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Federation
Equestre Internationale News
15 July 2004
|
-
Samsung Super League 5th leg in Aachen
- FEI World Challenge Final
- Endurance Nations Cup in Newmarket
- Endurance Veterinary Seminar in Newmarket
- News from Athens: accreditation center now opened
- European Junior Eventing Championship in Pratoni de Vivaro
- European Pony Championship Preview
- World Breeding Championship for Young Horses preview
- European Dressage Championships for Young Riders and Juniors
in
Vilhemsborg
- Silver Camera Award
- Preview San Patrignano CSI
SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE
ALL SET FOR AACHEN .
The fifth leg of the Samsung Super League 2004 takes place in
Aachen, Germany this Friday and looks set to be a real thriller.
Aachen has long been one of the most prestigious shows in the
entire equestrian calendar and with reconstruction of the venue
underway ahead of the World Equestrian Games which will take place
there in September 2006 the facilities just keep improving.
Nations Cup jumping was first staged in Aachen in 1929 when a
team from Sweden reigned supreme and over the following years
the World Jumping Championships have been held there twice - in
1956 and 1986 - while it was also the venue for the European Jumping
Championships in 1958, 1965 and 1971.
Aachen was voted Worlds Best Outdoor Event by the international
show jumping riders in 1990, 1994 and 1996 and in 2001 had a record-breaking
attendance of 299,000 spectators. A big attendance is expected
this year too because so many of the participating nations are
using this leg of the Samsung Super League to take one more look
at their riders before making a final decision about teams for
the Athens Olympic Games.
As a result, the line-up is top-class and the result may well
give some indication of what we can expect to see happening in
Greece in six weeks time.
The Irish, struggling to stay off the bottom of the leaderboard
this time around, were victorious at Aachen in 2003 and two members
of that squad - Billy Twomey and Kevin Babington - are in action
again this year. Cian O'Connor, who scored a hat-trick of wins
in Falsterbo over the weekend while also helping Ireland to slot
into runner-up spot in the Nations Cup, lines out alongside Marion
Hughes, Jessica Kurten and Billy Twomey. The latter is expected
to make his very first Nations Cup appearance of 2004 with his
top ride Luidam.
Dirk Demeersman, Ludo Philippaerts and Jos Lansink were on the
Belgian team which placed second at Aachen in 2003 and these three
are this year joined by Philippe Lejeune and Marc van Djick. The
Belgians are looking strong, confident and focused and it took
a third-round jump-off between Ludo and French rider Eugenie Angot
to decide the result in Rotterdam last month.
Peter Wylde and Chris Kappler were on the 2003 American squad
and are joined this time by Beezie Madden, Alison Firestone and
McLain Ward.
The home side finished fourth 12 months ago when Ludger Beerbaum,
Marcus Ehning, Christian Ahlmann and Otto Becker flew the flag.
Ehning, Beerbaum and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum look set for Athens
already but Ahlmann, Otto Becker and Marco Kutscher are still
looking for a place and will be hoping to make the right impression
this week. A good Nations Cup performance from any rider on any
team could be very significant indeed.
The French should be very interesting to watch. Chef d'Equipe
Jean Maurice Bonneau fields a completely different team to the
one that finished fifth at Aachen last year and there appears
to be a wealth of talent in his selection which includes newly-crowned
FEI World Cup champion Bruno Broucqsault, Christian Hermon, Eric
Navet, Florian Angot and Eugenie Angot.
The Dutch had a disappointing time at their home leg of the series
last time out but are lying less than three points behind the
French who top the leaderboard at present. Gert-Jan Bruggink and
Wim Schroder were on the Dutch team that slotted into sixth at
Aachen in 2003 but, joined by Leopold Van Asten, Eric Van der
Vleuten and Gerco Schroder they will be hoping to do a great deal
better than that this week.
