The FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ at Aachen (GER) was full of emotion as Denmark recorded its first victory in the history of the event. Nanna Skodborg Merrald (Atterupgaards Orthilia), Daniel Bachmann Andersen (Marshall-Bell), Carina Cassøe Krüth (Heiline's Danciera) and Cathrine Dufour (Vamos Amigos) gave Team Manager Anne-Mette Binder a birthday to remember as the quartet triumphed over the home nation in the penultimate event of the 2022 FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ series. 

Denmark finished on a winning total of 459.421 points after tallying the three best scores from the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special. Germany was left on 454.903 points after team anchor and seven-time Olympic gold medalist Isabell Werth (DSP Quantaz) was shockingly eliminated in the Special when blood was found on her horse's mouth. Sweden finished third (440.499 points)

"It's just really fun building this [team] together," Dufour said. "It was an annoying way to win in the end with Isabell, but I still think that we did a super job today. Everyone contributed."

The runners-up from April's FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final, Dufour and Vamos Amigos anchored the group with career-best scores in both the Grand Prix (81.544) and Grand Prix Special (80.064). The pair was the only combination to score above 80 percent.

"I'm super proud of [Vamos Amigos]. He did a super job again in the ring today [in the Grand Prix Special]," Dufour said. "I might have had five minutes too much warm-up, so I had little less power compared to the Grand Prix, when he was super, super electric. He's 10 years old and is doing super job."

Bachmann was not expecting to be at Aachen after Marshall-Bell was sold to U25 rider Nicole Ahorner of Austria earlier this year, but a meaningful summer reunion has transpired in hopes that horse and rider can make Denmark's team for the upcoming FEI World Championships in Hernig (DEN). After finishing 11th in the Grand Prix (73.696%), the pair rose in the standings with a Grand Prix Special test worthy of 75.234%. 

"This was our last selection [event] for our team for [the World Championships]. I was very happy. It was a big day for me," Bachmann said. "I rode [Marshall-Bell] eight times before coming here. It was a little stressful but still a good experience."

"We are proud—overwhelmed I would say I am," Binder said. "I'm really grateful to have such good riders and lovely horses and horse owners that support us all the way."

With its podium finish, Sweden extended its lead in the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ series with 41 points. The Netherlands moved into second with 24 points, while Spain sits third (20 points). The series concludes at Falsterbo (SWE), 14-17 July.

The first-ever FEI Youth Equestrian Games came to a thrilling conclusion this afternoon on the hallowed ground of Aachen in Germany where South Africa’s Thomas van Rijckevorsel claimed Individual gold ahead of Morocco’s Jed Guerraoui in silver while USA’s Mimi Gochman earned bronze.

The story of this fixture, designed to replace the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games which were postponed to 2026, is already epic, with the 30 contestants from 30 different nations - all aged between 15 and 18 - providing an incredible week of sport. Riding borrowed horses which they must get to know within a few short days, they showed extraordinary skill, maturity and horsemanship against the background of arguably the most intimidating arena in the world.

And today 17-year-old van Rijckevorsel put his name into the history books when taking the individual title with the nine-year-old mare, Lucy 781.

“It was amazing - it hasn’t sunk in yet, it’s the best thing that ever happened to me!”, said the young man who was also part of the Team Africa quintet who claimed bronze in Thursday’s team medal decider.

Bigger track

Top German course designer, Frank Rothenberger, presented them with an even bigger track today with fences measuring up to 1.30m, but 18 of the 30 starters still managed to jump the first course clear.

By this final afternoon most of the relationships between the new horse/athlete partnerships had really gelled, and although the line of fences from the vertical at fence five to the triple-combination at six and the following oxer at fence seven proved the undoing of some, it was clear that those going through to the second-round jump-off were all still highly competitive.

Colombia’s Juan Felipe Gonzalez Cova gave it his all to set the target at 36.95 seconds with the 12-year-old gelding Diacco-Blue when first to take on the new course, but Egypt’s Haya Osama El Borai and the eight-year-old mare Jadzia galloped home more than two seconds quicker when third into the ring.

