Category Archives: Eventing/H.T.

Dutch Edge Closer to Olympic Qualification with Eventing Nations Cup Win

Janneke Boonzaaijer (BEL) rides ACSI Chanp de Tailleur. FEI – Libby Law

A demanding cross-country test shook up the order at the fourth leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ which took place at Strzegom (POL). Strong performances in this phase meant that The Netherlands walked away as the worthy winners. Despite having one rider eliminated on the cross-country, the Dutch finished on a final score of 133.8 with their other three riders finishing inside the top ten riders. Team USA were runners-up on 142.8, whilst Belgium finished in third on 166.1 penalties. Nine teams came forward to compete including host nation Poland who did not have such a happy time with none of their three riders completing the competition.

Dutch Chef d’Equipe Andrew Heffernen was delighted with the result. “These guys performed so well. It was a really tough competition and it was really refreshing to see such a strong and forward thinking and demanding cross-country course. It also gave us good pictures. There were no nasty falls or moments and that was really good for the sport. These guys performed fantastic and that is why we won. I am very proud.”

The Germans led the first phase with the Dutch team in third after the dressage, but this would certainly not prove to be a dressage competition. Germany slipped to eighth after the cross-country course designed by Marcin Konarski took its toll on so many combinations. Konarski has been designing international courses at Strzegom for 20 years and his accolades include World Cup Finals and Senior European Championships. The venue is famed for its technicality and big bold jumping efforts and this year was no exception. “This year’s course has a lot of technical questions. There are also a couple of very bold jumps where the horses have to show a lot of bravery,” he said.

Experienced Dutch rider Merel Blom-Hulsman, who has been a mainstay of the Dutch team for over a decade, summed up the challenge: “It was hard to get this win. It was a difficult course with a lot of technical questions and big jumps in between so I think we all really had to push to the end, so it was quite a difficult challenge.”

The Dutch team lost their fourth member Stephen Hazeleger, who was one of 13 athletes to come to grief on the cross-country. Fortunately, their other three team members achieved fast and clear cross-country rounds to put them well ahead of the rest of the field going into the final phase. Although they had a 25-penalty margin ahead of USA in second, the pressure was still on with all three athletes’ scores to count in the jumping phase, who held onto their nerves as well as first place.

There was further pressure on the result this year, as the Series takes on extra significance as the last chance to earn a single Team slot to Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Five of the nations competing are not yet qualified, including The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Austria. The FEI Eventing European Championship at Pin du Haras (FRA) this August and the 2023 Pan American Games at Santiago (CHI) in October will provide further chances for nations to qualify.

Like many other nations who are not yet qualified, the Dutch selected a more experienced team on good horses. Their sole objective this season is Olympic Qualification, explains Blom-Hulsman. “There is not a bigger motivator than Paris. We stand up every morning just pushing for Paris and we will keep pushing until we are there, for sure.”

Heffernen reinforced this notion: “We have two Nations Cup competitions coming up in the next few weeks, one in France and one in Switzerland, and of course there is the European Championships, so we are concentrating on those three competitions now, so hopefully we can repeat this performance.”

The FEI Eventing Nations Cup will now move to Haras de Jardy (FRA) which runs from 13-16 July. The Belgians lead the Series at this halfway stage, with a total of 350 points, whilst the Dutch now move up to second with 285 points. The Series concludes in Boekelo (NED) from 4-8 October, where the final team place for the Paris Olympics will be allocated to the highest placed nations not already qualified.

FULL RESULTS

by Eleanore Kelly

press@fei.org
www.fei.org

Dutch Team Victorious in the Eventing Nations Cup at Strzegom

The Dutch team went into the lead after great cross-country rounds at a demanding track, and even some knockdowns in the jumping did not threaten their win. The best result on the team belonged to Janneke Boonzaaijer with ACSI Champ de Tailleur. She had one down, but ultimately finished third with 40,5. Sanne de Jong with Enjoy ended up on fifth – 43,8. The team was also represented by Merel Blom-Hulsman with Chinuk R and Stephan Hazeleger with Gold Rush. The Dutch finished with a collective score of 133,8.

“I think the team riders performed so well that actually in the end it was quite easy to win!” said the smiling chef d’equipe Andrew Hefferman. “I’m joking, of course. It was a really tough competition; it was really refreshing to see such a strong, forward-thinking, and demanding cross-country course. I think it was really good for the sport. The guys performed fantastic.”

