The FEI Board has named the qualifiers for the 2022/2023 season of the FEI Driving World Cup™ and the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Series during its teleconference meeting this week. The FEI postponed the allocation of the qualifiers of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2022/23 to its next teleconference on 20 January 2022.

The Board had previously confirmed that the FEI Driving World Cup™ Final 2023 will be held in Bordeaux (FRA) from 2 to 5 February 2023.

The Board confirmed the locations and dates for the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth 2022 and the FEI Jumping Ponies’ Trophy 2022.

Three Championships were added to the 2022 calendar. The FEI World Championships for Young Horses will be held from 25 to 28 August in Szilvásvárad (HUN), and the FEI Jumping European Championship for Veterans in Darmstadt (GER) from 8 to 11 September. The FEI Jumping South American Championships for Young Riders, Juniors, Pre-Juniors and Children 2022 will be organised in Buenos Aires (ARG) from 17 to 23 October.

“The FEI Series and Championships are important to the growth and development of equestrian sport and it is encouraging to see a full calendar for next year,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said.  

“It is particularly encouraging to see our Youth Jumping series go from strength to strength. We know that these series play such an important role in the development of our young Jumping athletes and give them invaluable exposure to the environment of top shows.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the FEI Event organisers, who, despite the cancellations and grave losses suffered in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic, have shown great resilience and determination to continue hosting FEI events.”

The final allocations are as follows:

FEI Championships & Finals 2022
FEI Driving World Championship for Young Horses, Szilvásvárad (HUN), 25-28 August
FEI Jumping South American Championship For Young Riders, Juniors, Pre-Juniors & Children, Buenos Aires (ARG) – 17-23 October
FEI Jumping European Championship for Veterans, Darmstadt (GER) – 8-11 September

Jumping
FEI Jumping Ponies Trophy 2022
Vilhelmsborg (DEN) - 19-23 October
Lyon (FRA) – 26-30 October
Stuttgart (GER) – 9-13 November
Salzburg (AUT) – 8-11 December
Final: Mechelen (BEL) – 26-30 December

FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth 2022
Opglabeek (BEL) – 7-10 April
Gorla Minore (ITA) – 13-17 April
Zduchovice (CZE) - 20-24 April
Fontainebleau (FRA) – 28 April – 1 May
Lamprechtshausen (AUT) – 5-8 May
Zuidwolde (NED) – 1-5 June
Hagen (GER) – 16-19 June
Zürich (SUI) – 25-28 August
Final: Kronenberg, NED – 22-25 September

Eventing
FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Series 2022
Pratoni (ITA) – 11-15 May
Houghton Hall (GBR) – 26-29 May
Strzegom (POL) – 22-26 June
Avenches (SUI) – 7-10 July
Haras du Pin (FRA) – 11-14 August
Arville (BEL) – 18-21 August
Bromont (CAN) – 18-21 August
Moscow (RUS) – 8-11 September
Ballindenisk (IRL) – 21-25 September
Boekelo (NED) – 6-9 October

Driving
FEI Driving World Cup™ Series Season 2022/2023
Lyon (FRA) – 29-30 October 2022
Maastricht (NED) – 4-6 November 2022
Stuttgart (GER) – 9-13 November 2022
Stockholm (SWE) – 24-27 November 2022
Geneva (SUI) – 10-11 December 2022
London (GBR) – 15-17 December 2022
Mechelen (BEL) – 26-30 December 2022
Leipzig (GER) – 19-22 January 2023

Allocation of teams to Europe Division 1 events for the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2022 series have been confirmed this week.

The 10 teams competing in Division 1 for the 2022 season includes freshly promoted Czech Republic – taking the place of Italy who have been relegated to the EEF Series – alongside defending champions the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland and Sweden.

Each team can earn qualifying points at its allocated four of the six Europe Division 1 events. The seven best-ranked teams will qualify for the Final, which takes place in Barcelona (ESP) from 29 September to 2 October 2022. The Division 1 opening qualifier takes place in St Gallen (SUI) in June 2022.

The allocations table indicates the venues where eligible teams will be chasing FEI Nations Cup™ points, but the starting field at these events will not be restricted to those countries alone.  Other nations can also compete in legs of the series throughout the Europe Division 1 season.     

