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Federation
Equestre Internationale News
5 August 2003
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Pan American Games Preview
- FEI Gandini World Riders Rankings
- FEI BCM World Dressage Riders Rankings
- Samsung Super League, Preview Dublin
- Samsung Nations Cup, 11th leg in Bratislava
- Samsung Super League Final event website
- 2nd International Horse Transport Conference
- In Memoriam: Rommel
PAN AMERICAN GAMES PREVIEW
(by Jennifer Ward, contact +1 (613) 569-2423, jward@iosphere.net)
On the eve of the equestrian events, the 2003 Pan American Games
in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, are set to begin with competition
in the sport of dressage.
Opening with competition on August 6, dressage will run until
August 10. Teams from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Guatemala,
Mexico, the United States, Venezuela and the home country of Dominican
Republic will do battle for the Team medals while an additional
six nations will be in the hunt for individual medals. Held at
the Intermediare level, results from the Prix St. Georges will
determine the team medallists while the Intermediare I and Intermediare
Musical Freestyle will decide the individual winners.
As the defending gold medallists, the United States will be looking
for another win while Colombia, silver medallists in 1999, and
Mexico, the bronze medal winners, will both be looking to improve
on their placings from four years ago.
Officiating at the dressage events will be Mariette Whitages of
Belgium who will act as head of the ground jury, Lissette Purcell
of the Dominican Republic, Gotthilf Reixinger of Germany, Axel
Steiner of the United States and Cara Whitham of Canada.
Once the dressage medals are determined, the show jumping events
will take to the main arena from August 13-16. Argentina, Brazil,
Canada, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico and the United States
will comprise the nations competing. However, more than medals
hang in the balance for these eight countries, as only three will
earn their Olympic qualification in Santo Domingo. Under International
Equestrian Federation (FEI) criteria, the gold and silver medal
winning teams will earn their ticket to the 2004 Athens Olympics
while a third country will qualify by totaling all four team members
scores. While Brazil, the United States and Canada claimed the
team medals in 1999, they will be hard-pressed to repeat those
efforts this time around.
Mexico's Javier Fernandez will act as course designer for the
show jumping events while respected Colombian course designer
and architect by trade, Juan Carlos Tafur, will design and construct
the jumps. Sydney Olympic course designer Leopoldo Palacios of
Venezuela will be the Technical Delegate. Officiating over the
show jumping events will be Francois Ferland of Canada, President
of the Ground Jury, Colombia's Yolanda Matallana and Bernardo
Lopez Davidson of El Salvador.
The caliber of competition witnessed in the Dominican Republic
will be matched by the high standards the organizers have put
into the preparation of the equestrian site. Both the dressage
and show jumping events will be held at a brand-new competition
venue designed in partnership with Palacios. Footing expert Hugh
Kincannon of the United States, renowned for his work at the Kentucky
Horse Park, has been retained to ensure that the arena surfaces
are truly of an international standard.
For further information on the equestrian events at the Pan American
Games, please visit the Dominican Republic Equestrian Federation's
website at: www.ecuestrerd.com
and the official 2003 Pan American Games website at www.santodomingo2003.com.
FEI GANDINI WORLD JUMPING RIDERS RANKINGS
FUCHS LEADS THE RANKINGS FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE MONTH
Markus Fuchs (SUI) leads the FEI Gandini World Jumping Riders
Rankings for the second consecutive month with a total score of
3453 points. The 47 years old Swiss rider, whose ambition is "to
stay in the Top 10 for the next five years", earned 160 points
in Spruce Meadows (CAN) thanks to his victory in the Derby with
La Toya. He earned another 100 points by winning the Grand Prix
of Ascona (SUI) with his faithful Tinka's Boy.
Ludger Beerbaum (GER) follows in second position 312 points behind.
The defending European Champion, who will fight for his title
in Donaueschingen later this month, won one competition in Spruce
Meadows with Champion Du Lys and the Grand Prix of Haschenburg.
He could recuperate the 295 points he dropped from July 2002 at
the end of last month.
Marcus Ehning (GER) firmly keeps his 3rd position. Jos Lansink
(BEL) goes up one place to steal Rodrigo Pessoa's (BRA) 4th position.
Lansink scored 130 points in San Patrignano (ITA) and 80 at CSIO
Lummen (BEL). Rodrigo Pessoa, now 5th, lost 370 points earned
in July 2002 and could only recuperate 245. He won the Grand Prix
of CSIO 5 stars Falsterbo (SWE) and earned 70 points in the Nations
Cup class (with one clear round and one 4 points penalty).
The American rider Beezie Madden-Patton continues her progression
and climbs to 6th place, despite the fact that she was loosing
288 points from last year. He won two important competitions in
Spruce Meadows and won the Derby of CSI 4 stars San Juan Capistano
(USA).
