The FEI Tribunal has issued three Final Decisions in three human anti-doping cases involving the substance Carboxy-THC, a metabolite of Cannabis which is a Prohibited Substance under the FEI’s Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA).   

In the first two cases, urine samples taken from the Qatari Jumping athletes Sheikh Ali Al Thani (FEI ID 10024194), and Bassem Mohammed (FEI ID 10082635) at the CSIO4*-W Designated Olympic Qualifier for Group F - Rabat (MAR), 10-13 October 2019, tested positive for the Prohibited Substance. In the third case, a urine sample taken from the Egyptian Jumping athlete Mohamed Talaat (FEI ID 10021782) at the African Games-S - Rabat (MAR) 20-24 August 2019, also tested positive for Carboxy-THC.

All athletes denied that they knowingly smoked, inhaled or otherwise used Cannabis during the Event. To all three, the only plausible explanation for the Adverse Analytical Finding of Carboxy-THC and the values detected, was due to an inadvertent exposure to Cannabis during their visits to their hotel’s shisha bar in Rabat. To FEI Tribunal, the athletes had failed to establish the source of the Carboxy-THC, and hence applied the standard sanction for Specified Substances.  

As Carboxy-THC is a *Specified Substance banned in competition under the 2019 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List, there is no mandatory provisional suspension imposed by the FEI, however, the athletes had the option to request a voluntary provisional suspension be imposed on them, but chose not to.

In its three Final Decisions, the FEI Tribunal imposed a two-year ineligibility period on each athlete, effective from 17 June 2021, meaning, each athlete will be ineligible until 16 June 2023. Each athlete was also fined CHF 7,500 and Mr Mohammed and Mr Talaat were each asked to pay costs of CHF 2,000.

The results of all athletes as of 17 June 2021 are disqualified. For Mr Talaat this includes his results obtained at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, resulting in the disqualification of team Egypt from the Jumping Team Competition.

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

The full decision for Sheikh Ali Al Thani can be found here.

The full decision for Bassem Mohammed can be found here.

The full decision for Mohamed Talaat can be found here.

* Specified Substances should not in any way be considered less important or less dangerous than other doping substances. Rather, they are simply substances which are more likely to have been consumed by an Athlete for a purpose other than the enhancement of sport performance. Positive cases involving Specified Substances can be handled with a greater degree of flexibility within the structure of the FEI Regulations.

Notes to Editors:

FEI Clean Sport - human athletes

The FEI is part of the collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport led by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The aim of this movement is to protect fair competition as well as athlete health and welfare.

WADA’s Prohibited List identifies the substances and methods prohibited in- and out-of-competition, and in particular sports. The substances and methods on the List are classified by different categories (e.g., steroids, stimulants, gene doping).

As a WADA Code Signatory, the FEI runs a testing programme for human athletes based on WADA’s List of Prohibited List of Substances and Methods and on the Code-compliant FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA).

For further information, please consult the Clean Sport section of the FEI website here.

There are wins in every athlete’s career that will stand out forever, and today Harry Charles recorded one of those when topping the sixth leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2021/2022 Western European League on home ground in London (GBR), with a little help from Stardust.

In an edge-of-the-seat 11-horse jump-off against the clock the 22-year-old rider and the 11-year-old mare produced an extraordinary round that proved just too good for the rest, pinning The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders and Monaco into runner-up spot while British legend, John Whitaker, finished third with Unick du Francport.

You couldn’t have scripted it better for the home crowd who were treated to a feast of fabulous sport from start to finish.

“This is a bucket-list thing, I’ve grown up watching this show every year and it’s been one of my dreams to win the World Cup in London!”, said Charles this evening.

Control

Brazilian course designer, Guilherme Jorge, set them a first-round track that tested control at every turn. The short distance inside the double at fence eight was highly influential and, with both elements still in place for the jump-off, it continued to play a significant role.

Irish 26-year-old, Michael G Duffy, produced the first clear when third to go against the clock with Lapuccino in a time of 39.38, but Norwegian veteran, 61-year-old Geir Gulliksen, shaved almost a second off that to temporarily take the lead with the plucky little 15-year-old VDL Groep Quatro when fifth into the ring.

Then British hero, 66-year-old John Whitaker who was crowned series champion twice in a row with the great Milton a full 30 years ago, brought the crowd to their feet when galloping through the timers to go out in front with Unick du Francport who broke the beam in 37.50 seconds. His advantage was short-lived however. 

Clearly meaning business from the outset, The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders survived a very tricky moment at the first fence when, taking it an angle, his 12-year-gelding Monaco put in a really awkward jump. But the pair still scorched through the finish in the quickest time so far when stopping the timers in 36.77 seconds and when Olympic champion, Britain’s Ben Maher, was almost two seconds slower with Faltic HB who slipped on the turn to fence eight then the Dutchman was still out in front.

