Tag Archives: FEI Classics

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., FEI

Rose’s Rookie Reigns after Dressage at Adelaide

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Australia’s Shane Rose, seen here with overnight leader CP Qualified, is in first and third after Dressage at Adelaide (AUS). (Julie Wilson/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 15 November 2013 – Australia’s Shane Rose had the best of the action on Dressage day at the Adelaide CCI**** and goes into tomorrow’s Cross Country holding first and third place, but with the country’s most experienced and talented riders snapping at his heels.

Rose holds the advantage with Elizabeth and Felicity Wischer’s German import, CP Qualified by Quite Capitol. Despite the fact that the 10-year-old was bred for Jumping, he remained totally unfazed by the busy and bustling atmosphere to produce the test of the day for a mark of 39.70.

The supremely fit looking grey gelding’s canter work was a delight to watch and was the winner with both the judges and spectators alike. He is now 5.80 penalties ahead of two-time Adelaide CCI**** winner, Stuart Tinney, who rode John and Jane Pittard’s Daley K gelding, Pluto Mio into second place on 45.50.

Rose is also in third place with Jonnie Walker’s Taurus, the horse that was withdrawn from Australia’s London 2012 Olympic squad at the last minute. The Aries gelding produced a lovely test which Rose thought was his best ever. “Taurus did a good test and I felt he was quite harshly marked”, commented Rose. He received a score of 45.70 for a performance that was considerably better than the test they completed at Adelaide in 2011 for which they received 45.50.

Craig Barrett rode a good test on Keith and Juliette Osborne’s 2012 winner, the Staccato mare, Sandhills Brillaire to be well placed in fourth on 46.80. The four gentlemen of Australian Eventing are closely followed by two super-women of the sport, Christine Bates with her much fancied Stirling Sprite gelding, Adelaide Hill with 48.20, and Sonja Johnson with Nikki Harwood’s super little Thoroughbred, Parkiarrup Illicit Liaison by Made Of Gold, in sixth on 49.50.

Home for the holidays, Christopher Burton made the most of his catch ride aboard Stephanie Pearce’s Thoroughbred, TS Jamaimo, and is now handily placed in seventh on a score of 49.70. Will Enzinger, the horse’s usual rider, was certainly pleased with the test, which he watched on FEI TV from his hospital bed. The four-star Cross Country is quite a demanding ask for the new pairing, but with Burton’s experience and Jamaimo’s forward thinking and Thoroughbred bravery, the outcome could be the surprise result of the event.

Sonja Johnson, first out in the CCI****, holds eighth place on 50.20 with the Bell family’s Australian Stock Horse, Belfast Mojito by Blackwood Mikado. She is closely followed by Katja Weimann aboard her home-bred and produced Melbourne CCI*** winner, BP Flamboyant by Triathlete with 50.30.

New Zealander Donna Smith completes the top 10 with her Taupo CCI *** winner, Balmoral Tangolooma, a thoroughbred by Align on 51.50.

Not surprisingly Rose was delighted with his day’s work. “They’re both very good horses and I’m happy with the way they performed,” he says. Talking about the 6,375m course, he comments: “It’s a busy course and there is a lot to do. Taurus will be comfortable with the cross country questions; all I need to do is a good job. I am hoping CP Qualified will cope with the challenges and I will probably nurse him around the course a little more than Taurus and if I’m in the same position this time tomorrow, I’ll be ecstatic.”

“It is a good course and tough enough,” explains Stuart Tinney. “It’s really jumpable and there are not too many surprises. The good riders will make it look easy, but time is always tight here.”

Full results are available here.

YouTube: http://youtu.be/4b2x_8R9Lds.

FEI TV: The cross country will be broadcast live and delayed live on FEI TV http://www.feitv.org/live.

Prize money

At the end of the FEI Classics 2013/2014 season, the five riders with the highest number of points collected across the six FEI Classics events will share a total prize fund of US$120,000 split as follows: 1st – US$40,000 (Series Champion); 2nd – US$35,000; 3rd – US$25,000; 4th – US$15,000; 5th – US$5,000.

HSBC Rankings

The rider at the top of the HSBC Rankings at the end of the 2013 Eventing season will receive a US $50,000 bonus. The winning rider will be announced in December 2013.

Join the FEI on Facebook & Twitter

Our signature twitter hashtags for this series are #Classics and #Eventing. We encourage you to use them, and if you have space: #FEI Classics #Eventing.

By Anna Sharpley

Media contacts:

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

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

Competitions, Eventing/H.T., FEI

Dramatic Countdown to Adelaide

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Craig Barrett (AUS) and Sandhills Brillaire, winners of the Australian International 3-Day Event in Adelaide in November 2012 (Jenny Barnes/FEI).

