Category Archives: Olympic Games

Championships, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., FEI, FEI, Olympic Games

Two More Teams Qualify for London 2012 Olympic Games Eventing

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Lausanne (SUI), 19 August 2011 – France and Sweden qualified for the London 2012 Olympic Games as a result of their placings in the HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships 2011 team competition. France finished in silver medal position on a score of 151.10 and Sweden placed fourth (199.20). Germany, the leading nation at the Championships, had already achieved Olympic qualification. Bronze medallists Great Britain are automatically qualified as next year’s Olympic Games host nation.

Five countries had secured their Olympic participation at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 in Kentucky: Canada, New Zealand, USA, Germany, and Belgium. These added to the host nation and the two countries qualified this weekend bring the number of Eventing teams qualified to date for London 2012 to eight.

The next event for direct team qualification is the Asia Pacific Eventing Championship which will take place at Blenheim (GBR) from 8 to 11 September and which is open to teams from the Olympic Groups F (Africa and Middle East) and G (South East Asia and Oceania). The best placed team at this event will qualify.

The Asia Pacific Eventing Championship will be followed by the Pan American Games to be held in Guadalajara (MEX) from 14 to 29 October. The two best placed teams from Olympic Groups D (North America) and E (Central and South America), excluding the USA and Canada, will secure participation in London.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, FEI, Olympic Games

Who Will Make History at the HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships?

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Kristina Cook leads Great Britain to Gold at HSBC FEI European Championships 2009 in Fontainebleau (FRA). Image: Kit Houghton/FEI.

Lausanne (SUI), 22 August 2011 – The hand of history will be resting heavily on some of the 71 riders heading for this week’s HSBC FEI European Eventing Championship in Luhmühlen (GER) on 25-28 August, as anticipation mounts for what promises to be an enthralling competition.

Host nation Germany, the reigning Olympic Champions, were World Champions in 2006, and their superstar rider Michael Jung (GER) is widely tipped for yet more individual honours. But they are making no secret of their longing to win European team gold on home ground for the first time – they had to settle for silver last time in Luhmühlen in 1999.

German team trainers Hans Melzer and Christopher Bartle have some of the world’s most talented and experienced riders from which to choose a dozen representatives – the home side is allowed 12 places.

Most notable among them are the World Champion Jung, riding his fabulous horse La Biosthetique Sam, and a quartet of Olympic gold medallists: Ingrid Klimke, Frank Ostholt, Peter Thomsen and dual CCI4* winner Andreas Dibowski.

Add to that mix former Pau CCI4* winner Dirk Schrade and Luhmühlen CCI4* runner-up Sandra Auffarth, who has been taking the circuit by storm, plus a host of other consistently successful competitors, and German supporters could well be celebrating by Sunday evening.

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Competitions, Dressage, FEI, FEI, Olympic Games

Three More Teams Qualify for London 2012 Olympic Games Dressage

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Lausanne (SUI), 19 August 2011 – Sweden, Spain and Denmark qualified for the London 2012 Olympic Games as a result of their placings in yesterday’s FEI European Dressage Championships 2011 team competition. Sweden finished fourth on a score of 214.437%, Spain was fifth (211.580%), and Denmark sixth (209.985%). The three leading nations at the Championships had already achieved Olympic qualification. Gold medallists Great Britain are automatically qualified as next year’s Olympic Games’ host nation. The silver medallists from Germany and the bronze medallists from The Netherlands had previously secured their spots at last year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.

This brings the number of teams qualified to date for London 2012 to seven: Great Britain, Germany, The Netherlands, USA (who qualified at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky), Sweden, Spain and Denmark.

The next event for direct team qualification is the Pan American Games to be held in Guadalajara (MEX) from 14 to 29 October. The two best placed teams from Olympic Groups D (North America) and E (Central and South America), excluding the USA, will secure participation in London.

