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Today’s seventh leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League staged in the port city of La Coruña in north-west Spain came down to a thrilling two-way face-off, and it was Germany’s Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann who won through with a brilliant performance from Messi van’t Ruytershof that pinned Great Britain’s Harry Charles and Casquo Blue into runner-up spot.
It was a tough day at the office for many of the 40 starters, with five retirements, two eliminations and 14 posting a four-fault result in the opening round. But according to the winner it wasn’t Santiago Varela’s fences that presented the biggest challenge. The decision to change the first-round time-allowed from 85 seconds to 83 was what kept the number qualified for the jump-off to the minimum.
“The course-building was good but it was a tough course, and because of the time changing you had to hurry a lot and usually that brings more faults. In the end I was lucky there were not so many clears! It was more about the time because you had to take risks, and when you take risks you have more faults”, Meyer-Zimmermann pointed out this evening as she celebrated her significant victory.
Easy
Second to go in the opening round, Charles made it look fairly easy when clearing the 14-fence track in 81.03 seconds before the time-allowed was decreased. However another 22 horse-and-rider combinations took their turn before Meyer-Zimmermann and Messi matched that. And they were the only other pair to do it.
Sixteenth into the ring, Austria’s Max Kuhner looked set to succeed only to collect a single time penalty with Up Too Jacco Blue, although this would prove plenty good enough for third place ahead of The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders and Uricas vd Kattevennen whose two time faults left them in fourth at the end of the day.
World number one and recently-crowned double world champion, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann riding Iliana, slotted into fifth with the fastest four faults picked up at the bogey plank on top of the vertical at fence seven which also fell for sixth-placed Frenchman Kevin Staut and Cheppetta.
Great round
Charles set the jump-off target with another great run from his 12-year-old gelding, stopping the clock in 36.87 seconds to throw it right down to his sole rival. But the 41-year-old German lady whose stellar career with the great Cellagon Lambrusco brought her to the London 2012 Olympic Games and to team gold at both the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2010 in Lexington (USA) and the FEI European Championships in Madrid (ESP) a year later wasn’t intimidated.
“I watched Harry, I know he is a very quick rider but I felt that there was nothing to lose. I didn’t want to over-speed but I wanted to take my chance. When you are second to go and there are only two riders you have to take the chance!”, she said after her brilliant rollback to the vertical at fence five gave her the advantage before she raced through the timers in 36.52 second to secure the win.
She’s had an extraordinary year in 2022, beginning with the birth of her son Friedrich Alexander in January and highlighted by Messi van’t Ruytershof’s superb double-clear that helped Team Germany to victory on home ground in the Nations Cup of Aachen in June. The 10-year-old gelding (Plot Blue/For Pleasure) is a big horse “but we know each other very well, I have him since he was six years old”, she explained this evening. However they are only recently finding their way on the indoor circuit.
Super-shy
“This is his first indoor season because when he was young he was super-shy in the warm-up, he was afraid of other horses so I avoided indoor shows and small warm-ups. When he was a bit older there was Covid, and last year in the winter season I was pregnant so we never really competed indoors and this was just his third indoor. He is an amazing horse, he’s a very shy boy, not one to go in the front row, he’s really sensitive and needs a person he trusts. But the truth is he’s a superstar, he has all the scope, he’s super-careful and he deserves to win so I’m happy we could make it happen today!”, she said.
Meyer-Zimmermann has only one more show planned for the rest of this year. “Now that I have a baby I will probably slow down a little bit. We will go to Frankfurt but this will be the last show this year as it is close to where my horse owner lives. I will need to speak to Otto (Becker, German team manager) about the rest of the season but will most likely ride in Leipzig”, she said. Taking place in January, that will be the 11th round of the 14-leg series that now moves on to London (GBR) in two weeks’ time.
Today’s result has moved her up to fifth place on the Western European League leaderboard behind Frenchman Julien Epaillard who has posted a double of wins this season and who lies fourth behind Charles in third, von Eckermann in second and Epaillard’s compatriot Kevin Staut at the head of affairs.
The top three already look well-qualified for the Longines Final in Omaha (USA) next April but there is still a long road for the rest who are vying to make the cut from this series.
It will continue to unfold with London quickly followed by round nine in Mechelen (BEL) immediately after Christmas.
So don’t miss a hoofbeat…..
The FEI Tribunal has issued a Consent Award in an equine anti-doping case involving a Banned Substance.
In this case, the horse Elijah Solam (FEI ID 107JS65/BRN), tested positive for the Banned Substance Stanozolol following samples taken at the CEI1* 100 Fontainebleau (FRA) on 14 October, 2022.
The athlete, Khalifa Mubarak Salem Sabt (FEI ID 10093534/BRN), admitted the rule violation and accepted the consequences. In its final decision the FEI Tribunal disqualified the horse from the event and imposed an 18-month ineligibility period on the athlete; the provisional suspension he already served shall be credited against the imposed ineligibility period. He was also fined CHF 5,000 and asked to pay costs of CHF 1,000.