The Italians finished seventh a year ago and they really need
to get their act together if they want to remain in the Super
League again next year. They are sitting at the bottom of the
league table, just 0.5 points behind the Irish, and look set for
another nerve-wracking battle for survival but a convincing performance
from the squad of Roberto Arioldi, Piergiorgio Bucci, Luca Carini,
Bruno Chimirri and Emanuele Fiorelli could change all that.
Great Britain finished eighth ahead of Sweden in ninth spot at
last year's CHIO in Aachen and both Scott Smith and Robert Smith
who lined out then are back in harness again this time. Chef d'Equipe
Derek Ricketts has travelled with just a four-man squad so Nick
Skelton and John Whitaker complete the line-up.
Aachen is always a supremely important fixture on the international
show jumping calendar but with selections for Athens in the final
stages it has even greater significance this year. Individual
results will count for a great deal during the week but on Friday
afternoon Olympic ambitions will be realised or lost while the
teams struggling to stay alive in the 2004 Samsung Super League
series will be under even greater pressure than the rest.
For all information about Friday's leg of the Samsung Super League
2004 series in Aachen website www.chioaachen.de.
SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE 2004 LEADERBOARD
(AFTER ROUND 4 IN ROTTERDAM):
France - 25.3
The Netherlands - 22.5
Germany 18.8
Belgium 17.8
Great Britain - 17
USA - 12
Ireland - 8.5
Italy - 8
2003 FEI PSI WORLD CHALLENGE FINALS
20 JUNE TO 4 JULY, HAGEN (GER)
As every year since 2001, the idyllic Hof Kasselmann hosted the
FEI/PSI World Jumping and Dressage Challenge Finals during the
last week of June. >From the moment they arrived on 28 June,
the 50 riders qualified for this event enjoyed an active programme
combining both competition and entertainment.
The day after the arrival was dedicated to the selection of horses.
Who better than Ullrich Kasselmann and Paul Schockemöhle
could offer high quality horses to the 50 riders? Two days later,
the riders began the Qualification competitions with the assistance
of highly skilled trainers. The Children's Dressage Final organised
indoor took place on 3 July, while the adults fought for their
titles on 4 July. It was noted with great satisfaction that the
level of the Children had increased compared to last
year's. Well seated and riding forward, Brigette Learmonth (NZL),
Giuliana Gasparin-Lucchesi (BRA) and Chara Pouli (GRE) performed
well the test which had been reviewed for this occasion and found
totally satisfactory.
The Jumping and Dressage Challenge Finals for Adults with change
of horses were as always very exciting and well attended. In Jumping,
four riders battled for the three first places. Mauricio Garcia
Ballesteros (PUR) was unfortunately eliminated and saw his dream
for a medal vanish. In Dressage, the best three riders qualified
after the 2nd Qualifier fought with passion for the first place.
Finally, Andrea Harrison (RSA) proved to be the best and took
the lead ahead of Akoele Roachford (BAR) and Brigitte Davidow
(NAM).
Unfortunately, the weather was the spoilsport and the wind, rain
and cold gave everyone an autumn feeling. However, an impressive
crowd got over the bad climatic conditions and came to watch the
various competitions organised in the frame of the Internationales
Reiterfestival Hagen 2004 including, among others, a CSIOJY, a
CDIY, the German Championship of Professional Trainers as well
as the wonderful exhibition Horse and Dreams dedicated to the
lovers of country and lifestyle.
EUROPEAN YOUNG RIDER AND JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DRESSAGE
The European Young Rider and Junior Championship in Dressage will
be held from 21 to 25 July 2004 in Vilhelmsborg, near Aahrus (DEN).
Her Royal Highness Princess Benedikte will be present at the final
and present the medals to the winners.
More information and results at www.vilhelmsborg.dk
e
EUROPEAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP IN EVENTING
The European Junior Championship in Eventing will take place from
9 to 12 September 2004 in Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA).
