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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…..
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 :
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.
The FEI Board allocated major FEI Finals and Championships during its two-day in-person meeting taking place at the FEI Headquarters on 21 and 22 June.
The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2025, the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2025, and the FEI Vaulting World Cup™ 2025 will be organised in Basel (SUI). The FEI Driving World Cup™ Final 2025 will take place in Bordeaux (FRA). In 2026, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final and FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final will be held in Fort Worth (USA). The FEI Endurance World Championships 2024 will be held in Monpazier (FRA).
“Today the FEI Board made allocations until 2026 and, after some years of disruption due to Covid-19 and EHV-1, we have excellent sport to look forward to in the coming years,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.
“We are delighted that Longines CHI Basel will host the FEI World Cup™ Finals in three disciplines in 2025. The last time Switzerland, which is home to the FEI, hosted the FEI Jumping World Cup™ was in 2010, the very year when Longines CHI Basel was created. Switzerland has never hosted an FEI Dressage and Vaulting World Cup™ Finals so it is a welcome development. Since 2010, Basel has grown into a world class venue and we are confident that the FEI World Cup™ Finals 2025 will be organised at the highest level.
“The Jumping International de Bordeaux has held FEI Driving World Cup™ events for many years and hosted successful Finals in 2018, 2019 and 2020. We have no doubt that the 2025 Final will be organised with the traditional expertise and will attract the usual big crowd of cheerful fans.
“It is wonderful that the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final and FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2026 will travel to the United States. With only two years to go until the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, excitement will be mounting and I’m convinced that it will be an event full of excellent sport, cheer and high energy.
“In addition, we allocated numerous championships for the next two years. The FEI Calendar is as busy as ever and we are looking forward to many unforgettable moments.”
The FEI Board also allocated the following Championships:
Jumping
Dressage
Eventing
Endurance
Vaulting
The Board decided to reopen the bid process for the FEI Driving World Championships for Young Horses for the years 2023 and 2024.
A summary of the other key decisions taken by the FEI Board is available here.
The first in-person FEI Board Meeting of the year opened today at the FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI). Over the two-day meeting, the Board, which is composed of the Chairs of the FEI Committees and Regional Groups, is expected to take key decisions regarding allocation of FEI flagship events, Rules and Regulations, and various governance matters, such as elections and appointments.
Among the first crucial decisions taken by the Board were the updates to the sanction system for non-fulfilment of the Horse Health Requirements introduced in response to the severe EHV-1 outbreak in mainland Europe last year. The system has been in place since 1 November 2021.
According to the modifications approved by the Board, three further levels will be added prior to imposing a horse suspension therefore giving every Person Responsible (PR) ample opportunity to fully understand the importance of the Horse Health Requirements and comply. Another important update is the possibility of missing more than one temperature recording during an FEI Event, prior to a sanction being issued. Suspensions will be enforced only after a horse has finished competing at an event at which the relevant sanction has been received. When a horse is blocked or suspended, 10-day temperature recordings will no longer be required.
“Another useful development is the improved functionality of the FEI HorseApp which is the essential management tool for the Horse Health Requirements,” Gaspard Dufour, FEI Director Information and Sports Technology said. “A new home page in the form of a dashboard for use by PRs will be added. It will allow the athletes to see the status of every single horse entered for each upcoming show providing greater clarity.”
“The severity of the EHV-1 outbreak on mainland Europe had devastating consequences for the entire equine industry,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez commented. “The FEI had to act diligently and impose strict requirements in order to preserve the sport as well as the entire industry and prevent further harm.”
“Since the Horse Health Requirements came into force over six months ago, 78% of the horses competing on mainland Europe have fulfilled them correctly. Out of the remaining 22%, 18% received warnings and 4% were sanctioned. We are well aware of the criticism but also of the useful feedback some of these actions have generated. We have taken onboard the valuable suggestions the community has sent us and have made every effort to improve the system so it is better aligned with the biosecurity risk posed at the various events. Our objective, as always, is to serve the community in the best possible way.