Second place on the podium went to the USA – 142,8, who became vice-leaders after dressage and kept it throughout the three trials. The American squad consisted of: Jennifer Caras with Trendy Fernhill, Cassie Sanger with Fernhill Zoro, Andrew Mc Connon with Ferrie’s Cello, and Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. The latter had the best dressage score, dropped down to second after cross-country and secured that placing with a clear round – 35,7.

The Belgians on the podium: Tine Magnus and Champagne Pia Z, Karin Donckers and Leipheimer van’t Verahof, Julien Despontin and Honeyblue, and Jarno Verwimp riding Kyba van de Jomaheide – 166,1. They jumped up from fifth after dressage and fourth after XC. The home team of Poland did not manage to finish the rivalry. The last athlete – Julia Gillmaier – withdrew her mare Red Dream Princes before the showjumping to save her strength for the next challenges of the season.

In the individual classification of the CCIO4*S, the winner was Lea Siegl aboard the 13-year-old Van Helsing P – 33,3. The Austrian rider took the lead after the cross country, jumping up from seventh after dressage, and went clear in the showjumping.

There were no surprises in the 4*L, the most demanding class of the event. The winner was Michael Jung with 10-year-old Kilcandra Ocean Power. He took the lead in the dressage, added overtime points in the cross country, and performed a brilliant clear on the showjumping course (44,7). Second place went to Merel Blom-Hulsman (NED) with Vesuve d’Aveyron (52,2), and third to Mia Hastrup (DEN) with Constantin M (59,1).

Swiss athlete Felix Vogg stood on the highest step of the podium in the 3*L, after a clear jumping round. He rode Dao de l’Ocean – 40,5. Janneke Boonzaaijer with Coffee IJS finished second, only 0,3 behind him, and third went to Philip Ryan (IRL) with Amansara – 48,5.

In the 2*L, the win went to Desirée Schmidt (SUI) with Freestyl de la Cense, after a “double clear” – 33,9. She finished before the German Andreas Dibowski with Lillet 3 – 35,8, and Brooke Schmid riding Giandra V. Schloesslihof – 38,2.

The 2*S was dominated by Swedish rider Louise Romeike, who took the win with Rockett 19 (26,0) and second with Extravagance (29,0). Germany’s Nina Schultes was third with DSP Danakil Desert – 31,0. The highest-ranked Pole was Weronika Król i Look at Her, who finished eighth with 38,9.

Polish riders were unbeatable in the junior 2*S. After two clear rounds, the winner was Karolina Miś with Go Jack – 31,1, and a close second went to Zuzanna Społowicz with Polish-bred Bankier – 31,4. German Matti Garlichs with Ludwig 282 was third with 31,7. In the Pony class, the best score belonged to Anni Müller (GER) with Nightys Flashlight (30,7). Ben Leuwer (GER) wont the 1*-Intro with Balou’s Mascot M – 28,6.

280 horse-and-rider combinations representing 24 countries took part in the 20th jubilee edition of the LOTTO Strzegom Horse Trials.

Online results: http://results.strzegomhorsetrials.pl/event.php?event=21

Contact:
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press@strzegomhorsetrials.pl

Strzegom Horse Trials – FEI Eventing Nations Cup

Photo: Mariusz Chmieliński

The rivalry for valuable points in the fourth leg of the Nations Cup in equestrian triathlon will be decided in Morawa, during the 20th jubilee edition of LOTTO Strzegom Horse Trials.

280 horse-and-rider combinations representing 25 countries will compete in 10 international classes from one to four stars, including the FEI Eventing Nations Cup. This year, the stakes are incredibly high. The Nations Cup series is a chance for teams that have not yet qualified to secure their ticket for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris. There is a record number of teams entered this year. As many as 10 squads will compete in Strzegom, including the representatives of Japan and the United States for the very first time at the venue.

The arenas in Strzegom will host, among others: Germany’s multi-medalist Michael Jung, a double Olympic champion, who also held the titles of European and World Champion; his compatriots Andreas Dibowski and Dirk Schrade, Olympic team gold medalists; and the Dutch Merel Blom, team bronze medalist of the World Equestrian Games. The entry list also includes leading Polish eventers, members of the national team: Paweł Warszawski, Jan Kamiński, Joanna Pawlak, Wiktoria Knap, and Julia Gillmaier.

