History was made today when Team Sweden clinched gold for the very first time at the FEI Jumping European Championship 2023 in Milan (ITA). The country that already holds both the Olympic and World team titles proved that, when it comes to staying the distance, they simply have no match right now. 

They started today’s medal-decider trailing Germany and just ahead of the defending champions from Switzerland. But on an afternoon full of surprises it was Team Ireland that settled comfortably into silver medal spot while Team Austria took the bronze.

As the action began only fractions separated the leading pack, but when Henrik Ankarcrona’s Swedish side added nothing to complete on a total of 9.51 penalties for the win, they were well clear of the Irish on a final tally of 18.00 and the Austrians who finished with 22.77 on the board.

No-one could have predicted that Germany would lose the pathfinding partnership of Marcus Ehning and Stargold which would always leave them vulnerable, or that the Swiss, who have been all-but-unbeatable this year, would finish sixth behind Spain. 

But anyone who has followed the path taken by the Swedes in recent years would know that a team consisting of Henrik von Eckermann and Iliana, Wilma Hellström and Cicci BJN, Jens Fredricson and Markan Cosmopolit and Rolf-Göran Bengtsson with Zuccero would be difficult to overturn.

As Fredricson, who goes into Sunday’s individual medal-decider still out in front after three tough days of sport, said this evening, there was never any discussion about the Swedish mission coming to Milan.

‘We came here to take the gold medal, that was always the plan, and sitting here now is just fine! We know how this can go, with many ups and downs, and we are really super happy with the whole thing!”

News

There was a bit of a shockwave when the last-minute news came through that Ehning wouldn’t compete because he felt his stallion wasn’t quite right.

“I don’t know what happened really. We got ready for the class and I don’t know if he heard something but he nearly flipped over in the box, and I don’t know if he over-reached a muscle or whatever. When I got on he wasn’t lame but he doesn’t want to open up his back or stretch, and I didn’t have the feeling that he was normal”, the multiple champion explained.

So when Philipp Weishaupt’s Zineday knocked the oxer at fence two, Jana Wargers and Limbridge double-faulted and Gerrit Nieberg came home with one down, the German total of 25.31 would leave them just off the podium in fourth place.

Meanwhile only Steve Guerdat and Dynamix de Belheme lived up to expectations on the Swiss side who had to add 16 to their scoreline. But the Austrians, sixth overnight, rocketed up the leaderboard when Gerfried Puck and Equitron Naxcel V came home with just two time penalties, Max Kuhner and Elektric Blue P jumped clear and Alessandra Reich and Oeli R lowered only the tricky water-tray vertical at fence six that proved a bit of a bogey all day. That meant they could drop the 12 racked up by Katharine Rhomberg and Cuma 5 who had been impressively clear yesterday. 

The Irish opened up with another fabulous clear from Michael Duffy and the 14-year-old mare Cinca. And although they had to add eight to the scoreline when Trevor Breen and Highland President, Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz and Eoin McMahon and Mila all returned four-fault results, they reaped the benefit of a good run earlier in the week that had left them stalking the leading pack and ready to pounce if their rivals showed any weakness. 

It was three classic clears that clinched it for Sweden, Henrik von Eckermann providing their only mistake of the day when hitting the last in his pathfinding round. Annoyed with himself, he explained, “I got the six (strides) nice but I didn’t sit up enough, I followed with her and I was through the finish line in my mind before I was over the finish line!” But the double world champion and world number one rider didn’t need to worry. His team-mates would wrap it up very nicely indeed, Hellström confidently bringing her one-eyed wonder-mare home without incident and Fredricson doing likewise with his 12-year-old gelding. 

Bengtsson already knew he had a gold medal around his neck before he set off, and as he said this evening that was a very nice feeling. His foot-perfect run was just the icing on the cake, ensuring the distance between gold and silver was as wide as possible.

Nice to be back

“For me it’s very nice to be back again in the team!”, Bengtsson said. “I’ve been on the side for a while, but that was also an interesting position to have. Now I have a really good horse again and to get a medal here today….it was 22 years ago I had my first one so thanks guys! The team spirit we have is something very important and very special. We know each other very well and that helps. We can talk to each other in whatever language and nobody takes it badly if you tell them straight what you mean”.

Hellström pointed out that “there’s a reason why Sweden has been so successful….it’s not only the riding, it’s the full plan and the organisation around us and the respect everyone has for each other.”

And von Eckermann was delighted to add yet another championship medal to his already very extensive collection. “I really wanted the gold for the last team medal in my pocket, so I’m happy the guys helped me with that!”, he said this evening.

Fredricson said forward planning is the recipe for Swedish success. 

“I have a very early plan for my horse. In November I knew what I had to do, I did Rome, La Baule, Aachen - all fantastic shows - and I knew I was going to have my horse in the best form now. If you don’t know that and you are picking the team in the last month…..I think that’s what we do right”, he pointed out.

Contrast

In contrast the Irish had to make some very late changes to their side leading into the championship 

“But the thing we are most proud of is whatever changes we have to make we have in excess of 30 riders competing in 5-Star Nations Cups this year and I think that’s a phenomenal figure!”, said Chef d’Equipe Michael Blake. “I’m so proud to be involved with people who are that good and love the sport that much. They put the country first and they make my job easy”, he added.

There was no hiding the surprise and delight on the faces of the Austrian bronze medallists. As their Chef d’Equipe Angelika May said with a laugh, “if there had been a bet on Austria I think you would have made a fortune!”

But they earned their place fair and square, on top of Olympic qualification along with Spain and Switzerland.

“We came here for the Olympic ticket and we would have been super-happy with that!”, said Katharina Rhomberg. And team-mate Max Kuhner said they would like to build on today’s result now.