“We are continuously adding new and improved features in order to assist everyone involved in horse management to comply with the requirements and help the entire community protect our sport.”
The modified Horse Health Requirements will come into effect on 4 July 2022 and will replace the existing sanctions system in mainland Europe which have been in place since 1 November 2021. Meanwhile, for the rest of the world, where the sanctions system had not been imposed yet, the modified Horse Health Requirements will come into effect on 1 September 2022.
The modified sanctions system will be reflected in Annex VI of the FEI Veterinary Regulations and will be updated and published here shortly.
For more information on this topic, please visit the Horse Health Requirements hub.
The in-person FEI Board meeting will continue on 22 June. A wrap-up report summarising the main decisions taken on 21-22 June will be sent at the end of the meetings and published on the dedicated FEI Board Meeting hub on Inside.fei.org.
The first of 60,000 trees have been planted in the FEI World Championships Forest in Herning (DEN), as the city prepares to host the largest equestrian event ever on Danish soil.
Working closely with the local municipality, the Organising Committee of Herning2022 has created a number of green initiatives, including the planting of a forest on the outskirts of the city.
The sustainability goal of the Organising Committee is straightforward: for the World Championships to make a lasting contribution to the environment, while inspiring everyone involved to take greater responsibility for our planet.
“Forests have a significant positive environmental impact as they are habitats for animals, insects, and plants, and they capture and store atmospheric carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as the trees grow,” Herning2022 CEO of Sport Jens Trabjerg said.
“As every equestrian knows, conserving the environment is necessary for the continued practice of our sport. We want to show that major international sporting events like these World Championships, can make a positive difference.”
“Through our collaboration with Sport Event Denmark, we hope that other organisers and everyone involved in the organisation of such events will start to adopt a similar approach, and perhaps even our principles, as they carry out their work. The World Championship-Forest will be a lasting heritage for everyone who wants to come by and enjoy the many diverse forest experiences that this unique area will offer.”
A total of 60,000 trees will be planted in collaboration with the Growing Trees Network, a self-governing institution that grows new forests both in Denmark and abroad, with the help of public donations. Calculations show that the FEI World Championships Forest will sequester (capture and store) approximately 12,000 tons of CO2 over the next century.
The ECCO FEI World Championships Herning 2022 is set to host around 200,000 spectators and over 1,000 media representatives from 6 to 14 August 2022. It is estimated that approximately 200 million TV viewers will tune in to watch the Jumping, Dressage, Vaulting and Para Dressage competitions.
In addition to the FEI World Championships Forest, the Organising Committee will focus on reusing materials that will be rented where possible, and local riding facilities will receive equipment at the end of the Championships. The judges' towers will be made of recycled wood and will also be used for many years in other equestrian facilities. Foliage around these installations will be re-planted in the forest as much as possible at the end of event.
The Organisers have also created ‘Solution Square’, which is an area at the venue dedicated to Danish environmental technology and circular economy initiatives.
“Sustainability is about building long‑term value and sport events like the ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning are well placed to create a lasting legacy, not just for equestrian sport but also the local community,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said.
“A change in mindset and attitude is necessary if we are to promote sustainable lifestyles, communities and technologies. And as Herning2022 is showing, the move from small, incremental steps to a bolder strategy for environmental sustainability helps to provide avenues for collaboration and development among local, regional and national stakeholders.
“The FEI World Championships Forest will be a beautiful legacy for the people of Herning, and will serve as a reminder of what can happen when all parties are willing to come together and work towards a common future.”
With environmental sustainability a priority for the FEI, the international governing body has worked towards the implementation of equestrian-specific reporting indexes and the creation of a comprehensive guide book for event organisers world-wide.
The FEI Sustainability Handbook for Event Organisers encourages event organisers to implement sustainability initiatives that help reduce the negative environmental impact of their events and create a positive social and economic legacy.