Then Great Britain’s Claudia Moore and Largo van de Molenhoek reset the target when clearing the line in 33.71 seconds and that looked tough enough to beat. But Germany’s Charlotte Hoing, who along with Moore was a member of the Team Europe silver medal winning side on Thursday, had other ideas when next to go.

Setting off like a rocket with the chestnut gelding Andy’sBoy Bretoniere, the 17-year-old had the home crowd screaming in delight as she raced around the track only to fall foul of the very final fence for four faults in an incredible time of 31.18 seconds.

Next in, Belgium’s Bart Jay Junior Vandecasteele overtook Moore for the lead when steering the mare, Haya, home in 33.33 seconds with real style.

Preparation

Meanwhile, out in the warm-up ring van Rijckevorsel hadn’t seen any of that because he was busy working on his preparation with his trainer, Dominey Alexander. “Before I went in I just saw his (Bart’s) time and I thought he must have been pretty fast. Dom told me to just go for it and we just went for it - Lucy tried her heart out and it all just worked out in the end!”, he said. It certainly did.

He had established a real bond with the little nine-year-old Lux Z mare, and the pair look perfectly matched as they scorched around the course that demanded serious turning skills and balance, especially on the penultimate bending line from the oxer at what had been fence two first time out and the vertical fence three before winding left-handed for the long run to the final vertical.

Stopping the clock on 31.69 seconds they wouldn’t be beaten, but Morocco’s Jad Guerraoui, whose jump-off ride clinched bronze for Team Africa on Thursday, came very close indeed with a brilliant run with the eight-year-old mare Lady Angeles who broke the beam in 31.83 for silver medal spot while, fourth-last to go, USA’s Mimi Gochman and Merino van de Achterhoek earned individual bronze in 32.56 seconds.

Finishing just off the podium in fourth place was Qatar’s Saad Ahmed Al Saad and DSP Cessy who were just 0.27 seconds slower.

First experience

The FEI Youth Equestrian Games 2022 has provided the newly-crowned champion with his first experience of competing in Europe.

“I have three top open horses at home that jump at 1.40m and three young horses as well as a dressage horse”, explained the young man who hails from Johannesburg. He had plenty of support in Aachen this week, not just from trainer Dominey Alexander who himself took team bronze at the African Games in 2007 but also from his parents, grandparents, brother and sister who all travelled to see him compete.

And of course he had the lovely Lucy to rely on. “She’s a great horse - small and hot like one of my horses at home but super careful and just a fighter, so I just got on and clicked with her and she’s been just amazing!”, he pointed out.

Talking about his future ambitions van Rijckevorsel said, “after this week I definitely want to come back and jump at Aachen again - I’d love to have a career in this sport, it’s my life!”

Silver medallist, Jad Guerrouai, said his dream would be to represent Morocco at the Olympic Games. At just 15 years old, and one of the youngest amongst the 30 athletes competing, that seems like a real possibility following his brilliant performances this week. He was also thrilled to make such a significant contribution to the Team Africa bronze medal winning result. That meant a lot to him because “we were not just a team, we were like a family!”, said this talented young man.

And for bronze medallist Mimi Gochman who is no stranger to success on the US circuit and whose jump-off round clinched gold for Team North America on Thursday, claiming her second medal of the week was also super special.

“I’m very grateful and my horse was incredible!”, said the 17-year-old. “In the USA we have a big riding community and it feels amazing to represent them proudly and with my head held high! Now I can go home knowing how incredible it is to ride in Aachen. Not a lot of people get that opportunity so I’m super lucky”, she added.

Result here 

It took a thrilling three-way jump-off to decide the result of the team competition at the FEI Youth Equestrian Games 2022 in Aachen, Germany this afternoon. And it was the North American quintet of Mimi Gochman (USA), Carlos Andres Meany Morataya (GUA), Gabriela Maradiaga (HON), Shannon Grubba (CRC) and Xaviera Maurer Buch (MEX) who clinched gold ahead of Team Europe in silver and Team Africa in bronze.