The competition starts on Thursday, June 22 with the dressage trial. During the first two days of the competition, the riders will present programs assessed by the judges in walk, trot, and gallop. Saturday and Sunday are for spectacular cross-country and showjumping trials – these requiring precision and technical skills.

The program will be complemented by a lot of attractions for spectators. The stuntmen from the Apolinarski Group will present their vaulting skills in a show of jigit, originating from the Caucasus – a Cossac riding style. For dog lovers, the organizers have prepared agility shows performed by the finalists of the “Mam Talent TVN” show. There will also be driving demonstrations, performed by the Youth National Team.

The competition will take place from 22 to 25 June at the hippodrome in Morawa near Strzegom. Admission is free. Car park costs PLN 20.

Contact:
www.strzegomhorsetrials.pl
press@strzegomhorsetrials.pl

Strong Squad Delivers Decisive FEI Eventing Nations Cup Victory for New Zealand

Tim Price (NZL) riding Falco. Photo Copyright: ©FEI/Libby Law Photography

Team New Zealand are setting themselves up to be strong contenders for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games next year, and results at Millstreet further reinforced that. An experienced quartet led from start to finish at the Irish event, to leave them on an impressive final score of 114.6. This is one of the best team finishing scores seen in this popular eight-leg series in recent years, perhaps unsurprising given World number one and two riders Tim and Jonelle Price made up half of the team. They were joined by the experienced Clarke Johnstone and rising star, Samantha Lissington. Team Belgium were runners-up on 131.9, whilst Ireland delighted their home crowd by finishing third in what was a fierce competition.

The cross-country course proved the make or break of many combinations and teams and making the time was suitably challenging, with no riders finishing inside. Tim Price won the class overall on Falco, the horse that also gave him an individual and team bronze in Pratoni. His wife Jonelle also played her part on the ‘pocket rocket’ McClaren. The Prices, joined by Clarke Johnstone, were all members of the bronze-medal winning team at last year’s FEI Eventing World Championship in Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA).  All three riders were mounted on experienced horses who continued their reliable form by jumping double clears in the Jumping and cross-country phases. They were joined by Samantha Lissington, who was the drop score after picking up 20 penalties for a refusal on the cross-country phase.

Chef d’Equipe of the New Zealand Team is former Olympic Eventing rider Sam Griffiths, who summed up the result. “We are really proud of their performance. Because New Zealand doesn’t have the equivalent of a European Championship, we decided that we wanted to target a couple of Nations Cups, of which Millstreet is one, so we sent a strong contingent. It’s really good to bring the group together and practice what we need to do. We will also be hoping to do well at Aachen. It’s always really good to target an event and then deliver a really good result at that event, so we are really pleased.”

Riders were full of praise for the event and cross-country phase which was designed by Mike Etherington-Smith. “One of the reasons why we targeted Millstreet is that we know how beautiful the venue is. The Duggan family takes amazing care of it. We love Mike Etherington-Smith’s courses. They are always beautifully presented and even with the going being fast, time was incredibly difficult even with experienced combinations going pretty much as fast as they could,” said Griffiths.

Tim Price was delighted with his horse Falco, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding.

“Falco is a cracking horse; he’s established now and his intelligence is being used for the good of everyone. I was really proud of him, he’s such a cool wee horse,” said Price.

“We took this seriously because the New Zealand team were using Millstreet as a marker point for the powers that be back at home. It was important that we delivered a decent result and showed that we were on track this year and through to Paris, so we treated it as such and all brought good horses onto the team. The time was very tight (on the cross-country) so it felt like a proper test.”

The Kiwis have had mixed success at major team championships in recent years, but Griffiths believes they have a great and long-lasting future ahead, with Millstreet highlighting that. “We had incredibly strong performances from Clarke Johstone and Jonelle, so we were really solid. We are really starting to grow some strength and depth. At Millstreet we had 19 combinations competing and, for a country that is on the other side of the world, that shows it is really developing.”

The Belgian team, who finished in second place, also delivered some solid jumping performances. Tine Magnus, Belgian team member spoke for the team: “We’re going for the Olympic qualification, so we’ll be off to Strzegom next – and we’re going to win! Millstreet is a wonderful place. The cross-country was great to ride; we’re not used to such lovely big galloping tracks.”