Lausanne (SUI), 12 November 2013 – The countdown to this weekend’s Australian International 3-Day Event in Adelaide, the second of the FEI Classics 2013/2014 series, has been nothing short of dramatic. Atlanta Olympic gold medallist Wendy Schaeffer (AUS) returned to Adelaide to try for a third victory, but broke her leg in two places in a training fall and will not be on the start list.

Schaeffer is no stranger to injury, as she won her Atlanta Olympic gold medal just nine weeks after breaking her leg, but there will be no such Lazarus moment in time for Adelaide 2013. A pragmatic Schaeffer, who now lives in Britain with her husband, Nigel Macdonald, commented in a recent interview: “It’s all part of the lifestyle; you have to take the good with the bad.”

Another Australian international rider, Christopher Burton, has actually benefitted from a similar mishap. Now based in the UK, Burton was intending to be a guest and enjoy the Adelaide four-star festivities on foot, but the opportunity for a last-minute catch ride sees him taking over the ride on TS Jamaimo from the injured Will Enzinger, who broke his leg falling from a novice horse last week. Stephanie Pearce’s Thoroughbred gelding, by Urgent Request, will be making his four-star debut at Adelaide. Enzinger was third at the Goulburn CIC *** in October aboard Jamaimo and was looking forward to riding the horse at Adelaide. The owner was keen to have the horse start and Enzinger, in hospital awaiting surgery, organised for Burton to ride the horse. Burton is no stranger to Thoroughbreds and won the Adelaide CCI**** in 2010 riding Newsprint.

However, the most dramatic incident was Course Designer Wayne Copping being rushed to hospital after suffering a heart attack a week before the event. Wayne has undergone heart bypass surgery and fully intends to be at the event in the centre of Adelaide. “I’m sure Wayne will make it, even if he has to be driven around in a golf cart,” Event Director Gill Rolton says.

“We have been very fortunate, because Mike Etherington-Smith flew in to Adelaide on Wednesday to essentially walk the course with Wayne and me as part of his role working with Australian High Performance. Mike stayed over until Friday night and helped the course-builders with the last minute fine-tuning that Wayne would normally do. Mike was able to take up the reins a bit and help out and will be back at the event as Course Director for the FEI Seminar.

“We have had good rain all season,” continues Gill, “and they are doing a lot with irrigation and will be aerating the course and dumping more water on it on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, so we should have super footing. For the first time this year the course goes in to the south part of Victoria Park which means on the first part of the course the horses are able to get into a good rhythm and gallop before the more intricate tests in Rymill Park. Considering that many of our elite riders are now based overseas we have a good four-star field including two Kiwis, Donna Smith and Monica Oakley.”

Twenty-six horses have been listed for the FEI Classics CCI**** – a substantial improvement on the 14 starters in 2012. Australian spectators are at the mercy of international competition with Olympic Games and FEI World Equestrian Games selection depleting the fields at home. There is also the opposite effect during selection years and many in the CCI**** field have selection for the Alltech World Equestrian Games foremost in their minds.

Sydney Olympic team gold medallist Stuart Tinney has two entered. He will be hoping for third time lucky with the Daley K gelding, Pluto Mio, and also brings the four-star debutante Sydney. Craig Barrett is looking to make it back-to-back four-star wins with the home-bred Staccato mare Sandhills Brillaire that he rides for the Osbornes.

Sonja Johnson is over from Western Australia and keen to impress the selectors, especially with her former racehorse, Parkiarrup Illicit Liaison, that was a little unlucky not to be selected on the team for London last year. Johnson also has another Australian Stock Horse, Belfast Mojito, in the four-star. Although promising, only time will tell whether he matches up to her Beijing Team Silver mount, Ringwould Jaguar. But there is no doubt that Johnson is in it to win it.

Shane Rose is back at Adelaide with Jonnie Walker’s Warmblood/Thoroughbred cross, Taurus, that was selected for the London 2012 Olympic Games only to go lame about five days out. No doubt Rose is hoping that fate will deal him a kinder hand in his pursuit to make the Normandy team with a winning performance at Adelaide. He also has the four-star debutante, CP Qualified, a Warmblood by Quite Capitol that was imported by Jumping international George Sanna. Natalie Blundell was also in contention for London 2012 with Julia McLean’s Algebra, another former racehorse that has shown good form, with top-four finishes in the HSBC FEI Classics at Adelaide for the past two years.