Further information on the Division 1 allocations can be viewed here.

The season calendar for the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2022 series can be viewed here.

Photo caption: The Dutch team celebrate after their superb victory in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final 2021 at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain. (FEI/Lukasz Kowalski)

Two time Olympian and Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) Eventing Committee Chair, David O’Connor was presented with the General Douglas MacArthur Exemplary Service Award by the United States Olympic Endowment at their annual award ceremony this weekend, hosted in Colorado Springs (USA) at the US Olympic & Paralympic Museum.

The MacArthur award recognises those individuals whose commanding presence and endeavours have advanced the ideals of the Olympic Movement and whose commitment to relevance is reflected in a legacy of dedication to the service of others. David is one of four individuals, and the only equestrian to receive this award for his incredible contributions and commitment to equestrian sport.

As a competitor with three Olympic Medals, David won the individual gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Games with Custom Made, and was also a member of the bronze medal winning team with Giltedge. The pair were victorious at the 1996 Atlanta Games winning the team silver. David also partnered with Giltedge to win the team gold medal at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2002 in Jerez. Representing his country at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg (CAN), David took home the individual silver and team gold medals.

The 2000 Olympic eventing champion retired from international competition in 2004, serving as President of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) for the next eight years. As the former International Technical Advisor to the Canadian national eventing team, he led the team to silver medals at the 2007 Pan American Games and the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games™. David was inducted into the United States Eventing Association’s Hall of Fame in 2009.

Recently re-elected at the FEI General Assembly 2021 to serve a further four years as FEI Eventing Committee Chair, a position he has held since 2017, David has been an integral member of the FEI community and worn many hats since his original appointment to the Committee from 2004 to 2008.  He would go on to serve as FEI Group IV Chairman from 2008-2011, representing the interests of the North and Central American region on the FEI Board, and play an important role in the development of the FEI’s processes and policies to minimise risk factors in Eventing, as chairman of the FEI Eventing Risk Management Steering Group. Formed in 2016, the group focussed on coordinating risk management initiatives on a global basis, exploring and proposing ideas for the betterment of risk management.

“We congratulate David on receiving this prestigious award by the United States Olympic Endowment for recognition of his dedication, sporting prowess and leadership in equestrian sport” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.

“A true champion and horseman, both his Olympic performances led him to podium finishes winning team silver in Atlanta in 1996 and individual gold and team bronze at the Sydney 2000 Games. David is an invaluable asset and pillar in the equestrian community and beyond.

His tireless work with the FEI and focus on risk management has helped break down barriers and positively impact the sport, helping to drive the necessary changes for eventing that are in the best interests of the athlete, horse, and owner. There is no one more committed to the sport, or more deserving of this award and recognition”.

FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez has been unanimously re-elected President of the Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations (APSO) for the four-year term 2021-2025.

Ibáñez was re-elected at the APSO General Assembly which took place prior to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) General Assembly where Andrew Parsons (BRA) was himself re-elected IPC President for a second consecutive four-year term.

“It is a huge honour to continue in my role as APSO President and I would like to thank the APSO membership for their confidence in me,” Ibáñez said.

“As some Paralympic Sports begin the move to International Federations and other organisational structures, APSO and its members are well placed to provide these sports with the necessary expertise and experience to ensure a smooth transition process.   

“As the Paralympic Games in Tokyo have shown, Para Sport is growing in stature and has an important role to play in changing views and perceptions about disabilities in communities around the world. And APSO is committed to working with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to build a world where diversity and inclusion is the norm.”

Ibáñez was first elected APSO President in 2017, when the independent association was created to bring together the International Federations that govern 19 Paralympic sports included in the summer and winter Paralympic Games. The role of APSO is to unite, promote and support International Federations governing sports on the programmes of both Paralympic Games and to coordinate their common interests and goals.

Tom Dielen (World Archery), Colin Grahamslaw (World Curling Federation), Charmaine Hooper (International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation) and Steve Loader (International Wheelchair Rugby Federation) were also elected to the APSO Executive Board.

The APSO Executive Board now includes representatives from three Olympic sports (one winter and two summer sports), one representative from an independent para sport and one from an International Organisation of Sport for the Disabled (IOSD).

A strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, Ibáñez is also a member of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governance Review Group since 2018, Chair of the ASOIF Diversity and Gender Equality Consultative Group and a member of the IOC Gender Equality Working Group.

On his World Cup debut, 23-year-old German Philipp Schulze Topphoff breezed to victory with a stunning performance from his 11-year-old mare Concordess NRW in La Coruña, Spain this evening. This fifth leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2021/2022 Western European League was no walk-in-the-park, and only seven of the 39 horse-and-rider combinations found the key to the first-round track set by Tokyo 2020 Olympic course designer, Spain’s Santiago Varela.

But with all the confidence that goes with youth, and supported by his brilliant grey mare who was clearly unfazed by the task set for her today, Schulze Topphoff produced a foot-perfect run when first to go in the opening round and didn’t flinch when pathfinder against the clock to set a target that couldn’t be bettered.

“This is definitely the biggest win I’ve ever had and I don’t know what to say except I’m really, really happy!”, said the young man who has firmly put himself on the map after today’s brilliant result. 

Runner-up spot went to the French partnership of Gregory Cottard and Bibici while Sweden’s Angelica Augustsson-Zanotelli lined up in third ahead of the Ireland’s Mikey Pender and HHS Calais in fourth place.

Curiosity

When the first horse goes clear in any competition there is always a curiosity about whether the track will jump easily, but today was a perfect example of the opposite. Varela’s test demanded a lot of stride adjustments, and the last three fences on the 13-obstacle first-round course were the undoing of many. 

There was little room for error of line on the tight left-hand turn off the side of the arena to the oxer at fence eleven, and many riders had to increase acceleration on the approach to make it work. Subsequently the following vertical with a delicate white plank on top, jumped off a curving right-hand bend, often came up awkwardly and if balance wasn’t quickly re-established then the final oxer was the heart-breaker as it hit the floor. 

That plank proved the undoing of Schulze Topphoff’s compatriot and three-time Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ champion Marcus Ehning whose lovely stallion, Stargold, clipped it in an otherwise perfect round. And the Dutch partnership who came out on top at the last fixture at the Casas Novas Equestrian Centre in La Coruña two years ago, Maikel van der Vleuten and Beauville Z who together clinched individual bronze in Tokyo this summer, looked well on the way to a place in the jump-off until coming adrift over those final two fences.

Just two riders picked up a single time fault in an otherwise faultless round, and the first of these was Belgium’s Ludo Philippaerts who retired back in 2014 but, now back at the top end of the sport, looked set to make a dramatic statement of intent with his 10-year-old grey, Laurier until over-running the 74 seconds time-allowed. His twin sons, Olivier and Nicola, and his nephew Pieter Clemens were also in action today, but the only Belgian contender to make the cut into the second-round decider was Jos Verlooy who eventually finished fifth.

Threw it down

First against the clock, Schulze Topphoff really threw it down to the rest of them when turning tight inside the final fence on the new course en route to the second fence. He said afterwards that he “lost a bit of time” after the following double but when he scorched through the finish in 37.69 seconds it certainly looked a tough time to beat.

The Netherlands’ Marc Houtzager and Sterrehof’s Dante NOP lowered the second element of the double when next to go, but Augustsson-Zanotelli and the 11-year-old mare Kalinka van de Nachtegaele left all the poles in place to slot temporarily into second spot in 38.39 seconds when following them into the ring. 

Cottard then set sail, and despite taking the longer route to the second fence by going around the final oxer, came close to taking over the lead when breaking the beam in 37.78 seconds and moved into runner-up position.

Ireland’s Mikey Pender is always fast, and even though the 10-year-old HHS Calais is a tall, leggy horse he still managed to produce the quickest time, galloping through the timers in 36.08 seconds but carrying four faults when hitting the third-last. With just two left to go, Brazil’s Eduardo Pereira de Menezes was also quick, stopping the clock on 36.92 seconds but dislodging a pole at the second fence along the way. 

However for last man in, Jos Verlooy, it was even more frustrating when, well up on the clock coming to the last, that fell for four faults which saw him having to settle for that fifth place.