“I hope it will also bring some support for the future for the country, like these big horse nations, to get more owners, to get more horse power, to get more ambition for the whole sport. The Olympic qualification is probably the best thing to make this happen. It was a fantastic feeling with a great team. We had a really good time here together, supported each other and it makes me very happy!”, he said.

11 out of 10

Talking about his horse Markan Cosmopolit, Sweden’s Fredricson said this evening that his jumping round today “wasn’t a 10 out of 10, it was an 11 out of 10!”, and he reflected on how today’s victory came about.

“You try to do your best and you can do nothing about the other riders - if they were better than us then they would have won, but this time we were the best. The only thing you can focus on is your own thing. Always in championships there are unpredictable things happening!”, he pointed out.

All four Swedes now go into Sunday’s individual finale inside the top 18, with Fredricson in pole position ahead of Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat in second and Ireland’s young star Michael Duffy in third ahead of Frenchman Olivier Perreau in fourth. There is less than a fence between the top five and less than two between the top 11, so there’s no room for error which promises one more day of spectacular sport.

But for tonight it’s Swedish party time, as they celebrate their first team title in the 66-year history of the FEI Jumping European Championship.

Sunday’s action begins at 12 noon local time, so don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

All results and startlists here

A dedicated Press Kit can also be found here

Team Germany overtook Sweden to rise to the top of the leaderboard on the second day of the FEI Jumping European Championship 2023 in Milan (ITA) today, but the difference between the top three sides is only fractional going into tomorrow’s team medal decider.

A tally of 9.31 gives Germany just 0.2 penalty points of an advantage over Sweden with 9.51, while the defending champions from Switzerland lie third with 9.92 followed closely by Ireland on a 10-point scoreline. 

It could hardly be tighter, and it’s a recipe for a thriller right to the end.

Meanwhile another superb performance from Sweden’s Jens Fredricson and Markan Cosmopolit has maintained their place at the top of the individual leaderboard. 

A costly mistake at the very last fence saw Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei drop from overnight second spot to 15th place, so another super-smooth performance from Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt and Zineday has moved them up from third up to second, while Fuchs’ team-mate Steve Guerdat is now lying third with Dynamix de Belheme.

And there are still four nations left in the race for one of the three qualifying spots on offer for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Spain. The Netherlands, France and Great Britain complete tomorrow’s line-up when only the top 10 countries will do battle in the final round of the team competition along with the top 50 individuals in the rankings so far.

Lost their grip

The Swedes lost their grip on pole position when, despite superb clears from from both Fredricson and Henrik von Eckermann riding Iliana, they had to count one of the eight-fault results posted by both Wilma Hellström and Cicci BJN and their anchor partnership of Rolf-Göran Bengtsson and Zuccero. 

In contrast, Germany only had to add the four picked up by pathfinders Marcus Ehning and Stargold when both Weishaupt and Jana Wargers were foot-perfect over today’s considerably more testing 14-fence track. German anchor, Gerrit Nieberg, racked up 12 faults with Ben but that would be their discard when the best three results per team were counted.

Only Guerdat jumped clear for Switzerland so they had to add both of the four faults picked up by Fuchs and Bryan Balsiger partnering Dubai du Bois Pinchet while Edouard Schmitz’s double-error with Gamin van’t Naastveldhof was their drop-score.

After clears for both Michael Duffy with Cinca 3 and Shane Sweetnam with James Kann Cruz the Irish looked set to threaten the Swiss but last-line rider Eoin McMahon and the mare Mila were one of many partnerships to fall victim to the big oxer three from home that followed the open water. Those four faults had to be counted because Trevor Breen and Highland President left two on the floor. But there is only a whisper between the top four when the action resumes tomorrow.

Clear

A total of 14 horse-and-rider combinations jumped clear today and they were all full of praise for the tracks set for them so far this week. 

“The course was super, all compliments to him (course designer Uliano Vezzani) also from yesterday”, said world number one Henrik von Eckermann after finishing his fault-free run.

“Today there are some big jumps out there but they are not completely demanding on the horse. But you need to be able to ride accurately, to have all the gears to go forward, backwards for the last line, to the water, to the triple combination. So it’s asking a lot from the rider and I think that’s how it should be. If you ride good you have good chances, and not only that it’s the last hole on the jumps”, he pointed out.

“I felt a little bit of pressure after Germany’s clear and Steve’s clear and I wanted to give them (the rest of the Swedish team) a good feeling and I think I did. We still have the drop score in our pocket and I hope we don’t need to use it”, he said after coming out of the ring. Unfortunately however they did…

Flawless

Weishaupt’s rides with Zineday have been flawless, and he’s clearly already eyeing up not just a team medal but an individual one as well.

“So far it’s only two days of competition but Zineday felt very good in the warm-up, I had an amazing feeling yesterday in the speed class, he was really relaxed and focused. And today he continued what he showed yesterday, his great performance, his great talent and it was a pleasure to ride him and I hope we can keep that form for the next three rounds!”, he said.

Talking about the nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding he said his expectations were always high coming to Milan. “He was third in the Grand Prix of Aachen and if you are selected for the German team they expect you are capable of jumping that level so I was expecting this”.

He described Italy’s Uliano Vezzani as “a fantastic course designer! We had a fantastic speed class yesterday, it wasn’t the biggest jumps but he showed all his experience with the beautiful way he built. The footing was great and today it was a great course again, very tricky and long, you needed control and scope but he did a great job!”

And he described Zineday as “a bit special, he has his own head so you have to leave him a little bit like he is, but he has just tremendous qualities”.