There is a lot of interest in Christine Bates having another crack at Adelaide with her own Adelaide Hill. A run out in 2011 kept them out of the money, but professional rider and trainer Bates, despite a badly broken finger, is determined to add her name to the Adelaide four-star winners list. Melbourne 2013 CCI*** winner, Katja Weimann is keen to step her home-bred, BP Flamboyant, up to four-star level and will be one of the interesting debutantes to watch this year. Other first timers include team selector turned to possible team selectee, Seumas Marwood, with his highly regarded Contango II mare, Wild Oats.

Sadly for Megan Jones and for the event promoters, she has withdrawn her Thoroughbred, Kirby Park Allofasudden, that was momentarily on the team for London 2012 until lameness sidelined him as well. The 2008 Olympic team silver medallist is not 100 percent happy with the horse and the popular rider will be a pedestrian this year.

Although Adelaide has lost both its “golden girls” from the start list, they will be on hand to promote the event and the sport. Despite the drama in the build-up, Adelaide’s unique city location, its festive atmosphere and great weather has made it the pre-Christmas outing of choice for the broader equestrian community for the past 13 years.

“We have expanded the programme this year,” explains Gill Rolton, “to embrace more of the city people coming to the event, with the Twilight Polo on Friday evening a sellout. The grandstand is sold out, the VIP area is packed to the rafters and the trade village is bigger than it has ever been.” It’s clearly going to be a great weekend of sport!”

Prize money

At the end of the FEI Classics 2013/2014 season, the five riders with the highest number of points collected across the six FEI Classics events will share a total prize fund of US$120,000 split as follows: 1st – US$40,000 (Series Champion); 2nd – US$35,000; 3rd – US$25,000; 4th – US$15,000; 5th – US$5,000.

HSBC Rankings

The rider at the top of the HSBC Rankings at the end of the 2013 Eventing season will receive a US $50,000 bonus. The winning rider will be announced in December 2013.

Join the FEI on Facebook & Twitter

Our signature twitter hashtags for this series are #Classics and #Eventing. We encourage you to use them, and if you have space: #FEI Classics #Eventing.

By Anna Sharpley

Media contacts:

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

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

*Featured/Spotlights, Eventing/H.T., FEI, Show Jumping

Third Time Lucky for Fox-Pitt in Tense Finale at Pau

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William Fox-Pitt and Seacookie TSF, winners at Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA) to give the British rider an early lead on the FEI Classics 2013/2014 leaderboard. (Photo: Trevor Holt/FEI).

Lausanne (SUI), 27 October 2013 – William Fox-Pitt had three shots to clinch Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA), first event of the FEI Classics 2013/2014 season but, in a nail-biting finale, it took the Briton until his third and last ride, Seacookie TSF, to secure the top prize.

After an outstanding day’s Cross Country yesterday, Fox-Pitt was in the rarefied position of holding the top three places. However, his triple winning chance began to shrink alarmingly when Neuf des Coeurs, third at that stage and jumping out of order, hit five rails and plummeted to eventual 15th place.

To add to the tension, his next ride, Cool Mountain, lying second, dropped a rail, and therefore a place, to third.

Then Phillip Dutton (USA) and Mr Medicott, who had been lying fourth behind the Fox-Pitt trio, provided breathing space by hitting a rail. This gave Fox-Pitt a fence in hand to win on his Cross Country leader, Seacookie TSF, and only using up that margin, he finally clinched victory.

“It’s always nerve-racking coming into the showjumping when you’re in the lead, but having a fence in hand helps,” said a relieved and thrilled Fox-Pitt, who was clocking up the 12th CCI4* win of his outstanding career and his second victory at Pau within two years.

“Seacookie jumped clear when he won Blenheim CCI3* last year and when he was second at Kentucky in April. When he had a rail down this time, things did get a bit tense again, but he went on jumping well and it was my lucky day, I guess.”

The sensation of the day was France’s Maxime Livio, a CCI4* debutant, who used all his experience riding in international Jumping competitions to conjure a clear round from the 12-year-old Anglo Arab Cathar de Gamel. This moved them up to second place and a career best.

“My idea is to go into a competition feeling I can do it or there’s not much point being there, but to be second is fantastic,” said Livio. “My dressage wasn’t 100%; you can always make it better. Across country, my horse was quite tired at a few points and I had to calm down, so I hope to see those few seconds [over the optimum time] disappear in the future.”

Andrew Nicholson (NZL) moved up a place on Mr Cruise Control to fifth, and France’s European bronze medallist Donatien Schauly rose two places to sixth on Pivoine des Touches.

The major beneficiaries in what proved an influential Jumping phase on Pau’s smart new arena surface were Cedric Lyard (FRA), who rose from 13th after Cross Country on Cadeau du Roi to seventh place, and Ireland’s Joseph Murphy on Electric Cruise who came up from 15th to eighth.