The full Decision is available here.
Notes to Editors:
FEI Clean Sport - human athletes
The FEI is part of the collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport led by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The aim of this movement is to protect fair competition as well as athlete health and welfare.
WADA’s Prohibited List identifies the substances and methods prohibited in- and out-of-competition, and in particular sports. The substances and methods on the List are classified by different categories (e.g., steroids, stimulants, gene doping).
As a WADA Code Signatory, the FEI runs a testing programme for human athletes based on WADA’s List of Prohibited List of Substances and Methods and on the Code-compliant FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA).
For further information, please consult the Clean Sport section of the FEI website here.
FEI Equine Prohibited Substances
The FEI Prohibited Substances List is divided into two sections: Controlled Medication and *Banned Substances. Controlled Medication substances are medications that are regularly used to treat horses, but which must have been cleared from the horse’s system by the time of competition. Banned (doping) Substances should never be found in the body of the horse and are prohibited at all times.
In the case of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for a Banned Substance, the Person Responsible (PR) is automatically provisionally suspended from the date of notification (with the exception of certain cases involving a Prohibited Substance which is also a **Specified Substance). The horse is provisionally suspended for two months.
Information on all substances is available on the searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database.
Madrid is a happy hunting ground for Julien Epaillard. The French rider came out on top in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Western European League qualifier twelve months ago with Billabong du Roumois, and today he did it all over again with another 10-year-old, the extraordinary mare Caracole de la Roque.
At the 2021 Spanish fixture he was on a roll throughout the week before recording that victory and this year he was on flying form once more, winning Friday’s qualifying competition and then trampling the opposition into submission this afternoon. He only had six opponents to fend off last time around, today there were 15 through to the jump-off. But none of the rest could match the turn of foot and accuracy of his classy mare who might have been even quicker but for a momentary safety-check halfway around the jump-off course.
“I’m very proud of her”, Epaillard said this evening. “She has jumped two World Cups and she has won two World Cups, and she won the last seven classes she did - she’s an amazing mare!”
For family reasons it is also extra-special for the 45-year-old rider to do well at this Spanish fixture. “My wife is Spanish and lives in Madrid and my son lives here too and we have many friends here, so it’s important for me to have a good weekend!”, he pointed out after pinning Germany’s Daniel Deusser (Bingo Ste Hermelle) into second, fellow-Frenchman Simon Delestre (Cayman Jolly Jumper) into third and Italy’s Piergiorgio Bucci (Cochelle) into fourth place.
Strong
The line-up for this sixth round of the series was really strong, and amongst the 15 through to the second-round decider was the current world number two rider and reigning Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ champion Martin Fuchs from Switzerland partnering The Sinner.
After his foot-perfect first round Fuchs said, “it’s a good feeling to be clear in a World Cup and this is my first one of the season. The Sinner is a real fighter, he has such a good attitude, he always tries his best. There are definitely more talented horses but he is just such a gem - he gives always his everything!”
Ninth into the jump-off he was chasing the target-time set by Epaillard who was second into the ring and left the rest with a very tough task ahead of them. The Frenchman broke the beam in 42.61 seconds but admitted afterwards that he could have been even quicker because he put in an extra stride between the blue vertical - fence seven on the first course - and the following new oxer to which there was a right-hand turn.
That vertical proved critical to the result as, time and again, it fell when riders tried to turn as tight as possible to it. And amongst its victims was another of the French quartet who made the cut into the jump-off, Kevin Staut with Visconti du Telman who finished seventh in the final analysis, and the final partnership of Great Britain’s Harry Charles and Casquo Blue who eventually finished tenth. It was the penultimate oxer that put paid to Fuchs’ chances however.
First to match
Series champion in 2014, Germany’s Daniel Deusser was the first to match Epaillard’s clear but his 11-year-old stallion Bingo was almost two seconds off the pace when crossing the line in 44.30 seconds. It seemed the French rider’s compatriot, Simon Delestre, might give him a run for his money, but the electric little gelding Cayman Jolly Jumper spent so much time in the air that the clock showed 44.37 seconds as he raced through the finish with all the poles intact to slot into third place.
And that’s where he stayed when the only other double-clear of the day came from Italy’s Bucci and the 13-year-old mare Cochelle. Theirs was a performance the Madrid spectators will remember for a very long time, because it was nothing short of sensational.
Fault free to the penultimate oxer they met that on a long stride and the super-honest mare had to stretch with all her might to leave it up. But stumbling on landing she pitched her rider up onto her neck so it looked very much like he was about to hit the deck. A hair-raising stride later however she pitched him back into the saddle and, now without his stirrups, he somehow managed to hold on tight and race towards the final vertical to clear it in 45.34 seconds and slot into that fourth place.
