Memory Lane One Day

July 2011
Sands Of Time
Memory Lane
Revisiting Olympic
& Paralympic Achievements – Page 06
One Day
Nicolas Thévenaz on Para-Equestrian Dressage – Page 34
IT IS THE ULTIMATE DREAM FOR RIDERS; THE
ULTIMATE SPECTACLE FOR ENTHUSIA STS.
IT IS SIMPLY MAGNETIC AS THEY ASSEMBLE
TOGETHER ON HALLOWED GROUNDS, UNITED
BY A N EQUAL PA S S ION. W ITH E V ERY
MA STERFUL JUMP, ELEGANT PIAFFE AND
STUNNING ATHLETIC MOVEMENT, A ACHEN
EPITOMISES THE EQUESTRIAN EVENT AGAINST
WHICH ALL OTHERS ARE ME ASURED.
OYSTER PERPETUAL DATEJUST
chio
chio
aachen
aachen
world
world
equestrian
equestrian
festival
festival
JULY
JULY
8TH8TO
TH17
TOTH,
17TH,
2011
2011
A ACHEN,
A ACHEN,
GERMANY
GERMANY
Editorial
Note from
the FEIPresident
HRH Princess Haya
We are just six months into the year, and as I look
back at recent events such as the indoor sporting
showcase in Leipzig, the inauguration of the FEI
Headquarters or even the FEI’s forays into the new
frontier that is social media, I am reminded of the
passion and constant state of flux in which our sport
evolves.
The subtitle of this edition of FEI FOCUS, “Sands of
Time”, is symbolic of that constant evolution, falling
grain by grain, marking the past, the future and where
we stand in the present. It also reminds us that it is
not about leaping into the future, but about taking
thoughtful and measured steps towards greater diversity, acceptance and universality.
Looking back in this edition, we review the past
99 years of Olympic tradition in our Memory Lane
focus, and then look forward to the European Championships in all the FEI disciplines that will take place
between the months of July and September. Some of
these Championships have a long tradition such as
the FEI European Eventing and Jumping Championships that date back to 1953 and 1957 respectively,
while for others, such as the FEI European ParaEquestrian Dressage Championships they are only in
the early stages of making their history but as they
do, they also contribute to the history of equestrian
sport as a whole.
Integrating Para-Equestrian in 2006 has been one of
the important steps taken by the FEI towards greater
universality and diversity within our sport and it is
testimony to this integration that the cover of this
edition features aspiring Swiss rider, Nicolas Thévenaz,
and an article on his goals and motivation.
02
Like many sports, we rely heavily on our volunteer
body, who act behind the scenes to provide the
athletes and the spectators with safe and fair conditions for competition, and ensure that welfare
and sportsmanship are always at the heart of their
actions. We feature Dr Gerit Matthesen in our “life in
a day” section to gain a better understanding of the
type of person it takes to devote time and energy on
a voluntary basis.
The equestrian community is full of extraordinary
people whose achievements in and out of the arena
are the result of their outstanding ability to focus on
their goals. The FEI Awards celebrate that talent and
determination and have shown us that whether you
are an athlete, a groom or the initiator of a project
that enhances the lives of others, you share a deep
love for the horse and the belief that equestrianism
at any level is well worth the time and energy that
you devote to it. I would like to encourage all readers
to visit the FEI Awards website (www.feiawards.org)
to make nominations by 31 July to help us to express
our gratitude to and admiration of those people who
deserve it.
The FEI Awards will be presented to the winners at
a gala evening in Rio de Janeiro on the occasion of
the FEI General Assembly hosted by Brazil. You will
find a brief introduction to the Brazilian National
Federation in the Postcard from Brazil page 44, with
facts and figures and a Q&A with the President of the
Brazilian National Federation, Mr Luiz Roberto Guigni.
Lastly, I would like to thank all the guest that were
able to attend the FEI Extraordinary General Assembly
and the Inauguration in May, for the beginning of a
new chapter for the FEI. For those that were unable
to attend, I hope you will be able to gage the warmth
and genuine goodwill of all attending the event in the
pages devoted to the celebration.
The King Hussein I Building will be a
place for dialogue and decision-making
as the FEI continues its mission to advance the orderly growth of equestrian
sport worldwide, while ensuring that
the welfare of the horse and a level
playing field remain at the centre
of all that we do.
Follow us on
Table of Contents
06Olympic
& Paralympic Games
Memory Lane
14 FEI World Cup Finals
TM
Jumping, Dressage, Driving & Vaulting
18Preview
FEI European Championships 2011
28 HSBC FEI Classics
TM
A world class meeting of generations
30 Why the long face ?
Viggo Mortensen
32 The other side of...
Laurent Elias
34 One day
Nicolas Thévenaz
14
04
Impressum - Focus N° 7 - June 2011
Circulation2,800
FrequencyQuarterly
Editor in Chief Olivia Robinson
Design / Art
Equestrio SA
Printing
Grafiche SIZ - Italy
Cover
©Hugues Siegenthaler
38 FEI Awards 2011
42Globetrotter
44 Postcard from
Brazil
46 A life in a day
Contact / Advertising FEI - Fédération Equestre Internationale
[email protected] HM King Hussein I Building
Chemin des Délices 9
1006 Lausanne
T. +41 21 310 47 47
F. +41 21 310 47 60
www.fei.org
48 Alltech Tips
Feeding to reduce stress for the equine traveller
50 FEI News
FEI celebrates NEW Headquarters
56 FEI Insight
Social Media - the new frontier
Dr Gerit Matthesen
30
50
FOCUS 05
Olympic & Paralympic Games
Memory
Lane A journey of Olympic
& Paralympic achievements
In 2012, the disciplines of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing
celebrate 100 years of Olympic history. For Para-Equestrian
Dressage, it’s sixteen years of intense and ever increasing
competition and participation.
Take a stroll down Memory
Lane to revisit the sporting
achievements of Champions
1920 1921 1922
past and present.
Games of the VII Olympiad, Antwerp (BEL)
1900 1901 1902 1903 1904
Games of the II Olympiad, Paris (FRA)
Grand Prix Jumping, long jump, high jump, hunter
competition and a coaching competition were on the
1900 programme. The events went officially unrecorded until the 1970s, which is why it is often assumed
that 1912 marks the first inclusion of equestrian sports
on the Olympic programme.
Participation: Twenty-four riders from 4 countries.
1912 1913 1914
Games of the V Olympiad, Stockholm (SWE)
Jumping, Dressage, and Eventing made their début in
Stockholm and remain to this day the only equestrian
disciplines on the Olympic programme. It took two
years to construct the new brick-built Olympic Stadium, which served for the 1956 Olympic Equestrian
Games and the 1990 FEI World Equestrian Games™.
Participation: Sixty-two riders and 70 horses from 10
nations – all European except for the USA.
06
World War I had just ended in 1918 and there were
serious doubts that the 1920 Olympic Games would
go ahead. It was on 3 April 1919 that the IOC decided
to accept the offer from Antwerp (BEL). The short term
allocation of the Games did leave some in the lurch
such as team USA who, at first unable to find a passage
to Europe at that late stage, were able to secure the
help of the military to transport the team. Sweden’s
solid and meticulous preparations were well rewarded,
as they picked up more than half of the 15 medals at
stake and confirmed their stronghold on the sport.
Participation: Seventy-two riders from 8 nations.
Vaulting was for the first and only time on the Olympic
programme.
1924 1925 1926
Games of the VIII Olympiad, Paris (FRA)
First Olympic appearance for the... FEI.
Did you know
The Dressage arena of 60 x 20 m was in the centre
of the huge Stade de Colombes, at least 60 meters
away from the public. The five judges sat, with their
assistants, on a long table together on a short side. The
1912: France’s Jean Cariou - Individual gold and team silver Jumping medallist as well as individual bronze medallist in Eventing
individual winner in Jumping was Swiss militia officer,
Lt. Alphonse Gemuseus on the eight-year old Irishbred mare Lucette, who had been bought for £48 as
an army remount horse in 1922.
The length of the Eventing Cross Country was 36km.
Participation: Seventeen nations, 126 horses.
1928 1929 1930
Games of the IX Olympiad, Amsterdam (NED)
By 1928 the IOC had clarified the definition of an
amateur. For equestrian sport, an amateur was every
professional officer actively serving or anyone riding
solely for the sport and recognised by a national body
as a gentleman.
Participation: Twenty nations, the major return was
Germany – not invited in 1920 and 1924 – but now there
in full force.
1932 1933 1934
Games of the X Olympiad, Los Angeles (USA)
Because the 1932 Olympics were held in the middle
of the Great Depression and in the comparatively remote city of Los Angeles, half as many athletes from
only six nations took part compared to 1928. The
Japanese team came by ship from Yokohama to Los
Angeles. France and Sweden took a ship to New York,
then travelled by railroad across the USA, as did the
Mexicans. The Dutch, who sailed through the Panama
Canal directly to Los Angeles, remembered that the
US equestrian team, travelling by ship to Amsterdam
in 1928, had kept their horses fit by hiring the treadmill used during the filming of Ben Hur with its chariot
races. The Dutch constructed their own treadmill and
kept their horses busy during the voyage.
The first known Olympic Jumping course designer,
John A. Barry (who rode for the USA in the 1920 and
1924 Olympics) supported by Sloan Doak (also an experienced Olympic rider) built a course that was much
more difficult than 1928. It had 18 obstacles and 20
jumping efforts over a length of 1,060m. No team finished the competition and the team medals remained
unclaimed.
For the first time, piaffe and passage were asked for
in Dressage.
In Eventing, only two teams – USA and The Netherlands
– finished the competition. The team bronze remained
unclaimed.
Participation: Six nations.
FOCUS 07
1952: The Dressage medallists: André Jousseaume (FRA) - bronze; Henri St-Cyr (FRA) - gold; Lis Hartel (DEN) - silver
1936 1937 1938
Games of the XI Olympiad, Berlin (GER)
The Games of the XI Olympiad were held in Berlin
three years after the National-Socialist regime came
to power in 1933. They are best remembered for Adolf
Hitler’s failed attempt to use sport to prove his theories
of Aryan racial superiority. The equestrian events, held
on the last five days of the 16-day programme, played
an important part in the overall running of these first
monumental and politically misused Olympic Games.
Participation: Twenty-one nations, 127 riders - 7 countries had full representation (3x3 riders). Germany won
all the equestrian team and individual gold medals.
1952 1953 1954
Games of the XV Olympiad, Helsinki (FIN)
The 1952 Olympic Games brought some fundamental changes to equestrian sport. Most visible was the
change from military riding to civilians. Women were
allowed in Dressage but not in Jumping or Eventing. The best known of these women is Lis Hartel of
Denmark. In 1944, at the age of 23, she was paralysed
by polio and while she gradually regained the use of
most of her muscles, she remained paralysed below
08
the knee. Despite being helped on and off her horse,
she went on to win the silver medal. When gold medallist Henri St-Cyr helped her up onto the victory
platform for the medal presentation, it was one of the
most emotional moments in Olympic history.
Participation: Twenty-five nations. For the first time
since 1912 Russian riders competed – now representing the Soviet Union. Canada, Egypt & Korea were also
newcomers.
1956 1957 1958
Games of the XVI Olympiad, Melbourne (AUS) /
Stockholm (SWE)
When the IOC selected Melbourne (AUS) as host to
the Games of the XVI Olympiad, it had not taken into
consideration the Australian six-month pre-shipment
quarantine for horses. In 1953, a meeting was held in
Canberra, attended by the federal authorities which
recommended not to alter quarantine laws. The IOC
decided on a separate venue for the equestrian events
and on 13 May 1954 chose Stockholm (SWE).
The Jumping course was demanding; it is considered by
many as the first modern course. There were no clears
in the first round. Hans Günter Winkler (FRG) was in the
lead with one knock-down riding the great mare Halla.
The horse had taken off early for the penultimate fence
and Winkler was thrown into the air and went on to land
heavily back in the saddle, pulling a muscle in the process. He knew that if he withdrew from the final round,
the German team would be eliminated. Dizzy and
in pain, he rode anyway. Halla completed the course
without a fault. They earned gold in both the individual
and team events. Winkler went on to win another five
gold medals at various Olympics and is the only Jumper
to win seven medals in total and the only rider in any
discipline to earn medals in six different Olympics.
Participation: Twenty-nine nations; Australia, Cambodia
and Venezuela competed for the first time.