William Fox-Pitt, the hero of the weekend, despite suffering back pain throughout, pronounced himself “delighted” with his horses. “First and third is terrific,” he said. “They are all great horses and have done me very well over the years. They’ve been loyal and fantastic to ride and I’m very lucky to have ridden them.

“I’ve had this wretched back problem all weekend and really didn’t think I’d be able to ride, but my physio has done a brilliant job. This weekend has exceeded all my expectations.”

A three-time winner of the HSBC FEI Classics, Fox-Pitt has given himself an early lead in the rankings, and a well-earned winter holiday. No doubt competitors at the forthcoming Adelaide International 3-Day Event (AUS) next month will be relieved to hear that Pau wraps up the Fox-Pitt season!

About the winner

William Fox-Pitt has won 51 CCIs, including 12 CCI4*s: Badminton (2004), Burghley a record six times (1994, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2011), Luhmühlen (2008), Kentucky twice (2010 and 2012) and now Pau twice (2011 and 2013). He is the only rider to have won five out of the world’s six CCI4*s.

He has also represented Britain 17 times in championships, winning Olympic silver (2004 and 2012) and bronze (2008), world team gold and individual silver on Cool Mountain (2010), plus team silver in 2006 and team bronze in 2002. He has six European team gold medals, team bronze, two individual silvers (1997 and 2005), and individual bronze this year on Chilli Morning. Fox-Pitt, 43, is married to Alice, a television racing commentator. They live in Sturminster Newton, Dorset, and have two young sons, Oliver and Thomas.

Seacookie TSF, a 14-year-old gelding by Helikon, owned by Catherine Witt, was produced to three-star level by German Olympic rider Ingrid Klimke. Fox-Pitt took over the ride in 2008.

Full results on www.event-pau.fr.

Prize money

At the end of the FEI Classics 2013/2014 season, the five riders with the highest number of points collected across the six FEI Classics events will share a total prize fund of US$120,000 split as follows: 1st – US$40,000 (Series Champion); 2nd – US$35,000; 3rd – US$25,000; 4th – US$15,000; 5th – US$5,000.

HSBC Rankings

The rider at the top of the HSBC Rankings at the end of the 2013 Eventing season will receive a US $50,000 bonus. The winning rider will be announced in December 2013.

Join the FEI on Facebook & Twitter

Our signature twitter hashtags for this series are #Classics and #Eventing. We encourage you to use them, and if you have space: #FEI Classics #Eventing.

By Kate Green

Media Contacts:

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

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

*Featured/Spotlights, Eventing/H.T., FEI

Brilliant Fox-Pitt Holds Top Three Places at Pau

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William Fox-Pitt (GBR), who holds the top three places at Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA), on Cross Country leader Seacookie TSF.  (Photo: Trevor Holt/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 26 October 2013 – William Fox-Pitt was simply outstanding on the Cross Country at Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA), first competition of the FEI Classics 2013/2014 season, and in an incredible result, is now holding first, second and third places.

All three of Fox-Pitt’s horses, the leader Seacookie, Cool Mountain (second) and Neuf des Coeurs (third), went brilliantly and finished inside the optimum time of 11 minutes 48 seconds. A large crowd, enjoying the bright sunshine, showed their appreciation as they loudly cheered him home on Cool Mountain, the last of the 76 Cross Country starters.

“They were foot perfect,” said an understandably elated Fox-Pitt, naming the athletic, French-bred Neuf des Coeurs as the best galloper of the trio. “They’re all horses I know well and they’re all good jumpers.”

However, although he has three chances for a second Pau victory tomorrow, Fox-Pitt does not have a Jumping fence in hand over the competitive American rider, Phillip Dutton on new mount Mr Medicott, who is breathing down his neck in fourth place.

“It’s pretty neat to have the ride on him,” said Dutton, who recently took over Greman Frank Ostholt’s 2008 Olympic gold medallist from compatriot Karen O’Connor. “The idea of coming here was to get used to Pierre Michelet’s courses and walk his lines (before next year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Caen).”

The home side’s star of the show was 26-year-old Maxime Livio (FRA), a newcomer at this level, who also competes in Jumping. He put in a great performance on Cathar de Gamel, winner of the Sandillon (FRA) and Haras du Pin (FRA) CIC3*s this year, and is in fifth place.

“We’ve had a really nice season, so perhaps it’s not such a surprise to do so well here,” said Livio. “But I was quite surprised that my horse could go so fast over a course that’s nearly 12 minutes and I’m feeling pretty impressed to be sitting here in a press conference with these two superstars [Fox-Pitt and Dutton].”

Last year’s winner Andrew Nicholson (NZL) had mixed fortunes. He is in sixth place after a smooth performance on Mr Cruise Control, but he had a run-out with Quimbo, equal fourth after Dressage, at fence 20 and he retired his first ride, CCI4* newcomer Viscount George.