Nervous

Winner, Schulze Topphoff, said tonight that he was more nervous watching the rest trying to beat him than riding his own jump-off round. Talking about Concordess NRW who carried him to individual gold and team bronze at the 2019 FEI European Young Riders Championship, he described her as “a bit of a diva!”

“She always has her own ideas - sometimes she works with me but sometimes I have to go her way, but she’s always really fighting for me, she has a really powerful character!”, said the rider who is based on his family’s small farm near Münster in Germany. The pair have been together a long time. “She is owned by my mother and we have her since she was four years old and she went to her first shows with us. We trust each other, I choose a way to go and she knows I won’t ever ask her to do the impossible. We’ve had a lot of offers to buy her but we are quite happy to keep her for ourselves, she is just great!”, he added.

After a very successful week with a lot of top placings with his talented string of horses at La Coruña, today’s winner is now hoping to get the chance to collect some more points towards qualification for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2022 Final next April. For now however he and his horses are taking a Christmas break. “We won’t be in London (GBR) but I’m hoping to get the chance to go to Basel (SUI) and Amsterdam (NED) in January - we will see”, he said. 

Ireland’s Denis Lynch continues to lead the Western European League table with Brazil’s Pereira de Menezes in second after today’s sixth-place finish while first-round winner, The Netherlands’ Kevin Jochems, lies third going into the London leg which will take place next Sunday, 19 December.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Result here 

Standings here 

The FEI President has welcomed the announcement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that equestrian sport will be proposed for inclusion in the Olympic programme for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

During the IOC Executive Board meeting yesterday, the initial list of twenty-eight sports to be recommended the LA28 Initial Sports Programme, which includes equestrian, was agreed and is now subject to final approval at the IOC Session in February 2022. Discussions also focussed on defining the process for finalising the disciplines in each sport offering early certainty to athletes, National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International Federations (IFs) and the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG).

Universality, integrity and fairness, gender equality and popularity were highlighted as key requirements of the evaluation criteria which will be used to determine the disciplines and events for the programme, in line with the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020+5. Athlete safety, environmental sustainability and keeping the sport relevant to youth were also reiterated as significant factors in the decision making process.  

“I am confident equestrian sport, a celebration of the unique bond between human and equine athletes, has its place in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games programme”, FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.

“The recent endorsement from the IOC following the success of the Tokyo 2020 Games reflected on the positive changes the FEI made, highlighting our willingness to adapt and modernise our sport.

“We had more flags. Universality was one of the key requirements in Agenda 2020 alongside making the sport easier to understand and more exciting for a broader audience – criteria which remain fundamental going forward”.

The IOC also published figures this week which revealed the Tokyo 2020 Games reached a global broadcast audience of more than three billion people across linear TV and digital platforms. This significant and rapid growth in the change of the digital landscape, meant more fans were able to experience the Games, with greater accessibility to more content than ever before.

“The collective future of equestrian sport depends on our position in the Olympic movement” FEI President Ingmar De Vos continued.

“We need to guarantee global visibility of our sport in the media and digital platforms, and continue to showcase relevant content and entice new fans. We have this opportunity every four years and consolidating equestrian sport in the Olympic Movement is crucial for the FEI and for our community.”

“Another key focus for the FEI is Youth development. Keeping the youth engaged in equestrian sport and inspiring new generations to make the Olympic Games their goal. We have robust development programmes around the world targeting the next generation of athletes, but also fans and industry professionals, because equestrian sport is a way of life that is multifaceted and extremely diverse. How we engage with younger generations is vital in our pathway to the future”.

In 2017 when the IOC allocated the 2028 Olympic Games to Los Angeles during the IOC Session in Lima (PER), the FEI President welcomed this great opportunity that this candidate city could deliver the Games in a cost-effective way. The United States have a long and successful equestrian tradition, and has developed as a country with sustained equestrian excellence on an international stage. The equestrian venue in Los Angeles will have the stunning sports backdrop of the Santa Monica Mountains and will offer a fantastic opportunity to showcase our sport.

The approval of the Initial Sports Programme will take place in February 2022 and the finalisation of the events and athlete quota will be confirmed in December 2024, following the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

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

In this case, the horse Spootnick Davril (FEI ID 104YN31/BEL), ridden by Raoul Ronsmans (FEI ID 10014170/BEL), tested positive for the Banned Substance O-desmethylvenlafaxine, following samples taken at the CEI2*70 + (2) Monpazier (FRA), on 27-29 August 2021.

