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Federation
Equestre Internationale News
SAMSUNG NATIONS CUP SERIES
CSIO La Baule (FRA), 9-12 May
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PREVIEW
12
teams will line-up at the Official Jumping of France, representing
Europe, Asia, South and North America.
Belgium
team includes four highly respected riders, including Ludo PHILIPPAERTS
(3rd in the world rankings, individual silver medallist at the 2001
European Championships), Jos LANSINK (17th in the world rankings),
Marc VAN DYCK and Philip LEJEUNE.
Spain:
Ricardo JURADO and FALCON INTER GYSMO will be supported by two experienced
riders: Fernando SARASOLA and Rutherford LATHAM.
The
Netherlands has regularly been successful in La baule and will be
lining up a resourceful team, including the silver medallist from
Sydney Olympic Games, Albert VOORN, Angélique HOORN. They
will be joined by a brilliant young rider (21 years old) Gert Jan
BRUGGINK and his bouncing JOEL, a multi medal winning pair in European
Championships for Juniors (18 years and younger) and Young riders
(21 years and younger), and double clear round last year in the
Samsung final at Madrid. Also a winner in Madrid alongside his team
mates, Rob ERAS completes the squad.
The
British team will be calling upon the experience of all its riders:
the veteran John WHITAKER, who is still striving to reach the top
level with a number one horse, and another couple from the first
team, Tim STOCKDALE and Parcival. Once cannot be called a habit,
but the English will be playing a sharing game by selecting two
lady riders: Di LAMPARD, a member of the team since 1998 (except
for the Olympic Games) with ABBERVAIL DREAM and Véronique
WHITAKER, ex-wife of Michael WHITAKER, the youngest of the two brothers,
who will be in the company of his grey ELDORADO, for whom this will
be one of his first CSIO**** selections.
The
United States will, without doubt feature strongly. Alice DEBANY
CLERO, based in Paris, will be seconded by her fellow Olympic team
mate Laura KRAUT (Liberty), who will continue her European circuit
at La Baule following the World Cup final in Leipzig (1-5 May).
Two other team members, Francie STEINWEDELL and Gabriella SALICK,
complete this 100% female team.
France
will be one of the favourites, as they defend their 2001 victory
on their home soil. Jean-Maurice BONNEAU will only reveal the names
of his four members on the 8 May, the day before the first day of
competition, from among the 16 riders permitted to compete for the
host nation.
One
knows, in any case, that the French team is suffering from the absence
of several of their top names, especially among the horses who remain
in convalescence, (Uélème of Olivier JOUANNETEAU,
Kannan of Michel HECART - the only double clear round in the Nations'
Cup last year) or in a period of running-in following a prolonged
break (Helios of Hubert BOURDY, sixth in the 2001 European Championships,
Dollar du Mûrier Hauts de Seine of Eric NAVET.
The
national trainer can, on the other hand, benefit from the comeback
of Ludovic LEYGUE and Diabolo du Parc II, winner of the Paris-Bercy
Grand Prix last March, or Olivier GUILLON with Baladine du Mesnil,
twice runner-up in two Grand Prix competitions in March (Bercy and
Gothenberg). He will also be able to count on Michel ROBERT (Olympia),
Edouard COUPERIE (Pro Pilot II), winner of the La Baule Grand Prix
last year and Hervé GODIGNON who could be among those making
their comeback
for the French team. The new recruit of the French team is the ex-American
Katie MONAHAN-PRUDENT, who took French nationality two months ago.
The
Brazilian team will include Alvaro DE MIRANDA, winner of a team
medal at the two last Olympic Games.
The
Italian team will be leaving its 'tenors' at home, and test some
newcomers with a view to their progressing to the first team between
now and the World Equestrian Games.
The
Japanese team will line up just three pairs, all French residents,
including Takeshi SHIRAI and Vicomte du Mesnil.
Switzerland
will bring a young team led by young rider Dehlia OEUVRAY, making
her second appearance in the La Baule, and Pius SCHWIZER, who has
acquired the very good Macanudo de Niro, former mount of American
Pete Wylde with whom he won several World Cup Grand Prix classes.
Germany
will be represented by a young team led by Hauke LUTHER (winner
of the Grand Prix of Paris at Porte de Versailles).
Colombia
will also be present with a team following an absence of a dozen
years in a Nations' Cup, notably in Europe. With the exception of
Andres PENALOSA, the other three riders are suitors for the World
Equestrian Games. There still remains time for them to qualify before
the end of June: by doing completing rounds of eight faults or less
in the Grand Prix or the Nations' Cup.
Official
website http://www.labaule-cheval.com
TV
programme on http://www.labaule-cheval.com/labaule2002/racine/cadre_racine_gb2002.htm
Samsung
Nations Cup standings after Wellington (USA)
1. BEL 20 pts
2. GER 18 pts
3. IRL 12 pts
4. USA 11 pts
5. SUI 11 pts
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Samsung Electronics has supported sports marketing activities world-wide
with a strong initiative in equestrian sports since 1988. In 1996
Samsung took the world-wide sponsorship of the Nations Cup in co-operation
with the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the ruling body
of the world-wide equestrian SPORT. The fifth Nations Cup
Series season 2000/2001 started in September 2000 and will end with
the World Final on 23 September 2001 in Madrid, Spain. The current
season consists of 27 Nations Cups in 24 countries.
Samsung
DIGITall, everyone's invited
For further information about the Samsung Nations Cup Series or
other sports marketing activities, visit: http://www.samsungnationscup.com
or http://www.samsungelectronics.com
www.horsesport.org
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