Britain’s Sarah Bullimore rode two great clear rounds inside the time to rise eight places to seventh on Valentino V, and 34 places to 15th on My Last One. Donatien Schauly (FRA) made it look easy on Pivoine des Touches to climb 11 places to eighth, and Clark Montgomery (USA) on Universe and Rodolphe Scherer (Makara de Montiege, FRA) rose 22 places apiece to ninth and 10th.

Dressage leaders Lucinda Fredericks (AUS) and Flying Finish were quick across the country but are out of contention after a frustrating run-out right at the end of the course at the influential complex at 25. Some riders who were up on the clock, including Fox-Pitt, had the luxury of taking the long route here.

Lucy Wiegersma (GBR), sixth after Dressage on Simon Porloe, retired after a refusal at the duck-shaped fence in the first water complex, and Frank Ostholt (GER) and Little Paint, lying eighth, were pulled up near the end of the course.

There were 35 clear rounds, nine of them inside the optimum time, and 53 completions, but Pierre Michelet’s accuracy questions certainly had riders thinking and made for a thrilling day’s sport.

William Fox-Pitt commented that he was surprised by the amount of problems at the first water complex. “Horses didn’t seem to read it that well. There were all sorts of ways you could approach it and it was interesting to watch.

“By contrast, it was amazing how well horses coped with the last water. You don’t meet many fences with five elements, under trees and involving water, but it just shows how good our horses are now.”

Watch tomorrow’s Jumping action live on FEI TV www.feitv.org and keep up to date with the scores throughout on www.event-pau.fr.

Prize money

At the end of the FEI Classics 2013/2014 season, the five riders with the highest number of points collected across the six FEI Classics events will share a total prize fund of US$120,000 split as follows: 1st – US$40,000 (Series Champion); 2nd – US$35,000; 3rd – US$25,000; 4th – US$15,000; 5th – US$5,000.

HSBC Rankings

The rider at the top of the HSBC Rankings at the end of the 2013 Eventing season will receive a US $50,000 bonus. The winning rider will be announced in December 2013.

Join the FEI on Facebook & Twitter

Our signature twitter hashtags for this series are #Classics and #Eventing. We encourage you to use them, and if you have space: #FEI Classics #Eventing.

By Kate Green

Media Contacts:

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

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., FEI

Fredericks Makes It a Flying Start at Pau

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Lucinda Fredericks and Flying Finish go to the top of the class in the Dressage phase at Les Etoiles de Pau. (Photo: Trevor Holt/FEI).

Lausanne (SUI), 25 October 2013 – The first competition of the FEI Classics 2013/2014 season has been billed as a “battle of the giants” between Andrew Nicholson (NZL) and William Fox-Pitt (GBR), ranked first and second in the HSBC Rider Rankings, but Australia’s Lucinda Fredericks has swept ahead of the pair of them after the Dressage phase at Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA).

Fredericks, always a graceful and accomplished performer in this phase, was the only rider to break the 40-penalty barrier with a score of 39.2 on Flying Finish. However, the next six horses, three of them ridden by Fox-Pitt, are within five penalties of the leading score.

Flying Finish, a 13-year-old gelding by Candillo, is Fredericks’ top horse; they were second at Luhmühlen (GER) and members of the Australian Olympic team in 2012. This year, after a slow start to the season, due to Fredericks breaking a collarbone in March, they were 10th at Luhmühlen, but both horse and rider will have honed their fitness since then and are sure to be making a determined assault on Pierre Michelet’s Cross Country course tomorrow.

“Pierre is certainly testing us,” commented Fredericks, who is competing at Pau for the first time since 2002. “I’ve never ridden in the four-star here but the advantage of going later is that I’ll be able to watch. The downside is that I’ll have more time to get nervous.

“I think the first and last sections of the course will be a lot slower than the middle part [on the racecourse] and as my horse isn’t a thoroughbred, I can’t switch on the turbo, so I need to make a plan.”

Fredericks said the Dressage was “the easy bit. I enjoy it and I’m lucky because my horse has a good brain. So often as a horse gets more experienced they can blow up in the atmosphere, but he settles. I was a bit weak in my halts. I don’t know if it’s because I had practised them too much or not enough, but to do three bad halts and still be leading isn’t bad!”

Fox-Pitt, a three-time winner of the HSBC FEI Classics (in 2008, 2010 and 2012) and a winner at Pau in 2011 on Oslo, performed the remarkable feat of achieving three Dressage marks less than two penalties apart to lie second, third and equal fourth.

