British riders have long had a phenomenal record in the sport of Eventing, and today they proved untouchable once again when not only clinching the team title but taking all the individual medals at the FEI Eventing European Championships 2021 in Avenches, Switzerland.

In the lead from day one they held on tight, and when today’s result is added to double-gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 and the team title along with individual silver at this summer’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, they clearly reign supreme in every sense.

It was a tough day for the defending champions from Germany as the dream of a seventh victory for the team and a third consecutive individual gold medal for Ingrid Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD didn’t come true as they had to settle for silver. But in true sporting fashion the German team “elder”, Andreas Dibowski, said this evening, “we won the silver, but we didn’t lose the gold. The Brits did an amazing job, and we just couldn’t beat them”.

Team Sweden stood on the third step of the podium.

First

Ros Canter and Allstar B were first of the British into the ring as the final showjumping phase got underway. Theirs was not a counting score for the team standings that left her side still out in front last night, but the pair who claimed double-gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 were back to their classy selves today when producing a quality clear, and that proved a good omen for the rest of their team. 

A total of 52 horse-and-athlete combinations made it through to this final test, with 13 nations still in the mix, and by the time it came down to the last ten riders the tension was palpable. As the action began, the Germans were just under 10 penalty points behind the British at the head of affairs, with France lying in bronze medal position another 18 points further adrift but with only three team members left after the elimination of Gwendolen Fer yesterday. So when Stanislas de Zuchowicz and Covadys de Triaval hit the first element of the double at fence nine and Jean Lou Bigot’s Utrillo du Halage left three fences on the floor then French chances were slipping away.

Andreas Dibowski and FRH Corrida produced an opening clear for Germany before Anna Siemer and FRH Butts Avondale also fell victim to the first element of the triple combination. But Michael Jung steered fischerWild Wave home with nothing to add and then only Klimke and SAP Hale Bob OLD were left to go. 

However it was only an individual medal Klimke was chasing by the time she took her turn, because as Dibowski said later the British were just too good for the rest. Team member Kitty King’s Vendredi Biats hit the second fence but Piggy March’s Brookfield Innocent was foot-perfect. And when Nicola Wilson’s JL Dublin went clear she not only finalised the British tally at 73.1 for the winning team score but she also had individual gold in her grasp while, lying fourth as the action began, March had the silver and British individual Sarah Bullimore had the bronze. It was a staggering result.

Pressure

Fifth-last to go, Bullimore piled the pressure on the remaining four with a fabulous clear from Corouet. And when Frenchman Maxime Livio, lying in bronze medal spot, faulted in the middle of the combination and then Klimke, holding silver, hit the vertical three from home it would be an all-British individual podium for the seventh time in the history of these Championships. The last British threesome to do the same were Ian Stark (Glenburnie), Richard Walker (Jacana) and Karen Straker (Get Smart) at Punchestown (IRL) in 1991.

Meanwhile Sweden also had plenty to celebrate when clears from both Malin Jesefsson (Golden Midnight) and Malin Petersen (Charly Brown) and a single error from Sara Algotsson Ostholt (Chicuelo) saw the team that also included Christoffer Forsberg (Hippo’s Sapporo) rise from overnight sixth place to take bronze.

“I’m back in the team for first time in ten years and it’s great to be with the girls!”, Forsberg said. “I’ve been really happy with the team spirit and I want to thank the organisers very much for putting on this show”. And that was echoed by everyone else at the end of this extraordinary event that was put together so successfully in a short few months.

Trainer

At the post-competition press conference Germany’s Ingrid Klimke said with a laugh,  “I have one thing to say to the Brits - they stole our trainer!”, referring to Britain’s Eventing High Performance coach Chris Bartle who helped her country to many successes in previous years. “But I’m very happy for them, they did a wonderful job!”, she added. 

Her compatriot, the effusive Anna Meier was thrilled to earn her first medal at Senior Championship level. “I feel like I’m always in a team with my horse, but to be in a team with these guys is wonderful, they’ve won millions of medals between them but this is my first!”, she said, looking around at Dibowski, Klimke and Jung.

Bullimore described her 10-year-old gelding Corouet as “just a freak of nature! He’s phenomenal in all phases, he could do pure show jumping and pure dressage, he’s unique” she said. “He has a huge attitude in a small package, he knows how cool he is and he’s been fantastic all week”, she added. Her individual bronze was an especially precious result because she bred the horse and also competed his dam at the FEI European Championships in Blair Castle (GBR) in 2015.

March, team gold medallist at the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018 and team silver medallist at the last FEI European Eventing Championships two years ago described her individual silver medal winning ride Brookfield Inocent as “definitely one of the best I’ve ever ridden - in all three phases he couldn’t have done any more!” And she added, “personally I think that if we’re ahead of Ingrid Klimke and Micky Jung then that’s a medal in itself, wherever we’d finish! This has just been a fabulous week!”

Reflected

Meanwhile newly crowned individual European champion Wilson reflected on the enormity of it all with her trademark modesty. “This has been very very special, being with this fantastic group of girls who all get along really well. It’s been fun all the way and the horses have been phenomenal. 

“It’s a first championship for Dublin, he missed a bit of time when I injured my neck (two years ago) and then Covid came long but now I’m so proud for my owners. I was delighted with his dressage, it just felt very solid and good and then he stormed around the cross-country and produced a beautiful round in the show jumping. How lovely it is to have had him since he was a young horse and to build that lovely partnership and trust between us”, she said with quiet pride, adding “and thank you to Switzerland for putting on these Championships!”.