1960 1961 1962
Games of the XVII Olympiad, Rome (ITA)
The Australians were the 1960 Eventing sensation. The
foursome of Larry Morgan, Neale Lavis, Brian Crago and
Bill Roycroft dominated the Cross-Country to an extent
never experienced before. At the end of the day, Morgan was overwhelmingly in the lead ahead of Crago and
Lavis. Roycroft, after a fall at the cement drain pipes,
was not too far back, except for the fact that he was
in hospital with a concussion and a broken collarbone.
When Crago’s potential silver medal horse Sabre was
rejected at the second horse inspection, Australia no
longer had a team. Forty-five-year old Bill Roycroft was
taken out of hospital, rode Our Solo to a clear round in
the Jumping phase and secured team gold for Australia.
Participation: Twenty-nine nations.
1964 1965 1966
Games of the XVIII Olympiad, Tokyo (JPN)
The 1964 Olympic Games were the first to be held in
Asia. These were only the second Olympics – after Los
Angeles in 1932 – for which most horses had to travel
across the world. Most horses came by aircraft. The
Soviet horses still came by sea and were caught in the
typhoon Wilda. For the first time a former Olympic
Jumping champion repeated his victory. Forty-four
year old Pierre Jonquères d’Oriola (FRA), the 1952
champion with Ali Baba, won, this time with the nineyear old Lutteur B. Another first was the participation
of a woman - Lana du Pont (USA) - in an Olympic
Eventing competition.
Participation: One hundred and sixteen riders from 20
countries competed in Tokyo.
1968 1969 1970
Games of the XIX Olympiad, Mexico City (MEX)
The choice of Mexico City to host the 1968 Olympics
was a challenging one because of the city’s high
altitude, 2,300m, which meant that the air contained
30% less oxygen than at sea level. An adjustment period of three to four weeks for the horses was advised.
The horses from the Soviet Union, Argentina and
Ireland were, in mid-September, the first to arrive.
The last to stable were France and Germany on 28
September, i.e. 20 days before the start of the competitions. Of particular interest was the first participation of Dressage and Eventing riders from the
German Democratic Republic. In 1960 and 1964,
their Eventers were part of a unified German team.
This time they were allowed to enter under their
own flag. The equestrian competitions were timed
manually and electronically; for the first time, the
electronic time was the official one.
Participation: Eighteen nations.
1972 1973 1974
Games of the XX Olympiad, Munich (FRG)
In 1972, everybody expected great Olympic Games,
and for the first ten days, everything went smoothly.
But on 5 September 1972, peace was chattered as
eight Palestinian terrorists representing the militant
group “Black September” broke into the Olympic
Village, killed two members of the Israeli team and
took nine more hostage. In an ensuing battle, all nine
Israeli hostages were killed, as were five of the terrorists and one policeman. The Olympics were suspended for 34 hours. In defiance of the terrorists,
the IOC ordered the competitions to resume, IOC
President Avery Brundage famously declaring, “The
Games must go on!”.
All other details about the Munich Games pale in
significance. The equestrian events were, obviously,
also affected. After the first day of Dressage on 5
September, the second half of the competitors rode
on 7 September; the ride-off followed on the 9th.
Team Jumping, at that time still preceding the closing
ceremony, took place on 11 September 1972.
Liselotte Linsenhoff on Piaff became the 13th Olympic Dressage champion – the third German to achieve
this (after con Langen in 1928 and Pollay in 1936),
but the first woman to do so.
Participation: Twenty-seven nations.
FOCUS 09
1976 1977 1978
Games of the XXI Olympiad, Montreal (CAN)
All in the Eventing genes… Mother Rita and daughter Silva de Luna were both on the Guatemalan team.
Father Bill, 61, and son Wayne Roycroft were on the
bronze-medal winning Australian team…
For the first time in the FEI’s Olympic history there
was a disqualification due a positive medication case:
San Carlos, the mount of the Irish Army Eventing rider
Ronald McMahon. The medical treatment after an
injury during transport had been announced to the
authorities. But the rules suffered no exceptions. Automatic disqualification followed although there was
no additional punishment.
Barbara Kemp became the first woman to design an
Olympic cross-country course.
Participation: Twenty-three nations; Guatemala and
Puerto Rico were the newcomers.
1980 1981 1982
Games of the XXII Olympiad, Moscow (URS)
The 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow represented the
lowest point in the history of the Olympic equestrian
events as a U.S. led boycott reduced the number of
participating nations to 11. From the top equestrian
nations, only Austria, with the reigning European Dressage champion, Elisabeth (Sissi) Theurer, and Italy with
its Eventing team, went to Moscow. Sissi’s decision to
participate in Moscow created considerable controversy in her native Austria – resulting in the resignation
of the President of the National Equestrian Federation.
Participation: Eleven nations.
1984 1985 1986
Games of the XXIII Olympiad, Los Angeles (USA)
The Los Angeles Games were the first since 1896 to
be staged without government financing and became
the model for future Games, particularly after it was
revealed that they had produced a profit of US$ 223
million. The organisers depended heavily on existing
facilities and corporate sponsors. The celebrated Santa
Anita racetrack was chosen as the competition site for
the equestrian events. It was the first time an Olympic
equestrian event was organised by an existing management of proven competence and long experience.
In response to the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, a boycott led by the Soviet Union marked the
1984 Olympics.
The USA dominated the Jumping competition winning both individual and team gold with a superiority
rarely experienced before or since. Joe Fargis (USA)
and Touch of Class were the first to achieve a double clear in the Olympic team competition. Eventing
legend Mark Todd from New Zealand (pictured left)
won his first Olympic medal.
Participation: Thirty nations.
1988 1989 1990
Games of the XXIV Olympiad, Seoul (KOR)
The Seoul Games were highlighted by numerous
exceptional performances. For Dressage, it was the
first time that all three individual medals were awarded to women. Reiner Klimke (pictured above-right)
captured his last Olympic medal as West Germany
won the team Dressage competition. With six gold
and two bronze medals won at five Olympic Games
– Reiner Klimke participated in six Olympic Games
altogether - he is the most decorated rider in Olympic
history. Only for the second time in the 76-year history
of Eventing at the Olympics, the defending champions
repeated their victory: Mark Todd (NZL), 32, with the
16-year-old Charisma. For the first time qualifications
were held to reduce the starting field for the individual
Jumping. The reigning European champions, Pierre Durand (FRA) and the 13-year-old black gelding Jappeloup added Olympic gold to their winnings.
Participation: Thirty-two nations.
1992 1993 1994
Games of the XXV Olympiad, Barcelona (ESP)
In Dressage, the individual battle was played out between Isabell Werth’s Gigolo and the defending Olympic champion from Seoul, Nicole Uphoff’s 15-year-old
Rembrandt. Rembrandt and Uphoff triumphed and secured the gold. After the repeat wins of Henry St-Cyr
(SWE) in 1952 and 1956 on two different horses, this
was the first double triumph of a combination. After
the elaborate, beautifully built and decorated Jumping obstacles of Seoul 1988, the Spanish decided on
something different and the two architects in charge
of designing the 25 obstacles used minimal figural and
colour elements so as to more objectively define the
difficulty of the obstacles. This new vision did not find
many partisans.
Participation: Thirty-four nations
1988: The German gold medal team (from left to right) - Ann-Kathrin
Linsenhoff, Monica Theodorescu, Nicole Uphoff and Reiner Klimke.
© Kit Houghton
1996 1997 1998
Games of the XXVI Olympiad, Atlanta (USA)
The Atlanta Games saw extensive changes made to
the competition formats of Dressage and Eventing.
Following the IOC’s reasoning whereby two sets of
medals could not be distributed for the same effort,
the FEI split Eventing into two competitions: team
and individual. An elaborate qualifying system in all
three disciplines was created and, for the first time,
quotas were established.
The heat and humidity expected in Atlanta led to
extensive research and measures aimed at protecting
the welfare of the horses. It was found that horses
needed three weeks of acclimatisation – seven days
to recover from the effects of transport and 14 days
of passive acclimatisation to the new conditions.
The major measure was the installation of misting
fans throughout the venue.
Linda Allen was the course designer, the first woman
to provide the Jumping courses at an Olympic Games.
Participation: Thirty nations.
FOCUS 11
2000: The team podium in Eventing - Great Britain (silver); Australia (gold); USA (bronze). © Kit Houghton
1996 1997 1998
The X Paralympic Games, Atlanta (USA)
1996 also marks for the first time equestrian sport
was included at the Paralympics, with Para-Equestrian
Dressage on the programme. The competition was run
on borrowed horses. Jo Jackson (GBR) won three gold
medals, the maximum possible. For Great Britain, it
was a first of many team medals…
Participation: Sixty-eight competitors from 16 nations.
2000 2001 2002
Games of the XXVII Olympiad, Sydney (AUS)
Forty four years after Melbourne 1956, when no
horses would be allowed into Australia, the Australian
quarantine and inspection services proved to be much
more accommodating. The conditions were tough:
two weeks of pre-shipping quarantine in Europe and,
after arrival in Sydney, two more weeks of quarantine
on site.
Of the 15 medal-winning horses, 12 were thoroughbreds and the other three were 7/8 thoroughbreds.
The year 2000 was the final show-down of the two
Dressage horses who had dominated the sport since
the early nineties – Gigolo ridden by Isabell Werth
(GER) and Bonfire ridden by Anky Van Grunsven
(NED), with the latter taking gold medal honours.
Australia, for the third time in a row, won the team
gold medal in Eventing.
Participation: Thirty-seven nations
12
2000 2001 2002
The XI Paralympic Games, Sydney (AUS)
The Australian spirit and warmth conveyed during
the Olympics continued throughout the Paralympic
Games thanks to the formidable cooperation between
the Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee (SPOC)
and the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic
Games (SOCOG). Paralympic and Olympic athletes
lived in the same village, and enjoyed the same
catering services, medical care and facilities. Errors in
the scoring meant that medals had to be re-attributed
but this did not cause too much upset. Lee Pearson
(GBR) took home three gold medals (including
another team gold for GBR), the maximum possible,
while Australia’s Julie Higgins achieved an impressive
double gold triumph.
Participation: Seventy athletes from 23 nations.
2004 2005 2006
Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, Athens (GRE)
In 2004 the Games returned to Greece, homeland to
the Olympic Games.
The equestrian events were affected by controversies.
Waterford Crystal, the horse ridden by Olympic champion in Jumping, Cian O’Connor (IRL), tested positive
to a prohibited substance generally administered to
humans but forbidden for use in horses. After lengthy
legal procedures, O’Connor was disqualified and sanctioned. The gold medal was awarded to second-placed
Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA). Another three horses tested
positive as well. As a result, Germany lost its Jumping
team gold which was awarded to the USA in February
2005 at a ceremony in Palm Beach, FL (USA).
A new competition format for Eventing, involving two
Jumping rounds, one for the individual and one for the
team standings, was introduced. The two roads and
tracks (A + C) and the steeplechase (B) of the Endurance phase were abolished.
Participation: Thirty-seven nations
the fact that main land China did not hold diseasefree zone status from the International Organisation
for Animal Health, the competitions were held in
Hong Kong, 2000km away from the Olympic host city
Beijing. In order to protect animal welfare, detailed
studies on the effects of heat and humidity on horses
were undertaken by the FEI in cooperation with top
scientists. The competition timetable was modified to
avoid the hours of intense heat and the horses were
stabled at the exceptional air-conditioned facilities
provided by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Six horses,
five from Jumping, tested positive to prohibited
substances. As a result, Norway lost its first Jumping
medal – bronze – which, after more than two years of
legal proceedings, was awarded to Switzerland.
Jumping gold went to team USA. In Dressage, Anky
van Grunsven (NED) aboard Salinero won her seventh
and eighth Olympic medals, team silver and individual
gold. Eventing legend Mark Todd (NZL) made a much
acclaimed come back, but the spotlight was on Hinrich
Romeike and the extraordinary Marius.
The story of the 2008 Olympic Eventing gold medallist is all the more extraordinary as Hinrich is an
amateur rider. By day his time is spent in his dental
surgery attending to his many patients so his riding is
restricted to after-hours.
Participation: Forty-two nations.
2004: Lee Pearson (GBR) in Athens where he scooped
the maximum three gold medals available to him.
2004 2005 2006
The XII Paralympic Games, Athens (GRE)
The venue was excellent and there was good support
from local volunteers. Both Debbie Criddle and Lee
Pearson (pictured above) from Great Britain picked
up the maximum three gold medals. The International
Paralympic Committee presented the Equestrian
Technical Delegate with the award for Best Official of
all the sports at the Paralympic Games.