Jana Wargers’ clear was also copybook. “I’m very happy with my round and very happy that I was able to jump clear for the team. Limbridge is just fantastic”, she said of the 14-year-old gelding with which she finished ninth individually at the FEI Jumping World Championship 2022 last summer. 

“He makes it so easy and he lets me shine in every round and he never gives up. Today he showed again how special he is and I’m very proud of him!”, she said.

Dream week

Meanwhile Jens Fredricson’s dream week continues. He goes into tomorrow’s competition on a zero score, but Weishaupt is only 0.31 behind followed by Guerdat, the flying Frenchman Julien Epaillard with Dubai du Cedre, von Eckermann in fifth and Italy’s Emanuele Camille in sixth with Odense Odeveld. In the individual standings there is less than a fence between the top 14, but there is a long way to go before the new individual champion is crowned next Sunday.

It’s still pretty extraordinary to be leading the posse with a horse that was originally bought for the Swedish riding school in Strömsholm but who proved too naughty to do his job there. So he eventually found Jens in the saddle and together they finished third at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2022 in Leipzig (GER) before helping to take the team world title in Herning (DEN) a few months later.

“I’m enjoying myself, it’s a fantastic show and my horse is in great form!”, Fredricson said this evening. To find himself in individual contention at a championship is a first-time experience, and he is relishing it.

“I’ve been around, I’ve been in some finals but I’ve never really been up there. So to have a horse like this when you are 55 is special. He’s like a cat now, he can lengthen and shorten and he’s self-confident - he’s just a great horse!”, he pointed out. 

He didn’t have to listen to any rock music before he went in the ring today.  “Yesterday I needed to get in in a better mood so I was listening to Iron Maiden but not today because I had almost too much energy, I was almost jumping around so I think Beethoven would have been better!”

He’ll need to be relaxed and focused when the last page of the story of the FEI Jumping European Team Championship 2023 begins to be written tomorrow afternoon at 13.30 local time . It’s way too close to call which means it’s going to be a cracker, so don’t miss a hoofbeat….

Results and Startlists here

A dedicated Press Kit can also be found here

The reigning Olympic and World team gold medallists from Sweden flexed their not-inconsiderable muscles when taking the lead on the opening day of the FEI Jumping European Championship 2023 at San Siro racecourse in Milan, Italy today. 

However with scores converted into points, they go into tomorrow’s first round of the second competition with only a narrow advantage over the defending European champions from Switzerland, while Germany lies in overnight third, fractionally ahead of Ireland in fourth place.

The edge

Super performances from all four Swedish team members gave them the edge, Wilma Hellström setting out their stall with a great clear round from the one-eyed Cicci BJN before Rolf-Göran Bengtsson steered the grey stallion Zuccero into temporary pole position when also foot-perfect in 73.60 seconds.

Fredricson blew that target out of the water however when galloping through the timers in 71.98 seconds with Markan Cosmopolit, and that would prove unbeatable at the end of the day. Others might be quicker, but they wouldn’t leave all the timber in place and would therefore be penalised with expensive seconds to add. 

One of those would be the last Swedish team member and world number one Henrik von Eckermann who broke the beam in the super-fast time of 69.38 but who clipped the first element of the double at fence three with the mare Iliana to add four more seconds to their tally. Despite that, Team Sweden’s finishing total, when converted into points, leaves them with 1.51 penalties, just 0.41 ahead of the chasing Swiss.

First rider

The very first rider into the arena today, Switzerland’s Bryan Balsiger showed nerves of steel when bringing Dubai du Bois Pinchet home clear. And although team-mate Edouard Schmitz and Gamin van’t Naastveldhof had two down both Martin Fuchs with Leone Jei and Steve Guerdat with Dynamix de Belheme produced spectacular clears. 

Germany got off to an edgy start when Gerrit Nieberg and Ben 432 picked up 16 faults, but although Jana Wargers and Limbridge had one down they were fast. So when Philipp Weishaupt was clear and super-quick with Zineday and Marcus Ehning and Stargold left just one on the floor it was enough to secure third spot on the team leaderboard at this early stage. Their tally of 5.31 points leaves the Germans just 0.69 ahead of the Irish who were quietly impressive, Eoin McMahon sealing a good day for the Boys in Green with a great run from the former Ludger Beerbaum ride, the mare Mila. 

His clear in 73.88 seconds would be good enough to settle him in overnight eighth place on the individual leaderboard, just behind Sweden’s Bengtsson in seventh and von Eckermann in sixth. 

The fastest man of the day, Julien Epaillard, lies fifth for France with Dubai du Cedre and this pair would hold the lead tonight but for a mistake at the second element of the last of the three doubles included in today’s track, all of which proved very influential. Switzerland’s Guerdat lies fourth, Germany’s Weishaupt is in third, Switzerland’s Fuchs holds second spot while Sweden’s Fredricson will be out in front when the action resumes tomorrow afternoon.

Winning ride

Talking about today’s winning ride, Fredricson said he found a good rhythm the whole way around the course and that both he and his 12-year-old gelding felt motivated and relaxed. The Swedes are clearly confident about their prospects this week. 

“We have a lot of experience now in championships and we have learned a lot over the years”, Fredricson pointed out. They are not getting too carried away about being in the early lead on both the team and individual leaderboards this evening however.

“I don’t think anyone on the team is surprised, we had a very good feeling but we know this is just the start. These Championships are a bit like a slalom, and today was only the first downhill run!”, he added.

Von Eckermann was surprised by his mistake with the relatively inexperienced Iliana but was still well-pleased with today’s result. “I had a great feeling with the mare, she was very calm, and I don’t know why I had the fence down….but otherwise everything went according to plan and I was still quick enough so I could help the team. We have three really good scores, I think we are in the lead and that’s what we wanted for today - now only six more clear rounds and it’s done!”, he said with a laugh.