Third-last to go however Charles was oblivious to what was going on in the ring. He had his own plan and he was going to stick to it. And setting off in a perfect rhythm his mare met every fence on a perfect stride, seemingly never turning a hair before racing through the finish in 35.91 seconds to shoot to the top of the leaderboard. The crowd jumped to their feet again, celebrating a magical moment with their new young star whose smile was as wide as an ocean as he left the arena.

And when Swiss star Martin Fuchs’ Connor Jei clipped the first element at fence eight and then, last to go, fellow-Briton Matthew Sampson had a stop with Geneve R at the third from home it was a done deal. 

Concerned

While Charles admitted afterwards that he knew he’d really thrown it down to the last two, he was concerned that Fuchs might beat him. Hardly surprising considering the form the super-successful 29-year-old Swiss rider has enjoyed this year alone, when taking European team gold and individual silver along with multiple 5* victories.  

“I knew Martin was on absolute fire here, he won three classes this week and I was bit worried about him. But I know my own horse is so quick. Harrie’s horse is also quick and I had beaten him so I was secretly confident, but I couldn’t be sure until the very end!”, Charles said. 

Asked afterwards if he had consulted with his father Peter, team gold medallist at the London 2012 Olympic Games and co-owner of Stardust along with former FEI President Princess Haya bint Al-Hussein, before going into the jump-off today, Charles said his father told him not to get “caught up on numbers”.

“I chose to not watch anyone and he said OK, I trust you so good luck, you can do it - they were his last words before I went in and won it!”, he said. So how did Peter respond when he won? 

“He was over the moon, I didn’t see too much of him, he got caught up in all the excitement so I don’t know if he shed a tear or was having a beer, but it means so much to him and to all of us as a family!”, said the delighted young winner. 

Winning mare

He described his winning mare, Stardust, as “incredible, she’s making her way to the No. 1 spot on my team. She only stepped up to this level in the last two months, she only did her first 5* Grand Prix at Madrid World Cup which was not so long ago (three weeks ago). Her mentality - she is absolutely everything I want in a horse and she’s a real yard favourite. She has so much blood, she’s so careful and she’s a natural winner. 

“We’ve built up a great partnership, I think the world of her and when we get to the Finals I think she’ll be the horse I’ll use. I think I’ve got enough points now!”, said the ambitious young man who has had, as he added, “an incredible year”, amongst the highlights of which has been competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and leading the British team to victory in the Challenge Cup at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2021 Final in Barcelona (ESP) in October.

“It’s been a helluva year, so much cool stuff has happened, I’ve had so many great opportunities and to come here and finish out the year doing something like this - my first 5* Grand Prix World Cup win - I couldn’t ask for better than that!”, he happily concluded.

 

With 38 points racked up Charles has shot up to second spot on the league leaderboard which continues to be led by Ireland’s Denis Lynch. The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2022 Final will take place in Leipzig, Germany in April and for athletes in the Western European League the next stop in the 10-leg qualifying series is Basel, Switzerland on 16 January. 

Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Result

Standings

Top two NAL performers go head-to-head in Texas thriller

Conor Swail (IRL) proved his Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League dominance Saturday night before a packed crowd in Fort Worth, Texas (USA), securing his third victory of the NAL season by way of an eight-horse jump-off.

Tiffany Foster (CAN) and Figor finished second, with 24-year-old Ailish Cunniffe (USA) and Vivaldi du Theil third.

Swail took victories at the league's opening two events at Vancouver (CAN) and Sacramento (USA) with Vital Chance de la Roque, but in Fort Worth, he brought forward a new winning partner in the 14-year-old gelding, Count Me In. Remarkably, he has ridden both horses for less than a year.

"I decided to bring [Count Me In] here for a few reasons. He was up in Thermal (California, USA) for a few weeks, and this was a stop on our way back to Wellington (Florida, USA)," Swail explained. "The other reason is that it gives me another option if I decide to go to World Cup Finals. The horse that you use [at the Finals] has to have competed [in at least one qualifier].

"[Vital Chance de la Roque] is small and fiery, while [Count Me In] has more range," Swail continued. "The one thing they have in common is that they're both extremely good athletes and want to leave the jumps up for me, and that's the reason why I've had such a good year."

A brand new NAL stop in Fort Worth brought an enthusiastic crowd to the Will Rogers Coliseum, and they cheered on the sport's best athletes, along with some local newcomers. Anderson Lima (BRA) set a big but fair track that saw rails fall throughout. First to jump on the evening, Kristen Vanderveen (USA) delivered with an early clear round before the class quickly leveled out. Ultimately, seven other riders would join her for the shortened track, including Swail and Foster, who won Washington's (USA) leg in October.

Those two riders, the two leaders in the NAL standings, would battle it out for top honors. Swail and Count Me In set a standard that put immense pressure on their competitors, stopping the timers in 33.18 seconds. Last to go, Foster gave great chase and used her horse's immense stride to her advantage. The duo narrowly missed the win with their 33.27-second time.

