Winners in the FEI Awards 2020 five categories were revealed today, with multi-medalled young Dressage star Semmieke Rothenberger claiming the Longines FEI Rising Star Award for the second year in a row, and Eventing legend Ingrid Klimke also taking back-to-back wins as Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete.

This year the task of choosing the best of the best from the past decade’s previous awards winners was entirely in the hands of the public who cast their votes for the 55 nominees from 19 nations. Over 70,000 votes were cast on FEI.org and on the Chinese social media platform WeChat. Podiums in each of the five categories were occupied by a global spread from Germany, Great Britain, Australia, China, Ireland, Palestine, South Africa, The Netherlands and Zambia.

With the FEI Awards Gala cancelled this year due to the pandemic, the winners were revealed to their online audience in a moving video narrated by British Paralympic champion Natasha Baker.

Semmieke Rothenberger, winner of the Longines FEI Rising Star Award, was overcome with emotion when her family held a surprise presentation of the award at their home in Germany.

 “I’m very grateful that so many people voted for me and that there is such a big fan base of people that support me,” Semmieke Rothenberger said. “It is also quite surreal because there were so many good athletes in this category, including my brother Sönke, so I didn’t really expect that I would win it again.”

The 21-year-old, winner of 22 FEI European Championship medals through all the youth categories right up to Young Riders, has even bigger goals for the future.

“My parents have always taught me to dream big and reach for my goals and I would really like to canter on that centre line of the Olympic Games one day. I’ve been to the Olympic Games in Rio with my brother and I would love to see myself there with one of my horses and feel the atmosphere of representing my country at the Olympics!”

Along with other individual FEI Award winners, Semmieke Rothenberger received an elegant timepiece from FEI Top Partner Longines, the Swiss watch brand which attaches great importance to encouraging young people to practice sports. 

“This Longines FEI Rising Star Award was created to recognise young athletes between the ages of 14 and 21 who demonstrate outstanding equestrian sporting talent,” Longines Vice President of Marketing Matthieu Baumgartner said. “We are delighted to once again celebrate Semmieke Rothenberger’s dedication to equestrian sport and we applaud her determination, passion and energy, which we are confident will take her to the very top in her sporting career.”

Double Olympic Eventing team gold medallist and five-time Olympian Ingrid Klimke (GER) was delighted to win a second Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete Award, together with a horse transport voucher from title sponsor and Official FEI Equine Logistics Partner, Peden Bloodstock.

“This is all still a little bit unreal but I’m so thrilled and happy,” she said. The 52-year-old, who was also nominated for the Award in 2015 and 2017, going on to win in 2019, is only the second person in history to win back-to-back European titles on the same horse, claiming individual gold with SAP Hale Bob OLD at the Longines FEI Eventing European Championships in 2017 and 2019. This year she took her fifth German National Championship, having won previously in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2009, sharing the spotlight with her daughter Greta Busacker, who was crowned German National Junior Champion on the same day.

Although Ingrid Klimke has set her sights on winning her first individual gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games next year, she is not shy of stating her longer term ambitions. “I’m already thinking of Paris 2024 which is not so far away. I love to ride, I love to compete and I love to keep going.”

There was further cause for celebration at the Klimke stables when Carmen Thiemann, head groom for more than two decades, won the Cavalor FEI Best Groom Award and a voucher from title sponsor and FEI Official Nutrition Partner, Cavalor.

“It’s the trust between us and the fun we have with the horses,” Carmen Thiemann said when asked about the longevity of her professional partnership with Ingrid Klimke. “I try to make the horses happy and healthy so that they are ready to work with Ingrid.”

Carmen Thiemann, who won the FEI Best Groom Award in 2013, has a special bond with the Klimke family having started her career as a groom for Ingrid’s father Dr Reiner Klimke, an Olympic Dressage legend for Germany.

“Everyone who knows Carmen knows how valuable she is as a person and especially in her job with the horses,” a delighted Ingrid Klimke said.

“We have been successful as a team for many years and I would never go to a show or a Championship without Carmen. She is a best friend to the horses and I can totally focus on my job, either in Cross Country or in Dressage, knowing that Carmen brings them out as happy and healthy as possible.”