First to set out in the third and final round, Gochman set the standard when flying through the finish with the lovely grey gelding Merino van de Achterhoek in 32.26 seconds and couldn’t be caught. But the sheer delight on the faces of Great Britain’s Claudia Moore who scooped silver medal spot for Europe and Moroccos’s Jad Guerraoui who earned bronze for Africa told the story of this super-exciting youth tournament that will come to a close on Saturday when the individual medals will be decided.

It has already been a wonderful opportunity for young people who would otherwise be unlikely to meet to come together in the most iconic arena in the world of equestrian sport. And the riders, all aged between 15 and 18, have truly risen to the occasion.

Phenomenal

The standard of competition has been phenomenal all week. Divided into six continental teams, the 30 contenders from 30 different countries had only a few days to get to know their borrowed horses before yesterday’s first round in which Africa, Europe, Asia and North America finished on a zero scoreline when the best three results from each group was taken into account.

Despite brilliant double-clears from Qatar’s Saad Ahmed Al Saad (DSP Cessy) and Iran’s Marilya Manavikherad (Cornelia Marie), Team Asia had to count four faults today so slipped off the radar along with Australasia who completed with eight and South America who finished up with a total of 20 over the two days.

The Australasian result however belied fantastic performances from Syria’s Aya Hamcho (Campari 329) and New Zealand’s Dylan Bibby (Chasseur Ask Z) who were amongst the 14 riders to post double-clears by the end of the day.

Looked threatening

With four more of those coming from the North American team they always looked threatening.

Gochman’s lovely quiet ride with the 12-year-old Darco gelding got them off to the perfect second-day start before Meany Morataya, also clear yesterday, followed suit with the mare Annelie which was formerly competed by German international rider Mario Stevens. Maradiaga (DSP Goldquelle) had a fence down on both days but both Grubba (Volk D’Ermng) and Maurer Buch (Lawita 3) were foot-perfect so, third team into the ring, they already had the podium in their sights. But it was still far from over.

Team Europe also added nothing to their zero score when Belgium’s Bart Jay Junior Vandecastelle (Haya), Germany’s Charlotte Hoing (Andy’sBoy Bretoniere) and Britain’s Claudia Moore (Largo van de Molenhoek) produced double-clears while Greek rider Annie Mayo Vatidis (Despacita) picked up their second four-fault result of the week and Jeanne Hirel from France (Galliano LW) followed yesterday’s four-fault effort with a clear today. Now for sure there wuld be a jump-off.

And then Team Africa joined in. Tunisia’s Elyes Chaouachi (Maestro v. Donkhoeve) and Zimbabwe’s Amy Hay (Ypaejae Jeremy) were both clear yesterday but collected eight and four faults apiece this afternoon. But when Egypt’s Haya Osama El Borai (Jadzia), Morocco’s Jad Guerraoui (Lady Angeles) and Thomas van Rijckevorsel (Lucy 781) all racked up double-clears it was game on - a three-way battle for the podium places would have to decide it.

First

First against the clock, USA’s Gochman put Team North America on the map in 32.26 seconds and Great Britain’s Moore was just 0.33 slower over the new track when next to go for Team Europe. This left all the pressure on Jad Guerraoui whose lively mare, Lady Angeles, cleared the line in 33.33 seconds to take the bronze for Africa.

Britain’s Claudia Moore is a multiple medallist at European Pony and Junior level but she still felt the pressure today. “I knew Mimi had an incredible round and I wanted to match that. I kept quite cool, calm and collected and went in and I had so much fun and I had my entire team behind me and I think that was the thing that drove me the most!”, she said. And like all the young riders this week she thoroughly enjoyed competing in the world-famous Soers arena. “The crowd, the atmosphere, the ground, the jumps, it’s such an amazing thing for the youth. Some people in their professional career never get to jump at Aachen and for us to be able to do it at this age, and have this type of experience early on, is amazing!”, she said.