Performance

Guerdat described Switzerland’s day as “a good team performance. The Swedish were even better but it’s looking quite good, we are on form but it’s still a very long way so we have to stay calm, keep the form and ride good”, he pointed out.

Despite bringing Dynamix home in the fourth-quickest time of the day he wasn’t happy with his own performance. “I didn’t give her a good ride but she’s amazing and she helped me today, so I hope I can keep her form and improve mine - then we will be good!”, he said. 

He really liked today’s course which proved the perfect first-day test. “It didn’t ride as nice as it walked, it was a much more difficult course than what we walked first. There were a lot of mistakes, and you didn’t have to go crazy fast to be in front which is what you want for a Speed class in a Championship - so hats off to the course designer, it was good sport today!”, he said.

Team-mate Fuchs was also pleased with how things worked out today. Talking about his thrilling round which held the lead until Fredricson overtook him he said, “Leone Jei was fantastic. I had a good plan going in, leaving out a few strides without taking too much risk. He has such a big stride and has the experience at this level so I can do my course as I planned”.

Ease

The Longines oxer at fence eight - 1.50m high by 1.60m wide and on a left-bending line after the open water - was one of the main bogey fences of the day, and the world number four athlete who took team gold and individual silver with the same horse at the last European Championship in 2021 described how he tackled it with such ease.

“I left out a stride to the water and after the water jump, which is only possible with a horse with such a big canter as Leone. He always over-jumps the water so that helped me a lot in that line because I didn’t have to add. Pulling back it would have been difficult, but like this I could give him some space and let him use the canter that he has”, he explained.

The Swiss have their eyes firmly fixed on team gold. “Our main focus is on the Nations Cup, we have a very strong team and we want to defend our title. We had a great season so we want to keep it up, and everyone will try this week to defend the title and then we will see on Sunday where it brings us (in the battle for individual medals). The goal is also to win a spot for Paris but if we defend our title we will be in Paris for sure, so we try to medal here and not worry about Paris just yet!”, he pointed out.

Tickets

There are three tickets for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games up for grabs this week sand, following today’s opening competition, fifth-placed Austria and sixth-placed Italy are right in the hunt. But there are two more days of jumping to go before that piece of the puzzle falls into place.

Meanwhile tonight’s individual leader, Jens Fredricson, is a happy man. Before he went in the ring today he psyched himself up by listening to his favourite rock music, and after his ride the 55-year-old rider got a phone call from his father, Ingvar Fredricson - a call that any son would like to get.

“He told me he’d watched me on TV today and that this was the best round I have ever ridden. He’s been watching me for 42 years, so that’s a bit special!”, Jens said. Even more reason for the Swedish jumping star to want to hold onto that precious lead over the coming days. But the story of the FEI Jumping European Championship 2023 is only beginning to play itself out.

The action resumes tomorrow at 13.15 when teams and individuals tackle the first round of the second competition, so don’t miss a hoofbeat….

All Startlists and Results here

A dedicated Press Kit can also be found here

Team Switzerland will lead the way when the FEI Jumping European Championship 2023 gets underway at San Siro racecourse in Milan, Italy tomorrow afternoon.

At this evening’s draw, conducted by Ground Jury President Harry Braspenning from The Netherlands and Event Director Laura Campopiano, the order-of-go for tomorrow’s opening competition was decided. And it will be Bryan Balsiger, a member of the gold-medal-winning Swiss side at the last Championship in Riesenbeck (GER) in 2021, who will be first to take on the 13-fence challenge set by top Italian course designer Uliano Vezzani. 

After a weekend of storms and torrential rain the sun came out this afternoon, and it is forecast to continue to shine for the rest of the week as the 37th edition of the event that decides European champions plays itself out.

Form

On current form the defending team champions from Switzerland look formidable. But lining up behind them when the action begins at 13.15 local time tomorrow are 14 other equally determined nations. 

France was drawn second this evening ahead of The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Sweden, Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Ireland and the hosts from Italy in that order. Full team details here 

Germany holds the record for the highest number of European Jumping titles, with 15 individual and seven team gold medals, and André Thieme posted that seventh individual victory two years ago with the brilliant mare DSP Chakaria. The pair will not be defending their title this week, but Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs and the 11-year-old Leone Jei who took individual silver on that occasion will be hoping to turn it into gold this time around.

Individual athletes have been entered by nine nations - Bulgaria (1), Greece (2), Israel (1), Liechtenstein (1), Macedonia (1), Slovakia (1), Turkey (2), Ukraine (2) and Norway, the latter initially entering a team but represented by just two individual riders - brother and sister Johan-Sebastian and Victoria Gulliksen - following the withdrawal of Cecilie Hatteland and Missy yesterday.

Full order-of-go including individuals here.

Horse Inspection

All 85 horses presented at this afternoon’s first Horse Inspection passed with flying colours. Amongst the many attention-seekers were the lively 11-year-old stallion Highway TN who will do battle with The Netherlands’ Willem Greve in the saddle, and Casquo Blue, the 13-year-old gelding who threw two massive bucks of delight during his trot-up with Great Britain’s Harry Charles.

Gerfried Puck’s handsome 10-year-old stallion didn’t make it easy for his Austrian rider either, prancing and dancing before he was given the nod. And Swedish superstar, world number one and reigning double world champion Henrik von Eckermann was dragged away at the end of their trot by his 10-year-old mare Iliana who is clearly very fresh and more than ready to go.