It is also interesting to note that the runner-ups in these two respective categories – Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete and Cavalor FEI Best Groom – went to another dynamic duo: Great Britain’s superstar Charlotte Dujardin and Alan Davies, the experienced and highly respected “Super Groom” to Carl Hester’s horses, and also a key member of the FEI Grooms Working Group.

Ten years after winning their first award, the Ebony Horse Club (GBR) was once again the recipient of the FEI Solidarity Award.  

“This award, coming at the end of a really challenging year, just validates everything that we’re working for,” General Manager of the Ebony Horse Club Naomi Howate said. “To be recognised as the best of the decade is such a huge accolade and has made us extremely proud of the work that we do here.

“Ebony is a youth club with horses, rather than a riding centre, because our ethos is all about helping our young people be the best they can be both on and off the horses.”

The organisation, which is based in Brixton, South London, provides young people from low income families with the opportunity to ride horses and take part in a variety of sporting and educational activities. 

The FEI has provided the 2020 FEI Solidarity Award winner with a financial donation to support the Ebony Horse Club projects. “We are a small club and we don’t have lots of resources,” Naomi Howgate said. “Donations are everything, as it is how we can provide the work we are doing. We support about 400 young people in a year and we can only do that with donations of money that allow us to run our services. So receiving this from the FEI is really fantastic!”

This year’s FEI Against All Odds Award goes to German Paralympian Dr Angelika Trabert. Born without legs and only three fingers on her right hand, Angelika is well known in the equestrian community for her indefatigable spirit and her motto, “It’s ability, not disability, that counts.”

She had just won individual gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2010 when she picked up her first FEI Against All Odds award, given to the person who has pursued their equestrian ambitions despite a physical handicap or extremely difficult personal circumstances.

Dr Trabert, an anaesthetist by profession, was inspired to be an athlete and coach in the years after tragically losing her long-time partner in 2005. She has won six Paralympic medals and four at the FEI World Equestrian Games™. She is also the current Para Athlete representative on the FEI Athletes’ Committee and a member of the FEI Para Equestrian Committee.

“I feel this is an award and a reward for the work I’ve been doing and what I feel is important for our sport,” Angelika Trabert said. “You should always look on the positive side, especially in these times. It’s very hard for a lot of people and it counts more than ever to look upon the possibilities and abilities that we have. And there are many.”

“Our global and diverse community is built on our shared passion for horsemanship and the team spirit, which is so present in all five of our winners, is replicated around the world and at every level of the sport, both on and off the field,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.

“Passion and resilience define our community, and these values are echoed in the stories of each of our FEI Awards winners for 2020. Congratulations to all the nominees and especially to our winners, thank you for your commitment to the sport and the values which make the equestrian world so rewarding and inspiring.”  

Notes to Editors:
Full information on the FEI Awards 2020 and past winners are available here.

All three equestrian disciplines – Jumping, Dressage and Eventing – have been formally confirmed for the Paris 2024 Olympic programme. In addition, the six events – team and individual across each of the three disciplines – and the full quota of 200 athlete/horse combinations have also been endorsed.

News of the confirmation came during today’s International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board online meeting, at which the full programme for Paris 2024 was formally approved. Individual International Federations were also provided with details of the event programme and athlete quotas for their sport in an official letter from IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper.

The ratification means that equestrian will keep its quota of 75 athlete/horse combinations for Jumping, 65 for Eventing and 60 for Dressage.

“We are very happy to receive formal approval of our three disciplines for Paris 2024 from the IOC Executive Board and also confirmation that our athlete quota remains untouched at 200”, FEI President and IOC Member Ingmar De Vos said.

“This confirmation is also a token of appreciation for the efforts the FEI and the equestrian community have made to increase the fan base and improve digital figures for our sport. We really appreciate that the IOC didn’t touch our quota as we knew they needed to reduce the overall Games-wide quota to 10,500 athletes, but our sport has grown so much over the last decade that a reduction of our quota would have been detrimental to the universality of our Olympic competitions.”

The equestrian events will be staged in the grounds of Versailles, with King Louis XIV’s Palace as a stunning backdrop at one of the French capital’s most iconic Games time venues. The UNESCO World Heritage Site will also be the site for Modern Pentathlon.