Gratitude

Everyone expressed their gratitude to the Organising Committee headed up by Jean-Pierre Kratzer, President of the Institut Equestre National d’Avenches where this week’s event has taken place. A total of 21,000 spectators came through the gates of the fabulous venue, including over 10,000 on cross-country day yesterday.

“I built this place 20 years ago for racing, and to expand our business we then built a training centre for 150 horses. Last year during Covid we were asked to help riders in preparation for Tokyo and we took the opportunity to plan for the future and help develop Eventing here”, he explained.

“When we got the opportunity to organise these Championships I talked with Mike Etherington-Smith in July about how to make it the best and he asked if he could work with Martin Plewa. It was one opportunity for a lot of people and we took it and put it together in a few weeks with good team spirit. So I’m delighted to see all the teams happy and hear them say they want to come back, that’s the best thank you we could get!”

Results here 

When asked what she thought of the cross-country course after completing her Dressage test with JL Dublin at the FEI Eventing European Championships 2021 in Avenches, Switzerland on Thursday, Great Britain’s Nicola Wilson described it as “positively terrifying!” But on a day of mixed fortunes for the British side who still managed to maintain the lead they established on the opening day, the pair rose from third to the very top of the Individual rankings after a spectacular run that further stretched the gap between her team and the defending champions from Germany.

And it was a very exciting afternoon for France. An unfortunate tip-up for Gwendolen Fer and Romantic Love in the water at fence 23 piled plenty of pressure on her compatriots who, however, rose gallantly to the challenge to hold on to bronze medal spot going into tomorrow’s final Jumping phase. 

The British tally of 69.1 leaves them just over nine penalty points ahead of Germany, while on 96.8 the French are a good distance behind. Team Switzerland shot up from ninth to fourth today while the Irish climbed from eleventh to fifth, and the stage is set for a sizzling conclusion to the 35th edition of these Championships which are taking place against the odds during these troubling Covid times. 

It’s only six short weeks since course designer, Great Britain’s Mike Etherington-Smith, started work on the track that embraces the beautiful racing venue at Avenches, but the horses, riders and the enthusiastic crowd that turned up to see Europe’s best battle it out were treated to a great day of sport today. 

And the British maintained their supremacy despite a disappointing performance from the reigning World Championship partnership of Ros Canter and Allstar B. Sitting in Individual silver medal spot as the day began, the pair plummeted to 55th with two run-outs late in the course.

Set things up

Piggy March and Brookfield Inocent produced one of just seven fault-free rounds today to set things up for the British side. 

“Everything is easy when you have a horse like him! The time was tight enough but he’s a real cruiser. What a horse and how lucky am I to have him!”, March said. 

And when Wilson followed suit they were already looking very secure. Despite her earlier reservations, Wilson admitted that “the course rode beautifully, and my horse was very honest”. So when Kitty King and Vendredi Biats added just 0.8 time penalties  to her dressage mark then Canter’s additional 56 penalties could be dropped as they were comfortably in control.

German pathfinder Anna Siemer also had a great day, adding just 1.6 to her scoreline with FRH Butts Avondale. She was over the moon after her ride. “It was so much fun!”, she said. “For her the dressage was done and now this is what we are here for! She’s like a pony, I know her for 10 years now, and from the moment she jumped her first cross-country fence she was a cross-country machine!”, said the rider who walked the track seven times in order to ensure she met with no surprises.

Andreas Dibowski was next out for the German side, adding 15.2 penalties to his scoreline with FRH Corrida. But Michael Jung pulled it back with a classic clear with the nine-year-old fischerWild Wave, demonstrating the skill that has earned the German superstar the title “The Terminator”. 

“He’s a young horse but amazing, with a lot of talent in all three disciplines. Today he showed how light and easy he can gallop and he has super endurance, he’s fast and has a lot of scope for the bigger, tougher courses. Right now all he he needs is just more experience - to learn to be clever and to think. I’m really happy with him”, Jung said. 

Weight of expectation

Now only the individual leader, Ingrid Klimke, was left to go for the German side, with a huge weight of expectation on her shoulders. If she can take the individual title tomorrow she will be the first athlete in the long history of the FEI Eventing European Championships to do so with the same horse on three consecutive occasions. But 1.2 time penalties saw her lose her grip on pole position and she goes into tomorrow’s final phase just 0.5 penalties behind Wilson at the head of affairs.

“He was bold and brave like he always is”, Klimke said of her beloved Bobby. “I had lots of time at the 7-minute mark, and then in the end there were two seconds (added) because I just couldn’t go any faster, especially in the turns. I had to take my time so I didn’t have a run-out, I had to be precise to the end and I felt it was the fastest I would like to go through the corners and the deeper ground. I thought I would make it, but unfortunately we didn’t - but he did a lovely job really and he finished full of himself!”, she said.

Meanwhile Jean Lou Bigot got the French off to a great start when delivering a fault-free run with Utrillo du Halage, but Gwendolen Fer’s fall left them looking very vulnerable. However when Stanislas de Zuchowicz and the lovely grey Covadys de Triaval added only 14 time penalties to their score the French situation began to stabilise. And he was thrilled with his result, produced under pressure.

“It was his first time at 4-Star level and my Chef d’Equipe told me I had to be clear,  but my horse was fantastic! My job was to be careful about his balance because his jump is always fantastic and his canter is always very good. We had a slip on the turn after fence 15 and that was a tricky moment, but I had the face of my coach in my head and I knew we had to stay on our feet!”, said the man from Fontainebleau who first rode for the French team in 2009.