Impatience

During the training session that followed Wilma Hellström’s feisty one-eyed wonder-mare, the 12-year-old Cicci BJN, was punching the air with both hind legs in her impatience to get on with the job. She won’t have long to wait tomorrow however because as Swedish team pathfinders this pair will be eighth to start in the field of 85 horse-and-rider combinations from 24 countries. Portugal is fielding a team of three so, although drawn sixth, their first athlete will compete in the second rider rotation.

Along with five other countries the Portuguese will be chasing one of the three qualifying spots for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on offer to teams from FEI Olympic Qualifying Groups A/B this week. Also in the hunt are Austria, Denmark, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, and every one of those teams will be giving it their all in the quest for one of those Olympic tickets. 

Scores

All team and individual riders will compete in tomorrow’s opening Table C Speed and Handiness class after which their scores will be converted into penalties. They all compete again in the first round of the second competition on Thursday, but only the top 10 teams and top 50 individuals go through to the second round on Friday when the team medals will be decided. 

The top 25 go through to the first round of the individual final on Sunday, with  the top 12 returning for a second round when the new FEI Jumping European individual champion will be crowned.

It’s going to be a fascinating week of super sport, so don’t miss a hoofbeat…

All Startlists and Results here 

A dedicated Press Kit can also be found here

 

Today marks one-year-to-go until the flame is lit at the heart of Paris in-between the iconic Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées. The lighting of the flame will mark the start of the 17th Paralympic Games that will take place over the course of 12 days from 28 August to 8 September 2024.

In Paris, the sport will unfold in the historical gardens of the Palace of Versailles. The castle and its surroundings are the embodiment of beauty and grandeur and without a doubt, will set the scene for one of the most memorable equestrian venues of all time.

Which nations have qualified so far?
A total of 78 athlete and horse combinations from around the world are eligible to compete for 33 medals awarded across the Team, Individual and Freestyle Events.

A total of 15 slots are available for the Para Dressage Team competition in Paris, with each qualifying nation eligible to send up to four athletes, for a total of 60 athletes.

France, as the host country, directly qualified for first slot while seven countries – the Netherlands, Denmark, USA, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, and Italy – secured their ticket to the Paralympic Games through the ECCO FEI World Championships 2022 in Herning (DEN).

The FEI Para Dressage European Championships, which will take place in Riesenbeck (GER) in September 2023, will provide another opportunity for the top ranked team from the competition (not otherwise qualified) to secure a place in Paris.

Four other team slots will be filled by the highest ranked teams from the region of Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Oceania, while the two highest ranking teams on the overall FEI Paralympic Team Ranking List (published on 31 December 2023) will also qualify.

A further 15 individual athletes will also be eligible to compete, these will be the top three ranked athletes from the FEI Paralympic Individual Ranking List (published on 31 December 2023) for each of the following regions:  Europe, Asia, Oceania, the Americas, Africa and in addition, three individual places will be allocated by the FEI and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Read also: 500 days to Paris 2024 Paralympic Games

Para Equestrian sport at the Paralympic Games
Equestrian made its debut appearance at the Paralympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 and was markedly different from the sport we know today, with Athletes competing on borrowed horses until the 2004 Paralympic Games.

In the last decade, the Para Equestrian community has seen some incredible progress with the quality of horse and athlete combinations competing at Paralympic level.

For the first time since Para Dressage was included in the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, there was not a single riding school horse at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

The competition in Tokyo saw higher than ever scores being reached, with all individual freestyle gold medallists recording scores of more than 80%, a benchmark in Dressage. The degree of difficulty of tests has also increased during this time, making the achievements of the Para Equestrian athletes even more impressive. As Grade I individual freestyle silver medallist Rihards Snikus (LAT) in Tokyo said, “Para Dressage is coming so close to Dressage in what judges want to see from horse and rider.”

As was the case with the Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020, there will be full media coverage of all para sports in Paris, which is expected to reach a viewership of 3.4 million during the Games period.

Building on the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) slogan “Change starts with Sport”, the Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee for Paris 2024 are viewing the Paralympic Games as a unique opportunity to bring about social change by promoting inclusive professional and sports opportunities for people with disabilities.

Quick links
Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
Para Equestrian Digest

 

The thunder cracked and the lightening flashed bringing a triumphant double championship to an end in Exloo.  The Para Drivers had exited the arena in time to avoid the storm but in scenes reminiscent of the prize giving at the FEI World Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA) last year, the Four-in-Hand medals were presented, and speeches made, during a deluge.

The Dutch crowd was thrilled to see their favourite Bram Chardon (NED) retain his European title, one he has now won three times consecutively.  As overnight leader, he was last to drive the Cones but kept his cool and produced a double clear when he needed it the most.  That came just after his teammate Koos de Ronde guaranteed himself an individual medal after his double clear and sealed the sixth team gold for The Netherlands, aided by the iconic Ijsbrand Chardon.

“It’s great to win the European Championship in your home country for your home crowd. I was particularly happy with my Dressage score and to have my season’s best here – it was such a relief as I knew what my team could do but to be able to show it here was perfect.  In the Marathon I knew I could not attack but had to be more defensive in my driving which worked out and meant I could keep the quick guys behind me while also taking the lead.  It was really tight between us as they were pushing and were very fast which we expected, but my horses did enough to keep me in front.  Today in the Cones we knew that the routes were open and with so many double clears before me it was tricky because with less than a cone between Michael Brauchle and me, I didn’t want to throw away my gold medal.  But I still wanted to have a double clear and finish in style – which I did, and it was wonderful to do it in front of the public with such a great atmosphere here in Exloo!”