Participation: Seventy athletes from 29 nations.
2008 2009 2010
Games of the XXIX Olympiad, Beijing (CHN) /
Hong Kong (CHN)
For the second time in Olympic history, the equestrian
events were held separately from other sports. Due to
2008 2009 2010
The XIII Paralympic Games, Beijing (CHN)
First Paralympic participation for the FEI, following the
inclusion of Para-Equestrian in 2006 to be governed
alongside the 7 other disciplines. These Games set a
new benchmark for Para-Equestrian events with great
facilities, cheerful volunteers and large audiences
totalling over 30,000 - an unprecedented attendance for Para-Equestrian events.
For the third Paralympics in a row, Lee Pearson (GBR)
won three gold medals, keeping up his record of winning all the gold medals available to him. Singapore’s Laurentia Tan picked up Asia’s first Paralympic
Equestrian medals with two individual bronze medals.
Marco Alves picked up Brazil’s first Paralympic
Equestrian medal with bronze in Grade Ib.
Participation: Seventy-eight athletes from 28 nations.
FOCUS 13
FEI World Cup™ Finals
ROLEX FEI World Cup™
JUMPING
“It was wonderful to be back in Leipzig again
for yet another great Rolex FEI World Cup™
Jumping Final in a city with such a rich cultural
background.”
John Roche, FEI Director of Jumping
The climax of the indoor international Jumping season brought together 43 riders from 21 nations and
ended with Christian Ahlmann riding Taloubet Z to
Germany's ninth victory in the 33-year history of
FEI World Cup™ Jumping. Canada’s reigning Olympic
champion Eric Lamaze took second place with
Hickstead, followed by Dutch combination Jeroen
Dubbeldam and BMC Van Grunsven Simon, who
rocketed up from overnight 11th to finish third when
producing one of only two double clears on the final
afternoon.
German riders dominated from the first of the three
qualifiers in Leipzig – the speed competition, which
Marco Kutscher with Cash won with 63.55 seconds,
followed by his compatriots, defending champion
Marcus Ehning and Christian Ahlmann, who took
second and third place respectively. In the second
qualifier, the withdrawal of Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah
Al Sharbatly reduced the field to 40 starters. Eric
Lamaze took the lead with a fabulous clear in 40.68, a
win that bounced him up to fifth spot, just six points
behind the leading pair – an ascent he continued to
master on the final day.
JUMPING
FINAL LEIPZIG
Highlights available as video on demand on
Reem Acra FEI World Cup™
Dressage
“The Reem Acra FEI World
Cup™ Dressage took place in a
perfect setting, with enough
space for everyone to give
their very best performances”
Trond Asmyr, FEI Director of Dressage
Adelinde Cornelissen (NED) and the magnificent
Jerich Parzival danced to victory to the strains of
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite in the Freestyle competition that closed the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™
Dressage Final. Denmark’s Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein and Digby finished second, while Germany’s
Ulla Salzgeber steered Herzruf’s Erbe into third place.
The 2010 title-winner Edward Gal (GER) finished
fourth with a great performance from Sisther de Jeu.
The top three mirrored those of the Grand Prix class
two days earlier, when a confident performance,
rewarded with a score of 80.957 put Adelinde
Cornelissen (NED) in first place, followed by Denmark’s
Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein with Digby (76.884;
3) and Germany’s Ulla Salzgeber riding Herzruf’s
Erbe (76.216 points). Defending champion Edward
Gal rode a tense Sisther de Jeu, with a disappointing
test score of 70.122.
The final saw 17 horse and rider combinations from
10 nations compete – three from the USA, The
Netherlands and Germany, two from
Sweden and one from Hungary, Finland, Poland, Belgium, Great Britain
and Denmark. Fifteen riders went
on to the Freestyle competition.
DRESSAGE
FINAL LEIPZIG
FOCUS 15
FEI World Cup™
DRIVING
“Once again the world’s best
indoor drivers came together
for a thrilling final; the combination of horses working
together in a team, driven by
superbly skilled horsemen
to produce thrilling and
spectacular driving sport.”
Ian Williams, FEI Director of Non-Olympic Sports.
16
Boyd Exell (AUS) successfully defended his FEI World
Cup™ Driving title in Leipzig’s thrilling final, speeding to victory in front of a wildly enthusiastic crowd
and becoming the second driver to score a hat-trick
of World Cup victories. Hungary’s Jozsef Dobrovitz
drove two brilliant rounds with his team of Lipizzaner horses and finished second, ahead of IJsbrand
Chardon (NED).
The FEI World Cup™ Driving Final was run over two
indoor competitions, which took place on 29 April
and 1 May. Seven drivers competed: Tomas Eriksson
(SWE), Koos de Ronde (NED), Werner Ulrich (SUI),
Christian Plücker (GER) and the triumphant trio, who,
after emerging from the first round on 1 May with the
highest number of points, qualified for the winning
round immediately afterwards.
Highlights available as video on demand on
“For the first time an indoor final that
provided the public with an opportunity
to witness the gymnastic movements of
athletes atop magnificent horses, all
choreographed to breathtaking musical
arrangements.”
Ian Williams, FEI Director of Non-Olympic Sports.
Switzerland’s Patrick Looser and Germany’s Simone Wiegele claimed the inaugural FEI World Cup™ Vaulting titles at the 2010/2011 FEI World Cup™ Finals, a
glittering Freestyle to Music showcase held over two days.
Looser’s fellow starters in the Men’s section were: Nicolas Andreani (FRA),
Viktor Brüsewitz (GER), Daniel Kaiser (GER); Lukas Klouda (CZE); Nikolaus Luschin
(AUT) and Yvan Nousse (FRA). Looser, 26, was under pressure, having finished
second to Nicolas Andreani from France in the first Freestyle competition. But
the reigning World Champion, who won three of the four qualifying rounds
over the winter months, produced a superb performance, which left Andreani
in second place and Germany’s Viktor Brusewitz in third.
In addition to the victorious Wiegele, contenders for the Female title were
her three compatriots, Pia Engelbury, Ines Jückstock and Antje Hill, Simone
Jäiser (SUI), Stefanie Kowald (AUT) and Anna Cavallaro (ITA). In the second
competition, Wiegele followed team-mate Hill into the arena in
Hall 1, which seemed to be much more to the liking of the
horses than the smaller ring used on the
first day. And although Hill’s routine was
dramatic and beautifully controlled, it was
Wiegele’s more complex display that settled
the destination of the very first Female World
Cup trophy.
Preview
FEI European
Championships 2011
European Championships for seniors in all the
FEI disciplines are being held in 2011. We take
a quick 360° look at the dates, venues, facts &
figures, and triumphant moments of the past
50 years of European Championships.
When and where
26 – 30 July FEI European Reining Championship for Seniors & Juniors
Wiener Neustadt (AUT)
16 – 21 August
FEI European Vaulting Championships for Seniors & Juniors Le Mans (FRA)
17 – 21 August
FEI European Dressage Championships
Rotterdam (NED)
25 – 28 August
HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships
Luhmühlen (GER)
01 – 04 September Open FEI European Driving Championships for Four-in-Hand Breda (NED)
01 – 04 September FEI European Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships
10 September FEI European Endurance Championships
13 – 18 September FEI European Jumping Championships
LIVE ON
Live coverage and highlights
Check out the FEI TV broadcasting schedule for all
the latest information on events broadcast live on
FEI TV.
18
Moorsele (BEL)
Florac (FRA)
Madrid (ESP)
Don’t miss a beat
Complete competition reports, updates, behind the
scenes information, facts and figures and more can
be found on www.fei.org as well as our dedicated
facebook, twitter and you tube pages.
13-18 September 2011
Madrid (SPAIN)
FEI European
Jumping
Championships
For the 31st edition of the FEI European Jumping
Championships, the event returns to Spain, 18
years after the Championships in Gijon, only this
time to be held at the Club de Campo Villa in
Madrid.
The FEI European Jumping Championships take
place every two years, in the middle of the
Olympic cycle and have been held since 1957,
with the introduction of team medals in 1975.
The venue
The Club de Campo Villa de Madrid (ESP) has been
host to an annual CSI for 100 years and will be temporarily replacing its usual grass in the main arena
with all-weather sand footing to ensure perfect going
for the Championship.
The current title holders
Team – Switzerland
Individual – Kevin Staut (FRA)
Olympic qualification
The 3 best ranked nations from Olympic Qualifying
Groups A & B at the 2011 FEI European Jumping
Championships (excluding the teams already qualified at WEG) will be qualified to take part with a team
consisting of 4 athletes & 4 horses or 3 athletes &
3 horses.
Great Horses of the European
Championships
DEISTER - An extraordinary horse with an extraordinary record. With Germany's Paul Schockemohle on
board this brilliant bay Hannoverian led won three
consecutive individual gold medals - in Munich,
Germany in 1981, Hickstead, England in 1983 and
Dinard, France in 1985. Bred by Hermann Hahl in
Osterbruch, Lower Saxony, Deister was by Diskant
out of Adlerklette by Adlerschild, stood 171cms high
and had the heart of a lion. Deister's European medal
LIVE coverage on
haul also included team gold at Munich in 1981, team
silver in Rotterdam in 1979, and team bronze at both
Hickstead in 1983 and Dinard in 1985. Despite his
incredibly active career the hardy Deister, who was
born in February 1971, lived to the ripe old age of 29.
MR SOFTEE - The closest challenger to Deister for
the title of Champion of the Europeans is the Irishbred Mr Softee - a three-time winner, but with two
different riders. Mr Softee enjoyed a hugely successful career with David Broome. However it was with
another Briton, David Barker, that the chestnut horse
with four white legs took the individual European title for the first time in London in 1962. This was then
followed up with David Broome’s victory in Rotterdam in 1967 and in Hickstead in 1969.
Broome once said that, like many other top horses,
Mr Softee had a big opinion of himself - "He thought
he was a king - and he was right!"
Believe it or not…
•
It was only in 1975 that women were
permitted to compete alongside men in
the European Jumping Championships, prior to this there had been the Ladies European Jumping Championships held from 1957-
1973.
•
Only 2 women have ever won the
FEI European Championships, France’s
Alexandra Ledermann in 1999 and
Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (GER)
in 2007.
•
Germany led the gold tally with 20
medals (14 individual & 6 team) double
the amount of runner up Great Britain on
10 (6 individual and 4 team).
FOCUS 19
17-21 August 2011
Rotterdam / Netherland
FEI European
dressage
Championships
Rotterdam gets set to host the 25th edition of the
FEI European Dressage Championships for the first
time and only the second time for the Netherlands
(Arnhem 1999).
The FEI European Dressage Championships take
place every two years, in the middle of the Olympic
cycle, and have been held since 1963.
The current title holders
Team – The Netherlands
Individual – Kür to Music:
Edward Gal (NED) & Moorlands Totilas
Individual – Grand Prix Special:
Adelinde Cornelissen (NED) & Jerich Parzival
LIVE coverage on
FEI European Championships in 1963 and 1965 riding
Wolfdiedtrich and competed in five consecutive editions of the Olympic Games – Helsinki 1952, Stockholm 1956, Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964, and Mexico
1968 – winning a total of five Olympic medals including Olympic champion in 1964.
Record breaking….
In 2009, the formidable partnership of The Netherlands' Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas smashed
the world Freestyle record before a packed house
with Windsor Castle standing proudly as a backdrop
when scoring 90.70% (including an unbelievable 29
perfect-10 scores) to win the Freestyle gold medal.
Believe it or not…
Olympic qualification
The 3 best ranked nations from Groups A, B & C at the
2011 FEI European Dressage Championships (excluding the teams already qualified at WEG) will be qualified to take part with a team consisting of 3 athletes
& 3 horses.
• Germany has won the European Dressage
Team Title on 21 occasions.
•
The greatest number of teams to participate
in European Dressage Championships is
14 - at Hickstead (GBR) in 2003 and again at
Hagen (GER) in 2005.
The wind of change
For 21 consecutive Championships, from 1965 to
2005 (no team title awarded in 1963) the Germans
held the European title, but the last two editions have
seen an upset to that tradition, with the Netherlands
clenching gold. In 2009, the Dutch domination was
particularly strong with five out of six individual medals awarded to Dutch riders, and the sixth going to
British rider Laura Bechtolsheimer.