"We all have our numbers in the jump-off. For me, it was a nice six [strides between the first two fences]. Then I had a nice rollback turn and got eight strides to the double," Swail detailed. On the rollback [turn] to the vertical in the middle of the arena, I caught a hot one, and that just about was the reason that, thankfully, Tiffany didn't catch me."

Swail maintains a comfortable lead in the NAL standings with 63 points; he has earned points in every World Cup event he has jumped this season. Foster sits second with 59 points, while Natalie Dean (USA) is third with 41 points.

The North American League takes a brief reprieve for the holidays before returning at another new stop in Puebla (MEX) on 26 February 2022. 

FULL RESULTS

STANDINGS

As three-time Olympic gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin said tonight, there’s nothing quite like a big win in front of the home crowd. The 36-year-old athlete and the brilliant little gelding Gio certainly gave spectators a treat when sweeping to a last-to-go victory at the fourth leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2021/2022 Western European League in London (GBR) with a test that simply sparkled.

The horse was sold following the pair’s spectacular summer of success that included taking team and individual bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in July and team silver and Freestyle bronze at the FEI Dressage European Championships in Hagen (GER) in September, but were re-united for one final performance together at their home fixture this week. And the crowd were treated to an exhibition of precision and partnership that earned a personal-best Freestyle score of 89.040 tonight.

Runner-up spot went to Dujardin’s Tokyo team-mate Charlotte Fry riding Dark Legend, while Germany’ Frederic Wandres and Duke of Britain slotted into third.

First

Wandres, who rides for Hof Kasselmann in Hagen where the 2021 European Championships were staged, was the first to score over 80 percent and that mark could have been higher but for a mistake in the two-tempi changes. Fourth-last to go, Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Atterupgaards Orthilia followed him into the ring and looked set to pose a strong challenge, but the pair who were members of the Danish European bronze-medal-winning team were eliminated at the very end of their test for blood in the mare’s mouth.

Britain’s Fry was next in and raised the bar with a fabulous performance from Dark Legend, the 13-year-old gelding with which she won the European U25 Championship title back in 2018. It has been a dream year for this 25-year-old rider who, with the 12-year-old stallion Everdale, competed alongside Dujardin on the British teams in Tokyo and Hagen, and tonight Dark Legend showed he wasn’t to be outdone when moving to the top of the scoreboard with just two left to go.

But when the penultimate British duo, Richard Davison and Bubblingh, put 76.910 on the board then it was all eyes on Dujardin and Gio who were always expected to make a big impact, and they didn’t disappoint. The little chestnut horse seems to take everything in his stride, and although still a relatively unexposed 10-year-old he continues to grow in confidence and ability. Yesterday he was convincing winner of the Short Grand Prix and tonight he listened to everything he was asked to do and presented a glorious picture of a great athlete who is really comfortable in his own skin as he executed a truly exacting test.

In Tokyo he earned a mark of 88.513 for Olympic Freestyle bronze, tonight he bettered that by more than half a percentage point with a score of 89.040 that included 10 maximum scores of 10 and multiples of 9’s and 9.5’s while Dujardin gave another of her masterclasses of sensitive and professional riding.

Special

“He truly is a very special horse. This year he did his very first Olympics, his very first Europeans and now he’s just finished off by winning the World Cup here at the London International Horse Show. What a legend!”, she said tonight.

Like most athletes, she thrives in front of a home crowd - “there’s nothing like riding at home and having your own crowd cheering you on. I’ve really missed everyone and I’d like to thank you all very much for coming and supporting!”, she said during the prizegiving ceremony. 

And she’s really pleased with how Gio has developed. “He has come on so much and so quickly this season, and finishing the year with two personal bests here in the Short Grand Prix yesterday and the Freestyle tonight is amazing. He has shown what a great horse he really is!”, she added.

However he’ll be going back to his new owner, British junior rider Annabella Pidgley, now. Dujardin said the new partnership is “magical to watch - she (Annabella) is an amazing up-and-coming rider, so next year is going to be very exciting!”, she pointed out.

Incredible

Meanwhile Fry said she also really enjoyed performing in front of the London crowd tonight. “It was incredible - even before you ride your test the crowed is cheering for you. It’s a wonderful feeling and I don’t think the year could have ended up any better!”, she said.

And Frederic Wandres was happy too. He found it a struggle to make the trip due to both Brexit and Covid regulations, but he was determined it would happen. “We really wanted to be here - I have such good memories and I really wanted to get Duke of Britain here again!”, said the 34-year-old athlete who, with the same horse, previously won the London leg of the series in 2018 which seriously boosted his profile.

Today’s third-place finish has further enhanced the firm lead he had already established on the Western European League leaderboard and, going into the fifth round of the eight-leg series in Amsterdam (NED) next month he carries 65 points and looks well set for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2022 which will take place on his home soil in Leipzig (GER) next April.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Result

Standings

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.