He is second on Seacookie TSF, runner-up at Kentucky (USA) in April, third on the 2010 World individual silver medalist Cool Mountain, and equal fourth on Neuf des Coeurs, third at Luhmühlen in June but retired early on the Cross Country at Burghley (GBR) last month.

Fox-Pitt was among many riders to welcome the new arena surface at Pau. “The horses seemed to go very nicely on it and now there’s a level playing field,” he said.

Of his three rides, he was particularly pleased with Cool Mountain, back in major competition for the first time since a member of Britain’s bronze medal team at the 2011 HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships in Luhmühlen.

Last year’s Pau winner Andrew Nicholson, the 2012/13 HSBC FEI Classics series champion, is also three-handed at Pau and is in close contention. He is in equal fourth with Fox-Pitt on his Kentucky winner, the black Spanish-bred Quimbo, and 10th on his Luhmuhlen winner, the big Irish-bred grey Mr Cruise Control. Viscount George, competing in his first CCI4*, is in 29th place on 51 penalties.

Nicholson has competed at Pau every year since the event started in 1990. “I love coming here,” he said. “It’s a very different competition to what we have in the UK; the site is much flatter and more compact, but the organisers do a great job here and it’s good to ride at different types of event.”

Lucy Wiegersma (GBR) is a regular visitor to Pau and returns with her top horse, Simon Porloe, seventh in 2011. They are currently in sixth place on 43.8, fractionally ahead of Phillip Dutton (USA) on his new ride Mr Medicott. The horse’s former rider, Frank Ostholt (GER), who won an Olympic team gold medal on him in 2008, is eighth on his 2011 European individual bronze medalist, Little Paint. Maxime Livio (Cathar de Gamel) is best of the home side in ninth place.

Two more former Pau CCI4* winners are in the field: the 2010 winner, Andreas Dibowski (GER, is 11th on FRH Fantasia and 35th on FRH Butts Leon; his compatriot Bettina Hoy (the winner in 2008) is much further down the order than usual at this stage, in equal 60th on Designer and 68th on Lanfranco TSF, but she will no doubt be relieved that she managed to contain Lanfranco’s notorious rebelliousness in this phase.

Fox-Pitt and Neuf des Coeurs will be first out on the Cross Country course tomorrow at 12.15pm CET. Watch all the Cross Country and Jumping action live on FEI TV www.feitv.org and keep up to date with the scores throughout on www.event-pau.fr.

Prize money

At the end of the FEI Classics 2013/2014 season, the five riders with the highest number of points collected across the six FEI Classics events will share a total prize fund of US$120,000 split as follows: 1st – US$40,000 (Series Champion); 2nd – US$35,000; 3rd – US$25,000; 4th – US$15,000; 5th – US$5,000.

HSBC Rankings

The rider at the top of the HSBC Rankings at the end of the 2013 Eventing season will receive a US $50,000 bonus. The winning rider will be announced in December 2013.

Join the FEI on Facebook & Twitter

Our signature twitter hashtags for this series are #Classics and #Eventing. We encourage you to use them, and if you have space: #FEI Classics #Eventing.

By Kate Green

Media Contacts:

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

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., FEI

Burnett Is Tied for Fifth and Montgomery Lies 13th after Day One at Les Étoiles de Pau CCI4*

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Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot (Libby Law Photography)

Pau, France – The first day of dressage began at Les Étoiles de Pau CCI4* with the first two combinations of the U.S. contingency performing their tests. With 40 competitors performing their dressage tests on Thursday in front of the judging panel of Angela Tucker (GBR), Christina Klingspor (SWE), and Alain James (FRA), Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot are currently tied in fifth place while Clark Montgomery and Universe are in 13th place.

USEF Land Rover Competition grant-recipient Burnett (The Plains, Va.) and Jacqueline Mars’ Harbour Pilot had a lovely, relaxed test earning an impressive score of 45.7. Their test displayed quality trot and walk work with an excellent canter tour, only marred by a final halt that was a bit early on the centerline. The pair is contesting their first CCI4* as a partnership and they are only 4.2 points behind current leaders William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain and Sea Cookie TSF, who scored a 41.5. Burnett and the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding are in a three-way tie for fifth place with Ludwig Svennerstal of Sweden and Shamwari 4 and Andreas Dibowski of Germany and FRH Fantasia.

“I’m real happy with my ride today,” said Burnett. “He was really rideable. In hindsight I could have pushed for a little more but I’m really happy with him and looking forward to Saturday. I also want to say thanks to William’s owner, Jacqueline Mars, who is cheering at home from Virginia, and my sponsors.”