Happy
Deusser was quite happy with his runner-up finish. “I knew it was impossible for me to compete with Julien after I saw his jump off, so for me today I was competing against 39 riders (there was a field of 40) and I am very happy I won that competition!”, he said.
And third-place Delestre was also pleased. “I was seventh in Lyon and now third here with Cayman in only his second World Cup. Beating Julien is very difficult or even impossible so I am very happy to be third today”, he pointed out. Talking earlier in the day about the mighty little gelding son of the great Hickstead whose enthusiasm for his job is second to none, he explained, ““he’s amazing but you really have to keep your concentration because he’s always aggressive and yet the fences are small for him. He always wants to run and you just have to keep your plan and be really right with him and then he makes a good job”.
Today’s seventh-place finish has promoted Kevin Staut to pole position on the Western European League leaderboard, and with 42 points the French rider is already well set for a place at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2023 Final which will take place in Omaha (USA) next April.
Indoor season
“I’m really happy with my mare Visconti, she’s jumping really wonderful since the beginning of the indoor season. She got already some good points in Helsinki and at the last leg in Stuttgart and I’m really happy because the World Cup tour is really something I want to fight for. I’ve been riding Visconti for three years now, last year she was a bit alone in the field of horses to compete at the higher level so she got a lot of experience and I think this year she came back with good performances and is really improving. She is everything, she has no technical issues, she has scope, she’s careful and it’s a pleasure to ride her”, Staut explained.
Today’s winner Epaillard, who now lies second on the league table, also has his sights clearly set on that trip to Omaha next year, and with 40 points on his scoresheet he’s well on the way to booking his ticket.
Talking about today’s success and his spectacular run of recent form he said this evening, “it is incredible and I am very lucky to have Caracole. I have to enjoy every moment and this is an amazing period of my career. I think that now with 40 points I am only missing a few points for the Final which is a goal for me”.
The 14-leg Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League will reach its halfway point next weekend when the action stays in Spain with a visit to La Coruña.
Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..
For all the latest information about the LONGINES FEI Jumping World Cup™ season 2022/2023 check out the new Series Hub HERE
Stay up-to-date with articles, interviews, videos and much more while following the action all the way to the Final.
They may have been competing in the ‘Friends Arena’ in Stockholm at the 30th Sweden International Horse Show, but all notion of friendship between the drivers was thrown aside as once again, Boyd Exell (AUS) didn’t show any compassion towards his rivals, who cannot seem to topple him from the top spot. With his fourth win from four in the 2022-23 FEI Driving World Cup™ series, the clashing cymbals of ‘Advance Australia Fair’ rang out, a now frequent sound under the spotlights of a prize-giving.
Despite a gravity-defying round during Saturday evening’s drive-off from Ijsbrand Chardon (NED), Boyd’s closest challenger this season, it simply wasn’t enough to change what has become a natural order. Having come a close second in both Lyon (FRA) and Maastricht (NED), Hollands’ most successful driver must be wondering what it is going to take to beat Boyd.
Although he knocked a ball in the first obstacle to add a costly four penalties, Ijsbrand appeared to have done enough to win, with the first sub-140 second time of the competition. But as has been seen time and time again, the harder they are pushed, the better Boyd and his super-keen horses perform, and although they too rolled a ball, they shaved nearly four seconds off Ijsbrand’s time to end on the only sub-140 score of 139.74.
“My team are just flying; they are so fast. As we saw yesterday, anything can happen, including a mistake from the driver! So, you have to keep your feet on the ground and enjoy the sport.” – Boyd Exell
Taking 3rd was Germany’s Michael Brauchle with a much improved drive after both the first round and his previous appearances in Maastrich (NED) and Stuttgart (GER). Finishing Friday night’s initial outing in 4th, behind a 3rd placed Ijsbrand, Michael had fine-tuned the performance and by Saturday was back in the mix, clocking a fast time to secure his place as one of the three eligible for the drive-off. The only finalist to drive clear, with a time of 147.74, he seemed to have put himself well into contention. While Michael seemed justly delighted with the round and pleased with his horses, who had worked in harmony to give him a great drive, the old guard isn’t ready to relinquish their stronghold to young pretenders yet.
Glenn Geerts (BEL) had a brilliant Friday night and so nearly won after a triumphant first round. But he relinquished his place during the drive-off when at the last minute, the pressure told, and expensive balls rolled to push him into 2nd behind Boyd, who recovered from an uncharacteristic error during his first round. On day two, Glenn was just off the pace and ended in 4th. His fellow Belgian, Dries Degrieck, on his second outing of the series, has yet to find his stride and finished 5th on both nights, tallying up expensive balls which put him out of drive-off contention.
Satisfying the vast home crowd was the Wild Card entry, Fredrik Persson (SWE), and although he was placed 6th, there was a marked improvement in fluency between the rounds on Friday and Saturday.