Newly-crowned team gold medallist, Gochman, said, “going first is a bit challenging sometimes but I gave it my all and it paid off! I’m very proud of the way it went!” She talked about creating a bond with the Belgian-bred Merino van de Achterhoek with whom she has clearly struck up a great relationship already.

Growth period

“The first thing I tried to do was not to be too defensive…I don’t know him and he doesn’t know me so of course there’s going to be a little bit of a growth period. I spent as much time as I could in his stall, letting him smell me, letting him snuggle with me, to make sure he knows who I am and being really gentle and kind with him. And then when it came time to get into gear I was able to really ask him for things and I think he really knew he could give it to me and he could trust me”, she explained.

The spirit of these FEI Youth Equestrian Games is infectious and the winning team’s Chef d’Equipe, DiAnn Langer, spoke about the positivity it has already engendered.

“The earlier they start this type of competition - the younger they are the better for our future. It’s about more than just producing a winner, a second and third, it brings the young riders together to meet so many new people and make great friendships”, she said.

So what does she think about Team North America’s chances for more glory in Saturday’s individual medal-decider? “We have our hopes and today Mimi, Claudia and Jad showed what they are made of, but all the riders on all the teams have the same capabilities. On Saturday the fences will be a bit higher and it’s a whole new competition but one thing is for sure - it’s going to be great sport!”

Result here 

The FEI has secured a top-tier placing in the fourth review of International Federation Governance conducted by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF). It is the second time the FEI has earned a leading position after welcoming top classification in the previous edition of the review published two years ago.

The evaluation was conducted by the ASOIF Governance Taskforce in 2021-22. As is customary in this process, it took the form of a self-assessment questionnaire with independent moderation of the responses. The questionnaire consisted of 50 measurable indicators covering Transparency, Integrity, Democracy, Development, and Control Mechanisms. Some 33 International Federations took part in the review.

The FEI is one of the seven IFs – the others being the BFW (badminton), FIFA (football), ITF (tennis), UCI (cycling), World Athletics, and World Rugby – which, according to the review, “stood out from the rest” having secured at least 175 out of a maximum of 200 points.

The complete version of ASOIF's fourth review of International Federation Governance is available here.

“Being one of the top IFs in good governance practices is a matter of great pride for all of us at the FEI and it reflects the important strides we have taken – and continue to take - as a community to ensure integrity on the field of play but also within the decision-making process,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos commented.

“This is very much a collective effort, and an ongoing effort, to which we are wholeheartedly committed at the FEI. It is also a big responsibility but the silver lining in having good systems in place, such as transparency and consultation, is that there is nowhere to hide and you have to lead by example and serve your community thoroughly and responsibly.

“There are always improvements to be made and when I look back on the last two years since the last IF Governance Review – and the difficult circumstances globally – I believe we have achieved a lot and this is predominantly due to the solid structures we already had in place, which were put to the test but I believe are now even stronger.”

Read up on the FEI’s latest facts and figures in the comprehensive and colourful 2021 FEI Annual Report which was published last week. Among the in-depth statistics and trends presented in the report, it shows that despite the Covid-19 related restrictions still in place and the severe and unexpected outbreak of EHV-1 on mainland Europe, some 3,719 FEI Events took place in 2021, with 39,162 registered athletes and 71,547 registered horses worldwide.

The Annual Report, which was approved at the FEI Board Meeting at its in-person meeting on 21 and 22 June, also presents solid finances with a net profit of over CHF 3,6 million in 2021, with more than half of this sum expected to be reinvested in FEI Solidarity and IT Funds.

“Like all sports, we have had to overcome a lot of challenges these past two years, and I am grateful to the community for their resilience and dedication to ensuring a sustainable future for equestrian sport,” the FEI President concluded. “We are happy but also very humbled that the good practices all of us at the FEI apply to our daily work, and the commitment of members and stakeholders, are being recognised at the highest level of international sport.”