Montgomery (Wiltshire, UK) and Universe were the first U.S. pair to come down the centerline Thursday afternoon. The 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Jessica Montgomery, Carole Montgomery, Janet Higgins, and Elizabeth Smith showed a bit of tension throughout the test, but Montgomery rode him well to earn a score of 52.0 to lie in 13th place. They also received a USEF Land Rover Competition grant and are contesting their second CCI4* of the year after finishing 27th at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials.

Competition continues Friday with the second day of dressage for the remaining 35 competitors at Les Étoiles de Pau CCI4*, which serves as the first leg of the 2013/2014 FEI Classics. Lynn Symansky and Donner will kick things off for the U.S. at 9:46am local time. Michael Pollard and Mensa G will go at 10:26am, followed by Krisit Nunnink and R-Star at 11:14am. Phillip Dutton and Mr. Medicott will be the last to go in the morning session at 12:38pm, with Marilyn Little and RF Demeter being the sole U.S. pair in the afternoon session at 2:16pm.

By Kathleen Landwehr

To learn more about the Les Étoiles de Pau CCI4*, visit www.event-pau.fr/en/homepage/.

For start times and results, click here.

Follow the 2013 Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team here.

Eventing/H.T., FEI, USEF

US Sends Seven Combinations to Les Étoiles de Pau CCI4*

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Michael Pollard and Mensa G (Libby Law Photography)

Pau, France – Seven talented U.S. horse-and-rider combinations are ready to compete in Les Étoiles de Pau CCI4*. Taking place October 23-27 in Pau, France, an elite field of 75 is ready to take on the challenging CCI4*. With all horses passing the first horse inspection, 11 nations will be represented on the first leg of the 2013/2014 FEI Classics.

Competition grants have made it possible for the sizable U.S. contingency to attend the prestigious CCI4*. USEF Land Rover Competition grants have enabled Hannah Sue Burnett, Phillip Dutton, Marilyn Little, Clark Montgomery, Kristi Nunnink, and Michael Pollard to experience the highest level of competition abroad. Lynn Symansky was aided by the Jacqueline B. Mars Competition and Training Grant to compete in Europe for the first time.

Montgomery (Wiltshire, UK) and Universe will contest their second CCI4* of the year after finishing 27th at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in the horse’s first attempt at the CCI4* level. With the 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Jessica Montgomery, Carole Montgomery, Janet Higgins, and Elizabeth Smith, Montgomery finished seventh at the Belton CIC3* and gained valuable experience representing the U.S. at the Aachen CICO3*.

Burnett (The Plains, Va.) and Jacqueline Mars’ Harbour Pilot will compete in their first CCI4* as a partnership at Pau. The pair already have experienced international competition representing the U.S. at the Saumur CCI3* earlier this year, as well as at the 2011 Pan American Games where they earned Team Gold and Individual Silver medals. Burnett and the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding finished third at the Jersey Fresh CIC3* in the spring and are coming off a third-place finish in an Advanced division at the Plantation Field Horse Trials.

Symansky (Middleburg, Va.) brings her own Donner to the pair’s first CCI4* abroad. She and the 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding have been on the rise this year, winning The Fork CIC3* and placing fifth in the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover, thus garnering Reserve Champion honors in the Rolex/USEF National CCI4* Eventing Championship. The pair finished 10th at the Richland Park CIC3* and had a solid prep run at the Plantation Field CIC3*.

Pollard (Dalton, Ga.) and Mensa G have had solid performances leading up to Pau and hope to continue their success in their first CCI4* as a partnership. Pollard and Carl Bouckaert’s 15-year-old Thoroughbred gelding earned second-place honors at the Richland Park CIC3* in August and recently finished fifth in the USEF National Open Horse Trial Championship held in conjunction with the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships presented by VTO Saddlery (AEC).

Nunnink (Auburn, Calif.) and her own R-Star will tackle Les Étoiles de Pau CCI4* for the first time, hoping to end their already successful season on a high note. She and the 12-year-old Holsteiner mare finished eighth at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover in April, then won the CIC3* at The Event at Rebecca Farm. The pair comes to Pau with Reserve Champion honors to its name, after finishing second in the USEF National Open Horse Trial Championship held in conjunction with the AEC.

Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) brings the Mr. Medicott Syndicate’s Mr. Medicott to contest their first CCI4* as a partnership. Both are Olympic Games and FEI World Equestrian Games veterans and have been getting to know one another since June. Dutton and the 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding had solid performances in an Advanced division at Millbrook Horse Trials and at the Richland Park CIC3* this summer. They are coming off a fifth-place finish at the Plantation Field CIC3* and plan to maintain their strong form.

Little (Frederick, Md.) and RF Demeter have been claiming top results across Europe since June. At the Luhmühlen CCI4*, Little and the 11-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Raylyn Farms and Team Demeter finished seventh. The pair then finished fifth at the Blair Castle CIC3* and earned second-place honors at both the Breda CIC3* and the Schenefeld CIC3*. Little and RF Demeter seem to be at their peak performance and hope to make a showing at Pau.