The athlete explained that the positive test result probably came from the actions of his groom, who had urinated in the stall of the horse during the above mentioned Event, while taking anti-depressant medication containing the Banned Substance since several years.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal accepted the agreement reached between the FEI and the athlete, according to which the athlete bears no fault or negligence for the Rule Violation and therefore shall not serve any period of ineligibility and the otherwise applicable period of ineligibility. The athlete will also not incur any fines.

The full Decision is available here. 

The FEI and Belgian based equine nutrition brand Cavalor have extended their commercial agreement for a further five years, with digital activations playing a key role in the new partnership agreement.

The agreement with Cavalor, the FEI’s Official Nutrition Partner and Title Partner of the FEI Best Groom Award, was officially renewed at the recent FEI Hybrid General Assembly in Antwerp (BEL).

A world leader in equine nutrition for high-performance horses, Cavalor has helped thousands of horse owners and athletes achieve top level performance through proper nutrition and care.

“Cavalor is a valued FEI partner, and their continued commitment and support is testimony to the strength of our partnership,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.

“The commercial landscape has changed considerably since we first entered into our agreement with Cavalor in 2019. In addition to ‘traditional’ channels of sponsorship, the FEI’s social media and digital platforms can now provide Cavalor with more opportunities for brand visibility, and deeper exposure to an engaged audience.

“Cavalor’s value goes well beyond just the products it provides, and we are looking forward to helping them find creative ways of taking their in-house expertise on equine nutrition to a more international audience. Cavalor will now have an opportunity to create targeted advertising campaigns and present educational videos on the FEI’s social channels, which we know are highly valued and appreciated by our knowledgeable online audience.”

Cavalor President Peter Bollen was in Antwerp at the FEI Awards Gala presented by Longines to hand the Cavalor FEI Best Groom Award to Sweden’s Marie Johansson in recognition of her hard work looking after the horses ridden by Dressage athlete Patrik Kittel.

The award is given each year to grooms who work behind the scenes providing the best possible care for their equine athletes. Carmen Thiemann (GER), groom to Eventing legend Ingrid Klimke and the 2020 recipient of the award, was also present at the ceremony in Belgium.

“Cavalor’s products are based on years of intense research and development, the selection of the highest quality ingredients, as well as strict manufacturing and quality control processes,” Peter Bollen explained.

“Our partnership with the FEI reflects this attention that we give to quality and we are proud to work with an organisation that holds itself to same high standard as we do in terms of horsecare and wellbeing.

“The new terms of our agreement open up a whole host of possibilities in terms of audience engagement and we look forward to working with the FEI to bring these ideas to life.”

FEI President Ingmar De Vos and Cavalor President Peter Bollen at the FEI Hybrid General Assembly in Antwerp (BEL) in November 2021. (c) Dirk Caremans/FEI

Julien Epaillard was a happy man after winning today’s fourth leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2021/2022 Western European League in Madrid, Spain. The 44-year-old French rider was one of just six to make it through to the second-round jump-off in which his exciting chestnut gelding, Billabong du Roumois, returned the quickest clear to grab those precious maximum points towards qualification for the 2022 Longines Final in Leipzig, Germany next April.

He admitted this evening that today’s winning round didn’t quite go to plan. “I knew there were a lot of fast riders coming after me and it wasn’t the most beautiful jump-off I ever rode in my life, but it was big pressure and I also had a little bit of luck!”, Epaillard said after pinning Germany’s David Will and C Vier into runner-up spot and Ireland’s Denis Lynch and GC Chopin’s Bushi into third.

It was the perfect end to an amazing week for the Frenchman who won all three of the big classes at the Spanish fixture. On that form he was always going to be tough to beat today.

Busy

Spanish course designer, Javier Trenor, presented a busy 13-fence first-round track with a tight time-allowed of 69 seconds, and it proved to be a significant challenge to the 68-strong starting field. 