Also keeping the audience happy was the presence of Boyd’s ‘Super Groom’ Emma Olsson, who is from Sweden and was recently in the running for the Cavalor FEI Best Groom Award. As Boyd’s navigator during events, he is first to credit how important she is to their success, admitting that she can get quite cross with him if he makes a mistake!
What happens on the next leg in Geneva (SUI) will be enthralling as it will be the first outing for the reigning champion, Bram Chardon (NED). Having won last year in Switzerland, he must be favourite to do it again, but it remains to be seen how sharp he is in comparison to his compatriots, who now have several legs under their belts. Boyd isn’t listed as a competitor, so there’s every chance it will go Bram’s way. But these two titans are due to clash in London, just before Christmas, when there may be a stronger indication as to who will take the title in February.
Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain FRH produced a brilliant Grand Prix Freestyle performance to clinch victory in today’s fourth leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/2023 Western European League in Madrid (ESP).
Yesterday the German pair already showed their strength when winning the Grand Prix by a considerable margin. And this evening they strutted their way to the top of the scoreboard once again with a personal-best result of 84.830% to clinch the all-important maximum 20 qualifying points on the road to the 2023 Final in Omaha (USA) next April.
Runner-up was Wandres’ compatriot Helen Langehanenberg partnering the mare Annabelle while The Netherlands’ Thamar Zweistra lined up in third with the young stallion Hexagon’s Ich Weiss ahead of French athlete Morgan Barbançon in fourth place with Sir Donnerhall ll OLD.
German riders have now won three of the four legs staged so far this season and today’s result leaves Wandres in seventh place on the series leaderboard from which the top nine will qualify.
Heat
It was Langehanenberg who first really turned up the heat when scoring 80.035% with her 14-year-old mare. Yesterday the pair finished fourth in the Grand Prix but, as the 2013 series champion pointed out this evening, “we definitely had a better day today. Yesterday she was a little scared to enter in the arena and was very tense during the whole test. Today was much better”, she said.
With just three combinations left to go Barbançon and Sir Donnerhall ll also produced a lovely ride and the 16-year-old stallion was rewarded with a great big hug for his efforts long before his score of 78.220 went up on the board. But then Wandres and Duke of Britain FRH brought the sport to a whole new level, with all five judges ranking them first and awarding multiple 8s and 9s and even a maximum 10 for music and interpretation.
Their score of 84.380% always looked like the winning one but Thamar Zweistra and Hexagon’s Ich Weiss produced the perfect finale to a great competition. The handsome little dappled grey stallion oozes character along with a sense of fun and a whole lot of promise for the future. His lovely forward one-tempi changes contributed to his excellent score of 79.660 and 39-year-old Zweistra has now risen to third place on the Western European League leaderboard behind Barbançon in second and Germany’s Benjamin Werndl in pole position going into the next round of the 11-leg series in London (GBR) in three weeks’ time.
For granted
Wandres pointed out this evening that while he knew he and his horse were in great form, he never takes anything for granted.
“Like any competitive person you always have your expectations but you never know how you will end up because the others are also fighters, like Helen, she will always fight hard. I knew after the Grand Prix yesterday we had a little bit of a comfortable situation because we showed already in a very good way. Today I changed a little bit the lines of the Freestyle, the music was the same but there were some different new lines with a higher degree of difficulty, and it worked out very well and we came out with a personal-best!”
Talking about the relationship he has established with Hof Kasselmann’s Duke of Britain he said, “we know each other inside out, and unless there’s a bomb exploding next to the arena we know we can show what we can show and bring out the highlights - especially in the piaffe! For sure every day is different and you to have to fight, you have to believe in yourself but you can never be too sure because that always brings mistakes in the end. But I know I can trust him and that’s what makes a relationship like the one we have!
And he believes there is still more to come from this horse who competed on the bronze-medal-winning German team at this summer’s ECCO FEI World Championship in Herning (DEN). “To me he means everything, he created my career and hopefully we are not yet at the end. He feels like he is still getting better and better, and today he makes me very proud”, Wandres said.
Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..
For all the latest information about the FEI Dressage World Cup™ season 2022/2023 check out the new Series Hub here
Stay up to date with results, articles, interviews, videos and much more while following the action all the way to Final.
It had been seven months since Lillie Keenan (USA) had jumped internationally in the United States when she met her stallion Agana van het Gerendal Z for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Las Vegas (USA). She received a warm homecoming when she recorded her first career World Cup victory, besting a six-horse jump-off before a packed crowd Saturday night at the South Point Hotel.
Keenan was the last to jump-off over Anderson Lima's (BRA) 1.60m short track and caught the standard set by Daniel Coyle (IRL) and his 9-year-old mount, Ivory TCS. The winning time was 36.31 seconds. Coyle finished in 36.47 seconds, with 18-year-old Elisa Broz (USA) and Kardenta van't Meerhof third (36.65 seconds).