Competition gets underway Thursday with the first day of dressage as Montgomery and Universe come down centerline at 3:20pm local time, followed by Burnett and Harbour Pilot at 4:08pm. The rest of the U.S. contingency will perform their dressage tests on Friday, beginning with Symansky and Donner at 9:46am local time. Pollard and Mensa G will go at 10:26am followed by Nunnink and R-Star at 11:14am. Dutton and Mr. Medicott will be the last to go in the morning session at 12:38pm, with Little and RF Demeter being the sole U.S. pair in the afternoon session at 2:16pm.

By Kathleen Landwehr

To learn more about the Les Étoiles de Pau CCI4*, visit www.event-pau.fr/en/homepage/.

For start times and results, click here.

Follow the 2013 Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team here.

Eventing/H.T., FEI, FEI

Outstanding Field Heads for Pau as New Season Kicks Off

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Andrew Nicholson, HSBC Rankings leader, is pictured here with Avebury at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials 2013. (Photo: Fiona Scott-Maxwell/FEI).

Lausanne (SUI), 23 October 2013 – An exceptionally strong field is heading for Les Etoiles de Pau CCI4* in the French Pyrenees this weekend (24-27 October) for the first leg of the 2013/2014 FEI Classics. Twelve nations are fielding riders, many of them world leaders, and over 80 horses have been entered.

The FEI Classics series has captured riders’ imagination ever since it began in 2008 with generous funding from HSBC, whose contract ends in December this year.

“The FEI Classics is one of Eventing’s great success stories and has become more and more exciting as riders plan their seasons carefully so that they can travel to more events,” explains Catrin Norinder, FEI Director Eventing.

“We have had a fantastic six years with HSBC, and while we are actively looking for another title sponsor, the FEI plans to maintain this popular series, with a US $120,000 prize fund. Everyone is very much looking forward to another season which will kick off in great style with a fantastic entry for Pau.”

Andrew Nicholson (NZL), who last month became the first non-British winner of the HSBC FEI Classics in spectacular style with four CCI4* wins, is heading to Pau with three horses. The current HSBC Rankings leader rides Viscount George plus two of those CCI4* winners: Kentucky winner Quimbo and Luhmühlen victor Mr Cruise Control, a seasoned Pau campaigner.

William Fox-Pitt (GBR), a three-time winner of the HSBC FEI Classics and the 2011 Pau winner, also has three experienced horses: world silver medalist Cool Mountain, Seacookie TSF and Neuf Des Coeurs, fourth at Luhmühlen this year.

Other leading riders include Christopher Burton on Tempranillo and Lucinda Fredericks with her Olympic horse Flying Finish for Australia; European team gold medalist Andreas Dibowski (GER) with FRH Butts Leon and FRH Fantasia, and European team silver medalist Ludwig Svennerstal (SWE) with Shamwari 4.

A strong American contingent includes Marilyn Little on RF Demeter and Phillip Dutton with Mr Medicott, and the home side is well represented by European team bronze medalists Arnaud Boiteau (FRA) on Quoriano ENE HN and Donatien Schauly (Pivoine des Touches).

British team member Lucy Wiegersma will be hoping for better luck with Simon Porloe after their unlucky fall at the HSBC FEI European Championships in Malmö (SWE), and Bettina Hoy (GER) will be pleased to get the Dressage phase over with Lanfranco TSF, as the talented but enigmatic gelding played up dramatically at both Luhmühlen and Burghley this year. Hoy also rides the exciting prospect Designer 10.

The following nations are represented: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Sweden and the USA.

The action gets underway with the first horse into the Dressage arena at 8.30am on Thursday. Watch all the Cross Country and Jumping action live on FEI TV over the weekend at www.feitv.org and keep up to date with the scores throughout on www.event-pau.fr.

Prize money

At the end of the FEI Classics 2013/2014 season, the five riders with the highest number of points collected across the six FEI Classics events will share a total prize fund of US$120,000 split as follows: 1st – US$40,000 (Series Champion); 2nd – US$35,000; 3rd – US$25,000; 4th – US$15,000; 5th – US$5,000.

HSBC Rankings

The rider at the top of the HSBC Rankings at the end of the 2013 Eventing season will receive a US $50,000 bonus. The winning rider will be announced in December 2013.

Join the FEI on Facebook & Twitter

Our signature twitter hashtags for this series are #Classics and #Eventing. We encourage you to use them, and if you have space: #FEI Classics #Eventing.

By Kate Green

Media Contacts:

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

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45