The future looks bright for Polish eventing, after a talented team scored a decisive win in the third leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ in Strzegom (POL). Finishing on an overall score of 139.6, the Polish teams two-phase jumping performances put them well ahead of the Netherlands on 151.1. Whilst Austria finished a close third on 151.4.

Thirty-one year old Mateusz Kiempa was man of the moment, leading the competition throughout on Libertina. A challenging cross-country course reshuffled the leaderboard after the dressage with no riders going inside the time and there were a number of eliminations, retirement and cross-country jumping penalties.

Kiempa, who has competed at elite level in Jumping, was joined by teammates Malgortzata Korycka, Joanna Pawlak and Jan Kamiński. Kiempa rode one of the best cross-country rounds of the day. He finished just six seconds over the optimum time. “It was a great round, the horse jumped fantastic. Libertina was really fast and reactive. It was my plan to go as fast as possible and I think it worked out well!” said the professional event rider who was also individual winner of the Polish National Championships.

Kiempa, who added just four faults in the jumping phase, was joined by teammates Malgortzata Korycka, Joanna Pawlak and Jan Kamiński. Strong three phase performances from Korycka and Pawlak strengthened the team’s chances. Thirty-one year old Pawlak jumped just one of five double clears in the competition, on Fantastic Frieda the horse she rode at the Olympics in Tokyo last year.

Whilst the Austrians took a comfortable lead in the dressage phase, some strong cross-country performances by the Polish team put the home nation out in front after the second phase. Although the Netherlands were breathing down their neck going into the jumping phase. The pressure was on as the Poles had less than a show jump in hand but they kept their cool to deliver some good jumping rounds. Meanwhile the Dutch did not have such a happy time in the final phase which nearly lost them the runner-up spot too.

Strzegom is a popular and long-standing international venue, hosting the FEI European Championships for Ponies, Juniors, Young Riders as well as the Senior European Championships in 2017. The venue will host this year’s FEI European Pony Championships in Jumping, Dressage and Eventing from 03 - 07 August.

FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ action now heads to Avenches (SUI) from 7-10 July, the fourth of nine events in the 2022 Series. Sweden, who have participated in every leg so far, remain series leaders at this early stage.

Full results from Strzegom can be found here

Led by a strong all-female squad, The Netherlands enjoyed a victory on home soil at CHIO Rotterdam (NED), winning the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ of The Netherlands Saturday in authoritative fashion.

Led by Chef d'Equipe Alex van Silfhout, the quartet of Lynne Maas (Eastpoint), Thamar Zweistra (Hexagon's Ich Weiss), Emmelie Scholtens (Indian Rock) and Dinja Van Liere (Hermes) seized command in the Grand Prix Special and drew away in the Grand Prix Freestyle to finish on a winning total of 25 points. The United States and Sweden finished on equal terms with 39 points, but the Americans received the silver medal by way of a tiebreaker based on Grand Prix results. 

"The ladies had the right focus at the right moment. They did a super job. They showed here that, when it has to be done, they can do it."
Chef d'Equipe Alex van Silfhout (NED)

Van Liere and the exciting 10-year-old stallion Hermes delivered as team anchors, taking top honors in both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special. Recording personal best scores in both the Grand Prix (79.739%) and Grand Prix Special (77.957%), the pair is tantalizingly close to the coveted 80 percent mark.

"Hermes felt great. He is in top form and just keeps getting better," Van Liere said. "If I can just improve on some tiny things, we should be able to get there." 

In the Grand Prix Freestyle, The Netherlands dominated the podium to clinch the victory, with Scholtens and Zweistra finishing second and third, respectively. Both competing with 9-year-olds, the future for this squad appears incredibly bright, but there was even more to celebrate for Scholtens, who delivered a baby girl less than five months ago.

"I couldn't wait: It's fantastic to be able to compete in shows again," she said. "Indian Rock enjoyed having all the spectators. Before, he competed in stallion shows, so he's used to people clapping and the atmosphere. He was very relaxed tonight."