Great round

And then Maxime Livio secured that bronze medal position definitively with a great round from Api du Libaire. 

“The trainer told me to be quick enough to secure the bronze medal place but not to take any stupid risk like I might if I was only an individual rider, but the plan was not to take too big risk with that horse because he’s not really experienced. So I was quite comfortable with that. He (the horse) allowed me to take the straight route at 6/7, because he’s very straight. So I took that risk and he answered very well but I just felt when I jumped the water when I came back on the race-track that his jumping was not as energetic at the beginning. So I decided ok, now we try to hold it together. He was a bit tired in the body but not in the mind. He was listening to me, looking at the fences, fully focused, and I’m very pleased because he fought with me to the very end for the French team. And also his score is really good, so I am very happy!”, Livio said.

That’s no wonder, because that score of 22.5 leaves him seriously challenging Klimke and Wilson when the final day’s action kicks off tomorrow morning at 11.00, following the second Horse Inspection at 09.00.

It’s all so very close, and the result could go any which way on the exciting final day….

Results here https://www.rechenstelle.de/de/veranstaltungen/2021/avenches-2/#

Great Britain maintained the lead in the Dressage phase today, but there will only be a hair’s breadth between them and the defending team champions from Germany when the cross-country phase of the FEI Eventing European Championships 2021 gets underway tomorrow morning at 11.00 local time.

A margin of 4.9 penalty points is all that separates the two sides as the best horse-and-athlete combinations from all across Europe continue to battle it out for the prestigious team and individual medals at these 35th bi-annual Championships.

Today Germany’s Ingrid Klimke took another step towards an historic first-ever three-in-a-row individual title with the same horse, when steering the brilliant SAP Hale Bob OLD into pole position in the Dressage arena. But Great Britain’s Ros Canter and Allstar B, who took double-gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games two years ago, came dangerously close to toppling them when third-last to go.

Scoring 20.6, Canter lies just 0.4 behind Klimke when the horses set out to do what they love best tomorrow, taking on the challenging cross-country track designed by Great Britain’s Mike Etherington-Smith which consists of 40 jumping efforts and 32 fences over a distance of 5,678 metres that must be covered in 10 minutes 7 seconds to avoid time penalties.

And lying third, only 0.3 further behind, is Canter’s team-mate and first-day Dressage leader Nicola Wilson with JL Dublin, while a super test from Maxime Livio and his attractive 11-year-old grey gelding Api du Libraire leaves him individually fourth and secured overnight third place for Team France.

Reshuffle

Klimke was always expected to reshuffle the order with her 17-year-old gelding whose career record includes Olympic team silver, individual World Championship bronze and four European gold medals, the last two of the latter clinched on home ground in Luhmuehlen two years ago. He certainly didn’t disappoint again today, but Bobby was full of beans before starting his test.

“Maybe he thought we were in cross-country already!”, Klimke said. “I didn’t warm up for long because he knows all the movements and I thought it would be good if he was a bit fresh because the ground is a bit deep (in the arena), but I didn’t know he was that fresh! I should have cantered a few more rounds outside!

“I had to take an extra loop to calm him down, but the moment I entered the ring I knew exactly that he knows his job inside out and I could really enjoy it and I could ride very precisely from point to point. After so many years now it is really a pleasure to ride through the test knowing he is absolutely focused and there is so much trust between us”, she pointed out. 

She says the cross-country course reminds her of the track at Wiesbaden in Germany “which feels like seven minutes in a jump-off - you can’t breathe very much!” But Bobby is a a past-master over fences. “The good thing is that he has a very handy canter for the turns, and he doesn’t mind the ground”, she explained.

His lazy self

Canter gave the German star a real run for her money when third-last to go. Albie, as her 16-year-old horse is known to his friends, didn’t make it entirely easy for her though because, as she explained “he was his usual lazy self! I wanted everyone to clap and cheer as we came in and he pricked his ears for about half a second but then he went ahhh….he’s always listening to me, and in a way it’s a benefit, but I was possibly sweating more than he was!”, she said.

“But honestly he’s just the most rideable horse I’ve ever had in a dressage test. He doesn’t change, regardless of the atmosphere or anything else, he just lets me ride for every mark and that’s where his heart shines really and always has done. Time and again he does mistake-free tests. It’s a lot of pressure coming out on him again (after their World Championship success) but I want to try and enjoy every minute because I know I haven’t got many left with him”, she added.

Impressive

While both Klimke and Canter’s horses are super-experienced, Livio’s fourth-place ride with Api du Libaire was all the more impressive because it’s this pair’s first Championship together, and you’d never have guessed it.

“We knew since the beginning this horse’s talent for the three phases is really nice, he can fight with the best horses in the world. This is his first Championship so it’s good to be where we are today and it’s a good score for the team, but it’s a three-day event also so we take it day by day”, said the 34-year-old Frenchman.

He described his handsome and characterful gelding as “a strange horse, he’s like a kid but not a bad kid, just someone who is pleased to be here and wants to see everything! My job is to show him a lot, and I’m pleased because he was totally connected to me, and when he is like that he is a super student because he tries all the time”, he added.

Challenging

Meanwhile looking ahead to tomorrow’s cross-country test, Canter said this evening “it’s a really challenging course in terms of the full circles we do and all the accuracy questions and the difference in surfaces which will affect horse’s balance. We’ll need to prepare for every fence, riding and planning the bits in between. Albie gets very wound up at the start but he’s a wise old man so I’ll keep his warm-up limited and keep his energy and adrenaline for the course”.