The FEI is also a signatory of the United Nations Climate Change Sports for Climate Action Framework which calls for parties to “undertake systematic efforts to promote greater environmental responsibility”.
In addition, the FEI has adopted a number of sustainability initiatives at its Headquarters in the Olympic Capital of Lausanne (SUI). The FEI head office is recognised as a "Minergie" certified building, a Swiss standard indicating low energy use, with a reduced energy consumption of 25 per cent. When the Headquarters were refurbished in 2011, only two per cent of renovated buildings in Switzerland met these standards. Increased recycling and staff training have also featured in the FEI's Green Office project.
Photo caption: Mayor of Herning Dorthe West (third from left) with the CEO of Growing Trees Kim Nielsen (far left), and Herning 2022 Organising Committee Founders Jens Trabjerg and Casper Cassoe (far right) at the tree planting ceremony in the FEI World Championships Forest. Photo credit: Herning2022 Organising Committee.
A total of 30 young athletes from six continents have earned their ticket to the FEI Youth Equestrian Games 2022 that will be held in Aachen (GER) from 28 June to 3 July 2022.
The athletes, all aged between 15 and 18 years, will compete in Individual and Team Jumping competitions in Aachen, with each qualified Nation competing as part of a five-member Continental Team.
The full list of qualified FEI Youth Equestrian Games 2022 athletes and their nations can be found here.
Created to replace the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), which were postponed to 2026, and which have featured Equestrian every four years since the inaugural edition in 2010, the Youth Equestrian Games 2022 are being held under the very same principles and format. For Costa Rica, France, Germany, Greece, Palestine and Tunisia, this will be their first experience in the special Youth Games format.
The qualification process for the Youth Equestrian Games 2022 also mirrored previous YOG editions, with various options available to the different nations in order to earn a qualification slot. And, in keeping with previous formats, all athletes will participate in Aachen on borrowed horses that have been carefully selected by a team of experts for their jumping ability as well as their temperament and a variety of other criteria to ensure they have what it takes to compete in this important competition and iconic venue.
The athletes will individually draw their horses, as done in previous editions of the YOG, with the same combinations required to compete in both the Team and Individual rounds. There are several training days and a ‘Welcome Competition’ outside of the official programme, giving the young athletes the time to get to know their mounts prior to the start of the Youth Equestrian Games. The team competition will kick-off on 29 June and will be followed by the Individual competition which will take place on 2 July.
The youth event will also host a Culture and Education Programme inspired by the International Olympic Committee YOG Education Programme, you can read all about the workshops and dedicated sessions here.
“The Youth Equestrian Games are not just a fantastic opportunity for young athletes to showcase their sporting talent and horsemanship skills, but also to celebrate the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect,” FEI President Ingmar de Vos said.
“The youth are our future and their involvement is essential for the long term future and development of equestrian sport.
“This unique event deserves a distinctive venue and I am confident that the Organisers in Aachen will provide top class facilities that will give our future stars of the sport an experience to remember. I wish each athlete taking part the very best and I look forward to witnessing the excitement of this competition in a few weeks’ time.”
All the information you need to know about the Youth Equestrian Games 2022 can be viewed here.
For more information on the history of equestrian at the Youth Olympic Games from 2010 to 2018, visit the FEI's History Hub.
Giacomo Casadei (ITA) with his mount Darna Z celebrate their impressive individual gold medal victory at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires (ARG) in 2018. Photo Credit: FEI / Liz Gregg
Within one week, the equestrian community has lost two wonderful and dedicated ambassadors whose contributions and relentless efforts to develop Para Equestrian have made the sport what it is today.
Jonquil Solt, aged 88, was an icon and driving force within the Para Dressage community, and is credited with setting up the international infrastructure necessary to develop Para Equestrian sport including the first World Championships in the late 1980s which would lead to the inclusion of Para Dressage in the Paralympic Games for the first time at Atlanta (USA) in 1996, where Jonquil Solt was President of the Ground Jury.
