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The FEI

Federation Equestre Internationale News

14 March 2003

- Eventing Committee Meeting and Top Eventing Officials Seminar in Warendorf
- World Cup Silver Medals
- FEI World Cup Dressage Final
- World Cup Final In Las Vegas : First Ever Husband and Wife Competingl
- Change of Date: World Dressage Championship for Young Horses in Verden

Eventing Committee Meeting and Top Eventing Officials Seminar in Warendorf

The Eventing Committee met in Warendorf (GER) in conjunction with the 2003 Eventing Top Officials Seminar. This seminar was organised for on invitation for Officials functioning in the high level 2003 Championships, representatives of regions, riders and trainers.

The Committee acknowledged the decision of the IOC to include Eventing for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games providing it was the same Olympic format as already accepted for the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The Eventing Committee, further to the assessment of the consequences of the implementation of the Olympic format of Eventing for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games decided to make the following recommendations to the FEI Bureau and IOC in regard to the Olympic qualification and rider/horse eligibility:

1. Olympic minimum requirements for participation of horse and rider, to be achieved in the period of 1st January 2003 to 30 June 2004 (Reduced period to take IOC requirements into account). The Rider/horse combination must achieve qualifying result(s) as defined in FEI Rules for Eventing as follows: 1 CCI****; or 2 CCI***; or 1 CCI*** and 1 CIC***

2. The qualification of nations through the Olympic Eventing rider ranking list, will now include CIC*** categories of events. 5 best results from the Ranking list per rider will be included and only qualifying results will count. A rider placed 1st in a CIC*** will be awarded 41 points, and then down in increments of 2 points per placing.

3. The technical specifications of the 2004 Olympic Eventing competition to consist of:

- Dressage: CCI**** test,

- Cross Country test: Cross country course distance of approx 5’700 meters, speed of 570m/min, a number of 45 efforts maximum.

- Jumping test: same dimensions as CCI**** Jumping test;
Team Jumping test: distance 500-600metres, speed of 375 m/min, 13 efforts maximum; height 120cm.

Individual Jumping test: distance: 450-550m, speed 375 m/min, max 12 efforts, height 125cm.

Other decisions that will be recommended for approval by the FEI Bureau are as follows:

- The creation of a new category of event; CIC**** with a Cross Country test of a distance of 5415-6270 meters and CCI 4 star dimension of obstacles.

- Creation of a CIC event/championship circuit leading up to the Olympic Games and a parallel circuit leading up to a 4 star Three Day Event World Championship in the year after the Olympic Games.

- Review of qualification procedures at lower level championships, as well as age groups of Junior and Young Riders participation at championships.

The main reason for the Top Officials Seminar was to consider the FEI Eventing Safety Program for 2003. This program, set up in cooperation with TRL and British Eventing, was presented to the Participants included: an explanation on statistical key performance indicators, FEI database Safety device procedure and testing specifications. This presentation will be the basis for the FEI Annual Eventing Safety report to be finalized and distributed to all NFs and listed Eventing Officials as well as published on FEI Web-site.

The Top Officials Seminar also addressed the development of a new Eventing Officials Course concept including course programs, promotion system and assessment procedures to be implemented in 2004. NFs will be informed in the next months.

World Cup Silver Medals For Fuchs, Van Der Vleuten and Smith

Three riders will receive World Cup Silver Medals, awarded for 100 starts in a World Cup, during Indoor Brabant the World Cup competitions.

The medals will be presented in the arena, shortly before the start of the World Cup competition, Sunday, 23 March, at approximately 14:00 hour.

The recipients are:

Eric van der Vleuten (NED).
He rode his first World Cup on 31 October 1982 in Amsterdam.
His No. 100 was on 26 October 2002 in Aarhus.

Robert Smith (GBR)
He rode his first World Cup on 17 December 1979 at Olympia, London. His No. 100 was on 15 December 2002 in Geneva.