Klimke said the most important thing will be to maintain the horse’s rhythm and “not lose any stride, just keep a wonderful flow”, all very possible perhaps when you are partnering a creature of the calibre of SAP Hale Bob OLD who she affectionately calls “the professor”. 

Livio agreed. “The rider who can be fluent in their riding will do the best. This course is a good test of the ability of the rider to be fluent - if we manage to do that it will go well”, he said.

Team France lies only 7.6 penalty points behind the Germans who currently hold silver medal spot. But the French will need to be on the button tomorrow because fantastic tests from Harald Ambros (Lexikon 2), Robert Mandl (Sacre-Coeur) and Lea Siegl (van Helsing P) moved Austria up into fourth today, less than two points behind.

The Dutch team is in fifth place, Italy in sixth, Sweden in seventh and Belgium in eighth while the hosts from Switzerland lie ninth. Spain, Ireland, Russia and Czech Republic fill the last four places this evening.  

It’s super-close between the leading pack, but the leaderboard could look very different by late tomorrow afternoon.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Results here 

Cross-Country Startlist here 

After a year hiatus, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League (NAL) is set to kick off its 2021-2022 season at Thunderbird Show Park in Vancouver, British Columbia (CAN), with a fresh look.

While the 2019-2020 NAL was able to complete its season in Ocala, FL (USA), that March, just days before the global pandemic brought the jumping calendar to a temporary halt, it’s been more than 18 months since North America has hosted a World Cup qualifying event.

Naturally, the scene will be a triumphant one in Vancouver, as a competitive group has lined up to get an early start on World Cup qualifying.

A newly implemented NAL calendar will feature just eight CSI4*-W events. The first and only opportunity to earn points in Canada, will be this Sunday 26 September, with the opening qualifier of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ season being hosted in Vancouver. The League will no longer be split into sub-leagues across the east and west coasts of the continent. Instead, a more cohesive calendar will bring athletes across the geographically diverse region between September 2021 and March 2022 as they battle for 14 qualifying places for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Leipzig (GER) in April 2022.

The best seven U.S. athletes from the east coast will punch their tickets, along with three U.S. west coast athletes, two Canadians and two riders from Mexico. Following Vancouver’s opening leg, the NAL will continue to Sacramento, CA (USA) before heading east to Tryon, NC (USA). Lexington, KY (USA), Las Vegas, NV (USA), Fort Worth, TX (USA), Puebla (MEX) and Ocala, FL (USA) complete the North American League lineup for the 2021-2022 season.

Athletes’ four best results from the events will count for points, requiring great strategy and execution. 

Known for its horse friendly venue and most welcoming management, Thunderbird Show Park will welcome athletes from five nations for World Cup competition. Former world number one, Kent Farrington (USA) headlines the group. Currently the World’s 13^th ranked rider on the Longines Jumping World Rankings, Farrington represented the U.S. in individual competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and was the highest placing American in 2016 at the Rio Olympics. He brings forward the winning machine that is the versatile and quick Austria 2, along with the 8-year-old stallion, Landon.

Among the winningest riders in Vancouver, Conor Swail (IRL) boasts a most exciting string of talented mounts. Rising star Theo 160 won three international events at the venue in August, which surely played a role in Swail’s rise into the world’s top 50. The Irish rider, who splits his time between Calgary (CAN) and Wellington, FL (USA), will bring forward the fresh Vital Chance de la Roque for World Cup competition. The 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding has won three international grand prix events since June, including the CSI4* Grand Prix at Saugerties in late July. In a strategic play by Swail, the bay has not competed since.

Swail’s longtime student, Vanessa Mannix, will also be a contender. She 32-year-old took a CSI3* Grand Prix victory at Thunderbird at the end of August and currently rides a hot streak with her veteran partner, Catinka 25.

Local favorites Tiffany Foster (CAN) and Brian Morton (CAN) will undoubtedly exploit their hometown advantage to the best of their abilities, while World Equestrian Games veteran Rowan Willis (AUS) and four-time World Cup Final veteran Charlie Jacobs (USA) invade from their U.S. bases.

On Sunday, the long-awaited North American League standings will once again take shape. With two Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final Champions to come out of this league since 2017, it will surely set the tone for a most thrilling season.

Great Britain established a significant lead on the opening day of Dressage at the FEI Eventing European Championships 2021 in Avenches, Switzerland today when the first two of their four team members produced superb tests to take the two leading spots. 

At this halfway stage of the Dressage phase they head the team leaderboard with a running score of 44.20, stalked by France with 56.00 and the defending champions from Germany close behind on 57.10. Italy, The Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Ireland fill the next five places, followed by Russia, Sweden, Spain and Switzerland. Only one member of the three-man team from the Czech Republic competed, so for the moment they lie last of the 13 competing nations.

The British already look formidable. Piggy March threw down a super score of 23.3 with Brookfield Inocent to take the lead when last to go of the first group of riders this morning. And then, seventh-last of today’s 34-strong contingent into the ring, Nicola Wilson pushed her compatriot off pole position with a beautiful performance from JL Dublin that earned 20.9. 

The British are chasing European team gold for the 23rd time in the 68-year history of these Championships, and by the end of the week could hold the Olympic, World and European titles. However there is still a long way to go before the medals are handed out next Sunday afternoon, and the defending European champions from Germany certainly won’t just sit back and let it happen. The competition is already building into an almighty battle.

A good sign

“It was a great test, he was as good as he could be and a swear word never entered my mind and that’s always a really good sign!”, laughed March when she rocketed to the top of the leaderboard. 