Solt was also part of the cooperation agreement which eventually saw Para Dressage become an FEI discipline in 2006, and in doing so, making it the first Paralympic sport to leave the IPC and join an international governing body, alongside and on an equal footing with able bodied athletes.
A life devoted to Para Equestrian sport - whether it be as former chair of the International Paralympic Equestrian Committee (IPEC) and the FEI Para Equestrian Committee, or as Para Dressage Judge, Steward or Technical Delegate - has earned Solt numerous accolades throughout her career. In 1999 she won the European Women of Achievement Awards in the humanitarian category and in 2013 she received the Paralympic Order for her fundamental contribution to the Paralympic Movement. Solt was furthermore awarded the title of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to riding for the disabled.
Across the Atlantic and within days of her 73rd birthday, Hope Hand, a well-known and greatly respected Para Dressage athlete, and former member of the FEI Para Dressage Committee, passed away following an illness.
Known for her ambitious and “sky is the limit” attitude, Hand had strong ambitions of her own when it came to Para Equestrian sport. As a member of Team USA, she won a bronze medal at the 1999 World Dressage Championships in Denmark and competed at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Australia.
Hand was a driving force and stellar role model in promoting Para Equestrian sport in the USA from grassroots to international level. Throughout her career she served as an Athlete Director Board, Council and Committee Member for the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). Furthermore, Hand instigated the formation of the US Para Equestrian Association (USPEA) and served as its President from formation through to her passing. USPEA, as the Para Affiliate for USEF, has been instrumental in supporting the growth of the sport and Hope Hand was the go to person for athletes starting out on their Para careers. Within the FEI, she was part of the Para Dressage Committee from 2006-2009 and again from 2015-2019.
For Amanda Bond, FEI Board Member and Chair of the FEI Para Equestrian Committee, “Jonquil and Hope were two shining beacons in the Para Equestrian community and they will be dearly missed. Their contribution to the Para Equestrian movement has been remarkable and they inspired so many individuals – me included - with their tenacity and drive. They epitomised that fighting spirit we all associate with the Paralympic movement – to never give up – but also to work together and strive for change and for a better, more inclusive society
So much of who we are and what we stand for was relentlessly pursued and promoted by these two incredible women, and the community will be forever grateful”.
The FEI expresses its sincere condolences to the family and friends of both Jonquil Solt and Hope Hand, the British Equestrian Federation and the United States Equestrian Federation as well as the global equestrian community.
Bolstered by two of the four double-clear performances posted on the day, Team Germany won through in the second Europe Division 1 qualifier of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2022 series in Sopot, Poland this afternoon where France finished second and Switzerland slotted into third place.
Faultless rounds from both Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann riding Messi van’t Ruytershof and Andre Thieme partnering DSP Chakaria proved pivotal to the German victory, and Thieme was under intense pressure when last to go in the second round.
But the 46-year-old rider and the mare with which he claimed the individual European title on home ground in Riesenbeck last September left all the poles in place to record the second successive German success at the Polish fixture.
Second round
As team anchor he thought he might not have to line out in the second round, but when both pathfinders Philipp Weishaupt and Coby 8 and second-line rider Christian Kukuk and Mumbai each left a fence on the floor at their second attempt then it wasn’t looking quite so optimistic.
The French were carrying seven faults, and brilliant clears from Kevin Staut (Scuderia 1918 Viking d’La Rousserie), Edward Levy (Uno de Cerisy) and Julien Gonin (Valou du Lys) meant they added nothing more, Gregory Cottard (Bibici) unlucky to clip the flimsy penultimate planks on his second tour of the track.
Meanwhile clears from Alain Jufer (Dante MM) and a double-clear from Edouard Schmitz (Gamin van’t Naastveldhof) meant all the Swiss would have to add to their first-round four-fault tally was the single mistake from Elin Ott whose mare, Nanu ll, kicked a brick out of the wall at fence four, the eight picked up by Niklaus Schurtenberger (Quincassi) being their discard.