The triple combination at fence five with its short distance to the oxer final element was highly influential, but for Swiss stars Steve Guerdat (Venard de Cerisy) and Martin Fuchs (The Sinner) it was the end of the course that caught them out, Guerdat’s gelding clipping the penultimate oxer and Fuchs’ horse lowering the previous one to deny them a spot in the second-round decider. 

A total of 13 horse-and-rider combinations collected four first-round faults, while with just a single time penalty each Spain’s Manuel Fernandez Saro (Jarlin de Torres) and rising young British star Jack Whitaker (Haya Loma N) slotted into seventh and eighth places respectively and collected some valuable qualifying points.

Led the way

Sweden’s Douglas Lindelow produced the first clear of the competition with Casquo Blue and led the way against the clock with a fence down in 43.34 seconds, but Epaillard always looked like he was going to be a lot quicker as he set off, next to go with the 10-year-old Billabong. This pair’s partnership is at an early stage however, and Billabong first rattled the oxer at fence two before lifting the front pole off the second element of the former triple combination, only for it to drop right back into the cups for no penalty, so when they raced through the finish in 41.24 seconds they went well out in front.

And, try as they would, they couldn’t be caught despite a sensational effort from three-time World Cup champion Marcus Ehning from Germany who posted the quickest round of the lot. Ireland’s Lynch had raced through the finish in 42.87 seconds before Ehning set off with his exciting young stallion Stargold whose enthusiasm for his job proved his undoing. Throwing a playful buck on landing after the third-last fence, he couldn’t make the perfect turn to the penultimate vertical which hit the floor for four faults in the super-fast time of 40.62 seconds.

Austria’s Max Kuhner and the nine-year-old Eic Coriolis de Isles also hit the same fence, stopping the clock in 45.25 seconds, and although last man in, Germany’s David Will, gave it a good shot with C Vier their time of 42.71 seconds was more than a second off Epaillard’s target, leaving the Frenchman with a crisp, clear victory.

Breeder

Epaillard has only been riding Billabong since mid-summer this year, the Selle Francais competing under the saddle of the son of the horse’s breeder until then. The new partnership has really gelled over the last few months. “He’s a super horse, he won the 3* Grand Prix in Gorla Minore (ITA) and the 4* Grand Prix in Saint-Lô (FRA) last month, and now a 5* here today - he’s super competitive!”, he said of his relatively new ride who looks set for a big future.

And today’s win was extra special because of his connection with Madrid. The French horseman, who also has a longtime base in Normandy, France, considers the Spanish city his second home. “I live between Madrid and Normandy because my son goes to school in Madrid and my wife is Spanish and lives here, so I split my time between the two places”, he explained.

Happy

Runner-up David Will was happy with his result - “as last to go in the jump-off I wanted to try it all, but it is really difficult to beat Julien and this our first indoor show with C Vier”, he pointed out. He’ll be heading for the qualifier in Basel, Switzerland in January, while Lynch plans to go to the next leg in La Coruna, Spain in two weeks time. “I’ll also go London (in December), I take every show as it goes but the goal is definitely Leipzig and now that I have picked up some points early it takes the pressure off a bit”, the Irishman added.

Epaillard has La Coruna and the late-December qualifier in Mechelen, Belgium in his sights, and with 23 points is lying sixth on the Western European League leaderboard this evening. Today’s third-place result has boosted Lynch to pole position, and with 37 points already accumulated he looks well set to make the cut to the Final.

First-leg winner, Kevin Jochems from The Netherlands, lies second and Sweden’s Jens Fredricson is currently in third ahead of Austria’s Kuhner in fourth and Germany’s Christian Kukuk in fifth place. But there’s still a long road to the Leipzig finale, with another seven qualifiers and a lot more excitement to come before the final line-up is decided.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat….. 

Result

Standings

It was a very particular triumph for German star Helen Langehanenberg when topping the third leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2021/2022 Western European League in Madrid, Spain this evening. The 39-year-old athlete is a former winner of the prestigious series, an Olympian and this summer became a European team gold medallist. But today’s success was all the sweeter because her brilliant but sensitive mare Annabelle really showed what she can do when she settles to her job.

“She is such a very special horse, full of talent but with so much temperament that she is not always easy, but I’m very happy today. I was last to go and there was plenty of pressure but that’s good for me, it means I just have to go for it! And today she allowed me to support her and it felt really good”, Langehanenberg said.

