Federation Equestre Internationale News - Equiworld Magazine July 2002

Federation Equestre Internationale News

2 July 2002

-Top Ten Final
- FEI Gandini World Jumping Rankings
- FEI BCM World Dressage Rankings
- CHIO Aachen
- Meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee
- Nations qualified for the Reining competitions of the WEG 2002
- 2002 IPC World Driving Championship
- CDI Brno and Waldfried Euro Future Cup
- European Jumping Pony Championship in Lanaken
- In Memoriam

Top Ten Final

The second Final of the Top Ten, reserved to the 10 best riders of the FEI Gandini World Jumping Riders Rankings, will be held again in Geneva (SUI) on Saturday 14 December 2002, in the frame of the CSI-W.

The successful first final of the Top Ten, organised in Geneva in December 2001, saw the victory of the leader of the Rankings, Ludger Beerbaum (GER).

The formula of the Final will be finalised by the International Riders Club (IJRC) in cooperation with the FEI in October 2002.

FEI Gandini World Jumping Riders Rankings

Ludger Beerbaum (GER), winner of the Grand Prix of CHIO Aachen, earned 579 points this month, compensating a bit more than half the 1064 points he dropped from June 2001. Beerbaum earned no less than 445 points in six of the seven competitions of CHIO Aachen counting for the rankings.

Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) recuperated almost all the points he dropped from last year, and is now “only” some 500 points behind Beerbaum (compared to about 1000 last month). Pessoa earned 160 points in Spruce Meadows, 115 in Aachen and 60 in Balve.

Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) went up one place and is now third. He earned 100 points in CSI-A Cannes and 260 in Aachen.

Lars Nieberg (GER) only obtained 30 points in Aachen, and consequently went down to 6th place, as he was dropping 635 points at the end of the month. Franke Sloothaak (GER) was kicked out of the Top 10, from 9th to 12th place.

Leslie Howard (USA) found her way to the Top 10 for the first time ever. She is the first woman rider in the Top 10 since December 1999 (Lesley McNaught). Howard earned 287.5 points in CSI-W Spruce Meadows only. Several other ladies are performing well: Laura Kraut (USA) who was only 30th two months ago is now 15th, Margie Goldstein-Engle (USA) went up from 25th to 18th place and the young Swedish rider Malin Baryard progressed from 28th to 22nd place.

FEI BCM World Dressage Rankings

The FEI BCM World Dressage Riders Rankings are still dominated by Ulla Salzgeber (GER) with an unchanged score of 79.949.

Lisa Wilcox (USA) exchanged place with Arjen Teeuwissen (NED) and is now 5th with 75.992 points. She finished 4th in the Kür in CHIO Aachen. Beatriz Ferrer Salat, had excellent scores in Aachen and Balve, which were included in her ten best scores counting for the rankings: she finished 3rd in the Grand Prix and Kür in Aachen and 3rd in the Grand Prix and second in the Kür in Balve. She moved up from 9th to 7th place of the rankings.

Despite her performance in Aachen, where she scored 83.75% in the Kür, Nadine Capellmann (GER) is not yet in a position to steal the 2nd place of the rankings from Lars Petersen (DEN).

CHIO Aachen (GER)

Ludger Beerbaum's week in Aachen was record-breaking. Three victories, crowned by a triumph in the Grand Prix on Sunday on his horse Goldfever 3, with 48,46 seconds in the jump-off, ahead of World Cup Champion Otto Becker (GER) on Dobel´s Cento (50.50). Markus Fuchs (SUI) finished third on Tinka's Boy in front of 45.000 spectators, who had watched the Soccer World Cup Final, which had been broadcast live in the stadium earlier in the afternoon.

On Friday, Switzerland won the Nations Cup part of the Samsung Nations Cup Series with a team composed of Beat Mändli/Gryfino, Paul Freimüller/Himmerdor, Dehlia Oevray/King Cavalier and Markus Fuchs/Tinka’s Boy. Germany finished second and Belgium third.

Nadine Capellmann (GER) and Farbenfroh, won the Aachen Dressage Grand Prix for the first time, finishing 0.26 points ahead of Ulla Salzgeber.

Michael Freund (GER) was presented with the 2001 Top Driver Award Trophy by the Chairman of the FEI Driving Committee Jack Pemberton during a ceremony on the showground on Saturday. On the Sunday, Freund won the obstacle driving competition, and ensured the team title for Germany with his team mates Rainer Duen and Christoph Sandmann. The Netherlands took the second place ahead of Sweden. Michael Freund won the individual classification ahead of new comer Mark Weusthof (NED) and Tomas Eriksson (SWE), who had the best score in the Marathon on Friday.

Werner Ulrich (SUI) leads the FEI Finn Caspersen Four-in-Hand Top Driver Award with 37 pts.

Complete info and results on www.chioaachen.de

Meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee In Aachen

The principle topic on the Agenda of the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) meeting held recently in Aachen (GER) was a meeting with the FEI Dressage Committee to discuss the progress of the Strategic Plan. This was part of an ongoing series of meetings with the FEI technical committees.

