Federation Equestre Internationale News November 2001

FEI/GANDINI WORLD JUMPING RIDERS RANKINGS
Participants to the Top Ten Final are named

This special edition of the FEI/Gandini World Riders Rankings decides on the participation field of the Final of the Top Ten to be held in Geneva on 8 December.
Ludger Beerbaum (GER) is still in the lead with a total of 3253 points, 823 points ahead of his runner-up Ludo Philippaerts (BEL).
Michael Withaker (GBR), who was placed eleventh at the end of last month, made it to the Top 10 with a total of 220 points earned this week-end in Stuttgart (GER). He placed 1st ex-aequo in the Masters on Friday and won the Grand Prix on Sunday and subsequently jumped up to the 9th position of the rankings.
Hugo Simon (AUT) lost his ticket to the Final and had a dramatic fall from 9th to 16th position. Beezie Madden-Patton (USA), Leading Lady Rider, went up from 17th place to a frustrating 11th place, 46 points behind Jos Lansink (BEL) who kept his 10th rank thanks to his 55 points gained as 7th placed of the Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
Six nationalities will be represented at the Top Ten Final. The qualified riders are the following:
1. Ludger Beerbaum (GER)
2. Ludo Philippaerts (BEL)
3. Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA)
4. Lars Nieberg (GER)
5. Willi Melliger (SUI)
6. Markus Fuchs (SUI)
7. Franke Sloothaak (GER)
8. Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE)
9. Michael Whitaker (GBR)
10. Jos Lansink (BEL)
The Top Ten Final, reserved to the best 10 riders of the FEI/Gandini World Jumping Rankings will take place on Saturday 8 December 2001 in Geneva (SUI). The Final will be held over two rounds, without jump-off. The riders may choose if they want to ride the same or a different horse in the two rounds. The starting order will be from the Top 10 to Top 1 of the World Rankings in the first round, and reverse order of the first round’s results in the second round. The Final classification will be obtained by adding the penalty points of the two rounds. The time of the second round will be taken into account in case of a tie.
Supported by Rolex, the FEI/Gandini Top Ten Final will have a total of 140.000 Swiss francs (35.000 to the winner).
Visit www.concours-hippique.ch
The present 11th edition of the FEI/Gandini World Riders Rankings will replace the edition of 1 December. The last ranking list of the year will be published at the end of December.

GOOD START FOR MICHAEL FREUD IN THE NEW DRIVING WORLD CUP
German driver Michael Freund won the opening competition of the Indoor Word Cup Driving in Stuttgart (GER) last week-end. The winner of the 2001 Top Driver Award finished ahead of his country fellow Ludwig Weinmayr and the US driver Chester C. Weber.
The public was very enthusiastic and saluted the drivers’ performance with standing ovation. Two faults from the favorite Michael Freud made the 30 minutes World Cup competition thrilling until the last second.
1. Michael Freund (GER) 120.89 sec.
2. Ludwig Weinmayr (GER) 128.22 sec.
3. Chester C. Weber (USA) 135.25 sec.
4. Werner Ulrich (SUI) 137.07 sec.
5. Hansjürg Hammann (SUI) 144.07 sec.
6. Gert Schrijvers (BEL) 149.83 sec.

IN MEMORIAM
Ian Dudgeon, a three-time Olympic Eventing rider from Ireland recently died aged 77. The son of the successful Jumping rider Joe Hume Dudgeon, who won the King George V and the Daily Mail Cups, competed in the 1952, 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games on three different horses. He also took part in the three European Eventing Championships of 1953, 1955 and 1959. On Go Lightly, Ian Dudgeon was also successful as a Jumping rider.

REMBRANDT IS DEAD
One of the most successful Dressage horses of all times, Rembrandt recently died aged 24. Under the saddle of the German rider Nicole Uphoff, Rembrandt won 13 gold medals at Olympic Games, World and European Dressage Championships. The couple participated at three Olympic Games (Seoul in 1998, Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996) and won the double individual and team gold in Seoul and Barcelona.

--------------
FEDERATION EQUESTRE INTERNATIONALE
www.horsesport.org