The Press accreditation form for the Championship can be downloaded
from FEI website www.horsesport.org, section news - press service
NEWS FROM POLAND
FEI EUROPEAN PONY CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE HELD IN JASZKOWO (POL)
For the first time in the history of equestrian sports, Poland
will host the European Pony Championships. Antoni Chlapowski's
Centrum Hipiki in Jaszkowo, Poland and Europe's largest educational
centre for young riders, has been entrusted with organisation
of the 2004 Championships. The Championships will be held under
the auspices of the President of the Republic of Poland, Mr. Aleksander
Kwasniewski.
The event will be held from 28 July through 1 August and include
competitions in the three Olympic disciplines of Dressage, Jumping
and Eventing.
The event will feature young riders aged 12 through 16 and their
ponies. These horses, brave and agile despite their modest size,
often out-perform their big cousins in sports events.
The best young riders from all over Europe will take part in this
event and it is expected that soon these young people will exchange
their ponies for horses and begin to compete at international
competitions up to the Olympic level.
In 2004, Poland has joined the European Union. In this context,
hosting the European Pony Championship is not only considered
as a major sports event, but also a good opportunity for the country's
promotion. Various regions of Poland will present their tourist
assets and their cultural and artistic achievements on the occasion
of the championships.
Centrum Hipiki is getting ready to accommodate riders and their
ponies from 16 European countries, thousands of their friends
and supporters, official guests, and an audience from all over
Poland and Europe. We invite you to Centrum Hipiki in Jaszkowo
for the European Championships. The large and enthusiastic audience
is certain to create a wonderful atmosphere and to spur the participants
to compete with even greater enthusiasm and zeal in this beautiful
sport.
FEI WORLD BREEDING CHAMPIONSHIP DRESSAGE FOR YOUNG HORSES
Florencio and FBW French Kiss are proud sons of the Westphalian
stallion Florestan I
Two sons of the Westphalian stallion Florestan I won the titles
at the World Championships of Young Dressage Horses last Sunday
in Verden (GER).
Florencio out of a dam by Weltmeyer, an elegant bay stallion excelled
in the class of five-year-olds with a total score of 9.8, which
was never given before. "A horse to go down on your knees",
so Verden`s show manager Rainer Kiel, who expressed what everybody
was thinking. The horse is owned by Henk Nijhof (Geesteren) and
was ridden by the Dutch Hans Peter Minderhoud.
FBW French Kiss, the Champion of six-year-old dressage horses
also is a licensed son of Florestan I, his dam is by the dressage
star Donnerhall. Katrin Burger from the Baden-Württemberg
Schlossäcker presented her top stallion herself and beamed
after her triumph at Verden with a total score of 9.16: "He
won the National Championship and his stallion performance test,
and now this World Championship - this is just a dream."
While in the class of five-year-olds the first six places went
to horses from German breeds, the Dutch (KWPN) stallion Magic
Rodrigo attracted attention in the class of six-year-old dressage
horses. With a total score of 8.7 he reached second place with
his rider Edward Gal. On the whole participants from 19 nations
competed at the Lower-Saxonian Verden, however, more than half
the horses were German bred.
All results on www.verden-turnier.de
ENDURANCE NATIONS CUP IN NEWMARKET
On 27 June 2004 the second Endurance Nations Cup Competition for
Europe, was organised, taking place at Newmarket, England.
Teams from Bahrain, France, Great Britain and The United Arab
Emirates took part as did individual riders from Australia, Italy,
Jordan and Qatar.
Newmarket, the Home of Horse racing, situated about 100km to the
North of London and close to the University Town of Cambridge,
has a three hundred year tradition of hosting some of the world's
most competitive thoroughbred horse racing including the Classic
1000 and 2000 Guineas.
The Newmarket Racecourses were the sponsors and, just like for
the Classic Races, the finishing line was on the Rowley Mile Racecourse.
With near perfect weather conditions, the leading horses crossed
the line just before 6.0 pm in the evening, H.E. Sh. Hamdan bin
Mohd Al Maktoum (UAE) riding Falen De La Drome was the individual
winner, France taking team first place.
In a unique situation, seven members of Royal families from three
countries competed against each other in this competition watched
throughout by near record crowds for a competition of this type.