•
Germany's Dr Reiner Klimke won three indi
vidual titles - at Aachen in 1967 riding Dux
and again in 1973 riding Mehmed, and at
Copenhagen in 1985 riding Ahlerich.
•
With Gigolo, Germany's Isabell Werth took
the individual title in 1995 and 1997 and
won the Grand Prix Special at Donaueschingen,
Germany in 1991 and at Lipica, Slovenia in
1993.
In memory of Henri Chammartin (SUI)
At the time of writing, a legend in the Dressage world,
Henri Chammartin (SUI) passed away at the age of
92. An Olympic and European Dressage champion,
Henri Chammartin won the first two editions of the
•
Anky van Grunsven has three wins to her
name – in 1999 with Bonfire followed by the
back to back wins with Salinero in 2005 and
2007.
20
1-4 September 2011
Moorsele / Belgium
FEI European
para-equestrian
dressage
Championships
These are the second FEI European Para-Equestrian
Dressage Championships to be held since ParaEquestrian joined the FEI Family in 2006. ParaEquestrian Dressage has been a regular fixture at
the Paralympic Games since 1996.
The first FEI European Para-Equestrian Dressage
Championships were held in southern Norwegian
town of Kristiansand in 2009 with a total of 78 athletes from 22 countries participating.
The current title holders
Team:
Great Britain
Grade Ia: Individual - Sophie Christiansen (GBR);
Freestyle - Emma Sheardown (GBR)
Grade Ib: Individual & Freestyle
Lee Pearson (GBR)
Club Quadrille
Moorsele has been host to a regular international
Para-Equestrian Dressage events for the past few
years, with the Club Quadrille as organiser. The Club
Quadrille was founded in 1981 by Anne Van Nested'Ieteren, Belgian Dressage Champion from 1977 until 1982, current President of the Belgian Paralympic
Committee and member of the FEI Para-Equestrian
committee. It is a unique sports club that works
with both able bodied and disabled athletes and is
active in the promotion and education of the sport.
As member of the honorary IPC Board, Her Royal
Highness (HRH) Princess Astrid of Belgium has been
a fervent supporter of the event, and has attended on
many occasions.
Grade II: Individual - Petra Van der Sande (NED);
Freestyle - Angelika Trabert (GER)
Grade III:Individual & Freestyle
Hannelore Brenner (GER)
Grade IV:Individual & Freestyle
Sophie Wells (GBR)
The mobility, strength and coordination of competitors are assessed and athletes with similar functional
ability profiles are grouped into competition grades
that range from Grade Ia for the most severely impaired to Grade IV for the least impaired. This means
that the competition within each Grade can be
judged on the skill of the individual competitors on
their horses, regardless of their disabilities.
Believe it or not…
•
Lee Pearson (GBR) has won every gold
medal within reach at Paralympic, World
and Continental level, and the Europeans
in 2009 were no different, with another
triple gold victory.
•
Great Britain also have the Midas touch
when it comes to team medals – and are the
current Paralympic, World and European
title holders.
• In 2009, Germany came closer than ever
to taking the gold medal from all-time
champion Great Britain.
FOCUS 21
25-28 August 2011
Luhmühlen / Germany
HSBC FEI European
eventing
Championships
A record number of fans are expected to attend the
HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships as they
return to Luhmühlen for the fifth time to mark the
30th edition of the Championships.
The FEI European Eventing Championships take
place every two years, in the middle of the Olympic
cycle, and have been held since 1953.
The current title holders
Team – Great Britain
Individual – Kristina Cook/Miners Frolic (GBR)
Olympic qualification
The 2 best ranked nations from Groups A, B & C at
the 2011 HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships (excluding the teams already qualified at WEG)
will be qualified to take part with a team consisting
of 3 athletes & 3 horses.
The venue
Luhmühlen, one of only six 4* events on the international Eventing calendar and part of the prestigious
HSBC FEI Classics™ series, will greet Europe’s best
athletes with a fresh look and feel this year following
extensive renovation to the existing infrastructures.
The recently renovated showground, includes three
Dressage and two Jumping arenas, a tribune able to
seat 850 spectators with spectacular views as well
as a newly designed entrance including six ticket box
facilities and fully catered trade stands. The showground also boasts an open air stage with space for
up to 15,000 spectators. “I am confident that the investment in the infrastructure will be of great benefit to
all involved whether you are a volunteer, a groom, an
athlete – both the horses and the riders - as well as for
the sponsors, guests, spectators and the fans. We are really looking forward to great competitions this year at
both the CCI4*/CIC3* in June and at the Europeans in
August and hope many will join us to witness this historic
moment.”
Julia Otto, Event Director Luhmühlen
22
LIVE coverage on
HSBC
HSBC has renewed their sponsorship for a further
three-year term as global sponsor of FEI Eventing to
include title sponsorships of the HSBC FEI European
Eventing Championships in both 2011 and 2013 and
the HSBC FEI Classics™ until the end of 2013.
Official Timepiece
Rolex, the leading name in luxury wrist watches, will
be the Official Timekeeper for the HSBC FEI European
Eventing Championships 2011.
Believe it or not…
•
Ginny Elliot (born Holgate), the only rider
to win three successive individual titles, and
Ian Stark hold the joint record for European
gold medals won – seven each, but Lucinda
Green still has the most medals (10).
•
Supreme Rock, ridden by Pippa Funnell
(GBR), is the only horse to win back-to-back
titles (in 1999 and 2001); he has four
European gold medals in total, equaling the
record of Kilbarry, The Poacher and Over To You, who won a record four consecutive European team golds (1999-2005).
• Princess Anne and Zara Phillips are the only mother-daughter combination to win
European titles (1971 and 2005).
•
Great Britain have held the European title for the past 8 consecutive Championships (since 1995)! And of the 29 editions to date (starting in 1953) the team have won a whopping 21.
1-4 September 2011
Breda / Netherland
FEI European
driving
Championships
for four-in-hand
In September, Breda Hippique in The Netherlands
will be host to the seventh edition of the FEI European Driving Championships for Four-in-Hand, not
held since 1981. This edition is open to both European and non-European drivers and will also count
as a qualifier for the indoor FEI World Cup™ Driving, which is held during the winter season. Only
competitors from Europe can claim the individual
and team medals.
The FEI European Driving Championships for Fourin-Hand were first held in 1971 in Budapest and
continued to be held every two years until 1981 at
which stage they were discontinued.
The current title holders
Team – Hungary
Individual – Györgyi Bardos (HUN)
Something in the water…
Hungary have won five out of six available team
European titles, and on the individual front, two
Hungarians stand out from the crowd: Imre Abony
– individual winner in 1971 and 1975 and Györgyi
Bardos, triple consecutive winner in 1977, 1979, 1981.
In the beginning…
The first European Championships took place in
Budapest in 1971 and moved on to Windsor in Great
Britain in 1973, Sopot in Poland in 1975, Donaueschingen in Germany in 1977 and in Haras du Pin in
France in 1979. The sixth and last edition took place
in 1981 in Zug, Switzerland.
The venue
Breda has hosted the only Nations competition
(CAIO) for Four-in-Hand horses in The Netherlands
for many years. In 1995, Breda hosted the first FEI
European Driving Championships for Four-in-Hand
ponies and in 2010 was host to the FEI World ParaEquestrian Driving Championships. Aside from the
four-in-hand teams, Breda will also host international
pony teams and national horse pairs at the event this
year.
Believe it or not…
• Hungary have won five out of six team gold
titles.
• Auguste Dubey from Switzerland was the
only non-Hungarian European Champion,
he won the Championships in 1973.
•
Prince Philip, FEI President from 1964-
1986, who celebrated his 90th birhtday
in June, is an avid fan of Driving and partici-
pated in six World and three European Championships.
Note: At the time of writing, the FEI European Driving
Championships for Four in Hand was pending approval
by the FEI Bureau.
FOCUS 23
10 September 2011
Florac / France
FEI European
endurance
Championships
The 14th edition of the FEI European Endurance
Championships return to Florac in France, twenty
five years after the inaugural event was held there.
The FEI European Endurance Championships first
took place in 1984 and were immediately followed
up by a second edition in 1985, and have since been
held every two years. They have always been open
to the world with two sets of medals presented –
open and European.
The current title holders
Team – Spain
Individual – Maria Alvarez Ponton & Nobby
Record Breaking
Current title holder, Maria Alvarez Ponton & super
horse Nobby is the first rider to hold European and
World titles at the same time. She will be looking to
confirm her stronghold on the sport following her
second consecutive World title with a second consecutive European title in Florac, a feat no rider has
managed to achieve at the Europeans to date.
The vet gate
Modern competitions consist of a number of sections known as ‘phases’. At the end of each phase,
there is a compulsory halt for veterinary inspection.
Each horse, which is thoroughly examined before it
is allowed to start the ride, must be presented for
inspection within a set time of reaching each vetgate.
The time spent at each vetgate prior to inspection by
the vets is counted as part of the overall competition
time and the aim is to determine whether the horse
is fit to continue the ride.
The Support Crew
A vital part of Endurance riding is the support crew.
Riders are assisted by a team of helpers who meet
them several times over the ride, bringing bottles
of water to pour over the horse to cool it down, as
well as a drink for the rider. Crews also have spare
equipment, in case something breaks down or needs
replacing.
Believe it or not…
• The French have the medal edge, with 6
individual and 4 team gold medals from
the 14 editions held.
•
Florac is the only venue to host the
European Championships twice (the first
edition in 1984 and the upcoming edition
in 2011).
• Endurance is the fastest growing FEI
discipline, from 2000 to 2010, the number
of international events have multiplied by 10!
24
Reem Acra Boutique 14 East 60th St New York, New York 10022 212.308.8760 www.reemacra.com
16-21 August 2011
Le Mans / France
FEI European
vaulting
Championships
Vaulting became an FEI discipline in 1983 and saw
its first FEI European Championship organised
just one year later, in the town of Ebreichsdorf in
Austria.
This 15th edition of the Championship – which also
includes the European Juniors competition, return
to France for the 4th time, but for the first time in
the world renowned venue of Le Mans, famous for
its 24 hour race.
The current title holders
Team – Austria
Individual male/longeur/horse
Nicolas Andreani (FRA)/Marina Joosten Dupon/
Idefix de Braize
Individual female/longeur/horse
Joanna Eccles (GBR)/John Eccles/WH Bentley
The wind of change
Germany and Switzerland have traditionally battled for the team title (Germany has 7 gold versus
Switzerland’s 5), but in 2009, Austria, who had come
second on four occasions since the inception of the
Championships in 1984, finally climbed onto the top
spot of the podium and claimed the title.
In terms of the individual performances, Germany
had the stronghold on the male category winning
11 out of 14 gold medals. But again in 2009, France,
the only other country to have ever beaten a German
male vaulter at the Europeans, made it to the top
spot of the podium for only the third time since the
Championships began.
26
Similarly with the female vaulters, it was an all
German domination until 2007, when Austria’s Sissi
Jarz claimed gold, followed by Joanna Eccles (GBR)
in 2009 – leaving Germany off the top step of the
podium entirely in 2009.
Great Britain – a vaulting nation…
Times have definitely changed from the Swiss/
German domination with current World and
European titles held by Great Britain’s Joanna Eccles.
She was the first British vaulter (male or female) to
claim a medal at the Europeans – let alone a gold
medal - and then went on to secure the world title in
Kentucky last year.
Believe it or not…
• The only country other than Germany and
Switzerland to have claimed a European
Vaulting title is Slovakia in 2005.
• Christoph Lensing (GER) holds the male
medal record – with three gold (1989, 1993
& 1995) as well as silver in 1991.
• Nadia Zülow and Silke Michelberger
(formerly Bernhard) with three gold medals
each.
26-30 July 2011
Wiener Neustadt / Austria
FEI European
reining
Championships
This is only the fifth edition of the European Reining
Championships since the discipline joined the FEI in
2000 and the first time they will be held in Austria.
The event also includes the FEI European Championships for Juniors and Young Riders – a formula
introduced in 2009 in Kreuth (GER) which proved
to be a multigenerational success.
The FEI European Reining Championships take
place every two years, and have been held since
2003.
The current title holders
Team – Germany
Individual – Nina Lill (GER) riding Lena Cielo Jewel
The Judging
Reining horses are judged individually. Each horse automatically begins the required pattern with a score
of 70. One or ½ points are given or taken away for
each manoeuvre. Credit is given for smoothness, finesse, attitude, quickness and authority. Controlled
speed in the pattern raises the level of difficulty and
makes the reining horse exciting to watch.