FEI Eventing Director Catrin Norinder was also present at the event, and said: “We’d like to thank Millstreet and the Duggan family for putting on such a great FEI Eventing Nations Cup™. The surroundings and cross-country course are amazing. It was truly competitive and a unique opportunity to get so many nations together.”

This FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ series is of particular significance to some nations this year, as the highest-placed team according to the final team classification of the 2023 Series, excluding teams/NOCs already qualified, will be allocated a place for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

This was the third leg of the Series which will now move to Strzegom (POL) which runs from 21-25 June. The Belgians lead the Nations Cup Series at this early stage, with 270 points scored, after winning the opening event in Montelibretti last month to add to their second place.

FULL RESULTS

by Eleanore Kelly

press@fei.org
www.fei.org

The Race for the Nations Cup in Eventing Is On in Strzegom

Photo: Leszek Wójcik

The competition for the Nations Cup in the equestrian triathlon will take place at the hippodrome in Morawa during LOTTO Strzegom Horse Trials. Will the Polish team take the win once again?

The FEI Eventing Nations Cup season began in March in Montelibretti, Italy. The tour includes eight legs all over Europe. After two competitions, the Belgian team are the current leaders. This year, the fight is not only about Nations Cup points. A high position in the classification of the entire series is a chance for teams that have not yet qualified to secure their team for the Olympic Games – Paris 2024

During LOTTO Strzegom Horse Trials, the fourth leg of the Nations Cup will be settled. In Poland, it will be the highest-ranked class in eventing, i.e. an equestrian triathlon, in which riders and their horses compete in three trials: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping.

For the last three years, the Polish national team ended the fight at the Strzegom stage of the Nations Cup for with a place on the podium, and last year, for the first time in history, the white-and-red team were victorious.

In addition to the Nations Cup, the sports program includes as many as nine international classes from one to four stars, including ones for all youth categories. Powerhouse eventing teams have already announced their participation: Great Britain and, for the first time in history, a team from the United States.

“This year we celebrate the jubilee 20th edition of the competition. Much more than the sporting spectacle awaits the fans. The program includes many attractions for the audiences. Let’s celebrate together,” says Marcin Konarski, chairman of the organizing committee.

The Hobby Horse competition, which has recently been beating popularity records, will be a surprise innovation. It is a new sport discipline in which competitors challenge themselves on “horses” made of a horse’s head on a wooden bar, and the rules of competition are inspired by the regulations of equestrian shows. The two-day tournament, on June 24-25, will be held in eventing for the first time in Poland.

The program also includes performances by stuntmen who will present their vaulting skills in the show of the Caucasian jigitovka, as well as dog agility shows.

The competition will take place on June 22-25, at the hippodrome in Morawa near Strzegom, Lower Silesia. Admission is free.

Contact:
www.strzegomhorsetrials.pl
press@strzegomhorsetrials.pl

Merel Blom Victorious in 4* Class in Strzegom

Photo: Leszek Wójcik

Dutch rider Merel Blom with Vesuve d’Averyon was the best in the CCI4*-L, the highest ranked class at the Strzegom Spring Open II.

Blom was sixth after the dressage, climbed up the scoreboard after clear cross-country, and secured her win with a zero-penalty jumping round. They finished with 35,7. Second place went to Peter T.Flarup (DEN) with Fascination. The rider had the best dressage score, but time points in the XC cost him the win, even after faultless showjumping. Final score – 36,2. Spanish athlete Esteban Benitez Valle with Utrera AA 35 1 finished third. A good cross-country over the optimum time jumped him up from 10th after dressage, to finish with 41,9. The only Polish combination – Robert Powała and Rara del Castegno – finished 11th with 64,3.

There were some surprises in the CCI4*-S class. Sanna Siltakorpi (FIN) with Bofey Click was ultimately victorious, after a clear cross-country – the only one inside the time. That performance made her jump up from 21st after two previous trials (40,6). Second went to Germany’s Arne Bergendahl with Checkovich – 40,6, and third to the Olympic champion Julia Krajewski aboard Nickel 21 – 40,8.