“The consistency of his work and his mind all the way through - I could give him another 10 goes and I don’t think he could do better, he gave me his all, and that’s all you can ask for. I’m over the moon, what a good boy!”, said the 41-year-old athlete who was on the silver medal winning team at the last European Championships in Luhmuehlen, Germany in 2019 and Britain’s gold medal winning side at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA a year earlier.

Wilson’s smile was even bigger when she saw her result. “I’m so so delighted, he’s a fab horse and he’s really come of age this year”, she said of her handsome 10-year-old gelding. 

“He’s still young and relatively inexperienced. I had a neck injury (in June 2019) so he missed half a year and then Covid happened. So even though he’s not been on the competition field he was still trained and got more established in his mind. But we’re only in phase one and there’s an awful lot more to go….”, she pointed out wisely.

All the riders today were keen to talk about Mike Etherington-Smith’s cross-country course which is set to challenge the very best on Saturday.

Demanding

“It’s demanding all the way and it gets very intense towards the end as well with twists and turns. The questions come thick and fast right to the last fence which still isn’t an easy fence - it’s a big old table. There’s a great deal to jump out there but I look forward to the challenge and hope that both of us are up to it!”, Wilson said.

German veteran, Andreas Dibowski, is lying third individually with his 2019 European team medal-winning partner FRH Corrida who was reserve at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games this summer. “After Tokyo she was so fit and motivated, in training she had a good feeling and here after arrival also. I expected a good result today, I was hopeful for under 30, and I was really happy the judges saw what I felt”, he said after putting 25.6 on the board.

Fourth place is also in German hands this evening after individual competitor Christoph Wahler posted 26.0 with Carjatan S. But the 27-year-old rider doesn’t think the cross-country track will suit his 12-year-old gelding. “It won’t ride soft and easy with so many turns and changes of direction, so it wouldn’t ideally suit a very big horse like mine”, he pointed out. 

Dibowski’s team-mate Anna Siemer thinks the opposite however. She slotted into 17th place with FRH Butts Avondale today and is rearing to go on Saturday. She says she and her 14-year-old mare jumped clear cross-country for over two years and that contributed to their selection for this crack German side. “She’s a fast horse and good in this long format, she’s a thoroughbred so that is an advantage”, Siemer explained. 

And she’s thrilled to have been selected. “It’s unbelievable to be in a team with your super-heroes. My horse and I are a small team - but to be in a big team is really cool. And they all watched my dressage!”, she said, overwhelmed by the enormity of the moment.

Top nine

But it is France who currently sit in silver medal spot after both Jen Lou Bigot with Utrillo du Halage and Gwendolen Fer and Romantic Love finished today in the top nine, Fer’s 26.5 leaving her in overnight sixth place and setting it up nicely for compatriots Stanislaus de Zuchowicz (Covadys de Triaval) and Maxime Livio (Api du Libaire) when the action resumes tomorrow. “I was particularly delighted with how my horse went - he was wonderful today!”, Fer said. 

The last tranche of riders tomorrow afternoon will be a fascinating bunch, because Livio will be immediately followed by Germany’s Ingrid Klimke who can be expected to seriously challenge for the lead with SAP Hale Bob OLD while Britain’s Ros Canter and Allstar B are the penultimate partnership into the ring. Only then will the stage be set for Saturday’s cross-country phase which, by all accounts, is going to be hugely influential. 

Great Britain’s Piggy March said today, “I’m going to have to walk the course a lot of times because there’s great potential for getting lost. It’s very technical and the single fences are big enough as well, a lot of twists and turns so we are going to have to be on our A-game, but it’s a proper Championship track for sure. This is not going to be a dressage competition!”, she added.

Up to the plate

If that’s how it plays out there are plenty ready to step up to the plate, and amongst the ones to watch may be Italy’s Evelina Bertoli and her 15-year-old gelding Seashore Spring who lie tenth this evening. The 35-year-old rider from Rome competed at the FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Caen, France. “I was there just to be there back then, but here I’m with the team to do my best”, she said with conviction today after helping boost Italy to fourth place. 

It’s hardly surprising she’s feeling gung-ho, because her horse has some pedigree. “He is great cross-country and his father won the Pardubice so I’m very confident in him!”, she said, referring to the formidable steeplechase course jumped annually in the Czech Republic. She should have an enjoyable day on Saturday in that case.

Meanwhile however there’s more Dressage to be done tomorrow, and first into the arena at 10.00 local time will be German individual Dirk Schrade with Casino 80.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Starlists and results here 

 

The Netherlands got the number one slot when the draw for order-of-go was made at the FEI Eventing European Championships 2021 in Avenches, Switzerland today.

Horse and athlete combinations from 17 nations will line out at this 35th edition which will take place at the Institut Equestre National d’Avenches, with Dressage getting the action underway tomorrow morning.

A total of 67 combinations will compete for the team and individual medals, with a powerful German contingent lining out as defending champions in both categories.

Dressage 

First of the 34 starters to come before the Ground Jury panel of Andrew Bennie (NZL), Christian Steiner (AUT) and Christian Landolt (SUI) in the Dressage phase will be the Dutch duo of Jordy Wilken and Burry Spirit, and they will be followed by Belgium’s Kris Vervaecke (Guantanamo van Alsingen) and Ireland’s Sam Watson (Ballybolger Talisman). 