"I've taught myself when I go later [in the start order] to just walk my course, think about my plan and stick to it. I know Daniel's really fast. I didn't need to see him do it to know that I'd have to do everything I could to try to beat him."
-Lillie Keenan (USA)
Coyle, fresh off a World Cup win at Toronto (CAN) with Legacy, set a strong standard in the jump-off, but Keenan gained the advantage with an early gallop up the first line and a particularly tight turn back to the penultimate fence.
"On the approach to [fence] one, I can trust my horse so much to go on a slice," Keenan said. "For him, he's so competitive in every kind of class."
Keenan was on the fence with her Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final aspirations, but she has quickly changed course.
"My idea was, if I was top three here, I would go on to Fort Worth (USA). Obviously, that turned out to be the case, so I will be changing my plans now to do that," Keenan said. It's just about making the best plan for each of the horses and giving them their moments to shine."
Conor Swail (IRL) has won two North American League legs already this season, and although he did not make the podium in Las Vegas, he regained the lead in the NAL standings with an 11th-place finish; he has 56 points. Kentucky's (USA) winner Daniel Bluman (ISR) sits second with 54 points, and Coyle is third with 49 points.
The North American League continues at Fort Worth (USA) on 17 December 2022.
FEI PRESS RELEASE
Cape Town (RSA), 13 November 2022
FEI Awards 2022 celebrate all female winners
It was history in the making in Cape Town (RSA) this evening with an all-female line-up of winners at the FEI Awards Gala 2022 presented by Longines.
The evening saw the young Eventer Alice Casburn (GBR) take home this year’s Longines FEI Rising Star Award that was created to recognise young athletes between the ages of 14 and 21 who demonstrate outstanding equestrian sporting talent.
Casburn, who competed in her first 5* Event only 12 months after her first 4*, has taken the Eventing world by storm. The youngest entry on the 2022 Badminton Horse Trials entry list having turned 20 in January this year, Casburn went onto win individual bronze and Team gold for Great Britain at the FEI Eventing European Championships for Young Riders in July 2022. At her 5* debut at the Burghley Horse Trails, and the youngest athlete at the competitions, she recorded a double jumping clear on her second generation home-bred horse Topspin.
“I have to thank my mom for the amount of time and dedication that she has given to helping me succeed,” Alice Casburn said.
“And she's not just my coach, she's also the driver and groom and she's my mental support. With the amount that she juggles year and year out, I just couldn't imagine doing it without her. The Longines FEI Rising Star Award is always something that I've sort of followed in the past. And you know, I voted for other people so I never even anticipated to be shortlisted. So the fact that I've won, I just can't thank everyone enough that has made the time to vote for me and it really does mean so much as it's a really difficult sport. And to get award as honourable as this is, is really special.”
The Longines FEI Rising Star Award and an elegant timepiece from the FEI’s Top Partner Longines was presented to Casburn by Longines’ Vice President Marketing Matthieu Baumgartner.
“It’s a great pleasure for Longines to support these talents of the equestrian world for their exceptional contributions,” Baumgartner said. “By supporting the young generation, we hope to further promote excellence, performance and elegance in these sports. We hope we will inspire future generations in their pursuit of success to carry on the longstanding equestrian tradition.”
Crowning an incredible year which saw her win two gold medals in the Individual Grand Prix Special and the Individual Grand Prix Freestyle, as well as Team silver at the ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning (DEN), 26-year-old Dressage sensation Charlotte Fry (GBR) took home the coveted Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete Award.
Fry’s Grand Prix Freestyle winning performance in Herning earned her a score of 90.654% and a place among the handful of the world’s top athletes who have broken the 90% barrier internationally. In 2018, Fry won the FEI Dressage World Championships for seven-year-old Young Horses in Ermelo (NED), riding Glamourdale the horse which took her to the top of the podium at the CDIO5* Grand Prix at the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ in Compiègne (FRA) in May 2022.
She was also a member of the British Dressage team at the FEI Dressage European Championships in 2019 and 2021 as well as the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020, where she won Team bronze and finished 13th in the individual competition. In 2021, she also won gold at the World Championships for Young Horses in Verden (GER) with the Dutch-bred Kjento.
Receiving the award from Peden Bloodstock’s Managing Director Martin Atock, Fry said, “To be the Best Athlete in 2022 is kind of crazy! I am still taking it in and not really sure what to say about it yet, but it's incredible.
“The people who I need to thank the most for all my successes so far is definitely Anne and Gertjan Van Olst for giving me so many amazing opportunities and allowing me to ride horses like Glamourdale every day. And of course to my whole team, sponsors and my family at home who I had to leave behind when I moved here and to everyone who voted for me to become the Best Athlete for this year. Thank you Peden Bloodstock for the FEI Best Athlete Award 2022.”