The winner of the CCI3*-L was Germany’s Christoph Wahler with D’Accord 70, who kept his lead from the dressage – 30,0. He finished before Joaquim Grave (POR) with Let’s Win – 35,2, and Belgian Valentine Emsens with Esther du Mailler – 37,4.

The podium of the 3*S was all German. The win belonged to Ingrid Klimke with SAP Asha P, unbeatable from the dressage trial – 25,5. Second went to Felix Etzel with TSF Polartanz – 28,1, and third to Sophie Leube with Sweetwaters Ziethen TSF – 28,8.

Peter T.Flarup with H.Carald Z was victorious in the CCI2*-L – 35,1. The Danish rider took the lead in the first trial, cleared the cross-country, and even a knockdown in the jumping could not threaten his position. Germany’s Marie Marie Füntmann with Butt’s Azahar followed in second with 42,4, and third went to Luna Richter (DEN) with Lillifee AJK – 45,1

German athletes were the best in the 2*S. Bernhard Reemtsma won aboard Catelan – 30,5. They took the lead after the showjumping, and went only two seconds over the time limit in the XC.  Jerome Robiné with Avatar 42 finished second with 31,2, and Charlotte Whittaker with Isa – third – 31,8.

The winner of the CCI1*-Intro was Germany’s Julia Krajewski with Chilli Morning II – 34,5. Her compatriot Leni Lehnard with Cobec was second – 36,8, and Polish athlete Weronika Krzecka took home the third with First Kiss – 37,4.

In the Pony CCIP2*, victory went to Liva Emilie Grubbe from Denmark with Ac-Star Quickie af Engvang – 38,6.

The Strzegom Spring Open competition selected the winners of eight international classes. Over 250 horse-and-rider combinations representing 18 countries took part.

Online results: http://results.strzegomhorsetrials.pl/event.php?event=20.

Contact:
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press@strzegomhorsetrials.pl

Strzegom Spring Open: Star-Studded Lineup for the Season Opener

Photo by Mariusz Chmieliński

Over 220 horses, competitors from 13 countries, and star athletes — this year’s first international eventing competition in Poland starts on Friday, 31 March, at the hippodrome in Morawa.

The riders will take part in four international short-format classes from 1*-Intro to 4*, as well as three national ones.

Some of the sport’s biggest names signed up to participate in the competition, including multi-medalist Michael Jung – a double Olympic champion, European, and World Champion. The German athlete brings fischerChipmunk, with whom he won the team gold medal during the last world championships, as well as Banderas, bred in Poland, in Bolków in Lower Silesia. We will also see Sandra Auffarth from Germany, Olympic bronze medalist and world champion, and Dutch Merel Blom, the team bronze medalist of the World Equestrian Games.

Among the Polish representatives we will have the chance to see the entire podium of last year’s Polish Championships: Mateusz Kempe, Joanna Pawlak, and Małgorzata Korycka.

The competition begins on Friday with the dressage. Saturday is for the jumping and cross-country trial of national competitions, and on Sunday, the cross-country for the international classes.

This will be the first edition of the Strzegom Spring Open; the second will be held on April 20-23.

Program: https://www.eventing.strzegomhorsetrials.pl/images/2023/1/TIMETABLE-24.03.pdf

Contact:
www.strzegomhorsetrials.pl
press@strzegomhorsetrials.pl

Countdown to the XXXIII Olympiad, Paris

Laura Collet (GBR) with London 52 at the FEI Eventing World Championships 2022 © FEI/Christophe Taniére.

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will host equestrian sports 27 July through 6 August at the iconic Palace of Versailles. For athletes in the Olympic disciplines of Dressage, Eventing, and Jumping, the biggest objective on the road to Paris remains qualification. Some key nations — including host nation France — have secured their quota places, with these National Federations focused on team appointment. Others, meanwhile, are set on fielding their best teams for remaining events with qualification opportunities.

Dressage

Including the host nation, seven nations have qualified for Dressage competition in Paris, accounting for 24 of 45 available team quota places (3 athletes per team). This group includes all three medalists from Tokyo 2020 (JPN). Defending champions Germany, the United States, and Great Britain all earned their places from their results at the 2022 FEI World Championships in Herning (DEN) — as did Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Australia.