Riders from Sweden, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Austria, Russia and Great Britain will then take their turn before the morning interval, and when the action restarts it will be Czech Republic’s Miroslav Trunda (Tmka-Ruf) who enters the arena. Poland’s Malgorzata Korycka (Canvalencia) and Belgium’s Julia Schmitz (Lady Like) will bring Day 1 action to a close.

Another 33 pairs will take their turn on Friday when individuals from Denmark, Lithuania and Finland will also compete. Switzerland’s Felix Vogg and Cartania will be last to go on Friday, but all eyes will be on Germany’s Ingrid Klimke who will line out a little earlier in the day with the 17-year-old SAP Hale Bob, because this fabulous pair are going for individual gold for a record-breaking third consecutive time, and they will be key players in defence of the team title.

They stepped it out in style at today’s first Horse Inspection in which all of the 67 horses presented were passed fit to compete.

Cross-Country

Saturday brings the exciting cross-country phase, and horses have absolute priority for course designer Mike Etherington-Smith from Great Britain.

For him, one simple principle is at the heart of it all. As he said in an interview earlier this year, “I’m 100% on the side of the horse, and their safety and welfare has to be top of the list!”

The venue at IENA (Institut Equestre National d’Avenches) was only confirmed in March 2021, so the lead-in has been short and intense. But this is a man who has put his stamp on many of the world’s greatest events and tracks, including the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and the FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky (USA) in 2010. 

Speaking this afternoon he described Avenches as “a largely flat venue, but it’s been my job to make it interesting! It’s a racing venue for steeplechasing and trotting, and they’ve done a fantastic job to put it together in a very short time. It’s been hectic but full credit to everyone here.” 

The time set for his course which consists of 40 jumping efforts and 32 jumps is 10 minutes 7 seconds. As he said earlier in the year his trademark style is “no tricks, and no surprises…..fences need definition and contrast so the horse knows exactly what it is being asked to do”. But there is sure to be plenty of drama as cross-country day plays out. 

Medals will be awarded after Sunday’s final Jumping phase, and you can keep up with all the action and excitement as the 35th FEI Eventing European Championships kicks off tomorrow at 10.00 local time.

Don’t miss a hoofbeat….

Startlists and Results here….https://www.rechenstelle.de/de/veranstaltungen/2021/avenches-2/

The FEI has set in motion the Time To Beat campaign which highlights the hard work, dedication and perseverance of equestrian athletes who dedicate their lives to reaching World level sporting success.

Launched at the start of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2021-2022 season, the cross-media campaign brings together the FEI, its Top Partner Longines and the Organising Committees of the North American League and Western European League to celebrate the human and equine athlete journey to the elite levels of the sport.

“The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ competitions are full of edge-of-your-seat moments where winners can be determined by fractions of a second and it is this sporting drama which engages fans and keeps them coming back for more each season,” FEI Commercial Director Ralph Straus said.

“But these moments of brilliance are the culmination of years of hard work, patience and endless repetition. And when it comes down to that critical moment in a competition, it is the communication between the athlete and horse that is often the determining factor for a win. This horse-human connection takes years to create and it is this journey in time that we want to celebrate through the Time To Beat campaign.”

The video, released to mark the start of the campaign, connects the in-competition performance of the human and equine athletes with powerful images of the daily dedication and perseverance that athletes need to cultivate over time to reach their sporting goals.  

“The values of the Time To Beat campaign resonate strongly with Longines as we know from first-hand experience that excellence can only come from years of commitment,” Longines Vice President Marketing Matthieu Baumgartner said.

“Perfection does take time and with our experience in creating digital engagement campaigns with the FEI over the past year, we can now tell this story in a more authentic way and deliver a message that people from diverse backgrounds, not just equestrian, can identify with.

“The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ has inspired large numbers of fans and we believe that by adding powerful initiatives like the Time To Beat campaign we can take equestrian sport to another level.”

The FEI’s partnership with Longines has come a long way since it became the International Federation’s Top Partner in 2012. The initial collaboration included a number of major rights packages including the Longines Jumping Rankings, the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™, FEI World Equestrian Games™ and the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™.

Over the years the partnership has grown to include Longines as Partner of the FEI Solidarity project on the retraining of racehorses as well as Title Partner of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ series and Presenting Partner of the FEI Awards Gala. In early 2019, Longines extended its agreement as Title Partner of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup North American League series.

The Time to Beat campaign has found strong support with the Organising Committees of the North American League and Western European League where Longines is the Title Partner. The first leg of the North American League for the 2021-2022 season will kick off in Langley, British Columbia (CAN) on 26 September while Oslo (NOR) will host the first leg of the Western European League on 17 October.

“The pandemic situation has brought home to the sports world that our lives can also change dramatically from one minute to the next,” said Chris Pack, President and Operations Director at the Thunderbird Show Park in Langley.

“While this campaign is meant to highlight the hard work that goes into the making of a sports star, it is also a celebration for our community who have worked hard to find solutions and ways to ensure that our athletes and fans have the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ competitions to enjoy.

“The Time to Beat campaign messages of persistence, tenacity and dedication are universal and we are looking forward to communicating these values to our local communities to bring them closer to the action and emotion that the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ competitions have to offer.”

Time to Beat will be a three-year campaign that will see a number of activations around the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ competitions to boost fan engagement and involvement.

“We are looking forward to working on this campaign, not just to increase the visibility of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ series but also to create a meaningful conversation around the power of equestrian sport,” said Tomas Torgersen, Show Director Gothenburg Horse Show.