Lars Nieberg (GER) drops down from 6th to 9th place. He dropped
265 points from last year and did not score any single point in
July this year.
Impressive progression of the young Swedish star Malin Baryard,
who goes up from 29th to 14th place. She had a double clear in
the Nations Cup of CSIO 5* Falsterbo, which saw the victory of
the Swedish Team, and earned 100 points in Ascona, where she placed
4th in the Grand Prix.
Good performance also from Shuyler Riley who goes up from 25th
to 18th place thanks to her good results in Spruce Meadows which
brought her 245 points in
July.
1 Markus Fuchs SUI 3453
2 Ludger Beerbaum GER 2765
3 Marcus Ehning GER 2223
4 Jos Lansink BEL 1951
5 Rodrigo Pessoa BRA 1938
6 Beezie Madden - Patton USA 1838
7 Otto Becker GER 1716
8 Robert Smith GBR 1586
9 Lars Nieberg GER 1535
10 Michel Robert FRA 1480
complete rankings available shortly on http://www.horsesport.org/fei/consult/consult_02/con_02_01.html
FEI BCM WORLD DRESSAGE RIDERS RANKINGS
ULLA SALZGEBER STILL NUMBER ONE
Ulla Salzgeber still leads the FEI BCM World Dressage Riders Rankings
with an unchanged score of 80.293. She is followed by two US riders
Lisa Wilcox (78.788) and Debbie McDonald (77.544).
Most of the riders are preparing for the European Championship
to start in Hickstead this week and only a few events were organised
last July. The only important change in the July 2003 ranking
list is the spectacular fall of Rafael Soto Andrade who goes down
from 6th to 56th place. This is due to the fact that the Spanish
rider now only has 9 results counting for the rankings, as he
did not return to CDI *** Balve (GER) this year and dropped the
results achieved there last year.
Website for the European Dressage Championship in Hickstead http://www.edc2003.com/
complete rankings available shortly on http://www.horsesport.org/fei/consult/consult_02/con_02_02.html
SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE
TOP-HATS AND TAILS AT TRADITIONAL DUBLIN!
The Samsung Super League road show comes to Dublin this week-end
with France still holding the narrowest of leads over the Irish
while the British continue to gather pace. This promises to be
one of the most exciting legs of the series to date, with the
host team determined to oust the French from the head of the pack
and the British in bullish form after their success in Hickstead.
It's a festival of all that is good in equestrian sport and, after
130 years, it claims a special place in the Irish summer calendar.
The first Dublin Horse Show was staged in 1868 when hunting horses
competed over the "high leap", the "wide leap"
and stone walls on the Lawns of Leinster House, now Government
Buildings, in the heart of the city. After three days of competition,
sheep-farmer Richard Flynn from County Roscommon in the west of
Ireland was awarded the world's first show jumping championship
title. The event moved to the Royal Dublin Society Showgrounds
in Ballsbridge in 1881 and it was here, in 1926, that the first
Nations Cup competition took place with Switzerland claiming the
honours.
The Swiss will be sadly missed this year as they did not qualify
for the Super League but the show goes on and, with just three
more legs left in the Samsung series its coming down to the wire.
For the French it's really a matter of pride now that they should
stay out in front. They have been there from the start, they have
proven without doubt that they belong in the elite group of international
show jumping teams and they like holding the whip hand. This time,
team regulars Florian Angot, Michel Hecart and Christian Hermon
are joined by Super League newcomer Laurent Goffinet.
For the Irish it's only a matter of time before they take over
the lead. The Irish line-up is altered again with Peter Charles
side-lined in favour of Robert Splaine whose early performances
with the Irish Sport Horse stallion Coolcorron Cool Diamond were
nothing short of sensational and whose efforts really boosted
the Irish position.
The rock-solid partnership of Kevin Babington and Carling King
have campaigned the entire Super League series so far and they
line out once more along with Cian O'Connor and Waterford Crystal
who were so impressive in Hickstead and Billy Twomey with Luidam.
The traditional Anglo-Irish rivalry will be at an all-time high
this year after the recent controversies about horse-ownership
and horse-transfers and the Irish may have to suffer the irritation
of seeing Michael Whitaker lining out with the former Trevor Coyle
ride, Fleur. It had been hoped that Coyle would bounce back into
the Irish team effort with the American-owned mare this summer
but the British rider, who competed with Fleur much earlier in
her career, has her back in his yard. British tails are up after
their convincing win on their home ground and another good result
in Dublin would bring a dramatic change to the leaderboard so
Whitaker, William Funnell, Nick Skelton and Robert Smith will
be ones to watch next week.
Germany, comfortably holding fourth position on the league table
at present, sends Franz-Josef Dahlmann, Fritz Fervers, Andreas
Ripke and Rene Tebbel but the Belgians, lying fifth, must be feeling
far from easy after their disastrous elimination in Hickstead.