Full details of the Paris 2024 event programme were publicly announced at a press conference with the IOC President today. The IOC press release is available on www.olympic.org.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has today confirmed that the United Arab Emirates National Federation will remain suspended from FEI membership until 31 December 2020.

The CAS ruling comes after a two-day hearing via videoconference on 12 and 13 November following an appeal by the UAE against the suspension imposed by the FEI Board on 24 September 2020.

“We welcome today’s CAS decision confirming that a violation of the FEI rules occurred which warranted a full suspension of the UAE National Federation’s membership across all disciplines and significant financial penalties”, FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “We are grateful to the CAS for expediting the hearing of this appeal so that we are able to provide clarity to our community on the issue prior to the FEI General Assembly next Monday.”

Today’s CAS decision rules that the UAE National Federation “is suspended with respect to all FEI disciplines from 24 September 2020 until 31 December 2020”.

The FEI Board had imposed a suspension on the UAE National Federation following a detailed investigation into the circumstances around two National Endurance Events (CEN) in January and February 2020 - the Sheikh Mohammed Cup and The President's Cup – that should have been held as International Endurance Events (CEIs) as the number of foreign athletes far exceeded the quota permitted for National Events.

The CAS also ruled that 25% of the prize money awarded at the 2020 Sheikh Mohammed Cup and 5% of the prize money awarded at the 2020 President’s Cup must be paid to the FEI, plus organising dues that would have been payable to the FEI had the Events been held as CEIs.

At the request of the parties, and in order to fast track the ruling, the CAS provided today’s decision without the full rationale, which will be provided at a later date.

Notes to Editors:

The press release on the FEI Board decision of 24 September 2020 is available here.

If you had the chance to choose, who would be your favourites from the winners over the past decade of FEI Awards?

Well now you have that opportunity! In a year when our sport has been brought to a standstill by the pandemic, we are looking back through the years and giving YOU the chance to pick the best of the best from the five FEI Awards categories.

And the public vote for the special edition FEI Awards 2020 is now open!

This year the winners in each of the five categories will be chosen entirely by the public and votes can be cast on FEI.org from today until 22 November. Winners will be announced the second week of December.

There are 55 nominees representing 19 nations across the five Awards categories: Longines FEI Rising Star; Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete; Cavalor FEI Best Groom; FEI Against All Odds; and FEI Solidarity. The complete list of nominees can be found here.

“These Awards are a way to honour the heroes of our sport through their amazing stories of resilience, horsemanship, determination and passion,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.

“Equestrian is not just a sport, but a way of life for many people and this has been a desperately difficult year for the equestrian community, just as it has been for everyone, in every sector. Now, more than ever, we need to focus on the positives that our sport has to offer and celebrate the fantastic ambassadors that we have, both on the field of play and behind the scenes making a difference.”

Since their launch in 2009, the FEI Awards have become a key addition to the annual equestrian calendar and have grown in size and stature over the last decade. The FEI Best Athlete and FEI Rising Star Award categories have featured a high calibre of nominees from around the world with numerous Olympic, Paralympic and FEI World Equestrian Games™ honours among them.

With nine awards in total, Germany has the most number of winners and also tops the leader board in the FEI Best Athlete category, with five wins in 11 years.

German athletes in different Olympic disciplines have won the FEI Best Athlete category three years in a row. 2019 winner Ingrid Klimke, one of the world’s most successful Eventing riders, was the third German female to win the FEI Best Athlete award, following in the footsteps of FEI World Equestrian Games™ Jumping champion Simone Blum in 2018 and six-time Dressage Olympic gold medallist Isabell Werth in 2017.

Germany has also been to the fore in the FEI Rising Star Award, with the Rothenberger family claiming it twice, with Sönke winning in 2016 and his sister Semmieke taking home the honours last year.

Alongside the recognition of individual sporting accomplishments, the FEI Best Groom award highlights the important work of grooms, often the unsung heroes of equestrian sport, and the British have dominated this category. There was a double celebration in 2016 when Olympic champion Nick Skelton and his long-time groom Mark Beever were crowned Best Athlete and Best Groom. Career groom Jackie Potts won in 2014 for her long collaboration with Eventing legend William Fox-Pitt while Alan Davies, head groom to Dressage superstars Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin, won the title in 2017.

The FEI Solidarity Award has raised the profile of a number of equestrian development projects, individuals and organisations that have benefitted the sport and communities in countries such as Haiti, South Africa, Singapore, Uruguay, Zambia and Great Britain.

At the 2018 FEI Awards Gala in Manama (BRN), the FEI Solidarity Award was given to The Horsemanship Movement, founded by Chinese Eventing star Alex Hua Tian and his friend Philip Wong. The programme aims to improve the lives of migrant children through building a positive partnership with horses, as well as to reposition equestrian sports as a value-led activity, rich with character education for children.

Following his win in 2018, Alex Hua Tian became the only individual to have secured two accolades at the FEI Awards having also won FEI Rising Star at the inaugural FEI Awards Gala in 2009 in Copenhagen (DEN). The FEI Rising Star recognition came on the back of his Olympic debut at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing at the age of 18, where he became China's first equestrian Olympian and the youngest ever Eventer in Olympic history.

Perhaps the most inspiring of all the categories is the FEI Against All Odds Award, which has brought equestrian stories of courage, hope and faith to the forefront. The Award, given to a person who has pursued his or her equestrian ambitions despite a physical handicap or extremely difficult personal circumstances, has been won by athletes from Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, Haiti, Palestine, Uruguay and the USA.

“This year, more than ever, I invite you all to show your support for the multiple nominees in the different categories,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “The equestrian community has been pushed to the limit this year but has come out stronger and this is our chance to unite and celebrate our community’s resilience in the face of adversity.”

The FEI has once again earned the IOC-Dow Carbon Action Award, which recognises the sustainability efforts of sports organisations within the Olympic Movement. Award recipients were announced during today’s IOC Sustainability Session at the annual IF Forum, which was held online for the first time this year.

Launched in 2019, the Awards programme was created to encourage sports organisations within the Olympic Movement to work towards reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

In a 2020 initiative, this year’s application process was open to the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) numbering over 200 globally, as well as the 77 International Sports Federations (IFs).

To be recognised, IFs and NOCs had to be signatories to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, which was launched by the IOC and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2018. Applicants were also required to present detailed data on their 2020 carbon footprint, as well as information on their carbon management and reduction plans. By extending this initiative to NOCs for this year’s Awards, members from a wider cross-section of the Olympic Movement were able to demonstrate their efforts to address climate change.

The other 14 International Federations that are recipients of the award are the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), International Ski Federation (FIS), International Biathalon Union (IBU), International Golf Federation (IGF), International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), International Skating Union (ISU), International Triathalon Union (ITU), International Cycling Union (UCI), World Archery, World Rowing, World Sailing, World Rugby as well as Recognised IFs the International Floorball Federation (IFF) and International Sambo Federation (FIAS).

The five National Olympic Committees of Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Spain and Switzerland complete the list of 20 award winners for 2020.  

“We are extremely honoured to have received the IOC-Dow Award, together with other equally deserving NOCs and IFs, for the second time,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said. “The award puts a spotlight on the significant role that international sporting organisations like the FEI can play in driving global climate action and we are extremely pleased to see our efforts recognised by the Olympic Family.

“Sustainability is central to good governance and is a part of a solid business strategy in sport. The FEI plays a key role in motivating our stakeholders to focus on sustainability and the environment and it is only through our collective efforts that we can generate innovative green practices to reduce negative environmental impacts.”

The selected IFs and NOCs will receive carbon offsets, including a diverse set of climate solutions, from conserving ecosystems and avoiding deforestation to energy efficiency and renewable energy. The projects delivering these offsets were implemented across multiple continents including the Americas, Africa and Asia, and comply with standards approved by the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA).

As the governing body for equestrian sport, the FEI equips event organisers with the necessary knowledge to simplify the decision-making process around sustainability and the environment.

In 2014, the FEI produced the FEI Sustainability Handbook, which has become the guiding text for sustainable initiatives. This is a living document that provides a framework for Organising Committees to develop green initiatives and to share best practice from organisers around the world.

Work is currently underway to update the Handbook to include an annex for self-evaluation that will allow each Event Organiser to measure and report on the impact of each of the environmentally friendly projects they implement during an event. Each initiative will earn the Organising Committee points that all count towards an overall sustainability score. This scoring system is a useful method to help Organisers quickly determine their most sustainable options.

The FEI also encourages knowledge exchange between event hosts and the wider equestrian sport community and the FEI’s support in this area has increasingly led to Organising Committees undertaking their own .

The FEI’s sustainability pillars includes initiatives at its Lausanne (SUI) Headquarters. As part of its Green Office Policy, the FEI has improved recycling practices by increasing waste separation, minimising single-use plastics and eliminating disposable cutlery and cups from day-to-day operations. The Federation had already introduced videoconference facilities to reduce travel. The pandemic has now provided further opportunity to review the necessity for travel and in-person meetings, and look at how to use those learnings to reduce the Federation’s carbon footprint going forward.

“The sustainability journey begins with small steps and this transformation happens from the inside,” Sabrina Ibanez said. “The goal is to focus on and be successful with the key initiatives selected, before moving on to the next stage of this perpetual process. As Olympic Family members, we have a real opportunity to lead by example and to show the world that sport can be an effective agent for long-lasting change.”

Lee Kun-hee, Chairman of the Samsung Group from 1987–2008 and 2010–2020, passed away on 25 October 2020. He was 78.

Mr Lee became a well-known figure in equestrian sport with Samsung Electronics’ loyal support for Jumping through its sponsorship of the FEI Nations Cup™, which became known as the Samsung Super League between 2003 and 2008. This series saw the world’s eight best national teams battling it out at eight of the most prestigious equestrian venues.

Samsung was also a great supporter of the Olympic Movement, dating back to 1988 when the company became local sponsor of the Seoul Olympic Games and going on to become a Worldwide Olympic Partner and subsequently Top Partner with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a partnership that is still in place today.

Born in January 1942, he was the third son of Samsung Group's founder Lee Byung-chull. Lee Kun-hee joined the then small family firm in 1968 as executive director and took the helm as Chairman in 1987, following his father’s death. Mr Lee was a true visionary, who pushed the company up the technological ladder, making Samsung a world-leading innovator and Samsung Electronics one of the world’s biggest tech firms.

Mr Lee was elected an IOC Member in 1996 and was made an Honorary Member in 2017. He occupied a number of distinguished positions in the Republic of Korea, including Vice-Chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries from 1987, Vice-Chairman of the Korea-Japan Economic Committee from 1981, member of the Korea-US Wisemen Council from 1991, Director of the Korean Youth Association (since 1982), and Vice-Chairman of the Korean Alumni Reunion of Waseda University from 1997.

Mr Lee suffered a heart attack in 2014, requiring long-term medical care and meaning that his son Lee Jae-yong took over as de facto leader of the multinational giant.

“We were very sorry to hear of the passing of Mr Lee, who was such as strong supporter of sport, including equestrian”, said FEI President Ingmar De Vos. “His sponsorship of our Nations Cup, which then became known as the Samsung Super League, contributed immensely to the evolution of this prestigious series and for this we owe him an enormous debt of gratitude. He leaves a huge legacy behind.”

The FEI extends its deepest sympathy to Mr Lee’s family and to his wide circle of friends.

The FEI has opened disciplinary proceedings against USA Jumping Athlete Andrew Kocher (FEI ID: 10064248) following allegations that he has used electric spurs on a number of FEI registered and national horses in international and national events, and during training.

The disciplinary proceedings against Andrew Kocher are in accordance with Article 30 of the Internal Regulations of the FEI Tribunal for multiple alleged breaches of the FEI General Regulations, including Article 142, which prohibits horse abuse.

The Athlete has been provisionally suspended, effective immediately from the date of notification (28 October 2020), meaning that he is ineligible to participate in any FEI Events. The provisional suspension is mirrored by the Athlete’s National Federation, so he is also ineligible to participate in any national events.

The FEI Legal Department had previously notified Andrew Kocher on 29 June 2020 that an investigation had been opened following allegations of him using electric spurs reported to the independent Equestrian Community Integrity Unit (ECIU).

Information on this case is available here.

In order to ensure the integrity of the ongoing legal proceedings, the FEI will not provide further comment on this case at this time.

 

Sabrina Ibáñez, Secretary General of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), has been appointed Chair of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) Diversity and Gender Equality Consultative Group. The announcement was made following today’s ASOIF Council online meeting.

“Diversity and gender equality at the top table are crucial to the success of any organisation,” the FEI Secretary General said.

“Now, more than ever, we need to ensure that all voices are heard in the decision-making process to better address the constant change in the sporting landscape. I am extremely honoured to have been given this responsibility and to continue working with a group of people with the drive and passion to move the agenda forward, particularly at a time when there is an even greater urgency to make sustainable decisions.”

“Sabrina Ibáñez is a highly experienced sports leader and will be an excellent chair for ASOIF’s Diversity and Gender Equality Consultative Group, of which she is a founding member,” ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said. “She represents a Federation which has been exemplary in promoting gender equality and diversity. Together with the other Group members, she will provide important advice to ASOIF.”

The ASOIF Diversity and Gender Equality Consultative Group (ADGEG) was established by the ASOIF General Assembly in May 2019 as a follow-up action to the recommendations of the IOC’s Gender Equality Review Project. The ADGEG was mandated to address and challenge stereotypes and work closely with the IOC towards a world of sport which provides equal opportunity for everyone.

The Chair and members of the ADGEG are proposed by the ASOIF Secretariat and formally appointed by the ASOIF Council.

Sabrina Ibáñez, who has been a member of the Group since its inception, takes over as Chair from Marisol Casado, IOC Member and Chair of the IOC’s Gender Equality Review Project and President of the International Triathlon Union (ITU). Marisol Casado remains a member, and the Group is completed by David Carrigy (World Rugby), Robert Fasulo (International Surfing Association), Heike Groesswang (International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation), Amina Lanaya (International Cycling Union), Deqa Niamkey (United World Wrestling) and Matt Smith (World Rowing).

“We have seen that International Federations with gender equality on their boards have a 70% higher success rate overall,” the FEI Secretary General said. “Unfortunately, the organisational structures that currently exist across the sport’s world have relegated some groups of people to the sidelines so that they are not fully included in important decision-making processes.

“Equal access and opportunity to participate in sport is a fundamental human right and it is this capacity for inclusivity that gives sport its true power.”

The former FEI Governance and Executive Affairs Director, Sabrina Ibáñez became the first female FEI Secretary General in 2014. She was elected the first President of the Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations (APSO) in 2017 and is also a member of the IOC Gender Equality Working Group. FEI President Ingmar De Vos became a UN International Gender Champion in March 2017.

“Both the FEI President and I are keen advocates of open and frank discussions of gender and diversity within the equestrian community, which is why we dedicated a session to gender equality at the 2019 FEI Sports Forum”, Ms Ibáñez said. “It allowed us to take stock of where we are as a sport and to inject some new thinking and ideas into the discussion.”

While equestrian sport is gender neutral on the field of play, the FEI has introduced key practices to reduce the structural barriers to gender equality and diversity at the leadership level. The criteria of the Nominations Committee now states that if there are comparable candidates for a position, preference needs to be given to the gender that is under-represented in the body.

As part of FEI Solidarity, the Federation also created the Gender Equality Grant in Equestrian Sport in 2020 to grant CHF 20,000 to one specific National Federation project or programme whose main aim and focus is the promotion of gender equality. This can include programmes relating to governance and administration, athletes’ participation, coaches, officials, grooms and farriers.

FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ 2020

Team Italy posted a runaway win at the third and last leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ 2020 series on home ground at Montelibretti today, but the overall title goes to The Netherlands. In the lead after the first two legs at Le Pin au Haras (FRA) and Strzegom (POL) in August, the Dutch could only be threatened by Poland at this final competition.

A Polish victory would have left them on level pegging with the Dutch at the top of the leaderboard, but it wasn’t to be as they lined up third of the four competing nations who enjoyed a great weekend of sport in the autumn sunshine at the Montemaggiore Estate which is home to Italy’s Military Riding Centre. 

Austria finished second while the three-member Swiss side lined up in fourth place this afternoon. For the Italians this was a really special day because it marked their first-ever FEI Nations Cup™ success according to veteran team member Juan Carlos Garcia.

“We had a good lead after cross-country yesterday so we had a good feeling going into the showjumping today. But you never know the result until the horses and riders are over the last jump. We are very happy this evening!”, he said.

Held the lead

Poland held the lead after Dressage, buoyed up by a strong test from Mateusz Kiempa and Lassban Radovix who put 33.79 on the board. However their team total of 106.00 left them only 1.5 points ahead of Austria in second and just over two points ahead of the Italians in third at this stage, and cross-country day would change everything. 

“It wasn’t a difficult course, but the time (6 mins 49 secs) was tight”, explained Garcia who galloped through the finish with Ugo du Perron in 7 mins 11 secs to add 8.8 time penalties to his scoreline. All four Italian team members stayed clear over the fences and they had a commanding lead going into today’s final phase on a score of 132.20. Austria lay second on 159.60 but less one rider following cross-county elimination for Lea Siegl and Van Helsing P, while Poland sat in third on 178.30 ahead of Switzerland in overnight fourth on 189.4.

The Italians sealed it confidently when both Garcia and Arianna Schivo riding Quefira de L’Ormeau were foot-perfect and within the time, while both Pietro Majolino riding Vita Louise DH Z and Marco Cappai partnering Santal Du Halage dropped only a single pole and added a few time faults. 

Debut

At 23 years of age, and making his Nations Cup debut, Majolino was the baby of the winning side but his team-mates have a world of experience behind them. Garcia is a veteran of two Olympic Games and four FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG), competing in both Jumping and Eventing at the very top level. Schivo and her 16-year-old mare were on the Italian team at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the WEG in Tryon, USA in 2018 while Cappai finished individually 14th at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, USA in 1996. 

The final Italian team total of 138.60 left them well clear of the rest of the field and celebrating a big moment. They finished second in the final classification after lining out in all three legs of the series this season, and as Chef d’Equipe Giacomo Della Chiesa said this evening, “it’s been a very good competition for us and we finish the year in a very good way”. 

Title

The Netherlands can also celebrate tonight after taking the title. Tim Lips (Eclips), Janneke Boonzaauer (ACSI Champ de Tailleur), Elaine Pen (Divali) and Laura Hoogeveen (Wicro Quibus NOP) flew the Dutch flag when runners-up behind French winners Thibaut Vallette, Thomas Carlile, Christopher Six and Karim Florent Laghouag at the opening leg at Le Pin au Haras. 

And when Germany’s Ingrid Klimke, Andreas Dibowski, Beeke Jankowski and Heike Jahncke came out on top in Strzegom later in August then Hoogeveen was joined by Merel Blom (Ceda NOP), Jordy Wilken (Burry Spirit) and Raf Kooremans (Dimitri NOP) to fill second spot. 

Their total of 180 points couldn’t be bettered today, and the final standings at the end of the abbreviated FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ 2020 series are as follows: 

1. Netherlands - 180 points

2. Italy - 170 points

3. Poland - 160 points

4. Austria - 150 points

5. France - 100 points

6. Germany - 100 points

7. Great Britain - 80 points

8. Switzerland - 70 points

9. Sweden - 70 points

10. New Zealand - 55 points

11. Australia - 50 points

Results from Montelibretti here www.equiresults.com

The FEI has opened disciplinary proceedings against Brazilian Dressage Athlete Leandro Aparecido Da Silva following video footage, widely shared on social media, in which he is seen riding and mistreating a very small pony. The athlete has publicly acknowledged that it is him in the video riding his daughter’s pony.

Earlier this month, the FEI was notified that the Brazilian Equestrian Sport Tribunal (“Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva do Hipismo Brasileiro”) had issued a decision in September that they had no jurisdiction in this case as it was an out-of-competition incident.

As a result, the FEI has opened separate disciplinary proceedings against Da Silva in accordance with Article 30 of the Internal Regulations of the FEI Tribunal for alleged breaches of Article 142 of the FEI General Regulations, which prohibits horse abuse.

In order to ensure the integrity of the ongoing legal proceedings, the FEI will not provide further comment on this case at this time.