All eyes will be on Germany on the road to Paris, as not only did they top the team competition in the last Olympics, but its athletes Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Isabell Werth also claimed the individual gold and silver medals, respectively. Bredow-Werndl remains at the top of her game and sits atop the FEI Dressage World Rankings with her partner from Tokyo, TSF Dalera BB.

Twenty-one team quota places (accounting for seven teams) remain, many of which will be decided at the year’s continental and regional championships. Most notable will be the 2023 FEI European Dressage Championship, set for Riesenbeck (GER), 4-10 September. Fifteen individual quota places are also available, awarded to athletes from nations that have not already accepted a team quota place. Of course, these athletes will be a mix of males and females, as equestrian sport remains the only Olympic event in which men and women compete as equals.

Eventing

Nearly half of the team quotas places have already been secured in the sport of Eventing.  Germany is among the first nations qualified, which should provide some excitement. After all, the nation produced Eventing’s first ever female individual Olympic gold medalist in Julia Krajewski in Tokyo. In addition to the host nation, the United States, New Zealand, Ireland, Sweden, and Switzerland have also qualified. These places were all earned at the FEI World Championships in Herning, where the United States secured its first team medal at a World or Olympic Championship since 2004. The United States is the only nation from North, Central, or South America to have secured a team quota place.

Most notably, Tokyo’s silver medalists Australia have yet to secure their place. They have remaining opportunities at the Group F and G FEI Designated Olympic Qualification Event at Millstreet (IRL), 01-04 June and the FEI Eventing European Championships 2023 in Haras du Pin (FRA) and via the 2023 FEI Eventing Nations Cup Series.

The competition for ranking points for the Individual slots has started, and will continue through the rest of the year.

Jumping

Jumping offers the most quota places of all the equestrian disciplines, with 75 up for grabs, including 60 team athletes.

Sweden is undisputedly the team to watch on the road to Paris, having claimed team gold medals at both the Tokyo Olympic Games and the FEI World Championships 2022. Safely qualified, their concern will be trying to replace Peder Fredricson’s incredible All In, who earned a most celebratory retirement in February. “Allan,” as the barefoot bay was affectionately called, won six championship medals in his career. In Tokyo, he became just the second horse in history to jump the entire Olympic Games without having a single rail.

The Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland, and Germany also secured their places in Herning, while Belgium earned its spot at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final 2022 in Barcelona (ESP). Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates secured team quota places at their Group F Designated Olympic Qualification Event, but 33 team quota places remain.

The United States earned the silver medal in Tokyo, but they will rely on the 2023 Pan American Games to qualify for Paris. Among the powerhouses of the sport, the U.S. won back-to-back team gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Games and has medalled at seven of the last 10 Olympics, but the pressure will be on in Chile for them to add to that Olympic resume. If they do not qualify at the Pan Ams, they would have one last opportunity at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final 2023 In Barcelona.

The 2023 FEI European Championship in Milano (ITA), 29 August – 03 Sept. will also offer three team quotas for European nations from Group A and/or B. Fifteen additional individual quotas are also available for athletes from nations that have not already accepted a team quota place.

By Catie Staszak

press@fei.org
www.fei.org

Team Belgium Are Decisive Winners at Opening Leg of FEI Eventing Nations Cup

From left: Team Italy in second place – Chef D’Equipe Giacomo Della Chiesa, Matteo Orlandi, Fosco Girardi, and Evelina Bertoli; Team winners Belgium – Jarno Verwimp, Karin Donckers, Lara De Liedekerke Meier, Senne Vervaecke, and Chef D’Equipe Kai-Steffen Meier; Third place Switzerland – Felix Vogg, Roxane Gonfard, and Chef D’Equipe Dominik Burger. Copyright ©FEI / Massimo Argenziano.

It was a clean sweep for Team Belgium who claimed the first leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ held in Montelibretti (ITA). With consistent three phase performances by all four of their riders, they finished on a score of 93.7 penalties. The home nation Italy lagged some way behind in second on a score of 152.3, whilst Switzerland finished third on 192.1.

Three of the four Belgian riders finished inside the top ten which gave them a healthy lead with almost a 60 point margin over Italy. Jarno Verwimp put in an exemplary display in all three phases with her Belgian bred mare Mahalia, and a double clear with just 1.2 cross-country time penalties left the athlete on a final score of 26.9, good enough for a second position in the individual ranking, just a whisker behind Austrian athlete Lea Siegl, who finished on 24.9 for Austria. Belgian teammate Lara De Liedekerke Meier was fourth on Ducati D’Arville, whilst eventing stalwart Karin Donckers finished eight on Fletcha Van’t Verahof.

