Rolex Rankings are updated monthly and issued at the start of each calendar month. For more information on the Rankings and to download the latest standings please visit the Jumping section of the FEI website at www.fei.org.
Rod Kohler, Revolution Sports
rod@revolutionpr.co.uk