The margins were minimal between the top three drivers and the top two nations as Germany’s Michael Brauchle dropped to bronze individually after a ball roll to enable Koos to jump up a place to silver.  But Michael and his teammates Anna Sandmann and Mareike Harm had done enough over the four days of competition to seal their team silver.  Double clears from Belgium’s Glenn Geerts, Dries Degrieck and Tom Stokmans ensured they too had a place on the podium for the bronze.

The Cones proved to be less decisive than in other championships but had to suit the horse fours and the Para Equestrians.  The flowing course meant that there were 16 double clears in the horse fours, and the winner was Georg Von Stein (GER), with Jérôme Voutaz (SUI) second and in third, Jiri Nesvacil Jnr. with the stunning grey Kladruber stallions.

 

Para Driving World Championships and Hand in Hand Trophy

The Para Drivers slotted into a later morning session after the lower order of horse fours placed 38 to 20 had driven.  The route was the same, but the cones were narrowed and time allowed increased.

Enjoying the expertise of Bram as her trainer before and during the championship, the first title of the day went to reigning Grade I Para Driving World Champion Tracy Bowman (USA).  She drove a flawless round with her pony Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars to win the phase and emphatically retain her crown. Together she and Bram also won the Hand-in-Hand trophy and in the prize giving, Bram sat behind Tracy on the groom’s seat of the carriage to enter the arena.

Paying tribute for her success to the support she has received from the extended Chardon crew, who were recording the split times on the course to feed back to her, Tracy said, “This is the absolute fairytale and Lars is my unicorn! I think across all the equestrian sports, Lars is recognised for his quality and ability.  Bram was amazing and gave me a fantastic gameplan – which worked.”

Patricia Großerichter (GER) was one of five Grade I athletes to produce a double clear which helped clinch a silver medal, ahead of Australia’s Jodie Mckeone in bronze after her storming round for a win in the Marathon.

Alexandra Röder (GER) was untouchable in the Grade II class, leading in all three phases and taking gold for the first time since she won at Sandringham (GBR) in 2014.  Silver and bronze went to the host nation’s Ingmar Veneman and Aad van Marwijk, both medallists at previous championships.

With the strong showing from the German ladies, who were joined on the national team by Para legend Heiner Lehrter, they were clear winners of the team gold for the fourth time.  The silver went to the USA with Tracy joined by long term team members Bob Giles and Diane Kastama.  They were only narrowly ahead of Great Britain by 0.74 who finished in bronze for the fifth time, helped by Deborah Daniel’s second placing in the Cones and strong performances by Mick Ward and Emily Ham.

During his closing ceremony speech, FEI Driving Committee Chair Karoly Fugli (HUN) paid tribute to the inclusivity of the championship and sport driving as a whole, citing the success of joining the Para Drivers with the Four-in-Hands.  The organisers at Exloo were delighted with the support from the large crowds who were present throughout the event, especially the many families who came for the day to enjoy Saturday’s Marathon.  Reflecting the international nature of the combined event, even more fans tuned in from all over the world to watch the live coverage of the action on FEI TV.

With less than one year to go to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and within days of that milestone for the Paralympic Games, the Palace and Park of Versailles were the backdrop to an operational cross country test event that provided a taste of what’s to come, at the stunning UNESCO World heritage site set to host all the equestrian disciplines in 2024.

Over 20 National Federation representatives alongside an FEI delegation, key equestrian technical officials, Paris 2024 Eventing Course Designer Pierre le Goupil, Versailles Palace spokespersons and experts attended the two-day operational test event in Versailles on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 August which was hosted by the Paris 2024 Organising Committee and their main delivery partner GL Equestrian Events.

The first day was dedicated to testing specific areas of the cross country course, assessing the footing and groundworks which have been underway for over a year, and introducing the National Federations to the venue and the layout of the future infrastructures that will welcome their teams, as well as tens of thousands of fans in 2024. Several riders and horses were on hand to test the selected obstacles, with the pontoon crossing of the Grand Canal providing the highlight of the day as they galloped across the temporary structure purpose-built for the test event, with blue skies and the iconic Versailles Palace in the background.

For Etienne Thobois, Director General of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, seeing the horses in action in “the extraordinary setting that is the Chateau de Versailles allows everyone to project themselves and creates a whole new excitement”.  

“We’re a year away from the Games, and we’ve already been working on the track for over a year, so as not to damage anything”, and “to ensure that the track conditions, particularly when it comes to the jump take-offs and landings, are constant and of good quality.”

Representatives from Versailles were also onsite for the Grand Canal pontoon test, and expressed their anticipation for the Games next year, emphasising the great collaboration between Paris 2024 and Versailles, with all preparations being carefully planned to ensure as little disruption for the thousands of visitors each day, but also environmentally to ensure the site is returned to its original state – with some beneficial restorations which will provide a great legacy from the Games.

“The site must be restored just as it used to be," said Versailles Palace President Catherine Pégard, “and I believe it will be even more beautiful, because we’ll have improved access, and we’ll have worked to make the gardens even more attractive.

“It is a great pride to associate one of the symbols of French culture, one of the symbols of France with these Games, which will be watched all over the world.”

The second day of the operational test event moved indoors with Paris 2024 presenting the delegates and a large online audience with a comprehensive review and update on all the logistics surrounding venue and sport infrastructures, access, the Olympic village, transport, vet and grooms’ accommodation, accreditation, horse arrivals and departures, stabling and stable services, medical and veterinary facilities and hospitality services among others.

“We are really pleased with how this operational test event and update on preparations turned out”, said FEI Games Operations Director Tim Hadaway.

“All the participants were able to get a feel for the cross country course, and especially see how the ground is being carefully prepared to ensure the best possible conditions for the horses and the athletes next year during the Games.