The recipient of this year’s Cavalor FEI Best Groom award went to Kerryn Edmans (NZL) who has groomed for New Zealand’s Eventing couple Tim and Jonelle Price for the past six years.
“I was so shocked to have been nominated, let alone actually given the Cavalor FEI Groom of the Year!” Kerryn Edmans said. “It is amazing. I just didn't expect it.
“I just love my job and I love what I do, and to get a bit of recognition here is amazing. But to have been nominated for this Award was even better. It's a massive honour to have been recognised with such a calibre of grooms across all disciplines. Every groom deserves to have some form of recognition for the amazing work they do behind the scenes for the riders and the horses.”
Flying the flag proudly for the home country, was South Africa’s Dressage SA Solidarity Stars Project that won the FEI Solidarity Award 2022.
The project, which is run all over South Africa, was created to identify disadvantaged athletes, give them the opportunity to be coached by experts, and then provide them with opportunities to enter shows to get competition experience.
Accepting the award on behalf of the project was President of Dressage SA Solidarity Stars Dianne Smith who said, “We are so grateful to FEI Solidarity for making the project happen and to our national federation who gave us this opportunity. Our project manager Monique Wilson has been outstanding, and our minister of Finance Carol Pickering has kept us in check.
“All the coaches have done a superb job, and the owners have been so generous in lending their horses to the riders. The Chef d’Equipe Beverly Jackman has kept the team together brilliantly and the greatest of all are the riders. Winning the FEI solidarity award is not something that we expected or dreamt of for us. It was enough of an award to see the riders do so brilliantly at our national championship.”
Presented by outgoing Executive Board Member Luiz Roberto Giugni (BRA) and former Chair of Regional Group VI, the award is given each year to an equestrian development project or an individual or organisation that has demonstrated skill, dedication and energy in expanding equestrian sport.
Taking the final award for the night was Jumping athlete Muthoni Kimani (KEN) who received the FEI Against All Odds Award. Presented by outgoing Executive Board Member and former FEI Athlete Committee Chair Maria Gretzer (SWE) alongside former Against All Odds winner and Paralympic medallist Rodolpho Riskalla (BRA), the Award is given each year to someone who has pursued their equestrian ambitions despite a physical handicap or extremely difficult personal circumstances.
Hit by a car while riding her pony at the age of eight, Muthoni took months to overcome the trauma and her pony was badly injured. After a second riding accident at 15-years -old, she suffered back pains and headaches for about three months, and it took her longer to overcome her fear of getting back in the saddle. She was later selected to join the Cavalleria Toscana Academy in Italy, the first young African to do so. With very little preparation time and financial support she entered her first CSI2* this October in San Giovanni (ITA).
“My dream has always been to compete in the Olympics and to compete at five star when I was younger,” Muthoni said.
“So now I am on this journey where I can really see it, and I believe it will happen. The 15 year old me would say, ‘Wow, you know, she's in the Tuscan Academy! She is competing for Kenya!’ This is completely incredible and I wouldn't have believed it. What does the future hold for me? I'll say it is to just keep going and to know that I can achieve what I want to achieve it. I'm here to inspire people everywhere around the world. Just keep believing in yourself and never give up. Anything and everything is possible.”
This year’s winners were decided by combining 50% of the public votes cast on FEI.org, and 50% of the judges’ votes. National Federations, FEI partners and stakeholders attended the FEI Awards, with equestrian broadcast commentator Aly Vance (GBR) as Master of Ceremonies.
Ingmar De Vos who was re-elected for a third term as FEI President earlier in the day said, “Every year these Awards celebrate the best-of-the-best of our sport. But the FEI Awards 2022 mark the first time that we are hosting these honours on the African continent, and remarkable that it’s an all-female line-up. This year more than ever, the FEI Awards represent the essence of our sport and shine a light on our values of equality, determination and courage. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you for being incredible Ambassadors for our sport.”
About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org
The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm. The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance and Vaulting.
The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving.
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Every season the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ series throws up some exciting new talent, and today 25-year-old Richard Vogel and the 10-year-old stallion United Touch S wowed their home crowd with a superb win in the fifth leg of the 2022/2023 Western European League in Stuttgart (GER).
Taking on a stellar field of opponents in a tense and thrilling 13-horse jump-off, the pair who were both making their debut at this level of the sport set an impossible target with a sensational run that left them well over a second quicker than their nearest rivals.
Ireland’s Denis Lynch and Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat shared runner-up spot at the end of the day while world number one and reigning world champion, Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, finished fourth ahead of The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders in fifth and Frenchman Kevin Staut in sixth place.
It was a day when many young horses really rose to the challenge, but Vogel’s victory was all the more impressive for the fact that this was only his fourth show with his winning horse.