Chasing

She was chasing the score of the very first of the 12 athletes into the ring, Spanish superstar Beatriz Ferrer-Salat who set a really tough target for the rest when posting 79.220 with the 12-year-old mare Elegance, and who stayed out in front until the very last pair overtook her. On an afternoon of great sport the home crowd had plenty to cheer about with five Spanish starters and two of them finishing in the top three when Juan Matute Guimon steered the 15-year-old gelding, Quantico, into third place.

Ferrer-Salat is a five-time Olympian and six-time national champion, and with the 12-year-old Elegance was a member of the Spanish team at this summer’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Putting her strong score on the board as the action got underway today, she could then sit back and let the rest try to better it. 

Compatriot Juan Matute Guimon was the first to come really close when scoring 78.160 with his 15-year-old gelding who put on a lovely show without ever looking under any pressure when third-last to go. The quality of the horse’s one-tempi changes down the centreline were a joy to watch as was the athlete’s smile as he cruised to a great finish in piaffe/passage. At just 24 years old the highly popular and super-talented Matute Guimon is already a legend, making a remarkable recovery from a brain bleed in May 2020 to bounce back to the very top of the game.

Grand Prix

Second-last into the ring was Germany’s Frederic Wandres who won yesterday’s Short Grand Prix with Bluetooth OLD, but their mark of 77.230 would only be good enough for fourth spot today when Langehanenberg and the extravagant mover Annabelle soared out in front with a score of 80.500.

Annabelle’s reach in the lateral movements is extraordinary, and today she showed moments of real flamboyance. But for her rider it is always a case of getting the balance right in order to maintain control and to keep her confidence.    

“When she was young she was a real mare - when you touched her there wasn’t a centimetre between too much and not enough, it was so difficult to find the perfect aids for her but I’m so happy with what we have reached now. It’s still only the beginning, I feel there is so much more we can do if she allows me to support her.  The more she does the more relaxed she becomes. She always has enough expression but she doesn’t always have enough relaxation but routine will bring relaxation so I’m working on that. She’s easy to train, but she almost tries to be too perfect!”, Langehanenberg explained. 

Retirement

Runner-up, Ferrer-Salat, couldn’t attend the post-competition press conference because she was busy with a retirement ceremony for her great old campaigner, the 20-year-old Delgado. Third-placed Matute Guimon meanwhile was proud and honoured to be in the prizegiving ceremony with his compatriot, and with today’s winner Langehanenberg. 

“It’s such a cool feeling after my comeback in Lyon”, he said, referring to his eighth-place finish at the French fixture that hosted the second leg of the 2021/2022 Western European League four weeks ago. Until making such a successful return to the series he had been intending to head for the Winter Equestrian Festival circuit in Wellington, USA in January, but now he may change his plans. “I might join Helen in Amsterdam (NED) or Den Bosch (NED) instead!”, he said tonight. 

He’s delighted to be back in partnership with Quantico. “When I got back to the barn the first time after my accident he looked at me as if to say ‘is that really you?’ He is such a special horse, not the easiest but such a nice horse and we have a unique bond - we are two hearts together!”, the young Spanish star said.

Final

Tonight’s result leaves him lying tenth on the Western European League leaderboard from which the top nine will make the cut to the series Final in Leipzig, Germany next April. Today’s win sees Langehanenberg move into fifth spot when adding the maximum 20 points to the 13 she collected for fourth place at the opening round in Herning, Denmark last month. However it is Wandres who continues to head the standings going into the next round in London (GBR) in three weeks time.

For German athletes getting to the Final is a really tough task because so many of them are vying for places and only three per country are permitted to compete. As Langehanenberg explained today, “Isabel (Werth, defending champion) is going anyway and Jessica (von Bredow-Werndl) will try as well - and if she goes with Dalera then nobody can beat her! Frederic (Wandres) has good points already and he will try to qualify too, but we will for sure try out best and we will see if we can make it!”

The Western European League action will resume at the London International Horse Show, with the Short Grand Prix taking place on Thursday 16 December followed by the points-deciding Freestyle on Friday 17 December.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat….

Result 

Standings