“Both the human and equine athlete require a strong mental connection and it is this special bond that always shines through during the Longines FEI World Cup competitions. It’s always a magical moment when an athlete gets the best out of their horse at that crucial moment of the competition. It’s in those few seconds that World champions are created and we want the world to see and experience this with us.”

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ was created in 1978 and is currently made up of 12 leagues across all continents. The top placed athlete-horse combinations from all Leagues are invited to attend the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final™ which will be held in Leipzig (GER) in April 2022.

 

All eyes in the sport of Eventing turn to Avenches in Switzerland this week where the FEI Eventing European Championships 2021 get underway on Wednesday (22 September). 

This will be only the third time for Switzerland to host these Championships since they were first staged in Badminton (GBR) in 1953. The second edition was held in Basel, Switzerland in 1954 when Great Britain’s Frank Weldon (Kilbarry), Bertie Hill (Crispin), Laurence Rook (Starlight) and Diana Mason (Tramella) took the team title as well as all the individual medals. 

When they revisited Switzerland in 1983 it was Sweden’s Christian Persson (Joel), Göran Breisner (Ultimus), Sven Ingvarsson (Doledo) and Jeanette Ullsten (Noir) who were team champions, while Persson claimed individual bronze behind Britain’s Rachel Bayliss (Mystic Minstrel) in gold and Lucinda Prior-Palmer (Regal Realm) in silver medal spot.

This time around it will be Germany’s Ingrid Klimke who will be under the microscope as she hunts down a new record. Only two other riders have won the Individual title three times in succession. Great Britain’s Ginny Elliott in 1985, 1987, and 1989 and Klimke’s compatriot, Michael Jung in 2011, 2013 and 2015. 

Three-in-a-row

Klimke is going for three-in-a-row after standing top of the podium in Strzegom (POL) in 2017 and on home ground at Luhmuehlen (GER) in 2019. However what sets her apart from the rest is the fact that the defending Team and Individual champion will be partnering the same horse that has already brought her double Individual European glory - the awesome SAP Hale Bob. The 17-year-old gelding’s extraordinary career record also includes European team gold at Blair Castle (GBR) in 2015 and Olympic team silver in Rio de Janeiro (BRA) a year later. 

Success again this time around will be all the more special for the 53-year-old rider because she’s had a very difficult year. She was on target for her sixth Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer before a nasty fall from her mare, Cascamara, while competing at Baborowko (POL) in May, left her with a broken sternum and smashed collarbone. 

However she immediately reset her focus on this week’s European Championships, partnering her great old friend “Bobby” who was the first horse she sat on during her recovery. She joins the crack side of Jung (Fischerwild Wave), Andreas Dibowski (FRH Corrida), Dirk Schrade (Casino), Anna Siemer (FRH Butt’s Avondale) and Christoph Wahler (Carjatan S) in defence of the Team title.

Phenomenal record

Great Britain has a phenomenal record at these Championships, with 18 Individual gold medals and 22 team victories under their belt. In total, British riders have claimed 40 gold medals during the 68-year history of the event, and reigning world champions, Ros Canter and Allstar B, headline their strong contingent.

The pair claimed double-gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 in Tryon, USA and although Canter says the 16-year-old gelding “hasn’t done anything of real significance” since then, she hopes that he’ll just “click into gear”, when he arrives at the Championship. 

Speaking at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials where she finished second in the CCI4-L* yesterday, Canter pointed out that the British team of Sarah Bullimore (Corouet), Kitty King (Vendredi Biats), Piggy March (Brookfield Innocent), Izzy Taylor (Monkeying Around) and Nicola Wilson (JL Dublin) is a strong one. “I’m delighted to have all these girls out there with me. We’ll be a great support to each other and hopefully we’ll come back with the gold medal!”, she said. 

Teams

A total of 13 nations - Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland - are fielding teams for the Championship and there will also be Individuals in action from Denmark, Finland, Lithuania and Poland. 

The Swedish side will be led by 2012 Olympic Individual silver medallist Sarah Algotsson Ostholt (Chicuelo), the Belgian selection includes Karin Donckers (Leipheimer van’t Verahof) and Lara de Liedekerke-Meier (Ducati d’Arville) while the Dutch side includes Merel Blom (The Quizmaster) and Sanne de Jong (Enjoy). Amongst the listed Irish runners are 2019 Individual bronze medallist Cathal Daniels (LEG Lias Jewel) and WEG 2018 double-silver medallist Padraig McCarthy who will compete Leonidas ll, the 17-year-old former ride of Kiwi legend Sir Mark Todd.

Meanwhile the Swiss squad of Eveline Bodenmuller (Violine de la Brasserie), Beat Danner (London Blue), Robin Godel (Grandeur de Lully CH), Patrick Ruegg (Fifty Fifty) and Felix Vogg (Cartania) have been benefiting from the expertise of Todd’s former team-mate and their new cross-country trainer, Olympic champion and five-time Burghley winner Andrew Nicholson. 

Venue

The venue at IENA - the Institut Equestre National d'Avenches - which embraces a racecourse and lies on more than 142 hectares, has staged a wide variety of equestrian events down the years including the FEI European Pony Championships for Dressage, Eventing and Jumping in 2008. Avenches, the former capital of Roman Helvetia, lies on top of a hill just over 3 kilometres away, and is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland. It’s likely to attract plenty of equestrian visitors over the coming week.

However the business of European medals will be the athlete’s main priority, and the horses and riders will be on their toes when the first horse inspection gets underway on Wednesday (22 September) followed by Dressage on Thursday and Friday, Cross-Country on Saturday and the final Jumping phase on Sunday (26 September).