Markus Fuchs (SUI)
He rode his first World Cup on 19 November 1978 in Vienna.
His No. 100 was on 26 January 2003 in Leipzig.

Altogether 59 riders have received the medal, of which 18 Europeans. Harvey Smith, the father of Robert, was the first in 1989, to receive the medal.

FEI World Cup Dressage Final

It will be the sixth time that the he World Cup Final in Dressage is organized in Göteborg. The previous winners are:

1989 Margit Otto-Crépin
1992 Isabell Werth
1994 Monica Theodorescu
1996 Anky van Grunsven
1998 Louise Nathhorst

For the first time a new format will be tested with 18 riders in the Grand Prix on Friday morning 28 March at 10.00, followed by a B-Final for the riders placed 13 – 18 in the Grand Prix on Saturday at 10.00 with. Sunday 30 March. the Final will start at 12.00 and at 14:00, the 2003 World Cup Champion will be known.

It will be the first time that three riders from the USA will compete in the final. So far, Germany and USA are expected to be the strongest nations in the final, as five-time winner Anky van Grunsven is not able to compete due to her accident.

Two riders from the Central European League will add excitement to this final. It has been several years since Central Europe had a Dressage rider and horse at the highest level. Riders from Australia and Canada will make this year’s Final a truly World Final with all corners of the World represented.

As far as ticket-sales are concerned it seems that Göteborg’s Organising Committee is heading towards a new record. On Monday 10 March, there were well over 60.000 tickets sold. Friday night and Saturday are sold out and there are only a few tickets left for Sunday. For visitors from abroad, the Scandinavium Arena has promised to do everything possible to accommodate visitors.

The starters of the World Cup will be known after last qualifier in ‘s-Hertogenbosch from 20 to 23 March.

More info on the Final http://www.goteborghorseshow.com/

World Cup Final In Las Vegas : First Ever Husband and Wife Competing

Article by Max E. Ammann

Nicole Shahinian Simpson and her husband Will qualified for the 25th FEI Budweiser World Cup Final, 16 - 20 April 2003 in Las Vegas, by placing in the top 4 of the USA West Coast League. It is the first time ever that husband and wife compete together in the same Final. Will Simpson had ridden before in the 1993 Final, Nicole, when still Shahinian, 1997 and 1999 and then, as Mrs Simpson, in 2001.

There are two more couples who rode in a World Cup Final, but not at the same time: Graeme Thomas, riding for New Zealand in 1985 and Lu Thomas, as US-American, in 1996. And then Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum in 1999 and her husband Markus in 2001. Not counting in this review are the couples who where not married when they competed, such as Francie and Dick Steinwedell-Carvin, Megan Johnstone and Eric Lamaze or Helena Dickinson and Peter Weinberg.

There have been several brothers who competed together in a World Cup Final. The biggest sensation was, in 1982, the joint appearance of the three Leone brothers, a feat they repeated in 1985. Armand finished 24th and 11th, Peter 5th and 14th, Mark 9th and 28th.

The most successful brothers are, of course, the two Whitakers. They did 13 Finals together. John had two wins and two second places - while his younger brother Michael was 3rd once and 5th twice.

Ludger and Markus Beerbaum competed twice together in 1993 and 2001. Ludger was 1st and 14th - Markus finished 20th and 28th. The two Fuchs brothers, Markus and Thomas, appeared together in 1992 in Del Mar: Markus finishing 3rd - his younger brother, now retired, was fourth.

There was also a father-son combination competing together: Harrey and Robert Smith 1985 in Berlin. The father was 39th, his son 37th.

Barney and McLain Ward never competed together. The father had four appearances between 1983 and 1992 – the son six from 1995 to 2002.

Change of Date: World Dressage Championship for Young Horses in Verden

World Dressage Championship for Young Horses in Verden (GER) will take place from 6 to 10 August 2003 (previous date: 22-24 August).

www.horsesport.org

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