Both the jumping phases proved challenging to a number of combinations and shook up the leader board after both phases. The cross-country phase proved particularly influential with eight combinations eliminated or retiring and a further seven finishing jumping penalties. No combinations finished within the time allowed.

Riders and nations have just one season left to qualify for the Paris Olympics held next year and the Belgians are yet to qualify. Whilst they will have a chance at the European Championships held in Le Pin au Haras (FRA) later this year, the Nations Cup Series provides an opportunity for teams and individuals to gain qualification through the FEI points allocation system. The nations qualified for Paris so far are host nation France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA.

The FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Series now moves to the prestigious venue of Chatsworth in Great Britain, which runs from 13-14 May.

FULL RESULTS

by Eleanore Kelly

press@fei.org
www.fei.org

Eventing, Poland: Are You Ready for the 2023 Season?

Photo by Mariusz Chmieliński.

The 2023 season is the jubilee of the international competition in Strzegom. For 20 years, riders from over 40 countries have been competing at the hippodrome in Morawa several times a year. And it all started in 2003 with a World Cup competition!

What awaits the athletes in the upcoming season? As many as six international events in the discipline of eventing, including the Nations Cup competition and the return of the Strzegom Autumn Show, to the calendar. More than 50 classes of various difficulty levels will be held at the Morawa hippodrome, and new challenges await the competitors on cross-country tracks.

What awaits the athletes in the upcoming season?

We are only two months away from the start of the international equestrian tournaments in Strzegom! To warm up the season – the Strzegom Spring Open, which will take place in two editions. On the first weekend of April, four international classes in the short format will be played out – from 2* to 4*, as well as an Intro class and national competitions. The second edition, which will take place on the penultimate weekend of April, will additionally feature classes in long formats and a separate rivalry for ponies. For many riders, this will be the first four-star event of the year. Cross-country courses will be designed in such a way that the riders will have a chance to introduce their horses to the season. “In April in Strzegom, the parameters of cross-country obstacles always correspond to the level of the competition, while the technical combinations are definitely easier than those during the Nations Cup in June. Thanks to the favorable weather in winter, we were able to perform earthworks in several places, which will allow us to build more interesting tasks there. All routes are already carefully designed, and in February we plan to place obstacles for the first competition,” says Marcin Konarski, the course designer.

20 years have passed…

Strzegom Horse Trials, the fourth stage of the FEI Nations Cup series, will take place on the last weekend of June. This year it will be a unique event and an opportunity to celebrate the jubilee, twentieth edition of the competition. It is during this event that the cross-country is the most demanding and spectacular. There will be a lot of surprises and interesting challenges for the competitors. Riders will compete in six classes from two to four-star level in both formats, and in the CCI1*-Intro. Competition for juniors, young riders, and ponies, CCI2*J-S, CCI3*Y-S, CCIP2-S, are also part of the schedule.

Summer comes earlier

The Strzegom Summer Tour will take place at the beginning of August. Riders will compete in the Intro class, competitions in the short format from two to four stars and in the following national classes: CNC 80, CNC 100, CNC 100 – 18. This show is especially recommended for horse-and-rider combinations debuting at a higher level.

Autumn is back!

In September, the Strzegom Autumn Show returns to the sports calendar after four years of absence. This will include four short-format international competitions: CCI1*-Intro and two- to four-star classes, as well as three national ones.

Strzegom October Festival & European Youth Eventing Masters as always

The finale of the season will be the Strzegom October Festival, during which the following competitions will be held: two to four stars in long format, three and four stars in short format, and the Intro class. The European Youth Eventing Masters tournament will be held alongside those, and will select individual and team winners in the youth categories. The event will take place mid-October.

National shows

In the 2023 season, the calendar of Strzegom will also feature national competitions organized completely separately from international shows. Three such events will be held – in April, May, and July, and during each of them, six classes: CNC 80, CNC 90, CNC 100, CNC 100 – 18, CNC 1*, CNC 2*.

Contact:
www.strzegomhorsetrials.pl
press@strzegomhorsetrials.pl