The Pan American Games will be followed by the two FEI-approved qualification events which will take place in Sydney (AUS) on 28 October and Ermelo (NED) on 2 November which are open to teams from the Olympic Groups F (Africa and Middle East) and G (South East Asia and Oceania). Combined standings from both competitions will be produced and the two best ranked teams, excluding the teams listed above, will qualify for London 2012.

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Equestrian Assistance, Eventing/H.T., Olympic Games, USEF

USEF Awards $120,000 in Land Rover Grants to Eventing High Performance Riders

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Lexington, KY – In Land Rover’s continued quest for excellence, the USEF has awarded Land Rover High Performance Grants to eight horse/rider combinations in their preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games. The Land Rover High Performance Eventing grants will help offset the expenses related to competing in Europe this fall. Building on last year’s support of the Land Rover U.S Eventing Team, USEF and Land Rover have created a new initiative: the Land Rover Competition and Training Grant Program for Eventing Riders.

The following horse/rider combinations will receive $15,000 grants:

William Coleman III and James Wildasin’s Twizzel
Phillip Dutton and Bruce Duchossois’ Mighty Nice
Will Faudree and Jennifer Mosing’s Andromaque
Will Faudree and Jennifer Mosing’s Pawlow
Boyd Martin and Neville Bardos Syndicate’s Neville Bardos
Boyd Martin and Henley House Stables’ Remington XXV
Clark Montgomery and Jessica Montgomery, Kathleen Kraft and Holly Becker’s Loughan Glen
Michael Pollard and Nathalie Pollard and Mieke Hanssens’ Icarus

In addition to the base grants listed above, there are performance incentive grants available as well to all US riders: $10,000 for a top 10% finish, $5,000 for a top 20% finish.

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Dressage, FEI, Olympic Games

London 2012 Dressage Judges Long List Announced

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Lausanne (SUI), 28 July 2011 – The FEI has published its long list of judges for the Dressage event at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The long list is made up of 11 5* judges from eight nations:

Stephen Clarke (GBR)
Maribel Alonso (MEX)
Evi Eisenhardt (GER)
Wim Ernes (NED)
Ghislain Fouarge (NED)
Isabelle Judet (FRA)
Gary Rockwell (USA)
Jean-Michel Roudier (FRA)
Mary Seefried (AUS)
Leif Törnblad (DEN)
Katrina Wüst (GER)

A blind draw of the long listed judges will take place at FEI headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) on 23 September 2011 to finalise the members of the London 2012 Olympic Ground Jury.

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Dressage, Eventing/H.T., FEI, Olympic Games, Show Jumping

FEI Counts Down to 100 Years of Olympic Equestrian Sport

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Lausanne (SUI), 27 July 2011 – Olympic fever is ramping up as today marks the one-year countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games and 100 years of equestrian sport in the Olympic movement.

The London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on 27 July will be followed by 12 days of equestrian competition in Greenwich Park, where the world’s best horses and riders will compete for six gold medals in the Olympic disciplines of Eventing, Dressage and Jumping.

To celebrate one year to go, the FEI will be running London 2012 image campaigns on Facebook and will be constantly updating news on both Facebook and Twitter as nations qualify for the equestrian events.

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) has also launched an interactive twitter stadium and world map on www.london2012.com/1yeartogo.

“The excitement in the run-up to the Olympic equestrian events at London 2012 is huge and the stunning location of Greenwich Park means that we are at the heart of the Games,” said HRH Princess Haya, President of the FEI. “We are proud to be given centre stage at such a poignant time when we will be marking 100 years of equestrian sport in the Olympic movement.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Equestrian Assistance, FEI, Olympic Games, Para-Equestrian

Para-Equestrians Get Grant Boost for London 2012

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Gold standard: Britain’s Lee Pearson (GBR), MBE OBE has become a Paralympic icon with nine Paralympic gold medals to his name (pictured at Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games)

Lausanne (SUI), 25 July 2011 – Para-Equestrians bidding to compete at the London 2012 Paralympic Games can now apply for funding as part of a brand new grant scheme to help with training expenses.