Believe it or not…
•
Italy and Germany are the only two nations
to have won gold medals – Germany has 3
team gold and 2 individual gold versus
Italy’s single team gold and two individual
gold.
• Germany’s Nina Lill, winner in 2009, was
the first woman to take the individual title
since the Championships began in 2003.
•
Olympic, World and European Dressage
Champion Anky Van Grunsven (NED)
competed at the Alltech FEI World Eques-
trian Games™ in 2010 in both Dressage and
… Reining.
•
13 nations were scheduled to attend the
Championship at the time of writing, the
largest participation by country ever
recorded for the Europeans. FOCUS 27
HSBC FEI Classics
TM
By Kate Green
A World class meeting
of Generations
The 2011 HSBC FEI Classics™ could not
have got off to a more epic start, with wins
at Badminton and Kentucky by two of the
sport’s most enduring personalities.
The 55-year-old New Zealander Mark Todd
rolled back the years to score a fourth
victory at the Gloucestershire venue, 31
years after his first attempt in 1980.
28
“Thirty-one years’ experience comes in handy sometimes,” joked the ever-relaxed Todd, who was a legend by the time he “retired” in 2000 with back-toback Olympic golds, five Burghley wins, two world
gold medals and three Badminton victories, one on
a horse he had never ridden before. “It is incredibly
special, though, right up there with the back-to-back
Olympic golds. When I came back to the sport (in
2008) it was to see if I could get back to top level.
It has always been my aim to win another big one.”
Live coverage and extensive highlights available on
Todd’s winning mount, the 10-year-old NZB Land
Vision, was a green horse for this level and he finished the Cross-Country phase tired, but his rider
kept his cool in an extraordinarily tight finish, in
which the price of one Jumping fence covered the
top 12 riders, any of whom could, with a bit of luck,
have won the Mitsubishi Motors Trophy. “In the end
it came down to horse-power, and I’ve obviously got
a good one here,” said Todd. “Charisma (his double
Olympic gold medallist) will always be the most
special horse, but this one
has no weak links.”
As is the nature of the sport,
Todd’s lead in the HSBC FEI
Classics™ didn’t last long – he came down to earth
with a bump the following weekend with a CrossCountry run-out on NZB Grass Valley, his ride at
the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event (USA), and 49year-old Mary King (GBR) stole the headlines with a record one-two on Kings Mistress and Fernhill Urco. It was King’s first CCI4*
victory for 11 years – she has won Badminton twice and
Burghley once – but she certainly smashed a few records with this one. She became the first rider to score a
one-two at Kentucky, the first in modern times to win
a CCI4* on a home-bred horse, and the oldest female
to win a CCI4*.
King, who has six team gold medals at World and
European level plus competed at five consecutive
Olympics, had the luxury of knowing she had already
won the event, on the inexperienced 10-year-old
Fernhill Urco, a horse bred in Portugal, by the time
she entered the arena on Kings Mistress, but she still
produced a second clear round. “I never dreamed
that I would be in this position and I’m enjoying the
moment,” said the ever-smiling King. “It was great
to have the feeling of having already won on Fernhill
Urco, but I still wanted desperately to go clear on
Kings Mistress, as it is so special to win on a horse
I bred myself.” It was also an all clear from Germany’s
Andreas Dibowski and Euroriding Butts Leon in order
to secure victory at the fourth leg of the HSBC FEI™
Classics™ in Luhmühlen presented by E.ON Avacon.
The resurgence of so much experienced talent makes
it harder for younger riders to work their way up the
leaderboard, but 29-year-old Sinead Halpin (USA)
had a spectacular CCI4* debut at Kentucky, finishing third and best of the home side in distinguished
company. This achievement earned her the HSBC
Training Bursary, worth US$1,000 towards training,
a prestigious and valuable award presented to the
rider who achieves the best result on completing a
CCI4* for the first time.
The bursary winner at
Badminton, Fiona Hobby
(GBR), 39, has had a rather
longer wait to complete
her first CCI4* – she was 26th on Roma ML – but
she has, in the meantime, produced two children,
had a career as a sports therapist and only switched
from Jumping to Eventing relatively recently. Hobby
has vowed to spend the money on dressage training: “Roma couldn’t believe it when she arrived in
the arena and saw all those people, but she was great
across country, really focussed. I’m delighted.”
For Germany’s Sandra Auffarth, Luhmühlen provided an outstanding CCI4* debut on Opgun Louvo,
a young horse she has produced herself, coming
second and picking up the HSBC Training Bursary
and the exciting prospect of a possible place in the
squad for the forthcoming HSBC FEI European Eventing Championship at Luhmühlen (25-28 August) at
which Germany, as host nation, will be entitled to
field 12 riders.
Last year’s HSBC Training Bursary winners include
Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch (CAN), who went on to win
a team silver medal at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™, Lauren Shannon (GBR), who finished 17th
at Badminton this year, and Giovanni Ugolotti (ITA),
who is furthering his career by basing himself in Britain for the season and having lessons with Mark Todd.
FOCUS 29
Why the long face ?
Viggo
Mortensen
The Danish-American actor,
poet, musician, photographer
and painter has been around
horses most of his life, from
riding Hasufel and Brego in
The Lord of the Rings trilogy
to early childhood memories
in Argentina, his passion for
floating as he describes it has
never wavered.
What is it about the horse that makes you a
horse lover?
We get along, generally. I respect their strength and
their personal space.
Your first riding experience – was it bliss or
terror?
Like floating, like being on a warm and floating
mountain. I remember being happy.
Do you think anyone can ride?
Yes. It is a question of allowing yourself to ride, of
allowing yourself to cooperate and not be in total
control. Children are more adept at figuring this out,
letting things happen without getting impatient
or scared, just as they are braver and less selfconscious about pronouncing new words or singing.
Anyone at any age or in any physical condition can
30
achieve a degree of success and satisfaction with
horses, even if it is just a question of touching them,
being near them.
If horses could talk, what would they be
saying?
You will know if you listen and watch them.
Is there a unique trait you look for in a horse
that you can’t find in people?
They are more patient and less apt to complain
about life’s setbacks and physical ailments than
most people. I admire a tough, smart horse, whatever its breed, age or size.
What would you miss most if you could no
longer go riding?
The companionship and the floating, perhaps
also the abandonment of usual daily worries that
relaxed riding requires.
What’s your usual riding outfit consist of?
Anything will do. Loose-fitting clothes and good,
comfortable boots are a plus, but not vital. I have
even ridden barefoot – naturally taking care to
avoid being stepped on when not on the horse but I do not recommend this to anyone. The most
important thing is to have a clear and focused mind,
to be THERE at all times when around horses, and
NOWHERE ELSE.
Sugar lumps or carrots?
I’ve been guilty of offering an occasional apple or
carrot, although it is best not to give horses anything
special unless treats are part of training them for
special tricks or stunts, a pursuit best left to experts
like master horse trainer Rex Peterson, whom I’ve
had the good fortune to work with and study quite
a bit. Treats spoil horses and do not keep the animal
focused on the task at hand.
What’s your favourite part of a horse?
The brain.
What do you think young people gain from
riding?
Self-confidence and an understanding of the value
of cooperation.
When did you first develop the bond with
the horse?
Two horses go out for dinner, what kind
of restaurant do they choose?
The first time I got on one as a little boy in Argentina.
You either develop a bond of some kind or you fall
off. Of course, you may even fall off if you develop
the bond, but you have to start (and restart!)
somewhere.
Late spring grass, near a slow-moving, clean river
with a gentle, firm shoreline, an hour before sundown, far from any people or other animals.
Did your friends ride?
My brothers also rode, and I have ridden with many
kinds of people over the years – some good and
patient with horses and some not. If I had not ridden as a boy I would probably have been wandering
around, fishing, imagining I was a cowboy or an
Indian or a Viking – which I did anyway.
Where in the world would you most like to
ride?
Most anywhere will do, but I have been extremely
lucky to have ridden in many wide-open, wild places
– deserts, grassy plains, mountains, by different seas
and rivers in Argentina, New Zealand, North Africa,
and North America.
If you could spend one afternoon riding with
a famous person (past or present)
who would it be and why?
I’ll give you 3: Oglala chief Tasunke Witko (Crazy
Horse), my ancestor William F. Cody, or any real
Gaucho from the province of Chaco, Argentina.
All time favourite horse film?
I have a subjective, soft spot for the stories and real
horses involved in the making of “Hidalgo” and the
2nd and 3rd installments of “The Lord Of The Rings”
trilogy, but I admire other “horse movies” as well.
The 1953 French movie “Crin-Blanc” (“White
Mane”), directed by Albert Lamorisse, is a personal
favourite.
The other side of...
© Christophe Bricot
Laurent Elias
32
After three years at the head of the
successful French Jumping team
with back to back FEI Nations
Cup™ titles and a silver medal at
the Alltech FEI World Equestrian
Games™, Laurent Elias is moving
on to new spheres with the French
Horse & Riding Institute, where
he will be training the riders of the
National Riding School in Saumur.
If I had not become
a professional rider,
I would have…
My biggest challenge
has always been…
made a career in a humanitarian organisation.
Horse riding is sometimes too trivial.
shyness. Horse riding has really helped me overcome it. Horses brought me on stage and there,
I had to meet people.
My priority in life is…
As a Chef d'Equipe…
to be able to look at myself in the mirror in the
morning, and make sure I am at peace with my
conscience.
My family…
keeps me grounded. My wife helped me a lot when
I was in charge of selections for France. She took
charge of my personal life and was the first person
I called when we got the medal in Lexington. I also
admire my parents for the values they passed on to
me.
there is no single defining achievement, it’s all about
the solidarity and the moments spent together
as a team. I’ll never forget the first time Penelope
Leprevost rode her mare Jubilée d’Ouilly in the FEI
Nations Cup™ of Rotterdam. McLain Ward had just
completed a real fast run with Sapphire. We thought
the Americans would win, but she did it faster, and
beat Sapphire.
I remember my first riding
experience…
aged six, we were shooting a family film and I was
on horseback. I finished upside down under my
horse for a long time. I stopped riding for one year.
I used to dream about…
safaris. One of my uncles was passionate about
safaris. Through him, I became very interested in
African trips and the jobs that allow you to travel
as a reporter were fascinating to me as well.
I have been thinking a lot
about…
what happened in Japan these past few months.
First, this tsunami that devastated everything
without warning, then the nuclear disaster.
It made me think that progress should not be
destructive.
My horse Guénour…
changed my life. I was just a coach, and he brought
me to the top. I won the national championship in
1981 with him.
Laurent Elias and the French team en route to the Alltech FEI World
Equestrian Games™. © PSV-Jean Morel
In terms of events…
Aachen is my favourite competition - for its wonderful organisation. But we have also pretty good
five star competitions in France.
I don’t sleep much…
probably because I am just happy to be alive!
I’m not scared to laugh or cry…
I laugh at the funny situations we sometimes find
ourselves in life and enjoy people with quirky
personalities. I cry when I see others in pain.
FOCUS 33
One day
Nicolas Thévenaz
Aged 23, studies Robotics and Autonomous Systems Micro Engineering in
Lausanne (SUI), alongside regular training and competition in Dressage and
Para-Equestrian Dressage events. Born with spastic diplegia, Nicolas was
introduced to horses via hippotherapy aged seven and quickly developed a
passion for riding which not only helped with his physical condition but also
taught him, through Dressage, the art of patience and perseverance.
34
He has been fortunate to meet the right people
(and horses) at the right time and has been working
for the past five years with trainer Vicky-Eileen
Baumann (pictured right) and her horses, Magic and
Lady (pictured right). “She’s bred them and knows
them inside out which is very useful when I have
to communicate with them - they know my voice
intonations and a whole string of specific words
or sounds – which really helps as my body can’t or
doesn’t always have the strength to do so.”
As a Grade II Para-Equestrian rider, Nicolas competes
in Para-Equestrian Dressage (PED) events as well
as national events for able bodied riders as there
are only a handful of PED riders and no events in
Switzerland.
Unable to attend the Alltech FEI World Equestrian
Games™ 2010 in Kentucky last year, Nicolas and
Vicky have their sights firmly set on the 2012 Paralympic Games and will be looking to qualify with
Lady over the next 12 months – alongside exams,
studies, and everything else life has to offer…
Who is your role model?