ENDURANCE VETERINARY SEMINAR
On 25 and 26 June 2004 some eighty Veterinarians and Official
Delegates from twenty five countries on six continents attended
a Seminar at Newmarket, England.
Over 16 speakers gave presentations on a wide range of related
subjects and many of the seminar attendees also visited the site
of the Endurance Nations Cup which was held over the two days
(see separate news item) immediately following the seminar and
course programme.
The main objectives of the seminar were:
- To provide high quality continued professional education to
stimulate interest from a broad base of practicing equine veterinarians
for Endurance and other "stamina" related equestrian
disciplines.
- To provide the opportunity for experienced national and international
Endurance Event veterinarians to interact with members of the
research community to help define areas of clinical concern in
order prioritise projects that require urgent investigation to
benefit equine welfare as supported by the FEI Bureau and for
which it has reserved funding.
- To provide an opportunity for veterinarians nominated by their
NFs to complete the required FEI Event Veterinarian Course.
- To define the necessary qualifications required for the classification
of Endurance Event & Treatment veterinarians as presented
at the recent Bureau meeting (see FEI Bulletin 6/03).
Dr Frits Sluyter, Head of the FEI Veterinary Department and a
speaker at the seminar, commented, 'A significant step forward
in Endurance research and ultimately in the welfare of Endurance
horses'
SILVER CAMERA AWARD
The 2004 Silver Camera Award goes to Trevor Meeks (GBR)
Awarded during the "Media Night" in Aachen last Tuesday,
the Silver Camera Award Is a contest open to professional photographers
supported by the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV),
the FEI and the Sparkasse
The 2004 Trophy was earned by the British photographer Trevor
Meeks. His winning photo showed top female German rider, Helena
Weinberg, celebrating her victory while her horse, Little Gun,
is bucking with joy. The German photographer, Jacques Toffi, accepted
the "Silver Camera" on behalf of his English colleague
from Dr. Paul Spiegel, President of the Central Consistory of
Jews in Germany.
NEWS FROM ATHENS 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES
ATHOC announced the opening of the Media Accreditation Center
(MAC) on 12 July.
The Opening and Closing dates for the Center, along with the hours
of Operation for both Olympic and Paralympic Games, can be found
below:
* Olympic Games
Period of operation: 12 July - 29 August 2004
Opening hours: 07:00 - 23:00
* Paralympic Games
Period Of operation: 10 September - 28 September 2004
Opening hours: 07:00 - 23:00
The MAC is located behind the Main Press Center (MPC) and next
to the
International Broadcasting Center (IBC).
MAC Information
Demokritou & Gounari (entrance on Gounari Street) (Address)
Maroussi 151 23
+
30 210 00 28 577 (Information Number)
+ 30 210 00 28 296 (Fax)
lwoodyea@athens2004.com (e-mail)
SAN PATRIGNANO
The 8th edition of the San Patrignano International Show Jumping
Competition will be held in the equestrian centre of the community
from the 23 to 25 July 2004.
Among the forty riders set to compete in the event there will
be the four-time Olympic Gold Medallist from Germany, Ludger Beerbaum
(ranked second worldwide). Also present will be World Champion
(Rome '98) and third ranked in the world, Rodrigo Pessoa, 2001
World Cup winner from Switzerland Markus Fuchs (7th worldwide),
and, rounding out the top ten, Otto Becker, European Champion
with the German team and eighth in worldwide ranking.
Olaf Petersen (GER), and Marco Cortinovis (ITA) will design the
course. The position of course designer, will be passed on from
Petersen to Cortinovis on the occasion of the 2005 European Championships;
as it is tradition that the course of the Europeans be designed
a course designer of the host country.
During a press conference today in Aachen, San Patrignano will
present two TV spots created to promote next year's European Championships.
The ad features the cream of the crop of world equitation: Ludger
Beerbaum, Markus Fuchs, Ludo Philippaerts, and Jerry Smit.
For more information: www.sanpatrignano.org
www.horsesport.org
.