Sweden continues to lead the FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ standings with 26 points. Belgium sits second (17 points), with The Netherlands and France adjoint third (15).

Full results are available here.

The host nation threw down a definitive victory on home turf today when scooping the main honours with a zero scoreline in the third leg of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2022 Europe Division 1 series in Rotterdam (NED).

As winners at the Longines Final 2021 in Barcelona (ESP), and following exactly the same result at their home venue 12 months ago, they went into battle with a weight of expectation. And they lived up to it with such conviction that they look a real force to be reckoned with over the coming months, especially with the FEI Jumping World Championships 2022 in Denmark just around the corner.

A clear first round from pathfinders Maikel van der Vleuten and his Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze-medal-winning ride Beauville Z was followed by a similarly foot-perfect run from Sanne Thijssen with the busy but brilliant Con Quidam RB. So when Willem Greve followed that with another clear from his big stallion Grandorado TN who seemed to just stroll around the 12-fence course set by Dutchmen Quintin Maertens and Louis Konickx, then Jos Lansink’s team already had their noses out in front.

Anchorman Harrie Smolders’ tour of the track with Monaco was only academic despite leaving the first element of the final double on the floor as only the best three scores from each team were counted. However they would be the ones to clinch it in the second round.

Quite a challenge

In a “game of two halves” in which the course seemed relatively straight-forward in round one but quite a challenge second time out there were seven double-clears.

France, Sweden, Ireland and Germany were only a fence off the leaders as the second round began and despite the withdrawal of Roger Yves Bost’s Cassius Clay VDV Z the French held on for runner-up spot, although only the clock separated them from the Irish in third when both sides finished with just eight faults.

Foot-perfect performances from pathfinder Daniel Coyle with the lovely mare Legacy and anchorman Shane Sweetnam with the very exciting nine-year-old gelding James Kann Cruz meant only one of the four-fault results from Denis Lynch (Brooklyn Heights) and Trevor Breen (Highland President) had to be counted by the Irish, so this put the pressure on the rest going into the final stages.

But with a second sensational clear run from the electric little Cayman Jolly Jumper, Simon Delestre kept Team France in the frame. And when Kevin Staut and Scuderia 1918 Viking d’La Rousserie followed suit they only had to count a single error from Gregory Cottard and Bibici, and their joint team time 204.02 seconds squeezed the Irish down to third by just over two seconds.

There was no denying the winners however. Thijssen’s Con Quidam RB faulted at the water and clipped the planks at fence 10 - which proved very influential second time out - for an eight-fault tally but it didn’t matter. Van der Vleuten had set the tone with his second clear of the day, Greve’s Grandorado once again made it all look like a walk-in-the-park and, typically reliable under pressure, Smolders sealed it with the coolest of clears.

A good start

“Both rounds we had a very good start which is important because it gives the right motivation, and also knowing that one of the other three riders can maybe have a bit of a less good result. But everyone had a super first round, and then had a good second round as well, Sanne’s second round was a bit more hectic than the first but we could finish the job well with our last two riders and it was fantastic!”, van der Vleuten pointed out.

Talking about the course he said, “the first round jumped well for most riders and then they made a few jumps a little bigger for the second round. On the last line there was a strong triple bar (fence 9), a very short distance to the planks (fence 10) - and they made that a hole bigger - the oxer (fence 11) after was quite strong and then a big combination (double vertical to oxer at fence 12)”.

He confirmed the confidence with which his side went to work today. “We had four good riders with good horses and we knew that, we also rode very focused and from my point of view it was another good test. This is my first Nations Cup since Tokyo, so it was good to see how the situation is for the moment and also looking ahead to Herning”, he said.

On everyone’s mind

The World Championships at Herning in Denmark in August are on everyone’s minds right now. “Yes, this gives us a good motivation, but it’s still five weeks to go - the team isn’t decided yet”, van der Vleuten said. “But I think all of us know what our situation is at the moment and we have to try to keep this shape and don’t do too many big shows over the next while, that’s my feeling, just keep the minds of the horses a bit fresh”.