For different reasons, I have different role models: Edward Gal, Dane Rawlins, Isabel Werth and
Catherine Haddad.
When did you start riding and why?
How do you juggle studies and competition?
At age 7, I was sat on a horse for hippotherapy and
liked the complicity with the horse which made me
want to discover more.
I think it’s really important to have goals and to do
everything you can to achieve them and that includes
taking on challenges because if you don’t try then
you’ll never know what you could have achieved.
How do you feel when you ride?
Concentrated and industrious.
What is your proudest achievement to date?
Who is your biggest fan?
Participation in international events, together with
pursuing my studies.
My trainer’s mum.
Complete this sentence:
One day I would like to…
have gained enough knowledge to be able to take
care of and train my own horse.
What are your long term goals as a rider?
Continue to do my best, to enjoy what I do and
show others it’s possible.
How do you feel after winning?
Still working towards discovering the feeling!
What is the best advice anyone has ever
given you?
My trainer often repeats to me the famous saying by
General L’Hotte “Calme, en avant, droit” which says
so much about riding but can also be applied to so
many other aspects of life.
FOCUS 35
What advice would you give someone looking
to get involved in Para-Equestrian Dressage?
Train and ride with able-bodied athletes, as often as
possible. Being around and working with horses is so
rewarding. I’d like - when I’m retired - to write a book
to share these feelings with others and hope this will
inspire them to get involved.
Complete this sentence:
In the future I would like the sport to be...
even “cleaner” and fairer and, if possible, not more
but less demanding on the horses.
“Last but not least, I’d like to take the
opportunity of this article to reach
out to those who give me their trust
and help, be it with their time, their
friendship and any type of support.
Day after day to year after year,
team work is essential and I’ll do my
best to continue deserving everyone’s encouraging smiles.”
We
Webring
bringthe
theevent
event
to
to your
yourhome
home
European Broadcasting Union
European
Broadcasting
Union
Union
Européenne
de Radio-Télévision
Union
Européenne
Radio-Télévision
+41
(0)22
717 2111 de www.eurovision.net
+41 (0)22 717 2111
www.eurovision.net
© Kit Houghton/FEI
© Kit Houghton/FEI
Eurovision
Eurovision
FEI Awards 2011
Follow us on
Nominations for the FEI Awards opened in
May, enabling the global equestrian community to once again reward outstanding
dedication to horse sport in five categories
– Development, Best Groom, Against All
Odds, Rising Star and Best Athlete.
The search for the equestrian heroes of 2011
is now on: who will be flown to Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil to receive their awards ?
Where are they now? The FEI asked the
current title-holders for an update on
their activities.
38
Ebony Horse Club (GBR)
Winner of the Alltech FEI Development
Award 2010
The Ebony Horse Club announced in December 2010
that, after an eight-year fundraising effort, it had the
£1.4 million necessary for building an equestrian centre in one of London’s most deprived boroughs. Since
1996, Ebony has offered youngsters in an area reputed for its gang culture, high level of gun crime and
drug dealing the chance to ride and learn key social
skills. The club’s 50 members travel to riding schools
across London on public transport or in minibuses –
a logistical headache that the inner-city equestrian
centre will end. Construction work began in February.
Ebony Horse Club founder and director Ros Spearing told the FEI: “Riding lessons are continuing and the
club is preparing for the transition.” Building will finish
on 7 July but the centre will open for riding lessons in
October. “The horses will be brought to Brixton in the
summer and will have time to acclimatise to their new
environment,” Spearing said. The centre will include
stabling for nine horses, a small paddock and a floodlit riding arena, as well as a classroom for learning
about horses and equine management. Spearing is
adamant that club members – present and future –
care for their rides and wants the centre to serve as a
stepping stone to careers in the horse industry.
Ebony’s existence will continue to depend on the
generosity of donors. For more information, visit:
www.ebonyhorseclub.org.uk.
Michelle Tipper (GBR)
Winner of the FEI Best Groom Award 2010
Michelle Tipper has continued to juggle grooming
and study since receiving her FEI Award in November. She has organised the grooms for the British
European Junior and Young Dressage teams and, in
April, her contract as a travelling groom for British
Dressage riders Paul and Bobby Hayler took her to
Addington for the first of many international competitions she will work at this year. The Haylers have
eight horses competing and the number she works
with at each venue varies . Tipper has also been helping British Dressage riders Nicky and Richard Barrett
with yard duties. “I feel very lucky to work for both of
these families,” said the FEI Best Groom Award winner, adding that she feels part of the two families.
In March, Tipper graduated from university with a
Masters in Sport Psychology. She is now working
towards British Association of Sport and Exercise
Science accreditation, which requires at least 500
hours’ supervised work experience, and is presenting sport psychology workshops in conjunction with
the company Inside Performance Consulting Limited (www.inside-performance.com). The workshops
are organised internationally for people of all ages
from any sport. To find out more, contact Tipper at:
[email protected].
FOCUS 39
Angelika Trabert (GER)
Visit the recently
refreshed FEI Awards
website to find out
more about the
Awards, the past
winners, the judges
and to make your
nominations
by 31 July.
www.feiawards.org
Michelle Tipper – ©William Tzeng
Award winners – ©William Tzeng
Caroline Roffman – ©SharonPacker.com
Ebony Horse Club – ©Ebony Horse Club
Edward Gal and Totilas – ©Kit Houghton/FEI
Angelika Trabert – ©Julia Rau
40
Winner of the FEI Against All Odds Award 2010
German Para-Dressage rider Angelika Trabert has represented her country at four Paralympic Games and won some 15
medals at national, European and world championships. She is
currently seeking a new home for Londria, the mare that contributed to her Team Silver medal win at the Hong Kong Paralympics. Londria, who had a foal last year, was also Trabert’s
ride during her medal-winning performances at the European
Championships in Hungary (2005) and Norway (2009).
Trabert said her decision to let go of Londria was hard to make
but was necessary for financial reasons. She will keep the foal,
Finaud Coquin, and her mares, Walmorel and Ariva-Avanti.
Trabert won the Para-Dressage Grade 2 Freestyle Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ with Ariva,
and said the horse was “well and ready to go for the Europeans
again in Belgium in September if we qualify”. Trabert competed
in her first international competition of 2011 in May in Mannheim, Germany, where she came first in the Grade II individual and second in the freestyle. She is taking part in the
German Championships in June.
Away from the equestrian world, Trabert works as an anaesthetist and has participated in medical missions in the rural areas of Guinea for the organisation Mango . In January, she was
back in Guinea as part of team that carried out 100 operations
in 13 days.
www.angelika-trabert.de
Caroline Roffman (USA)
Winner of the HSBC FEI Rising Star
Award 2010
Success continues to smile on twenty-two-year-old
American Dressage rider Caroline Roffman. Since receiving the HSBC FEI Rising Star Award, she has enjoyed numerous wins at small tour and young horse
levels, achieving scores in the mid-eighties and qualifying two horses for the young horse championships.
Roffman is currently showing six horses and has won
several classes at PSG, and Grand Prix level. “But
nothing is as exciting as to be going to Aachen,” said
the young woman who has been described as the
American Dressage community’s brightest hope, explaining that, at the FEI Awards ceremony in Chinese
Taipei, Frank Kemperman, FEI Dressage Committee
Chair and Chairman of the Managing Board at CHIO
Aachen (GER), invited her to take part in the prestigious event. Roffman will be the first American to
compete in the Under 25 Grand Prix there and is hoping to take her horse Lux Stensvang.
An interview with Caroline Roffman at the Palm
Beach Dressage Derby CDI will be broadcast on the
magazine programme Equestrian World on FEI TV, the
FEI’s official online video platform, www.feitv.org.
Edward Gal and Totilas (NED)
Winners of the Reem Acra FEI Best Athlete
Award 2010
The world-famous partnership of Dutch Dressage
rider Edward Gal and the extraordinary Totilas ended
in style in 2010 with, notably, three gold medal wins
at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™.
The first foal sired by the superstar stallion was born
in January, followed by two more in the spring. Gal,
who has admired the foals, told the FEI: “You never
know – maybe in a few years’ time, I’ll have another
Totilas ready!” At the beginning of April he was busy
at home training nine horses and preparing for the
Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final in Leipzig
and the European Championships in Rotterdam. He
had not yet decided which horses he was going to
compete with but was particularly looking forward
to the Freestyle to Music. Asked what it was like to
compete without Totilas, Gal said: “Everybody expected Totilas to win. I find it easier to ride other horses
because nobody expects me to win and when I do, it’s
really nice.”
FOCUS 41
o
g l o be t r
tralia Sport
Equestrian Auswards
Achievement A
' in
est of the best
In May, the 'bort gathered to celEquestrian sp hievements of Australebrate the ac coaches, officials, vets,
ia’s athletes, s, owners, volunteers
administratory other people that
and the man time and enthusiasm
dedicate their sport. The ceremony
to equestrian the introduction of
also included ustralia’s Hall of
Equestrian A the legendary Bill
Fame, won by d Exell, winner of
Roycroft. Boyld CupTM Driving
the FEI Wor arded the internaFinal was aw hlete of the year
tional at
award.
tter
Seal of approval for the Adai horse
Sixty years have passed since an Adai horse
reportedly set a record galloping 354km in
one day... Today, the Adai horse, a breed native to Kazakhstan, is back in the spotlight
with a gold medal at the FEI Central Asian
Endurance Championship in Talgaearlier in
May only months after having been awarded official pedigree status following tests
conducted by a State Commission in the Mangistau Steppes which allowed itto compete
internationally. The horses are cherished for their hardiness, and Oyly, ridden by Altyngali
Bissemaganbetov (KAZ) proved just that when crossing the finishing line first, demonstrating
just how tough the Adai horses are and the beginning of a new era for sturdy breed on the
international stage.
Kevin Staut
becomes first athlete representative on FEI
executive board
Kevin Staut, one of France’s most successful Jumping
riders, became the first athlete to be appointed to the FEI
Executive Board for a three-year term. Staut (31), who
has held the number one spot in the Rolex Rankings for
Jumping since July 2010, has ridden on numerous Nations
Cup teams for France and claimed individual gold at the
Alltech FEI European Jumping Championships in 2009.
100th
anniversary for
Finnish riding
club
Olympic legend
ed 96.
Bill Roycroft passes away ag
in Australia, James William
A legend of Equestrian sport
as “Bill”, was one of Australwn
George Roycroft OBE, kno
of only five Australians to
ia’s greatest Olympians and one
tive Olympic Games (from
have competed in five consecu
Australia’s oldest medallist
1960 - 1976) as well as being
rs and 31 days. In May 2011,
and oldest competitor at 61 yea
Australia’s inaugural Hall
Bill was inducted in Equestrian
oldest living Olympian and
of Fame – he was Australia’s
husiasm for the sport with
ent
shared his dedication and
rke. (See a brief description
his sons, Barry, Wayne and Cla
mpic Games Memory Lane
of his exploits in the 1960 Oly
ed Australia’s reputation as
article page 9 which catapult
s in the world.)
one of the best Eventing team
One of the three founding member clubs of
the Finnish Equestrian
Federation, the Suomen
Kenttäratsastusseura-Finska
Fältrittklubbenon, celebrates
its 100th anniversary in 2011.
Magnus Rydman, former President of the
Finnish National Federation and President of the FEI from 1935 – 1946, was
one of the founders of the club. Another
of the founders of the oldest club in Finland, was the Eventing rider Colonel
Hans Olof von Essen, whose fifth place
at the Antwerpen Olympic Games remains the best Olympic equestrian result
the country has ever achieved.
webinfo@fei
FEI web wizard
Nicole Sigrist
has added a
new hub for th
e Press on ww
w.fei.org calle
FEI Press Kits
d
located in the
Media section
website. The Pr
of the
ess Kits zone,
which is also op
the general pu
en to
blic, is regularly
updated with
mation relatin
inforg to FEI series
and specific ev
with flip book
ents
s and downloa
da
ble PDFs, as w
as direct links
ell
to the Photo C
atalogue, the
Rankings and
Standings, the
Annual
Report, and m
ore.
of
Hula Carts
helped the lives
World Horse Welfare has greatly by presenting them
five Senegalese cart horse ownersl people, who depend on
with new Hula Carts. The loca livelihoods, were specially
their working horses for their ive the carts which have
selected by the charity to rece public in the UK.
been sponsored by members of the
loped to help the
The Hula Carts are specifically deve
difficult conditions.
en
oft
horses pulling heavy loads in
Follow us on
FOCUS 43
decidedly dominated by soccer – being 5 times
World Champion makes it a national passion!
But we are continuously looking to attract TV to
our events, as this is a huge step towards gaining
visibility and popularity.
Interview with the President of the
Brazilian Equestrian Federation,
Mr Luiz Roberto Giugni
The Brazilian Equestrian Federation has been a
member Federation of the FEI for 75 years, how
has the sport developed over that time?
We were facing regular growth (average of 25% in
the last decade) but in the last three to four years,
this rate has significantly increased up to 35% a
year. We believe that this is due to international
achievements (two Jumping Olympic team bronze
medals, the individual Olympic Jumping gold medal
won by Rodrigo Pessoa, several Pan Am Jumping
team gold medals, recent Olympic pre-qualification
in Kentucky (4th in the world in Jumping) and the
organisations of a Global Champions Tour event in
Brazil.
In terms of developing the sport, what are the
most successful projects you have undertaken
in recent years?
We decided to invest in education and have hired
international trainers for all the disciplines, such as
Jean Maurice Bonneau for Jumping; Nick Turner
for Eventing; Eric Lette for Dressage; Jean Louis
Leclerc for Endurance; Mattias Lang for Vaulting,
with the long term in mind, that is at least until
the end of 2012 and planning towards 2016, when
Rio will host the Olympic Games.
How popular is equestrian sport with young
people in Brazil and how do you compete with
some of the bigger sports for their attention?
Popularization is growing bit by bit in a country
44
Can you tell us about the programmes/initiatives
in place for disabled athletes?
We are actively pursuing this, and have achieved
really positive results in little time, such as the
great performances and medals earned at the Paralympic Games in Hong Kong in 2008. We do this
through clinics, courses, international exchanges
of athletes, and working alongside our National
Paralympic Committee to support us in our efforts.
Brazil will be host the FEI General Assembly at
the end of the year, what do you want all the
visiting delegates to remember from their visit?
That we are more than just a really beautiful and
warm country, with the ability and capacity to
organise great events and that we are committed to
putting on the best Olympic Games ever.
What are the main objectives/plans for the
Brazilian Federation in the lead up to the 2016
Olympic and Paralympic Games?
Our NOC is really committed to raising the bar of
all the sports to a level never seen before and we
are working towards that, in terms of our athletes,
our judges, our venues and everything that is
related to our sport and the quality of our sport.
In line with this objective, we are providing incentives to owners to buy good horses aiming for 2016,
and this is going to plan for now. We expect to
perform well at the upcoming Pan Am Games and
Olympics on our trail to 2016.
Is there anything else you would like to share
with us?
I would like to thank HRH Princess Haya, President
of the FEI, as well as the Executive Board for all
the support that we are getting, which has been
paramount to the development of equestrian sport
in our country.
Facts & figures
President: Luiz Roberto Giugni
Secretary General: Luiz Antonio Rocco
Member since 1935
15 members of staff work at the federation
20 regional federations are affiliated to
the Brazilian Equestrian Federation with over 300 member riding clubs
6, 000 affiliated riders
91 national events were held in 2010
31 international events were held in 2010
All the FEI disciplines are practiced in Brazil:
Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Vaulting, Reining, Endurance,
Driving & Para-Equestrian
14 breeding organisations
There are 5.8 million horses and ponies in Brazil,
making it the fourth largest equine population in the world!
FOCUS 45
A life in a day
Dr Gerit Matthesen
56, is a private equine practitioner, an FEI Vet and a member of the FEI
Veterinary Committee. He graduated in Veterinary Medicine from Berlin
University in 1983 and since 1989 has worked or officiated at some 180
competitions and championships, including the last two Olympics and FEI
World Equestrian Games™. He lives near Frankfurt with his wife Carola
and their sons, Mike (16) and Lars (14).
46
I wake up earlier than I need to – at around 6am
– because breakfast time with my family is sacred
to me and I can then drive my boys to the village
station to take the train to school. After two cups
of coffee (enough for the day) and a glass of orange
juice, I read the newspapers, then head to my practice offices in our indoor arena. I have a quick look
at our horses then start work.
While I listen to my phone messages I deal with
my emails and search the internet for news about
veterinary medicine and horse sport. I then start
planning the day´s schedule with Anna, my
assistant vet.
My mobile practice is in a nice, fairly rural area in
the north of Frankfurt. There are lots of horse farms
but it is not a classic breeding area like the northern
part of Germany. There are sport horses as well
as pleasure horses. I have examination rooms and
stables for horses staying or mares foaling in my
practice stables. It’s not a big clinic, which gives me
time to work at competitions.
“The combination of
my profession and being
involved in different
aspects of top equestrian
sport is my vision!”
I often do that over quiet weekends, when there are
no competitions. During the winter season, I am less
busy, but in summer a lot of weekends are taken
over by the competition schedule.
I love my work, especially in Eventing, which is my
favourite discipline. My wife and I practiced it – not
up to top level, but it was a fine time, despite a broken ankle from a fall in 1988, which, after 23 years,
is making walking more and more difficult for me.
I like to do my competition work on a friendly, but
strict basis and I really like to hear riders saying they
are treated fairly! Over the years, I have acquired a
lot of experience and met all the officials and riders.
After seeing a few small animals in my practice,
I normally start my field service at 9.30am. In my
car I have enough equipment (ultrasound, X-ray
systems and endoscopical devices) for the day’s
examinations and standing procedures. We mainly
have lameness examinations to do or internal
diseases to treat, accompanied by routine work like
vaccinations or carrying out pre-purchase or health
certificate examinations. If time allows, I go home
for a quick lunch, but that’s not every day.
Usually, when I return home in the late afternoon,
there are more small animals to see. When I’ve done
the day’s paperwork, I hope there will be no more
emergencies, such as cases of colic, which usually
occur in the early evening.
While I’m driving, I have time to think and I write
down everything that come to mind regarding
sport, competitions, committees and so on. You
have to write down your thoughts when you’re
over the age of 50!
The day finishes with the family and a nice cold
glass of German beer!
It is not easy planning my day because any emergency can destroy or delay my schedule. For all the
paperwork and certificates I need a time frame, so
I look forward to getting on my horse, which is
a beautiful show-jumper. I like to ride, but I’ve
stopped competing. I do dressage, jumping and go
out into the fields but it’s all just for fun now.
It’s a struggle to find time to spend with my family
and I often have to cancel my holidays with them.
I am really grateful to my wife and the boys for their
understanding of my job and to my assistant vet,
who covers for me when I´m out somewhere in the
world of equestrian sport.
FOCUS 47
Alltech Tips
Feeding to reduce stress
for the equine traveller
By Darlene Ricker
Executive editor of Alltech’s EQUINE INTERNATIONAL magazine
Pull your show attire from the closet, clean your
boots and tack, groom the horses, hook up and
pack the trailer, check the clock, double check to
make sure you have everything, put on the shipping
boots, load your horses... and away you drive to the
competition venue or to the airport for transport to
a distant event.
You know the drill well, but still you arrive tired, perhaps even a bit frazzled. You’ll sleep (or try to) the next
several nights in an unfamiliar bed or camp out in the
living quarters of your trailer. You awaken riveted on
the competition, playing out the day’s classes in your
mind, wondering how your rides will fare against others, praying that the weather will be cooperate and
trying to control your nerves, all the while knowing
that no matter how well you have prepared, many
factors are out of your control. You may even be in a
different time zone.
We go through a lot to compete our horses. But if you
think life on the road is stressful for you, think about
what it’s like for your horses. Your back may be a bit
sore from driving or being strapped into an airplane
seat for hours on end, but for horses transportation
is far more demanding. It is an athletic endeavour, requiring an expenditure of energy to maintain balance
during the constant movement of transport. When
your horses arrive, they face social isolation from
stablemates, lack of security in novel environments,
altered training regimes, water that tastes strange
and the confines of an unfamiliar stall. This routine
impacts a horse’s health and well being, with effects
48
continuing long after the
journey is over. During
transport, toxic gases
(such as ammonia or
carbon monoxide) can
cause damage to the lung
epithelium, precipitating
respiratory disease. The
final destination itself can also cause problems. Usually
horses are transported to environments where they
will be mixing with other horses. The mixing of horses
from different environments with different infectious
organisms and under stressful conditions further
precipitates susceptibility to disease.
This can have a severe impact on the equine gut.
The stress of transportation is known to increase gut
ulceration in the horse, a painful condition reducing
performance and causing colic-like symptoms. Stress
can also slow the flow of digesta and alter the normal
gut flora, resulting in digestive upset and possibly
diarrhoea or colic.
The effects of travel stress on the gut are compounded
by the typical diet of the regular equine traveller.
To maintain athletic ability, high performance
horses are often fed energy-charged diets containing increased levels of starchy materials such as
cereal grains. Unfortunately, this type of diet can
reduce beneficial types of gut flora and promote gut
acidity, further predisposing the horse to digestive
upsets and ulceration. It is not surprising that stressed,
tired horses may not fulfill their potential on arrival
Moorlands Totilas arrives for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ after air transport. © Dirk Caremans
and may be subject to health concerns in the days
following a long journey. Fortunately, however, you
can curb some of the effects of travel stress on the
horse’s gut by nutritional supplementation. Organic
yeast products used to supplement a horse’s diet can
support the normal gut flora, modifying the intestinal environment and improving the
horse’s digestion. One such culture
is Saccharomyces cerevisae in the
form of Yea-Sacc® 1026, Alltech’s
propriety organic yeast.
Experiments were conducted to
evaluate the effects Yea-Sacc on gut
flora and gut acidity. Horses were
fed either a high-starch or a high-fibre diet, both with
and without supplementation of Yea-Sacc® 1026.
Results indicated an excessive amount of starch in the
gut. The use of Yea-Sacc reduced acidity and stimulated the activity of fibre-digesting bacteria in the hindgut for both types of diet. The result was maximised
fibre digestibility and more efficient use of nutrients,
thus increasing the amount of energy available to the
horse for performance and counteracting digestive
upset. Salmonellosis is one of the more commonly diagnosed infectious causes of diarrhoea in horses. Many
cases develop after the stress of transport. The effects
of travel stress on the normal gut flora allow an over-
growth of opportunistic Salmonella spp., which are
present in the intestinal tract of many healthy horses.
These bacteria then attach to the gut lining via a
mannan sugar and penetrate it, causing damage
and resulting in diarrhoea. One method of preventing or minimising the attachment of these organisms to the gut lining is to provide
an adsorbant supplement. A form
of sugar found in the cell walls
of certain yeasts can do this. This
sugar compound is called mannan oligosaccharide or MOS.
MOS products, such as Alltech’s
Bio-Mos®, have been shown to reduce the colonization of Salmonella
spp. in the guts of certain species and augment the
immune response to Salmonella spp., potentially
conferring an enhanced ability to fight infection. Both
Yea-Sacc® 1026 and Bio-Mos are among the natural
products contained in Alltech’s LIFEFORCE TM equine
supplement, which many FEI competitors have
successfully incorporated into their daily feeding
regimen at home and on the road.
lifeforcehorse.com
FEI celebrates
NEW Headquarters
Over 250 guests attended
the inauguration ceremony
on Friday 6 May at HM King
Hussein I Building, which was
“The building we are
timed to coincide with the FEI
inaugurating today
Extraordinary General Assembly,
has been designed to
serve our wonderful
so that attending National
sport,” explained FEI
Federation representatives
President Princess Haya.
“I also feel an immense
could be a part of
sense of pride knowing that
the celebrations.
this building carries the name
HRH The Infanta
Doña Pilar de
Borbón, former
President of the
FEI (1994-2006),
also attended the
inauguration alongside HRH Princess Lalla
Amina, Chairperson of the
Royal Moroccan Federation for
Equestrian Sports and member of the
international Advisory Council of Special Olympics.
They were joined by International Olympic Committee members, representatives from other International Federations, federal and local Swiss authorities
as well as architects and designers that worked on
the project. Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs, a member of
the gold medal winning team at the inaugural Youth
Olympic Games in Singapore last year, accompanied
FEI President Princess Haya in officially opening the
FEI headquarters.
of my late father and hope that
this serves as a constant reminder
to all of us who work at the FEI of a unique
statesman, whose entire soul was devoted to the
service of his people. Our new headquarters will
play a key role for the FEI and our National Federations over the coming years. It will be the environment in which important discussions take place and
fundamental decisions are taken as we continue our
mission to advance the orderly growth of equestrian
sport worldwide, while ensuring that the welfare
of the horse and a level playing field remain at the
centre of all that we do”.