Test
Course designer, Germany’s Christa Jung, set a strong 13-fence first-round test, but one-third of the starters made the cut into the jump-off and it was Britain’s Harry Charles who led the way with Casquo Blue who left a single rail on the floor this time out.
Kevin Staut was clear when next to go with Visconti du Telman and their time of 37.90 seconds set the early target. Sweden’s Wilma Hellstrom has been really making a name for herself over the last year and also left all the poles in place with the lovely one-eyed grey mare Cicci BJN but didn’t challenge for the lead when clearing the line in 41.13.
Germany’s Jana Wargers came much closer when galloping through the timers fault-free with Limbridge in 37.92 seconds, while her compatriot Hans-Dieter Dreher’s time of 38.75 with the magnificent 10-year-old grey Elysium was also short of the mark. But Vogel’s was not.
Sixth to go he set off at warp speed, making a heart-stoppingly tight rollback to the big wall which was now the third fence and galloping relentlessly down to the two remaining elements of the triple combination before racing to the last to reset the target at 35.35 seconds. And that proved impossible for the rest to match.
Best shot
Von Eckermann gave it his best shot with his lovely nine-year-old mare Iliana who crossed the line clear in 37.03, but Germany’s Marcus Ehning slipped out of contention when Priam du Roset hit the second fence while Jur Vrieling’s Long John Silver 3 ducked out when asked for a tight turn to the imposing wall which put paid to their chances. Fellow Dutchman Willem Greve’s Grandorado TN NOP knocked a brick out of the wall and then there were just three left to go. But they couldn’t dislodge Vogel from his perch.
Denis Lynch’s Brooklyn Heights is a super-fast little horse but when the clock showed 36.80 seconds he wouldn’t oust the leader and when Steve Guerdat’s exciting nine-year-old mare Dynamix de Belheme crossed the line in exactly the same time then only The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders was left to make one final challenge. Despite an extraordinary effort when taking the wall at an acute angle however his time of 37.86 with Bingo du Parc would leave him fifth in the final analysis while the crowd went wild with delight at a home win.
Previously ridden by The Netherlands’ Bart Bless, Vogel has only been riding United Touch S for the last few months but he wasn’t the least bit intimidated when given the opportunity to compete the horse in their first World Cup together.
“I tried to just pretend it was like any other class and do everything the same. He’s a very brave horse, he always tries his best for the rider and has a lot of scope and is not spooky at all so I knew I could turn very tight to the wall”, he explained. And the stallion’s enormous stride gave him the edge in the end.
“I did fences one to two in six strides which a few colleagues said was not possible - but he has probably one of the biggest strides in the world!”, said the man who works alongside top German rider David Will at a shared based in Dagobertshausen, north of Frankfurt. Also in the business is Vogel’s girlfriend Sophie Hinners who finished second in the German Masters at Stuttgart on Friday. “We are a very strong team of three very strong riders!”, Vogel pointed out.
Chaos
Victory today was very sweet, but it has thrown Vogel’s plans into a bit of chaos.
“To be honest I was very last-minute getting in here (entry to Stuttgart) so I was already very happy just to get the chance to ride in one World Cup qualifier but I never planned to do a whole season. The original plan was for my horses to fly to America next week, but now we have to see if I keep one or two here in Europe and try to do one or two more shows - I just don’t know yet. First we go home, get settled and we’ll take it from there!!”, he said.
For joint-runner-up Steve Guerdat it’s a different matter however. The three-time series champion has contested 14 FEI World Cup™ Finals during his super-successful career and has competed in all five legs of the new season, but only picking up his first points today towards qualification for the 2023 Final in Omaha, USA next April. With 16 points he’s now well on the way.
He was thrilled with the performance of Dynamix de Belheme today and said this evening that he may take her to London in December for the eighth qualifying leg of the Western European League series. But before that he plans to take other horses to rounds six and seven which will both be staged in Spain.
Next stop is Madrid in two weeks’ time, so don’t miss a hoofbeat…..
Belgium’s Ingmar De Vos has been re-elected with an overwhelming majority by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) member National Federations to serve a third and final term as FEI President. The Presidential election was held during today’s FEI Hybrid General Assembly held in Cape Town (RSA) and virtually, allowing National Federations unable to attend in-person to vote online in real time. Standing unopposed for a second time, the 59-year-old received widespread support for his last four-year term, which will run until 2026.
“I am deeply honoured to have your trust and confidence to lead the FEI for one more term,” Ingmar De Vos said in his address to the annual equestrian Assembly.
“Over the past eight years, I have had the privilege to witness the power of unity at work in our community, and it is this solidarity that brought us through some incredibly challenging times. We have moved forward together because we all put aside our differences for the wider benefit of our sport and community. We have come out stronger than ever as a result and I know that this foundation will serve us well for the future.
“And the future is very much on my mind as I now embark on my final term in office. I am determined to leave a strong legacy that my successor and the community can continue to build on in the years to come.
“While we have achieved a great deal together, it is clear that we also need to make some further changes to guarantee the continuity and wellbeing of our organisation. This will require some difficult choices, and on some points we will probably disagree but if history is any indication, I know that the decisions we make together for our sport and organisation will always be grounded in our commonly held values of horse welfare and integrity.”
De Vos, the 13th FEI President since the International Federation was founded in 1921 and only the fourth to become an IOC Member, was also the first male President succeeding three female heads of the organisation when he was first elected to the position in 2014 in Baku (AZE).
Widely sought after for his sports administration experience, De Vos is an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, as well as a member of three IOC Commissions (Legal Affairs, Gender Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Commission, and Los Angeles 2028 Coordination Commission), member of the Council of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), and member of the Executive Committee and Foundation Board of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Under De Vos’ leadership, the FEI as an organisation has earned a strong standing in the Olympic community for its sustainability initiatives, advancing animal welfare, championing gender diversity, equality and inclusion, as well as promoting youth sport. De Vos has also led the equestrian community in critical discussions over key changes to the Olympic formats to bring the sport more in line with the aims and ambitions of Olympic agenda 2020+5.
Since taking office in 2014, he has also introduced several changes to the governance structures of the international body. The FEI has consistently appeared in the top five organisations in the ASOIF International Federation governance review, and took first place in the ranking in 2022.
At the FEI Sports Forum 2022, De Vos also delivered on a promise to fully integrate Grooms into the FEI Family with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the FEI and the International Grooms Association.
More recently, De Vos announced the creation of an independent Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission to develop a practical framework to address current and future concerns related to the use of horses in sport.
“Sustainability and the modernisation of equestrian sport with welfare at its heart are my key objectives for the next four years,” De Vos said.
“If we are to remain relevant as a sport, then we need to have an organisation that is well equipped to adapt to the challenges that come our way. Open and honest dialogue has been the reason we have been able to shape the future of equestrian together since 1921. I look forward to more of the same over the next four years.”
Spanish: El belga Ingmar De Vos, reelegido para un tercer y último mandato como Presidente de la FEI
More about Ingmar De Vos
A Belgian native, Ingmar De Vos was born on 5 August 1963. He holds degrees in political science, and international and European law, and started his career as an advisor to the Belgian Senate. He joined the Belgian Equestrian Federation as managing director in 1990, and held the additional role of Secretary General from 1997 to 2011. De Vos is the only Belgian holding the position of President among the International Federations governing summer and winter Olympic Sports.
During his time at the Belgian National Federation, Ingmar De Vos was chef de mission for the Belgian team at all six FEI World Equestrian Games™ between 1990 and 2010 and at three Olympic Games – Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. He is a member of the Belgian Olympic Academy. He was co-founder of the European Equestrian Federation in 2010 and was also Secretary General from 2010 until 2011, when he joined the FEI.
After three years as FEI Secretary General, Ingmar De Vos was elected as FEI President in December 2014 at the FEI General Assembly in Baku, Azerbaijan. Under the FEI Statutes, a President can serve up to three four-year terms.
Ahead of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto (CAN), Daniel Coyle (IRL) was feeling the pressure.
The 100th anniversary of Toronto's Royal Agricultural Winter Fair held special meaning for the Irish rider, as he works out of nearby Lothlorien Farm.
"That's maybe why I was trying so hard to get something to happen, and nothing was," he said. "I couldn't jump clear in any class, on every different horse."
But things came together for him in the event's feature competition and the fourth leg of the 2022-2023 North American League season. Coyle and Legacy produced the only double-clear performance Saturday night to claim victory over a three-horse jump-off. The winning time was 37.02 seconds. Daniel Bluman (ISR) and Gemma W finished second for the second time this season (4/39.21), with Tiffany Foster (CAN) and Northern Light third (9/44.23).
"Any time I've went in the jump-off, Legacy can be very fast, but I haven't done that many where I've been really fast and go as fast as possible. I thought, 'I'll try to leave it a little harder for [Bluman] tonight,' and thankfully [we] had it."
Daniel Coyle (IRL)
Course designer Michel Vaillancourt (CAN) set a stiff first round test, with rails falling throughout the 1.60m track. Before the shortened course, Coyle received advice from Conor Swail (IRL), who has already secured World Cup wins this season at Sacramento (CAN) and Washington (USA). On this occasion, Swail was kept from the jump-off, finishing seventh with Count Me In.
"If it's not me winning, I like to think I want him to win and visa versa," Coyle said of Swail, a close friend and former employer. "We were just talking, and the last thing I said was, 'Is the main thing [to go] clear, or do I need to be quick as well?' And he said, 'No, you need to be fast.'"
Coyle moved up to third in the NAL standings with 32 points, behind Swail with 50 points. Bluman has moved into the lead with 54 points.
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