Willem Greve picked up a groin injury in Rome four weeks ago and wasn’t sure he could recover in time so he was really pleased with how things worked out today. “I want to thank my team who took care of my horses at home so I could focus on getting back in shape to ride here in Rotterdam!”, he said.

And Smolders was also delighted with how things played out this afternoon. “We have seen fantastic sport again today and a great outcome for the Dutch team. The atmosphere was amazing and it was a really nice course. I have to thank my colleagues who were all clear in the first round, it was a privilege to be in that position with such a great horse. Finishing the job in such a manner is an amazing feeling. I missed this show last year as I had an injury two weeks beforehand so it feels really great to be back!”, he said.

Extra-special

For Jos Lansink today was also extra-special. “I won the Nations Cup here as a rider but it is my first win as Chef d’Equipe. I’m grateful to my team and really happy with the result today. The atmosphere was amazing and winning in front of your home crowd is always special!” he said.

As he pointed out, this was a significant afternoon for the Dutch team. “It’s still a long way to Herning, but we are on the right track!”, he added.

Next stop in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2022 Europe Division 1 series is Falsterbo, Sweden on Friday 15 July. Team Germany hold the lead going into this fourth of six qualifying legs, and today’s result has boosted The Netherlands to second on the standings ahead of Switzerland in third, France in fourth and Ireland in fifth place. Just seven of the 10 competing nations in Europe Division 1 will qualify for the Longines Final in Barcelona (ESP) which will take place from 29 September to 2 October 2022.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Result 

Standings 

It’s going to be an extraordinary 11 days packed with a whole range of experiences for the 30 athletes taking part in the FEI Youth Equestrian Games 2022 which got underway in Aachen, Germany yesterday with the draw for horses. Competing with your peers on a horse with which you are familiar is challenging enough, but building a whole new partnership over the six days in the lead-up to the first round of the Team competition next Wednesday, June 29, takes it to another level.

To compete in the hallowed Soers Arena in Aachen is a lifetime ambition for athletes in every equestrian discipline, and one that this group of young Jumping riders, who are all aged between 15 and 18, are unlikely ever to forget.

The borrowed horses have been carefully selected for their jumping ability and temperament, and a training day tomorrow includes a session in the iconic Main Arena. That will be followed by a warm-up competition on Sunday and further training sessions during which the new horse/rider relationships will become well established over the next few days.

These Games, which will conclude with the battle for Individual medals on Saturday 2 July, have been devised to replace the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) which were postponed to 2026. The YOG has featured Equestrian Jumping every four years since the inaugural edition in 2010.

Qualification

The qualification for the Youth Equestrian Games 2022 mirrored that for the YOG, with most quota places filled through the 2021 Challenge Qualifiers while Belgium, France and Great Britain qualified at the 2021 FEI European Jumping Championship for Juniors and Children. As host country Germany is automatically entitled to a single quota spot and the home representative is 17-year-old Charlotte Höing, team gold medallist in the Children’s Championship in Fontainebleau (FRA) four years ago.

The selected athletes will compete in six continental teams, and Charlotte will ride for Team Europe alongside representatives from Belgium, France, Great Britain and Greece with Germany’s Peter Teeuwen in the role of Chef d’Equipe for this group.

The USA’s DiAnn Langer will manage Team North America whose five-member side includes riders from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and America while Ecuador’s Jaime Morillo will guide the South American selection that includes one rider from his own country along with individuals from Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Senegal’s Papa Seck is Chef d’Equipe for Team Africa whose athletes hail from Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia and Zimbabwe while Tunisia’s Ahmed Bedoui will lead Team Asia, with athletes from Iran, Jordan, Palestine, Qatar and Uzbekistan.

The sixth and final continental side is a mixed group running under the heading of Team Australasia. Led by Australia’s Todd Hinde and with representatives from Australia and New Zealand, it also includes individuals from Saudi Arabia, Syria and the UAE.