All the members of the Dressage Committee attended in addition to the World Cup Director Mr Joep Bartels (NED). There was a very open discussion on the future of the discipline and ways to increase its popularity outside of the traditional areas. Issues such as Judging, dress code and TV were all discussed. The meeting recommended a joint working group be established to progress the future development of the discipline.

The SPC also discussed the implementation of the Business Plan and a report from the SPC Endurance Working Group.

Nations qualified for the Reining competitions of the World Equestrian Games 2002

The two qualifying events or the Reining competitions took place in Reggio Emilia (ITA) in May and Gladstone (USA) last week-end.

The following nations qualified a teams for the World Equestrian Games: Austria, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden and USA.

The following nations qualified individuals:
France = 2 riders
Mexico = 2 riders
Hollande = 1 rider
Czech Republic = 1 rider

The 2002 World championships for disabled drivers/ Singles will be held from 25 to 29 September 2002 in Greven (GER). The championship will take place at the same time as the German national driving championships for pony-four-in-hand and horse pairs.

Reit- und Fahrverein St. Martin Greven-Bockholt in Greven,
and
Deutsches Kuratorium für Therapeutisches Reiten e.V. (DKThR)

Carriages may be two- or four-wheeled. There will be three set of results. One for Grade I drivers, one for Grade II drivers and one for teams. The Marathon will be held on Saturday 28 September.

Upon request, the Organising Committee will provide horse and carriages with priority to competitors outside of Europe.

IPEC supports international equestrian sport for people with disabilities. Medical Classifiers determine a Grade for each competitor. IPEC produces rule books for Dressage and Driving as well as Dressage tests suitable for all Grades. The FEI and IPEC signed a cooperation agreement in 2001.

After a long break, it is very rewarding to see the Dressage discipline back in the Czech Republic, which has a long tradition in equestrian sport. For four years, an international Dressage event is organised in the equestrian club of “Panska Licha”, in Brno. In 2002 the event became a CDI *** and was included in the FEI Waldfried Euro Future Cup.

CDI*** Brno took place from 21 to 23 June and included riders from six nations. The Swiss rider winner Silvia Ilke on Florian won the Grand Prix. The Freestyle to Music was won by Angela Hergeth (GER) on Transpofix. The Euro Future Cup competition, sponsored by Walfried Stables was dominated by Germany which trusted the first 3 places with Benjamin Werndl on Achill. In the team classification the first place went to Germany, the second place to the mixed team composed of two Polish riders and one Hungarian rider.

During the last weekend of July, the domain of Zangersheide will be the scene of European Championship for pony riders. The original plan was to also host the Dressage and Eventing for the 25th international title for ponies organised in Lanaken, but logistical problems forced the Organising Committee to move these two championships to Hagen in Germany.

The European Championship is the ultimate test for pony-riders. And that means top-sport. The best example thereof is Malin Baryard. The Swedish girl was European Champion in 1990 on Inishannon and now ranks among the world's top.

Three years later Inishannon, ridden by Jakob Hellström, won the gold medal again. He now belongs to the few ponies that won two titles. Colton Maelstrom and Machno Carwyn also belong to the ranks of these “Golden Ponies”. Both are jumping at the highest level. The stallion Machno Carwyn is among the favourites of the championship. This Welsh pony was born in England and, at 10-yr-old, is now starting for Switzerland. In 1999, he finished in shared eleventh place at the European Championship and in the following years, he proved unbeatable. His rider Faye Schoch (SUI) has grown out of the pony class and it is up to her brother Jordan to continue the success story. In Fontainebleau, among a field of powerful competitors, he finished second in the Grand Prix.

The European Championship starts with two qualifiers, in which the finalists can start in the Grand Prix with a clean slate. This class has two rounds in which the fences will eventually go up to 1.30m-1.35m with a possible jump-off. The traditional Nations Cup will be held on the last day. Great Britain reigned supreme last year. But it often happens that the countries finish so close together tat a jump-off determine the winner.

Tuesday 23rd July 2002
16.00 - 19.00 Pony inspection
17.00 hrs Chefs d’Equipe Meeting
Wednesday 24th July 2002
10.00 hrs Competition nr. S1 Training Session (Warm-up)
Open for all competitors with ponies participating at the EC
Next Competition nr. S2 European Championship 1st qualification
Thursday 25th July 2002
10.00 hrs Competition nr. S3 CSIP
Next Competition nr. S4 CSIP
Next Competition nr. S5 E.C. 2nd Qualification
Friday 26th July 2002
10.00 hrs Competition S6 Consolation Competition Individual
Next Competition nr. S7 CSIP
Next Competition nr. S8 European Championship Individual Final
Saturday 27th July 2002
10.00 hrs Competition nr. S9 CSIP
Next Competition nr. S10 Team E.C. Consolation
Next Competition nr. S11 CSIP
19.30-24.00 Disco evening for everybody
Sunday 28th July 2002
10.00 hrs Competition nr. S12 CSIP Grand Prix
Next Competition nr. S13 European Championship Team Final
Next Distribution of prizes and indemnities (Art. 130)

In Memoriam

Bruce Hansen, the captain of the 1964 New Zealand Olympic Jumping team, died recently aged 74, after a year-long battle against cancer. The 1964 team was the first New Zealand team ever to compete in the Olympics. Riding Tide, Bruce Hansen finished 31st in the event.