That left them on a final tally of eight faults, so Thieme knew he had little room for error if he was to take the win for his country when last into the ring. Germany needed to drop one of the two four-fault results posted in the second round to complete on the winning scoreline of just four faults, and although he could afford a couple of time faults he knew a fence down would hand victory to the French and leave his side on level pegging with the Swiss.
It was an exact repeat of what happened last year when he also decided the result as last rider into the ring in Sopot, and although he said he felt the pressure neither he nor his amazing mare flinched, galloping home well within the 69 seconds time-allowed to clinch it.
“My mare just jumped so outstanding - she made it happen and I’m thankful to her and to Otto that he gave me his trust to be last to go - I’m so happy we did it again!”, Thieme said afterwards.
Ireland lined up in fourth in today’s eight-nation contest helped by the last of the double-clears from Denis Lynch and his Rome Grand Prix winner Brooklyn Heights. Poland finished fifth while Sweden, Denmark and Norway filled the remaining three places in that order.
Course
Thieme was complimentary about the 12-fence track set by Polish course designer Szymon Tarant. “The time allowed made it difficult, and especially in the first half there were many time faults, and there was a very tricky big vertical after the water and many had that down. But this was very smart course designing”, he said. And team-mate Philipp Weishaupt agreed. “It was a great course, tricky but very interesting so Szymon did a very great job today. Until the end we didn’t know who would win and this is what makes the Nations Cup so great!” he pointed out.
Christian Kukuk, who was on that 2021 winning team at Sopot with Mumbai alongside Thieme, said he wasn’t altogether pleased with his second-round error but very happy with his horse. And, as he rightly pointed out, “Janne and Andre with their double clear rounds saved us!”
Today was another kind of watershed moment for Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann who gave birth to her son, Friedrich Alexander, just over four months ago. “I’m super happy, thankful and proud to be back in the saddle after my pregnancy!”, said the London 2012 Olympian.
Food for thought
For team manager Otto Becker today was also another significant day, giving him plenty more food for thought ahead of this summer’s FEI World Championships in Denmark. Riders are all very keen to show their potential for selection right now, and Thieme has it quietly in his sights.
He’s been planning his mare’s work schedule a little differently since taking the European title with her nine months ago. “After that we did one more show in Barcelona and we didn’t do the World Cup series so she had a break until January and then she started again in Florida where she only competed five times (over 12 weeks) and won a Grand prix and was third in the World Cup qualifier. She was already on fire over there!
“When she came back she had five weeks off and then went to Mannheim and won the Grand Prix, then had two weeks off and went to Hamburg and jumped double-clear and finished second in the Global Tour. This is only her third competition since coming back from America - we are trying to keep her fresh, but showing a little so she stays powerful. Now the plan is to do one more show - at Aachen - and then hopefully the Worlds….”, he explained.
Best competition
Otto Becker thanked Kaja Koczurowska Wawrzkiewicz and her team for a great event. “Team Germany loves to come to Sopot. The class was very good and very exciting to the end, and two rounds make the Nations Cup the best competition in the world!”, he said.
And the Show President responded with a reminder of what is going on in the region right now.
“I’m out of words, completely exhausted but very happy. We had great crowds but this year was very tough for us. The situation is critical at our borders so it was hard organising the event while helping people at the same time, so I’m very glad it all went well”, she said.
Today’s result leaves Germany lying second in the Europe Division 1 standings with 170 points while the Swiss, winners on home ground at St Gallen last Monday, hold the lead at this early stage with a running total of 180. Only seven of the nine teams in Division 1 will qualify for the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final which will take place at the traditional venue at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP) from 29 September to 2 October 2022 and each nation gets four opportunities to qualify from six events.
Next stop on the road to the Spanish finale is Rotterdam in The Netherlands, where the action will take place on Friday 24 June.
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