Eurovestech plc, the pan-European development capital fund, has put up a €25,500 grant to support 15 equestrian athletes around the world as they prepare for London 2012.

The grants, which will be distributed by the FEI, will be available to riders who have not won medals at the Paralympics, World Championships or World Equestrian Games since 2004.

National Federations representing Para-Equestrians from smaller nations where funding is limited are urged to apply for the grants. The grants are available both to riders who compete on their own horses and those that compete on borrowed horses.

Interested riders should contact their National Federation with their competition and training plans before 15 August 2011.

“It’s great news to hear of this initiative as the IPC is keen that a great number of athletes get the opportunity to compete at the London 2012 Paralympic Games across all sports, including Para-Equestrian,” explained Chief Executive Officer of the International Paralympic Committee Xavier Gonzalez.

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FEI, Olympic Games, Show Jumping

Ukraine and Japan Qualify for 2012 Olympic Jumping

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Lausanne (SUI), 12 July 2011 – Ukraine and Japan will both be represented in the Olympic Jumping events at London 2012, following their success at the Olympic qualification event held in Aachen (GER) on 10 July. Ukraine secured a team slot and Japan one individual place during Sunday’s qualifier for Olympic Groups C – Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia – and G – South East Asia and Oceania.

Eight teams – Azerbaijan, Hong Kong, Hungary, Japan, Poland, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine – took part in the two-round competition. Competing over a strong track designed by Frank Rothenberger, team Ukraine were clear in the first round and finished on a score of 12 penalties to earn a team ticket to London 2012. The Ukrainians ended ahead of Turkey (25) and Poland (33) in the final standings. The complete results of the Olympic Qualification event for Groups C or G are available here.

There was a jump-off for the individual spot available for the best placed rider of Olympic Qualification Group G. Taizo Sugitani (JPN) and Jasmin Chen (TPE) were tied on nine faults after the second round and went forward to a timed decider. Both riders were clear against the clock, but the Olympic slot went to Japan when Taizo Sugitani completed the course in 53.97 seconds, almost two seconds faster than Jasmin Chen’s 55.61. The detailed individual results are available here.

Eight teams – Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, host nation Great Britain, and Ukraine – out of the 15 possible have qualified for the 2012 Olympic Jumping competition. A total of 15 teams will compete in London. Egypt, Japan and Syria have qualified individual riders. The complete qualification system for the 2012 Olympic Jumping competition can be consulted here.

Katharina Offel (UKR) was the best individual rider overall and, as a result, qualified to take part at CSIO Aachen this week (full individual results here).

Media contacts:

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

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Press Relations
malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
+ 41 78 750 61 33

Eventing/H.T., Olympic Games, Pan American Games, Training/Clinics, USEF

USEF Updates Eventing High Performance Lists

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Lexington, KY – The USEF has updated the Eventing High Performance Training Lists based on spring performances so far in 2011. Riders will be invited to participate in training sessions with USEF Technical Advisor Capt. Mark Phillips at competitions throughout the summer and fall seasons in preparation for the 2011 Pan American Games and 2012 Olympic Games.

Name/Age/Hometown

The following riders have been named to the High Performance A List:

Phillip Dutton/47/West Grove, PA
Will Faudree/29/Hoffman, NC
Sinead Halpin/29/Oldwick, NJ
Boyd Martin/31/West Grove, PA

The following riders have been named to the High Performance B List:

Jennie Brannigan/23/West Grove, PA
Hannah Sue Burnett/24/Ocala, FL
Will Coleman/28/Gordonsville, VA
Buck Davidson/35/ Riegelsville, PA
Clark Montgomery/30/Fairburn, GA
Karen O’Connor/53/The Plains, VA
Doug Payne/29/Pottersville, NJ
Michael Pollard/30/Dalton, GA
Julian Stiller/27/Berkshire, UK

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