Multi-cultural

It is a superb multi-cultural line-up of competitors and the young athletes are also being provided with a Culture and Education programme throughout their visit, with a number of sessions designed to encourage their development in both a personal and sporting capacity in line with Olympic values.

Dr Alan Currie, a member of the IOC Mental Health Working Group, will give a lecture on mental fitness while David Übis from the Uniklinikum RWTH Aachen will talk about physical fitness. Professor Christopher J. Newman and Doctor Stéphane G. Tercier from Lausanne University Hospital will discuss the risk and management of concussion, Olya Abasolo from the International Testing Agency and the FEI’s Catherine Bollon will address the topic of Human Anti-Doping and German influencer Harriet Charlotte Schulz will share her knowledge of effective use of social media.

There will be an interactive workshop on Equine Anti-Doping and Equine Welfare with FEI Legal Counsel Anna Thorstenson, a career advice session and a team-building session with JustWorld’s Estelle Navet.

The coming days promise a whole range of valuable experiences for the young athletes, both inside and outside the Jumping ring, and the excitement was tangible yesterday evening as the story of the first-ever Youth Equestrian Games began to unfold.

What they had to say…..

After the draw for horses some of the riders spoke about their feelings and the challenges that lie ahead over the next week and more ….

America’s Mimi Gochman, Team North America - “I’m very excited and I feel confident that all the horses are going to be amazing. I think it’s going to be a really great learning experience and we’ll get to learn from a lot of professionals and watch a lot of the best junior riders in the world compete so it’s all about learning from each other and doing the best you can. The biggest challenge will be focusing on the courses and not getting distracted by the atmosphere - it’s a very big ring, there’s a lot to look at, a lot of people, a lot of cheering - so just focusing and remembering what I’ve been taught, remembering the basics and keep my horse comfortable and my team comfortable”.

Qatar’s Saad Ahmed Al Saad, Team Asia - “Before the draw we were all nervous but I have hope because I trained hard over the last few months to get ready for any horse, and I hope I can do something good in this competition because it’s a great opportunity for me as a youth rider. And it’s also great for me to get to know these other people and to get to know my horse. The biggest challenge for me will be controlling the pressure in this big arena in front of this huge crowd!”

Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Links :

Youth Equestrian Games 2022 

Athlete Profiles 

Education programme 

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision regarding an FEI Official Veterinarian in connection with an equine anti-doping case involving a Banned Substance.

In this case, the horse Halo (FEI ID 105ZA57/ITA), ridden by Guiseppe De Luca (FEI ID 10047635/ITA) and under the veterinary care (outside the event) of FEI Veterinarian Roberto Gottarelli (FEI ID 10051043/ITA), tested positive for the Banned Substance Stanozolol, following samples taken at the CSI2* Oliva (ESP), on 3 October 2020.

Mr Gottarelli had treated the horse with Sungate, containing Stanozolol, in the athlete’s presence, despite the fact that Banned Substances such Stanozolol are prohibited at all times.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal imposed an ineligibility period of two years on Mr Gottarelli starting from the date of the Final Decision. The provisional suspension of Mr Gottarelli, which came into effect on 9 March 2021, shall be credited against the ineligibility period, meaning the veterinarian will be ineligible until 8 March 2023. He was also fined CHF 5,000 and asked to pay costs of CHF 2,000.

The parties can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the decision.

The full Decision is available here. 

Notes to Editors:

FEI Equine Prohibited Substances

The FEI Prohibited Substances List is divided into two sections: Controlled Medication and *Banned Substances. Controlled Medication substances are those 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.

**Specified Substances

The FEI introduced the concept of Specified Substances in 2016. Specified Substances should not in any way be considered less important or less dangerous than other Prohibited Substances (i.e. whether Banned or Controlled). Rather, they are simply substances that are more likely to have been ingested by horses for a purpose other than the enhancement of sport performance, for example, through a contaminated food substance. Positive cases involving Specified Substances can be handled with a greater degree of flexibility within the structure of the FEI Regulations.

Information on all substances is available on the searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database.

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.