The Super League series has been full of frustration for them,
with the Irish denying them victory in Aachen and then stops for
both Dirk Demeersman and Jean Claude Vangeenberghe leading to
elimination at the British fixture. Vangeenberghe, Jos Lansink,
Philippe Lejeune and Stanny Van Paesschen are likely to be in
serious mood when they ride into the Dublin arena.
Holland's Marc Houtzager won the Dublin Grand Prix last summer
and returns again with Jacomar but the Dutch are in that vulnerable
bunch at the bottom of the league table so along with Peter Geerink,
Wim Schroder and Eric Van der Vleuten he needs to give it everything
he's got in the battle for the Aga Khan Trophy.
With just 10.5 points on the board the Dutch are only a half-point
ahead of Sweden who are pulling no punches this time around and
are sending out a strong squad including Malin Baryard, Rolf-Goran
Bengtsson, Maria Gretzer and Helena Persson to try and retrieve
the situation as they battle to stay ahead of the Italians who
are bringing up the rear.
Italy finished second in the Dublin Nations Cup last year but
Super League success has eluded them all season and they are trailing
the pack with just eight points so there is severe pressure on
Roberto Arioldi, Bruno Chimirri, Enrico Maria Frana and Massimo
Grossato to produce something special and save their side from
relegation. With only one further leg before the final in Barcelona
in September, time is quickly running out.
The French are reigning Dublin champions. Almost as an advance
warning of how it would be at the 2002 World Championships in
Jerez just a few weeks later they produced five clear rounds to
leave the result in no doubt and they have hardly faltered since.
The Irish however are well-known for their fighting spirit and,
to them, the Aga Khan Trophy is more precious than any other in
the world. World Champion, Dermott Lennon, has not returned to
the squad since the fall last March which left him with a badly-broken
arm but his mare Liscalgot is now back in work again and although
he will not be competing next week he may be making a guest appearance
in the interval between the two rounds of the Samsung Super League
when tenor Ronan Tynan, the Pavarotti of the Emerald Isle, will
also be entertaining the crowd.
Keep up to date with the latest news from Dublin Horse Show at
website www.rds.ie.
SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE LEADERBOARD
1. France - 37 points
2. Ireland - 36.5 points
3. Great Britain - 26 points
4. Germany - 21 points
5. Belgium - 13.5 points
6. Holland - 10.5 points
7. Sweden - 10 points
8. Italy - 8 points.
SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE -
NATIONAL PRIDE, INTERNATIONAL PASSION!
You can access all the latest Samsung Super League news and information
on website www.samsungsuperleague.com and don't forget that Biographies
on all Riders competing in the series are available at http://bios.horsesport.org.
The Samsung Super League consists of the eight most prestigious
horse shows at which the world's eight best national teams compare
their merit. The Super League is connected to the Samsung Nations
Cup Series through a promotion/relegation system at the end of
each season. Samsung Electronics, one of the world's largest electronics
companies, is committed to supporting international sporting events
thereby returning corporate profits to the public and working
towards a more harmonious and equitable society.
SAMSUNG SUPER LEAGUE FINAL EVENT IN BARCELONA
The new website of CSIO Barcelona is now up and running at www.csiobarcelona.com.
SAMSUNG NATIONS CUP SERIES
CSIO-W**** Bratislava (SVK)
The 11th leg of the Series will take place this week-end in Bratislava.
The Samsung Nations Cup will be held on Friday 8 August at 10:00.
More information on the CSIO-W 4 stars Bratislava at www.jazdectvo.sk.
Switzerland is leading the Samsung Nations Cup Series standings
with 34
points, ahead of the USA (24) and Spain (21).
SECOND INTERNATIONAL HORSE TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE
The Second International Conference on the Transportation of Horses,
funded by the ILPH, FEI, MSPCA and supported by Peden Bloodstock,
was considered a
resounding success by one and all when it concluded earlier this
month.
Vets, shipping agents, insurers, regulators, engineers, flying
grooms and team managers came together with delegates from over
23 countries to consider the best ways to transport top competition
and breeding stock by road, sea and air, and to discuss the various
health and safety risks involved.
Says Alex Atock, Conference Secretary, "This Conference has
proved to be a rare opportunity to compare notes with experts
from around the world and to identify opportunities to advance
our mutual cause through better collaboration."
More information at www.ilph.org
IN MEMORIAM
Karol Rommel (POL), International Course Designer in Eventing,
died in a car accident on 25 July 2003 in Poland. He was 44 years
old. Very charismatic personality, Rommel was part of the Eventing
Course Building Team for the North American Young Rider Championship
in Wadworth (USA) and designed many
courses in Eastern Europe. Another of his passion was caricature
drawing and some of his drawings illustrating the different equestrian
disciplines are on display at the FEI Secretariat in Lausanne.
www.horsesport.org
.