Don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Masterlist here 

Website here 

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decisions in two equine anti-doping case involving a Banned Substance and a Controlled Medication.

The horse Ger Ashir (FEI ID 103UH98 /KSA), ridden by Odai Alqurashi (FEI ID 10203848/KSA), tested positive for the Banned Substance Diisopropylamine following samples taken at the CEI1*100 - Riyadh (KSA), on 6-7 November 2020.

The athlete did not provide any explanation as to how the banned Substances entered the horse’s system.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal disqualified the horse and athlete from the event, and imposed a two-year suspension on the athlete. The period of the provisional suspension of the athlete, which came into effect on 9 December 2020, shall be credited against the period of ineligibility, meaning he will be ineligible until 8 December 2022. The athlete was also fined CHF 7,500 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. 

 

The horses Ger Ashir (FEI ID 103UH98 /KSA) and Takada Prince (FEI ID 104PB34/KSA), both trained by Munair Alfaqeih (FEI ID 10062545/KSA), respectively tested positive for the Banned Substance Diisopropylamine and the Controlled Medication Flunixin following samples taken at the CEI1*100 - Riyadh (KSA), on 6-7 November 2020.  

The trainer did not provide any explanation as to how the substances entered the horse’s systems.

Since the two Rule Violations arose from the same Event the FEI was not able to notify the Trainer of the first Rule Violation before the second Rule Violation was committed, therefore the violations were considered together as one single first violation.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal imposed a two-year suspension on the trainer. The period of the provisional suspension the trainer, which came into effect on 9 December 2020, shall be credited against the period of ineligibility, meaning he will be ineligible until 8 December 2022. The trainer was also fined CHF 7,500 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. 

The FEI has received confirmation that all human and equine samples taken during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have returned negative.

“I am very proud to be able to confirm that, for the third Games in succession, all human and equine samples taken during the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games have returned negative”, FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.

“This should of course be business as usual, but it would be naïve to think that clean Games are guaranteed in any sport. Of course, as with all sports in the Olympic Movement, the samples – including the equine ones – will be kept in storage for up to 10 years for potential retesting as improved processes are developed to test for substances that were not reliably detectable at the time of sampling.

“But, for now, this result validates all the work that has gone into the FEI Clean Sport educational campaign over the years, the buy-in of our National Federations and the uptake of equine pre-arrival testing and elective testing to ensure our horses would compete clean at the Games.”

The FEI President also reflected on phenomenal sport in Tokyo. “We can look back on incredible sport at Tokyo 2020, with truly great Olympic champions in all three disciplines and in the five Paralympic Grades – across both the team and individual competitions”, he said. “We are blessed with sensational athletes, both equine and human.

“All our medallists deserve huge congratulations, but not just the winners, as even getting to the Games was worthy of a medal. Athletes across all sports had to perform without the support of loved ones and fans, but at our two superb venues at Baji Koen and Sea Forest, the teams and their entourage generated a great buzz.

“There is no doubt that, despite the challenges, our sport triumphed in Tokyo and we received lots of very positive feedback. But, as always, there are plenty of lessons learnt and key takeaways. There will be a full debrief, which will of course include a comprehensive review of the formats. Part of that process will be taking into account the feedback we have already received and we are also proactively reaching out to our community to ensure we get extensive input. And we will use the learnings from these Games to take forward to Paris 2024.

"But, in the meantime, we all owe a huge debt of thanks to our Japanese hosts in Tokyo, and especially to the unbelievably hard-working and dedicated Organising Committee and the wonderful volunteers. Nothing was too much trouble for them and, while we couldn’t see the smiles behind the mandatory masks, we could feel the warmth in their hearts.

“Arigatōgozaimasu Tokyo, arigatōgozaimasu Japan!”

Clean Sport in Tokyo

Equine testing

Equine testing was conducted by the FEI at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games under the FEI Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMRs) and FEI Veterinary Regulations.

At the Olympic Games, a total of 38 tests were carried out on 24 different horses, including all individual medallists and fourth-placed horses, plus at least one horse from medal-winning and fourth-placed teams. Random testing was also carried out, with horses selected by a random number generator app, and there was also targeted testing.

A total of 38 tests were carried out at the Paralympic Games on medal-winning horses, plus random and targeted testing.

Human testing

For Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) delegated the management of its entire anti-doping programme to the International Testing Agency (ITA).

The ITA is an independent not-for-profit anti-doping organisation. The FEI has a long-term agreement with the ITA, and delegates parts of its human anti-doping programme to the Agency, including testing coordination.

Human testing at the Paralympic Games was conducted by Tokyo 2020 on behalf of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Notes to Editors:

FEI Clean Sport

The FEI’s Clean Sport campaign, started in 2010, is part of an ongoing educational outreach programme designed to simplify the FEI anti-doping regulations, which are based on World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) principles.

This online communication campaign, which is available in eight languages (English, French, Chinese, German, Arabic, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese), is aimed at athletes, grooms, team and personal veterinarians, and other support personnel and includes key information on prohibited substances, the Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations, the testing process, and all related resources.

FEI Clean Sport - human athletes

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

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

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

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

FEI Equine Prohibited Substances

The FEI Prohibited Substances List is divided into two sections: Controlled Medication and *Banned Substances. Controlled Medication substances are medications that are regularly used to treat horses, but which must have been cleared from the horse’s system by the time of competition. Banned (doping) Substances should never be found in the body of the horse and are prohibited at all times.

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

About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org

The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm.

The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining.

The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving.