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Suspense and pure grit were on display tonight as Great Britain claimed the Tokyo 2020 Para Dressage Team gold medal, continuing their seemingly unbreakable hold on the title which started in Atlanta 1996. The trio of Sir Lee Pearson (Grade II), Natasha Baker (Grade III) and Sophie Wells (Grade V) scored 229.905 to finish just 0.656 ahead of The Netherlands’ 229.249. And in another momentous shift in the sport, USA took the bronze medal with 224.352, making this their first Paralympic Team podium finish, and the first time the podium hasn’t been made up of all European teams!
How it works
There are three athletes per team. Each Grade competes separately in its own Team Test, with each horse and athlete combination performing a series of pre-determined movements, which differ by Grade. The combined results of each of the teams’ three athletes determine the overall score and the team with the most points wins gold. The competition was run over two days, starting with the athletes from Grades I, II and III performing on Saturday, leaving Grades IV and V to seal the deal today.
Here’s how the day unfolded
At the beginning of the day, the competition was shaping up to be a showdown between the three podium winners, with Great Britain having the slight advantage over the USA, with both countries having two tests already completed.
The Grade V Team test was won by Belgium’s Michele George on Best of 8. She scored 77.047% to put her country into medal contention too.
A crucial score of 75.651% for Sophie Wells (GBR) proved to be a massive boost for her country’s chances of winning, while Frank Hosmar (GBR) on Alphaville N.O.P. posted 74.814% to keep things neck and neck between the two countries.
At the start of the Grade IV Team Test, the British had completed all their rides, leaving the USA and The Netherlands with the knowledge of how much their last two athletes would have to score to beat them.
First up was Kate Shoemaker (USA) on Solitaer 40. She scored 71.825% to put the USA in silver medal position.
Sanne Voets then entered the arena on Demantur N.O.P. and knew she needed to score 78.136% to beat Great Britain. Four minutes later she left, and her score was announced, a massive personal best of 78.200%. However, between the calculation of what was needed to win, and Sanne’s test, Sophie Wells’ score was confirmed slightly higher than the provisional score given earlier, thus handing Great Britain the closest of wins. It could not have been any closer, it could not have been more historic.
Speaking after their medal ceremony, Natasha Baker tried to sum up how the team felt. “I don’t think any of us expected that in a million, trillion, gazillion years to be honest. We’re all so immensely proud of everything our horses have done in the last few days.”
“We had no expectation that we could achieve that” Sophie Wells added. “We genuinely thought it was impossible in the most realistic way. We all had horses that have never done this or been against anyone else. The Dutch are so strong and secure on their horses and we’re not.”
“We haven’t even got any championship horses on this team,” said Lee Pearson.
Team Leader Georgia Sharples paid tribute to the team saying: “I just think these guys are undefeated Paralympic champions but in a whole new context. You’ve heard about the inexperienced horsepower, but never underestimate these guys and what a job they did out there on that field of play.”
The Netherlands were equally enthused by their silver, and the closeness of the competition.
“We’ve been working towards this for five years,” said Sanne Voets, “and this is where you want to perform at your best and, if you can succeed at that you can’t be disappointed.
“There was so much pressure. When we saw the order to go and I realised I was the last rider of the three countries who were expected to win I knew I would know the score needed for team gold.”
And despite coming into the Games as hot favourites for the title, there was delight and relief with bronze for the USA as well, especially Rebecca Hart, who has competed at four Games now.
“I don’t have words right now, she said. It was such an amazing competition and so close. A real nail-biter to the very end. I am so incredibly blessed and happy to be standing here with these two amazing riders. To finally, after so many years, be able to stand on that podium as a country, it’s a lifelong dream come true.”
After the drama of the Team competition, the Para Dressage competition at Tokyo 2020 comes to an end tomorrow, when the top eight individual riders in each Grade take to the arena to dance in the ever-popular Freestyle competition. The five medals will come thick and fast in what will doubtless be another fascinating, exciting and potentially historic end to a brilliant Paralympic Games for Para Dressage.
Equestrian Dressage and Para Dressage are considered the most artistic of the equestrian sports. But it is in the Freestyle tests, which are specially choreographed for each horse and performed to music, that the horse and athlete have a real opportunity to come into their own.
No one knows this better than Dutch Para Dressage star Sanne Voets, who took individual gold here in Tokyo on Thursday.
“When the horse, rider and music all come together in a perfect fit, that’s when the magic happens,” Voets said.
“It all starts with your choreography. And the first ingredient of good choreography is to know your horse very well, to know what your strong exercises are and what you are good at. Top sport is all about standing out and having the audacity to show the world what you’ve got. The Freestyle gives equestrian Dressage and Para Dressage athletes that opportunity.”
And Voets is not afraid to make a statement with her original Freestyle choreographies or her unconventional choice of music. Prior to the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, Voets worked with critically acclaimed Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren for a chance to perform to his song “This is What it Feels Like”. Together with her horse Demantur, Voets brought home the only equestrian gold for the Netherlands.
“The music adds an extra dimension to the choreography,” Voets explained. “You want to enter that arena feeling your very best. You want to feel focused. You want to feel strong and confident and that feeling can be affected by the music you choose.”
The 33-year-old is now going for more gold at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo alongside her horse Demantur RS2 N.O.P., affectionaly known as “Demmi”, with a new Freestyle routine, developed in collaboration with top Dutch freestyle producer Joost Peters, and one of the Netherlands’ most popular bands, HAEVN. Founded in 2015 by singer-songwriter Marijn van der Meer and film soundtrack composer Jorrit Kleijnen, HAEVN’s music has a unique sound that Voets believes will allow her make her mark.
“HAEVN compose cinematic music that has a distinctive sound with their piano, string and electronic sounds. The singer Marijn has a clear and warm voice and this really makes the sound of the band unique. I first heard them when I was in my car and the lyrics touched me deeply,” Voets said.
“Where the heart is, is a song about chasing a dream, paving your own path and taking a leap of faith. I chose it because I see myself so much in this song. I also try to follow my own path by doing what I feel is best, even when it is not the generally accepted way. There is always some doubt: Do I dare to be different? Is this the right choice? Am I good enough? This song tells me to have faith.”
Voets, who was born with a condition which weakens her legs and affects her other joints, holds Team, Individual and Freestyle gold medals at European and World level. She won gold in the Grade IV Individual Freestyle on the opening day of the Para Equestrian events, and is hoping to achieve a ‘triple-triple’ of golds in Tokyo.
“The relationship between the horse and athlete is essential for success. You cannot perform or act like you have harmony when that relationship is not there. Demmi has quite a personality and we have a deep connection. He is so special to me. He always reminds me of what really matters and is the reason I’m encouraged to go after my dream, to never let anything or anyone stop me, and also to do good. I heard someone say a few years ago that a good Freestyle is like a movie. It should tell a story. It should tell your story. And that is what this HAEVN-Freestyle really does.”
If there’s anyone who knows how to find that perfect fit and bring music, athlete and horse together into a breathtaking Freestyle routine, it is British composer and producer Tom Hunt.
Based in London, Hunt is the man behind Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester’s Freestyle music, and composed the music for Dujardin’s bronze medal Freestyle at the Tokyo Olympic Games. He also worked with Great Britain’s Natasha Baker and Singapore’s Laurentia Tan on their routines for the Tokyo Paralympics.
“Usually the process begins with a discussion with the athlete where we talk about the Freestyle and about preferences they might have,” Hunt explained.
“If the athlete is passionate about creating a really good Freestyle, then that feeds into how I work with them. Some athletes are very hands-on at every stage and are really passionate about getting every detail absolutely perfect.
“Before I even begin creating the demo, I need to see how big the horse is, what its paces are like and how expressive it is. Then I look at the floor plan and how it has been crafted, so I can emphasise the strengths of the horse and have the music highlight those sections of the choreography. It is important to build on the dynamics of the music in order to really show off the horse’s paces.
“When creating Freestyle music it is important to figure out how to fit the music to what the athlete aims to do and the story they want to tell, and to make the style work for them and the horse.”
However, when composing the music for Laurentia Tan, Hunt has had to take into account input from a number of different people. Tan, who is currently ranked number four in the world for her Grade in Para Dressage, is profoundly deaf.
“With Laurentia we’ve been working, not just with a whole team of people who tell her what the music sounds like, but also with technology so she can feel the music,” Hunt said.
“The SUBPAC is a piece of technology that she wears like a back pack and it feedbacks all the low frequencies of the music so she can feel its pull when she’s riding. The creation of Laurentia’s Freestyle music for Tokyo has been a longer processes than others, and not something we could have done quickly. So it has been good to have had the time to work with her over the past year.”
While the Freestyle Test is where the Para Dressage athletes can really show off their musical tastes and artistry, they are also free to choose the background music for their Team Tests. Any style of music can be used in a Team Test and, as it is considered background music, it does not affect an athlete’s score.
The Tokyo 2020 Para Dressage Individual Freestyle Tests across all five Grades will take place on Monday, 30 August 2021 at the Baji Koen Equestrian Park.
Photo credit: FEI/Liz Gregg
With day one of the Para Dressage Team competition complete, the Tokyo 2020 medal winners remain impossible to call.
On current standings any combination of The Netherlands, Great Britain, USA, Belgium and Denmark could take a place on the podium, and in any order.
All Team riders from Canada and Singapore have now competed, leaving Canada at the top of the leader board with a combined score of 211.699, ahead of Singapore with 200.792.
How it works
There are three athletes per team. Each Grade competes separately in its own Team Test, with each horse and athlete combination performing a series of pre-determined movements, which differ by Grade. Today, it was the turn for the athletes in Grades I, II and III to execute the Team Test, and tomorrow Grades IV and V will be in the arena to seal the deal. The combined results of each of the teams’ three athletes will determine the overall score and the team with the most points wins gold.
Great Britain’s best start
The day started well for Sir Lee Pearson (GBR) who won the Grade II Team Test on Breezer with 77.636%.
“I am over the moon with that lovely score. Breezer doesn’t like the Olympic arena and he was quite frightened in there. He’s a sensitive soul, but I’m so proud of him because I held his hand and he trusted me and I could be sitting here with a different story.
“He’s sensitive, but that sensitivity when it’s on side, makes him fabulous.”
Pepo Puch (AUT) came second in the Test on Sailor’s Blue with 74.909%, while Katrine Kristensen (DEN) earned her team a valuable 72.515% on Welldone Dallas.
Roxanne throws down an 80 plus challenge
Roxanne Trunnell (USA) lay down the day’s only 80 plus score in the Grade I Team Test, riding Dolton to 80.321%. The noise of fire engines attending a nearby incident added pressure during her Test, but the pair rose above it to perform calmly and brilliantly.
Second place went to Sara Morganti (ITA) with an impressive 79.286% on Royal Delight, ahead of Michael Murphy (IRL) on Cleverboy, with 75.179%. That last result was especially pleasing for the young Irish rider, coming the day after he suffered an equipment failure in the Grade I Individual Test which left him in last place.
“He felt brilliant again,” Roxanne said after her Test. “He was a little tense but we worked through it.”
Referring to the disturbance outside she added, “That’s what made him tense up a little. I don’t think you can prepare. It just happens and you go with it.
“It means a lot to ride for the USA after such a weird year. Everyone is going to remember this Paralympics.”
Baker builds as Thorning Jorgensen leads
Tobias Thorning Jorgensen (DEN) gave his country a real shot at a medal with a stunning 79.559% in the Grade III Team Test, on Jolene Hill.
But also building her team’s score was Natasha Baker (GBR) who posted 76.618% on Keystone Dawn Chorus, just ahead of Rixt van der Horst (NED) on Findsley N.O.P. with 76.235%.
“It was intense today,” said Tobias. “I’ve done something today, so I have a little bit of pain, so that was just Jolene carrying me around. I’m very grateful to her, she went even better than yesterday.
“This is a great start and I hope we can be a medal contender or at least be there so if anyone makes a mistake, we can take it. I just love the Team competition because we go down here as a family and be there for each other.”
How things stand, and what happens next.
Based on the scores at this halfway point in the competition, the gold medal is still up for grabs between the USA, Great Britain, and The Netherlands. However, strong performances from the two Danish riders today, and with Belgium’s two remaining riders still to go, mean those two countries could still snatch a medal.
It all comes down to tomorrow’s Grade IV and V Tests. As the Grade V athletes go first, all eyes will be on Kate Shoemaker (USA) who will determine her team’s final score as well as on Frank Hosmar (NED), who will want to build on his teammate Rixt’s performance today.
Individual Grade IV bronze medallist Manon Claeys (BEL) and Grade V Individual Test gold medallist Michele George (BEL) will complete Belgium’s competition, while Grade V Individual Test silver medallist Sophie Wells (GBR) could produce her country’s winning score.
But in a dramatic finish, Grade IV Individual Test gold medallist Sanne Voets (NED) could find herself riding to seal victory for her country. As the last of the likely winners to ride, she will have a good idea of the score needed to get the gold. Adding to the pressure, is her chance of becoming only the third Para Dressage athlete to secure the triple, triple of consecutive European, World and Paralympic gold medals.
Sanne insists that she doesn’t play the numbers game, but her fans and followers of Para Dressage will know that this will be one of the highest stakes ride she will ever perform.
Results here
The second day of Para Dressage competition at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games saw the remaining two Grades, I and III, battle for the Individual Test titles and the important qualification slots for the upcoming Freestyle To Music test.
A twist of fate would have it that both victors were new to the top spot of the Paralympic podium, a feat which is easier said than done, given the longevity of some Para Equestrian careers and the experienced athletes they faced in the impressive Baji Koen arena today.
Roxanne rocks in Tokyo classic
An imperious performance from Roxanne Trunnell (USA) secured her first ever Para Dressage global title at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games today. Currently World No.1 across all five Grades, Roxanne won the Grade I Individual Test with a massive score of 81.464% with her mount, Dolton.
The silver medal went to Rihards Snikus (LAT), a keen DJ known as DJ Richy Rich to his friends, who was first into the arena and laid down a challenging score of 80.179% on King of the Dance. Reigning FEI World Equestrian GamesTM champion Sara Morganti (ITA), took bronze on Royal Delight with 76.964%. It is a medal that is especially sweet for her, as her horse failed the vet inspection at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
Speaking after her Test and medal ceremony, Roxanne said, “Dolton felt like he was really with me and was really a good boy. He surprised me with how calm he has been. It’s been wonderful at the Games. Everyone is so nice and helpful.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg for Dolton. He’s so young and he’ll be able to do so much more. It means a lot to me as well. It was very nice up there. We had our own little group of people that looked happy.”
As the World No. 1, Roxanne holds two World Records for the highest scores in a Freestyle Test (89.522%) and in Grade I Team Test (84.702%). Roxanne came to these Games with huge expectations placed on her shoulders. She remained, however, unfazed. “I don’t think about pressure – that’s all just noise to me,” she added. “It’s just me and Dolton doing our own thing. He is loving all the attention, it’s fun. He’s a goofy young horse, he’s temperamental but also easy to get along with.”
Tobias has golden debut
As debut Games go, it’s fair to say that Tobias Thorning Jorgensen (DEN) is having a good one. In his first ever ride in a Paralympic Games arena, he won the Grade III Individual Test with a score of 78.971%, on Jolene Hill.
In doing so, he dethroned two-time Grade III Paralympic Champion, Natasha Baker (GBR), who came second on Keystone Dawn Chorus, with 76.265%. Bronze went to current World Champion Rixt van der Horst (NED) on Findsley N.O.P. with 75.765%.
“It was amazing, it really was,” Tobias said, beaming after his test.
“I was so focussed all the ride but on the last turn I just had this feeling it was great. I was so happy I just smiled.
“I knew that Rixt and Natasha would be my biggest opponents and are always coming to take the medals but I also knew that, if I find my best, I could take the medal. I knew I had to do that.
“Jolene is a mare. If I don’t ask her first she just gives me the finger and says ‘You can do something else’. In my warm-up I ask her ‘Is this OK?’ and then in the arena she is there for me. If I ask her correctly, she will go through fire for me.”
Dream teams and teams of dreams up next
Tomorrow sees the start of the Team competition – run over two days – and is likely to be one of the closest in the history of Para Dressage at the Paralympic Games. USA as World No. 1 will want the gold to seal their meteoric rise, while Great Britain and The Netherlands will be working hard to deny them that.
Following the second day of competition and the completion of the Individual Test, Great Britain still tops the leaderboard, adding a silver to their tally today with one gold, two silver, and a bronze, followed by the Netherlands, Belgium, USA and Denmark, who have picked up a gold medal over the past two days.
All results here
The unique bond between a horse and human, as well as the refined communication between the two, are important factors for success in elite equestrian sports. But what does this mean exactly for Para Dressage athletes competing at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games?
While able-bodied Dressage athletes use a combination of hand, leg, and weight signals to communicate with their horses, some Para Dressage athletes require the use of compensating aids to make up for the physical or sensory limitation resulting from their disabilities.
“Walking the way that I do is normal for me and so when I learned to ride, I also learnt in a way that was normal for me,” five time Paralympic gold medallist Natasha Baker (GBR) said.
“As I have minimal feeling from my hips down, my legs just hang when I'm on a horse, and they naturally follow the movement of the horse. When you see my legs moving, that's not me. It’s a completely involuntary movement.
“This is the reason why I have to train my horses to different aids and am reliant on my voice. I train my horses to the smallest of noises or words so they know exactly what I'm asking. It can be a simple sound so they know that I want to go more forward or a command like ‘trot’ under my voice, and they know exactly what I mean.”
While there is a broad range of movement that is standard for able-bodied Dressage athletes, Para Equestrians have to find and develop their own style of communication with their horse in order to compensate for their unique disabilities.
Where necessary, athletes are allowed to use a variety of special equipment and aids which include specially designed saddles that assist the athlete with balance and support. Also permitted are the use of elastic bands to keep feet in stirrups, whips in each hand and adapted reins.
In the case of Laurentia Tan from Singapore who developed cerebral palsy and profound deafness after birth, she relies on people to tell her when the music begins and ends and has a greater dependency on feeling in order to communicate with her horse.
“I can ride different horses but I must have my own customised looped reins, which are important partly because they are customised to the way I hold them,” Tan explained.
“But the reins, which are the connection between my hands and the horse’s mouth, are like a telephone line which make my conversation with my horse soft, steady and ‘elastic’. This contact is different depending on the horse I ride and is absolutely essential for me to bring out their best performance.
“I am also sensitive to the feeling through my seat which facilitates the conversation between me and my horse. I can execute a good square halt through my seat. I can feel when my horse does a perfect straight square halt under me and when to give a correction if one leg is out of place.”
As other Para Dressage athletes will attest, learning to interpret their horses’ body language is one of the keys to a successful sporting relationship. But training a horse to adapt and respond to the use of compensating aids also plays an important role in the development of the horse and athlete connection.
“Before a horse is ridden by a Para Athlete, it is first trained by an able-bodied rider with classic training aids and then retrained to adapt to the athlete’s disability,” Team USA’s Head of Para Equestrian Coach Development and High Performance Michel Assouline explained.
“The horse is trained to what the person does not have. So if an athlete does not have the full use their legs for example, the horse will be trained to receive cues and signals with a series of taps given through a compensating aid, instead of the legs. An athlete can also learn to use their voice and seat to communicate with their horse.
“For athletes who are unable to use their legs, a tap becomes like a conductor’s baton, which signals to the horse when they should move.
“An able-bodied trainer will usually begin this process and will train the horse by not using their legs, but with the tapping. So by the time the athlete takes over, the horse is already aware of what these cues represent. On average it takes around six months to a year for the horse to be truly confident and trustworthy.”
The FEI Para Equestrian Committee was created in April 2006 to ensure that the needs and requirements of Para Equestrians are well represented in the work of the International Federation.
“As living beings with thoughts and feelings of their own, horses are extremely sensitive to the specific needs of an athlete’s disability, and are highly perceptive to verbal and non-verbal cues,” Chair of the FEI Para Equestrian Committee Amanda Bond said.
“While horses have a natural ability to adapt, and seem to have a sixth sense for knowing what is required of them, it is the compensating aids which allow a Para Equestrian athlete to effectively communicate with their horse.
“The FEI Para Dressage rules have been established to ensure that athletes have the equipment they require to compete on a level playing field, while keeping competition fair and safe. These are important principles to abide by if we are to ensure the continued growth and development of Para Equestrian sport.”
(Photo credit: FEI/Liz Gregg)
They came, they saw, they conquered. Some of the world’s most experienced and decorated Para Dressage athletes took to the stunning Baji Koen arena today for the first competitions and medals of the Equestrian Events at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Emotions were running high, as were temperatures, but everyone kept their cool for the first individual medals up for grabs in Grades II, IV and V – and the all-important qualification for the top eight ranked athletes in each Grade earning their spot in the Individual Freestyle to Music test which takes place on Monday 30 August.
Sir Lee Pearson, the world’s most decorated equestrian Paralympian, does it again…
In an emotion packed first day of competition, Sir Lee Pearson (GBR) collected his 12th Paralympic gold medal at his sixth Paralympic appearance since 2000 at the Baji Koen Equestrian Park, winning the Grade II Individual Test.
Lee rode his home-reared Breezer to the title with a score of 76.265% to finish ahead of Pepo Puch (AUT), who rode Sailor's Blue to score 73.441%. These two highly experienced athletes are used to tussling for the top spot, with Pepo claiming Individual gold in Rio ahead of Pearson and vice versa for the Freestyle medals.
Georgia Wilson (GBR) picked up a fairy tale of a bronze medal on Sakura, with 72.765%. She was the team’s reserve rider and was called to the Paralympic Games just two weeks ago, when her teammate Sophie Christiansen was forced to withdraw due to a veterinary issue with her horse.
Speaking after his ride, Lee said “I am very, very emotional. I cried on the second X on hold in the arena. It’s been such a long journey. Breezer is a horse who I’ve had since he was born. I am also a Dad myself now, and that has also made me more emotional.
“I didn’t think having a home-bred horse would give this a little extra meaning but it has. I saw him at hours old in a field and to complete that test, which at my last test event I did not complete, that added to the emotion.”
Sanne gets the missing gold
There was more emotion on display when Sanne Voets (NED) won the Grade IV Individual Test, the one gold medal missing from her collection of European, World and Paralympic titles.
Sanne scored 76.585% on Demantur N.O.P, which was the highest score of the day, while Rodolpho Riskalla (BRA) took the silver medal on Don Henrico with 74.659%. Belgium’s Manon Claeys marked her Paralympic debut with a bronze medal, scoring 72.853% on San Dior 2.
“I think my face pretty much told it,” said Sanne. “I'm just over the moon with him. He still amazes me every day and he travelled here well. When you enter the stable and you see he's happy, relaxed and at ease, you realise again that’s what is most important.
“Of course you're here to perform at your very best and you want to win medals, but there's always one thing more important than the result, and that's just your horse being happy.
“But when you are sitting on a horse like that, there's no way you cannot smile and not enjoy your test.”
Seventh heaven for Michele George
The last medal of the night went to Michele George, in just her seventh competition with Best of 8. She scored 76.524% to finish ahead of Sophie Wells (GBR) who rode her reserve horse, Don Cara .M to an impressive 74.405% in his first ever overseas competition. Frank Hosmar (NED) took the bronze on Alphaville N.O.P., with 73.405%.
Michele wore the gloves and boots she wore at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games at which she won the Grade V Freestyle, with a silver in the Individual Test, on the late FBW Rainman.
“I'm really proud of my mare and I enjoyed the ride,” she said. “And this is for me the most important thing, that I could come home and say I've done everything I could. She had a beautiful performance and she gave her best. Best of 8 gave her best!
“She did great half passes and I think she had a very nice extended canter as well. So it's amazing. I can't find the right words to express how impressive it was for me. It is a once in a lifetime experience.”
More medals up for grabs
At the end of day one of the competition, Great Britain top the Para Dressage medal table with one gold, one silver, and a bronze, with The Netherlands and Belgium close behind on one gold and a bronze each.
There are a total of 11 sets of medals being contested at the Para Equestrian Events of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games across the five Grades – five Individual, five Freestyle to Music and one overall team medal.
Tomorrow will see the Grades I and III Individual Test medals decided. Roxanne Trunnell, the world Number One in Grade I and across all five Grades will be aiming for her first Paralympic title, while in Grade III look out for a real tussle for the medals between the likes of Natasha Baker (GBR), Tobias Thorning Jorgensen (DEN), Rixt van der Horst (NED) and Rebecca Hart (USA).
Milan in Italy has been confirmed as the host city for the FEI European Championship in the Olympic discipline of Jumping for 2023.
The allocation to the Italian city was confirmed during the FEI Board teleconference held on 23 August 2021. The exact dates in early September 2023 are to be confirmed in due course and will be listed in the FEI Calendar 2023 once approved by the FEI Secretary General.
The Championship will be hosted in the Snai San Siro Racecourse, one of the most prestigious and state-of-the-art horse racing venues in the world located in the heart of the city.
“We are thrilled to have this important Championship allocated to Milan, a hub for horse enthusiasts, and home to the unique Snai San Siro Racecourse which combines tradition and modernity and is the perfect setting to welcome Europe’s finest equestrian partnerships. These Championships will have a long lasting impact on the entire region and we will work closely with the Organisers and the FEI over the next two years to ensure the FEI Jumping European Championship 2023 delivers an iconic and unforgettable platform for the sport to shine.” Simone Perillo, FISE Secretary General said.
Prior to the allocation of the European Championship, the Snai San Siro Racecourse has been undergoing renovations to make this a premier event destination and multipurpose Equestrian Center. The new permanent arena is hosting CSI 3* and 4* events throughout 2021 and 2022, including the Milano San Siro Jumping Cup which took centre stage in July 2021 and was hailed a resounding success. Currently, there is seating for approximately 8,000 individuals in the historical racecourse grandstands, and an additional temporary 10,000 seats are set to be built for the Championship.
“We are delighted to have the Italian city of Milan hosting the European Championship in Jumping in 2023”, Marco Fusté, FEI Director Jumping said.
“The Organising Committee are a very focussed group of people who are determined to deliver the best edition ever of the European Jumping Championship. We are looking forward to working closely together to stage this prestigious event, which will be hosted in the heart of Milan just a few hundred meters away from the iconic San Siro Football stadium in the San Siro hippodrome”.
The FEI has welcomed the start of the WeThe15 campaign, which aspires to be the biggest ever human rights movement to represent the world’s 1.2 billion persons with disabilities.
Launched ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, WeThe15 aims to end discrimination towards persons with disabilities and act as a global movement publicly campaigning for disability visibility, accessibility, and inclusion.
Spearheaded by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and International Disability Alliance (IDA), the campaign aims to initiate change for the world’s largest marginalised group who make up 15% of the global population. The WeThe15 symbol is intended to represent a world where persons with disabilities are no longer marginalised.
“Para Sports, like Para Equestrian, have shown the world that a disability is only disabling when it prevents someone from doing what they really want to do,” FEI Secretary General and President of the Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations (APSO) Sabrina Ibáñez said.
“While sporting events like the Paralympics have the power to show the world just how much Para Athletes can achieve, there is a real need to shed light on the challenges that some of them face as they go about their daily lives. A change of social attitude towards people with disabilities is very much required if we are to tear down the barriers that currently prevent them from contributing fully to their communities.
“The WeThe15 campaign has paved the way for this change to happen. And it is encouraging to see the level of international support that the campaign has received to date and the long term commitment of all involved to addressing the needs of people with disabilities around the world.”
Para Equestrian sport is a unique form of physical activity involving two finely-tuned partners, the athlete and the horse.
In 2006, the FEI took the decision to bring Para Equestrian under its umbrella making it one of the first International Federations to govern and regulate sport for both able-bodied athletes and athletes with impairments. The sport has grown steadily since then, and has seen greater levels of participation, as well as an increase in the number of international competitions and nations participating in the Paralympic Games.
The Para Dressage events at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo will take place from 26 to 30 August 2021.
The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in an equine anti-doping case involving a Banned Substance.
In this case, the horse Feline X (FEI ID 106LV53/GBR), ridden by Pane Singh Amar Singh (FEI ID 10048234/UAE) and trained by Fadhl Manea Saleh Al Mathil (FEI ID 10110945/UAE), tested positive for the Banned Substance Atenolol, a beta blocker used for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and obstructive cardiac disease, following samples taken at the CEI1* 80 - Euston Park (GBR), on 16 June 2019.
Neither the athlete, nor the trainer were able to account for the positive findings in the horse’s sample. Therefore, in its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal disqualified the horse and athlete from the event, and imposed a two-year suspension on the athlete and the trainer. The period of the provisional suspension of both athlete and trainer, which came into effect on 26 August 2019, shall be credited against the period of ineligibility, meaning both will be ineligible until 25 August 2021. The athlete and trainer were also each fined CHF 7,500.
The parties can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the decision.
The full Decision is available here.
Gerit Matthesen, the well-known and greatly respected German veterinarian, sadly passed away on 5 August 2021 after a short illness. He was 66.
Gerit Matthesen was a member of the FEI Veterinary Committee from 2007 to 2011 and was also one of the original members of the FEI Hypersensitivity testing team. He was due to be on duty at the FEI World Cup™ Finals 2021 in Gothenburg (SWE), but was already unwell and the Finals were unfortunately cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
FEI Official Veterinarian since 2009, throughout his career, Matthesen officiated as FEI Veterinary Delegate at numerous FEI events and was German National Head FEI Veterinarian from 2015 – 2021.
“Gerit was a cherished member of the equestrian community, and particularly in the equine veterinary world”, FEI Veterinary Director Göran Akerström said. “He was a great mentor, a wonderful friend and he will be sorely missed.”
The FEI expresses its sincere condolences to Gerit Matthesen’s family and friends, the German Equestrian Federation (GER) and the global equestrian and veterinary communities.
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