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Federation
Equestre Internationale News
World
Cup Driving season continues in Leipzig
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The
international horse show Partner Pferd in Leipzig will host the
fourth leg of the FEI World Cup Driving on 23 and 25 January.
Last year, Leipzig made its debut in the World Cup Driving circuit
and received a warm welcome from both the competitors and the
spectators. Seven drivers will travel to Leipzig, amongst which
double World Cup Champion and current leader of the point standings
Michael Freund. Freund has received a wild card from the organisation.
According to the new rules, the crowd¹s favourite will not
gain World Cup points if he wins, but he will receive the prize
money. The second wild card is allocated to Steffen Scholz, an
international four-in-hand driver from the Leipzig area. Scholz
has been a steady member of the B-kader for many years. He has
achieved several top-ten placings at international events amongst
which the second place at the CAI Altenfelden, Austria, in 2003.
Scholz, who has not competed at international indoor level before,
will compete with his team of German bred geldings. The wild card
drivers will have to compete against their fellow countrymen Christoph
Sandmann and Rainer Duen, Switzerland¹s Werner Ulrich and
the reining World Champion Ijsbrand Chardon from the Netherlands.
The
warm up competition of the Partner Pferd horse show in Leipzig
will take place on Friday, 23 January at 22.00 hrs. The World
Cup competition in the Leipziger Messe is scheduled on Sunday,
25 January at 13.00 hrs. Michael Freund will perform once more
during the Gala evening on Saturday. Freund will treat the crowd
at a world premiere by driving a pas de deux with his seven-year
old son Marco, who will drive a team of Shetland ponies.
Created
in 2001, the Driving World Cup has provided an innovative new
style of competition for indoor events, with courses combining
marathon and cone driving obstacles. The 2003/2004 season of the
World Cup includes seven events with eight competitions: Stuttgart
(GER), Stockholm (SWE), Mechelen (BEL) in 2003; Leipzig (GER),
two competitions in Vigo (ESP), 's-Hertogenbosch (NED) and Göteborg
(SWE) in 2004. The winner of the first two editions of the World
Cup was Michael Freund
(GER).
Relevant
internet addresses:
Partner Pferd Leipzig: www.partner-pferd.de
World Cup Driving: www.worldcupdriving.com
FEI: www.horsesport.org
www.horsesport.org
.