1 Youth Olympic Games team champion Martin Fuchs (SUI), FEI President HRH Princess Haya and her daughter HH Sheikha Al Jalila officially open
the FEI’s new home. 2 Gilbert Felli, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director and FEI Secretary General, Ingmar de Vos. 3 HRH The Infanta Doña Pilar
de Borbón sits down to an interactive quiz in the FEI Gallery. 4 Guests gathered in the atrium of the FEI Headquarters.
All images © Hugues Siegenthaler/FEI
50
Highlights available on
1
2
3
4
5
6
8
7
The FEI’s new headquarters, which were
donated to the Federation by FEI President HRH Princess Haya in 2007 following a personal fundraising effort, are
conveniently located close to the International Olympic Committee and other
international sports federations. It has
been written into the FEI Statutes that
the new FEI headquarters building will
always house the Federation’s offices.
In 2008, the building was thoroughly
renovated in accordance with the Swiss
MINERGIE® construction standard for
environmental responsibility, which reduces energy consumption by 25 per
cent. Only two per cent of renovated
buildings in Switzerland meet the high
Minergie standards.
Khuan Chew, founder and design principal of London-based architectural firm
KCA International Ltd, worked in close
collaboration with Swiss-based architect
Hervé de Rham and interior designer Siavosh Adeli (SUI) to transform the building, which was built in the 1960s. The
modern and sleek interior was further
enhanced with bespoke artworks produced by Swiss creative agency b+g &
partners and imagery by world-famous
equestrian art photographer Tim Flach,
where the simplicity and beauty of his
equine subjects seamlessly embrace and accentuate
the building’s pure lines and natural materials (see
image left).
As they feasted on the innate beauty of their surroundings, the guests also had the privilege to experience the culinary talents of organic chef and
specialist Gilles Wannaz and his team based in the
town of Cully, which sits on the edge of Lac Leman
in Switzerland’s famous Lavaux wine growing region.
5 HRH Princess Haya welcomes the guests to the Inauguration of the
HQ and the 90 year celebration of the FEI 6 Artwork by renowned photographer Tim Flach 7 An organic and colourful buffet presented on an
authentic lawn by local chef Gilles Wannaz 8 A life size horse sculpture
by Christophe Dumont greeted the guests upon their arrival
THE GALLERY
As well as housing offices for its 62 employees and
conference facilities for its 133 National Federations,
the new headquarters also has a state-of-the-art interactive gallery showcasing equestrian sport.
The Gallery is the brainchild of Dr. Amichai Alperovich, historian, former Secretary General of the Israeli Equestrian Federation and curator of the Israeli
Olympic Museum (opened in 2009). He worked hand
in hand with the Tel Aviv based company Disk-In Pro,
and interior designer Oded Alony to help bring the
content to life and the result is truly unique and
ground breaking. Giant glass surfaces act as interactive interfaces for the visitors to travel through time
FOCUS 53
and space with the latest in touch technology, revisiting the history of the FEI, the equestrian events at
Olympic & Paralympic Games, the FEI World Equestrian Games™, and information on all of the member
National Federations with statistics, videos, images
and text. The Gallery also includes projections on architectural surfaces designed by Oded Alony, referred
to as the Origami, as well as interactive stations, and
unique video projections on glass screens.
Why were you compelled to make it become
a reality?
For all those wishing to visit the FEI Gallery, simply
contact the FEI HQ to make an appointment and we
would be delighted to take you on a journey to discover or rediscover the human and equine athletes
whose talents have marked equestrian history and
inspired young riders, drivers and vaulters around the
world
I have learned a lot about the history of the FEI, the
strong Olympic tradition, the diversity of disciplines,
the gender equality, and the unique bond between
horse and man. One of the more fascinating topics,
was the evolution of the Dressage from its’ Olympic
debut to the modern Freestyle.
Interview with
Dr. Amichai Alperovich
When did you first dream up the FEI
Interactive Gallery?
When I found out the FEI was planning to move
into new HQ in 2009, Disk-In Pro and I approached
the FEI and presented them with several concepts
for the space. Before long, we had agreed on the
concept and we got to work.
54
So that the FEI, a prominent sports organisation,
could present itself to a growing audience in a new
and visionary way with the latest technology. And by
doing so, the FEI is a pioneer, becoming the first
International Federation to have a Gallery of this kind.
What did you learn when researching and
gathering content for the gallery?
It’s very innovative technology, what inspired
you to take such a leap into the future with
such a traditional sport?
Just as Dressage has evolved over the years, and
alongside the introduction of new disciplines, particularly Para-Equestrian, you come to realise that the
FEI is not as traditional as one would think. Actually,
this kind of innovative presentation of equestrian
history is really well suited to the FEI. In the same
way that you can have horse-man connections, there
is an audience-technology connection in the Gallery.
The audience have to be active in order to enjoy the
depth of information the Gallery contains.
Now that you have seen it unveiled to the
public, how would you like to see it evolve?
I hope the audience will be amazed from the design
by architect Oded Alony, and the new methods to
deliver information whilst discovering the long history of the FEI, the diversity and the global reach of
the organisation. I hope the Gallery will become an
icon in Lausanne and one of its highlights for visitors.
I promise the visitors a new platform to learn about
equestrianism, and each visit could be different as the
information and themes will be updated and modified regularly.
This futuristic gallery is a first for an
International Federation, do you think this
is something all sports should invest in?
The FEI took this courageous decision and now has
this fantastic tool to present the organisation in
new ways. Sport is a huge cultural phenomena.
We have learned to consume sport in the arenas
and stadiums, in the press, media and new media.
Now it is time to open the door to new places to
learn about sport – at the heart of sporting organisations themselves. The Gallery is more than an
informative tool, it brings people to the sport and
to the heart of its operations.
Established in 1990, Disk-In Pro specialises in the
planning, design, production and implementation of
Museums, Visitor Centres and sophisticated projects
around the world. This includes multi screen production; animation; 3D & interactive films; state-of-theart software platforms; and complex video displays
for an unforgettable experience.
Oded Alony holds a B.A. in Design from the Interior
Design Section of the Holon Technological Institute
and has, since 1998, worked with Israel’s leading
Architecture firms. The Oded Alony Studio embraces
holistic design: a space where interior design, lighting
and graphics are brought together to create a harmonious project vision.
Dr Amichai Alperovich
FOCUS 55
SOCIAL media
the new frontier
Follow us on
The FEI has recently embarked
on and embraced a whole new
way of talking with the greater
equestrian community through
the ever expanding social media
networks and platforms.
With personalised Facebook,
Twitter and You Tube pages,
the FEI is taking it step by step
and reaching out to this growing
audience and listening to what
they have to say.
This new communication platform is by no means a
substitution of the traditional communication pathways but works alongside the press releases, various
publications and content on www.fei.org and www.
feitv.org providing a new arena where the FEI can
share, interact and dialogue with fans of the sport
and of equestrian values in general.
We talk to Richard Johnson, Director of Corporate
Communications, about the FEI’s commitment to
social media.
What compelled the FEI to venture onto the
social media scene?
As a governing body with a vibrant and active community of National Federations as well as thousands
of fans, the need to reach out to the online social
community has never been stronger. We have been
watching the communities grow online for some
time and have been listening to their conversations,
so being a part of it was the next logical step and
a really important one. The conversations will happen with or without us, so taking that step has been
crucial in order to share our values and also build relationships with our fan base.
Tradition meets modernity – does equestrian
sport/the FEI have a place in social media?
Absolutely, even though equestrian sport has a long
history and is perceived as a traditional sport, it is
always evolving. In the 90 years of the FEI, which was
founded to govern the three Olympic disciplines, it
has grown to also oversee the disciplines of Driving,
Endurance, Vaulting, Reining and Para-Equestrian
sport. Or if you look at the early days when competitors were from military backgrounds and when women did not compete alongside men to the complete
gender equality we have today – a lot has changed
and is in a constant state of change.
The fans of equestrian sport are like any other fan
base, web savvy and eager for more information,
behind the scenes content and to share their opinions and thoughts – so it is an ideal partnership. And
from what we have seen these last few months and
from the feedback we got from our blog at the Youth
Olympic Games, there is a real appetite for this.
The FEI has dedicated Facebook, Twitter and
You Tube pages – why did you select these
social media platforms?
The figures speak for themselves… Facebook, Twitter and You Tube are the biggest players in the social
networking space. With over 500 million Facebook
users, 106 million Tweeters and 2 billion views a day
on You Tube, there has never been so much opportunity for exposure. Every site has different demographics with different habits and needs, so by having
an FEI presence on these three networks, we are able
to cover a lot of ground and cater to different audiences by providing different types of content according to the platform.
What are the main benefits of having a presence on various social media platforms?
It’s all about having a two way conversation – the
benefits of dialogue where you can share content
such as videos, images, facts and figures, thoughts
and values and then allow your fan base to react, to
get involved and to listen and learn from them. By
engaging with our audience and showing them that
we are a modern and caring organisation and that we
want to hear what they have to say then we are able
to build trust and ultimately credibility in what we
do and what we say.
FOCUS 57
It also keeps us alert as to what is being discussed and
debated in the public sphere so that we can manage
situations more effectively and be proactive in our
messaging and information, so that the facts are at
the heart of the debate and not interpretations of
them.
How do you generate content for social
media?
It was important when we launched our social media presence that it be manageable with the existing communications team in place – and so we have
concentrated on keeping it simple and effective and
using content innovatively. It’s not about reproducing our website – but to engage with our fans and
so often all you need is a good picture, an interesting fact or great achievement to get the ball rolling.
For You Tube, as we already have so much content
generated from FEI TV, it was simply a question of
using bits and pieces from that content to provide
the public with teasers from events, interviews with
winning riders or behind the scenes content which
they can then follow up on FEI TV with a subscription.
What are your Social media goals?
It’s really to build relationships and dialogue with
our fan base by using our content innovatively, by
listening to what they have to say and by engaging
with the community. And for the National Federations that have yet to take that step, we want to be a
guiding hand that can help them get started so that
they too can reap the benefits of social media networking. Our sport competes against other sports for
attention, so it’s really important that we, the FEI and
the National Federations keep our finger on the pulse
and cater to our fans.
How can National Federations get involved?
NFs wishing to find out more about Social Media can
contact me ([email protected]) and I would be
more than happy to discuss opportunities and ways
of getting started as well as our experience at the FEI.
58
We asked our Facebook followers
why it was important to use facebook and here are a few comments
they came up with:
It’s a great way to find out about shows
•
and competitions!
Because facebook can provide up to the
•
minute updates as to the what is going on
in the horse community.
We can share information and ideas over
•
long distances. We can find and connect
with people we wouldn't be able to
otherwise.
It also lets us express the true realities of
•
our spot to keep us grounded.
It can bring people's attention to
•
excellence – and expose the issues.
WATCH LIVE !
WATCH ONLINE !
www.feitv.org
The official video website of the Fédération Equestre Internationale
FEI TV is the FEI’s new official video website and your ticket to the world’s most
prestigious competitions. Sign-up to FEI TV (www.feitv.org) and get instant
access to all the live broadcasts, the extensive video-on-demand library, all the
highlights, the behind the scenes reports, the interviews and so much more.
Be at the heart of horsesport. Join us !
2823_1FEI_TV_Focus_165x226.indd 1
TV
17.05.10 11:24
A4
“Don’t accept drinks from
a stranger.”
Armchair travel journalist
8° N – Kerala, South India
Are you living a life without boundaries?
Some well-meant advice is best ignored, but it’s still good to
know you’re covered when you’re away. With HSBC Premier,
your family can be protected with both Travel Insurance and
dedicated assistance when you’re abroad. Which is reassuring
to know when you’re making the most of life.
HSBC Premier is subject to financial eligibility criteria and
is available in over 40 countries and territories.
Premier Travel Insurance covers you and your partner up to
age 70, and your children travelling with you up to age 18.
www.hsbcpremier.com
Issued by HSBC Holdings plc. Approved for use in UK by HSBC Bank plc. Premier Travel Insurance is provided by Aviva Insurance UK Limited. Customer Information Service: PO Box 757,
Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 4SS. Registered in England number 14259. Registered Office: 8 Canada Square, London E14 5HQ.
AC18770