“The grandeur of the venue deserves the greatest care and attention, and we are confident the Paris 2024 Organising Committee and their delivery partners alongside the Palace will deliver an iconic venue which is not only fit for our sport, but also respectful and representative of the history and heritage this site commands.”

Photo caption: One of the test riders crossing the Grand Canal using the purpose built and temporary pontoon as part of the operational cross country test event held in Versailles on 22 August 2023 ©PSV Jean Morel

It was a day that stuck to form – for most – as the Championships got underway at the Hippisch Centrum.  With near perfect conditions for the equines and athletes, who benefitted from the smooth surface in the sand arena, it was previous medallists who led the way.

The Grade I Para Drivers opened with the first two sessions.  Chrissy Aitken from Ohio, USA driving a borrowed Dutch horse, which she only met for the first time in early August, set the standard with a score of 52.56.  Representing the USA for the first time as an individual, it was good enough to put her into 3rd place ahead of Saturday’s marathon, which she is delighted about.  With the weight of expectation on him, Germany’s multi-medallist Heiner Lehrter had a brief satnav error, turning left instead of right during his test which pushed him down the order.  However, the German team, thanks to the showing of Patricia Großerichter and who finished the Grade I class in 2nd with 49.36, and Alexandra Röder who rounded off the Grade II class in 1st with 48.96, ensured that the defending champions are sitting atop the leaderboard for the nations.

It was reigning Grade I champion, Tracy Bowman (USA) who on balance most impressed the five judges and went into 1st with 46.80.  Her trainer is nonother than Bram Chardon and he briefly stepped into the FEI TV commentator’s box during Tracy’s near flawless test.  It was a treat to hear from him how thoroughly they prepared pony Lars, who had been ridden earlier in the day to warm up.  Nothing was taken for granted, despite the vast experience of both pony and athlete, a level of excellence which keeps them in strong contention for another gold medal.  Plus, it’s likely that Tracy and Bram will be the pairing to beat for the Hand-in-Hand trophy.

Although veteran Para Driver Bob Giles (USA) didn’t enjoy his best day with a borrowed Welsh pony, the experience of Grade II former medallist Diane Kastama paid off when she put down a solid test of 64.48 to help put the American team into second.  The Dutch are in third, the British in fourth and Italy, with two drivers, are fifth.

Opening the Four-in-hand European Championship event were 12 of the 39 athletes.  Staking their early claims to podium places were Germany’s Michael Brauchle who tallied 50.91 and fellow marathon specialist Koos de Ronde (NED) who smiled broadly at the end of his smooth test to finish in 2nd overnight on 52.91 – both decent performances for team and individual placings.  Driving his bay Lusitanos, France’s Benjamin Aillaud is currently in 3rd with 56.84.

Afterwards Michael said,

“I was really happy with my horses who made a good job of the test today.  The atmosphere was good and not too exciting for the horses, and it was great to have Boyd helping me as team trainer.”

Day two of Dressage for the Four-in-hands starts at 10.00 local time when the favourites Ijsbrand and Bram Chardon will be up against German Dressage supremos, Mareike Harm and Anna Sandmann. No doubt the order will change throughout the day so tune into FEI TV for all the live action and commentary from Exloo.

Friday 25 August
10.00 - Four-in-Hand Dressage Part 2
 
Saturday 26 August
10.00 - Marathon
 
Sunday 27 August
10.00 - Cones
16.30 - Award Ceremony

The FEI has today confirmed the shortlisted bidders for the FEI World Championships 2026. The shortlist comprises five Organising Committees who have applied to host events in various disciplines, as follows:

• Aachen (GER) – Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage, Eventing, Driving Four-in-Hand, Vaulting;
• Boekelo (NED) – Eventing;
• Burghley (GBR) – Eventing;
• Al Ula (KSA) – Endurance;
• Samorin (SVK) – Endurance;

The FEI Board will allocate the FEI World Championships 2026 at its in-person Board Meeting on 18 November 2023 in Mexico City (MEX), following a thorough review by the FEI Evaluation Commission and taking into account recommendations by the Technical Committees.

Following three decades of a unique host formula for senior World Championships under the FEI World Equestrian Games™ format, in 2022 the FEI returned to a more flexible approach accepting single and multiple World Championship bids with a focus on catering to the needs and specificities of each discipline. Herning (DEN) hosted hugely successful events in Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage, and Vaulting whereas Eventing and Driving Four-in-Hand competitions took place at Pratoni Del Vivaro (ITA), venue of the 1960 Olympic equestrian events. The FEI Endurance World Championships 2022 were held at Butheeb (UAE) last February.

“We are very pleased with the variety of bids we have received,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “Following the outstanding FEI World Championships 2022 organised in Denmark, Italy and the UAE, we are confident this flexible approach with single and multiple bids serves not only the sport, but also the fans and the development of equestrian around the world, allowing different nations and venues to bid to host a major FEI event.”

Olympic qualifications

The FEI World Championships 2026 in Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage, and Eventing will be the first qualifying events for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A bit of history

The FEI World Championships have a long history.

Dressage is the FEI discipline with the longest tradition of Championships. A Grand Prix de Dressage, organised in Lucerne (SUI) as early as 1927, had hosted 12 riders representing five nations.

Official FEI Dressage Championships were organised on all non-Olympic years between 1930 and 1939 in Switzerland, France, Austria, Hungary, Germany, and Great Britain. The last such event took place in August 1939, only days before the outbreak of World War II.

The FEI tried to revive the event after the war with limited success. Participation gradually improved and European Championships were organised in 1963, which led to the first FEI Dressage World Championship held in Bern (SUI) three years later.

The first Para Dressage Championship, which took place under the leadership of the FEI, was held in July 2007 only a year after Para Equestrian came under the FEI umbrella. The event enjoyed a truly international representation gathering 133 athletes from 35 nations. Since 2010, FEI Dressage and Para Dressage Championships are being held concurrently.

The first FEI Jumping World Championship was organised in June 1953 at the Parc des Princes stadium in the south west of Paris (FRA). The event was drastically different from its modern equivalent as only 19 athletes from 11 countries, including Yugoslavia, Cambodia and the USA, competed. No women took part since female riders would not be able to enter Jumping competitions until 1956.

The first FEI Eventing World Championship was organised in 1966, the same year as the first FEI Dressage World Championship, at the beautiful estate of Lord Burghley in Lincolnshire, Great Britain. The Championship gathered 39 athletes representing five nations: Argentina, Great Britain, Ireland, USA, USSR.

The previous year the FEI had established the configuration according to which World Championships in the Olympic discipline of Jumping were held every four years in the non-Olympic even years and continental championships were organised in the odd years. This pattern is still in use today for all the FEI Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.

The non-Olympic disciplines

The first edition of the FEI Driving World Championship for Four-in-Hand was held in 1972 in Münster (GER) two years after Driving had become an FEI discipline. Since then, the event continues to be organised every two years.

Endurance became an FEI discipline in 1982, one year before Vaulting. The championship histories of these two non-Olympic disciplines have run in parallel from the start with World Championships organised every other year on even years.

FEI Endurance European Championships had been held in 1984 and 1985 until the first FEI Endurance World Championship was organised in September 1986 at Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA).

In 1983, one year after Driving, Vaulting also joined the FEI. In 1984 the first FEI Vaulting European Championship was organised and was followed by another European edition in 1985. This second European edition was open to the rest of the world. A strong showing from the USA convinced the FEI the time had come for a World Championship. The first FEI Vaulting World Championship took place in in the small Swiss town of Bulle from 18 to 20 July 1986.

FEI World Equestrian Games 1990 - 2018

The inaugural FEI World Equestrian Games™ were held in the Swedish capital Stockholm with the 1912 Olympic stadium as the main venue. On the initiative of the then-FEI President HRH Prince Philip, the World Championships in all the FEI discipline were held in the same city from 14 July to 5 August 1990. Given the smooth organisation and success of these Games, what should have been a one-off event, was extended and seven more editions took place in The Hague (NED) in 1994, Rome (ITA) in 1998, Jerez de la Frontera (ESP) in 2002, Aachen (GER) in 2006, Lexington, KY (USA) in 2010, Normandy (FRA) in 2014, and Tryon, NC (USA) in 2018.

It was a morning of febrile activity in the silvery sand arena at Exloo as 220 horses came forward for inspection.  Signalling the start of formalities, the four-in-hand squads gathered and patiently circled together, coats gleaming under a morning sun, before being pulled forward individually.

Using two lanes, each athlete presented five horses, so it was a lively scene set against two of the eight obstacles for Saturday’s marathon, which are in a prime spot for spectators.  Of the five horses that were sent to the holding area, three were subsequently passed as ‘fit to compete’ and two will be represented tomorrow.  After the spectacle of the exuberant four-in-hand horses, it was a more serene procession for the 25 Para Driving single horses and ponies, who all passed.

Starting orders and national teams have now been confirmed, although both Dutch teams were announced in advance.  With seven four-in-hand combinations to select from, German mainstays Mareike Harm and Michael Brauchle are joined by Anna Sandmann, who has seen some strong results this season. Hungary has six athletes in Exloo and have chosen a lineup of Jόzsef Dobrovitz, János Papp and István Váczi.  Also in the team event are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France and Sweden.  

Germany’s former Grade 1 world champion Heiner Lehrter, who has competed at every Para Driving World Championship and even attended the 1998 test event in Hartbury (GBR), will be driving a chestnut German Sports Pony Dash Wood – ‘Woody’ – who belongs to his wife as his regular pony Nero is injured. 

He confessed to having some pre-competition nerves but said that if he didn’t have them, then he would give up!  He is joined on the team by Patricia Großerichter and Alexandra Röder, a previous Grade 2 silver medallist.  The British also had a depth of choice in their squad of five but have selected first timer Emily Ham to join Deborah Daniel and Mick Ward, who have both won bronze medals in the past.  Defending Grade 1 champion Tracy Bowman leads the team charge for the USA and is joined by veteran athlete Bob Giles, a fellow West Coast American, and Diane Kastama, who are also both previous medallists. 

“I can’t wait to get on with the competition and give it a really good go! I’m looking forward to defending my title here with my pony Lars at this fabulous facility in Exloo. I’m also excited to be paired with Bram Chardon (NED) for the Hand-in-Hand event.”

Tracy Bowman (USA)

The FEI’s Hand-in-Hand Trophy listing has also been announced with 19 pairs of athletes competing, some from the same national squads and others mixed up, which will be an exciting addition to the event. 

The two days of Dressage start on Thursday morning at 08.45 with a test driver, then the competition itself gets underway with both Grade 1 and 2 Para Driving classes, with Henriette Cros Dich of Denmark, going through until 13.30.  There are two sessions of four-in-hand Dressage in the afternoon, with Dutch individual Harry Struetker first to go at 14.30.

All times CEST:
 
Thursday 24 August
09.00 - Para Dressage
14.30 - Four-in-Hand Dressage Part 1
 
Friday 25 August
10.00 - Four-in-Hand Dressage Part 2
 
Saturday 26 August
10.00 am - Marathon
 
Sunday 27 August
10.00 - Cones
16.30 - Award Ceremony
 
Live broadcast of the event is on FEI TV