Annual Report 2019
The 11th edition of the FEI Awards Gala presented by Longines took place on 19 November in what is probably one of the most prestigious and unique locations of Russia, the Kremlin State Palace. Over 400 guests came to share their enthusiasm for equestrian sport and celebrate five individuals who stood out during the year through their performances and devotion.
Votes
Categories
Shortlisted Candidates
Judges
Unique Awards ceremony
Semmieke Rothenberger was already riding horses before she was born. With this innate passion, her main focus has always been to be the best at what she does and, to date, this has definitely been the case. At just 20 years of age, Semmieke has already amassed 21 FEI European Championship medals ranging from the Ponies category through to Young Riders. Out of those, six are individual gold and nine are team gold, including triple gold at the FEI Dressage European Championships for Young Riders!!
Zhenqiang Li taught himself horse riding at the age of 27 by watching videos. He became one of the first Chinese equestrian athletes to obtain the minimum eligibility requirements and take part in an Olympic Games, Beijing 2008. After his Olympic horse died in 2009, times were hard for Zhenqiang, especially financially. But, over the years, he made his way back and, in 2019, alongside his son Yaofeng, he participated at a designated Olympic Qualifier contributing to China obtaining a slot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Horses are her friends. Madeleine Broek started working for Dutch Jumping Athlete Marc Houtzager (NED) 15 years ago and has become the backbone of his stable. Marc and Madeleine have established a very special bond over the years, which has helped them overcome any situation. For Madeleine the well-being of her horses is paramount and there is nothing she would not do for them.
One of a kind, Uno Yxklinten is a farrier who travels to Zambia on a regular basis to help increase the know-how of farriers there, allowing them to become better equipped and versed in the art of farriery and how to run a diversified and viable business. He dedicated over three months of his time in 2019 in order to address the challenges for farriers in Zambia, and also persuaded fellow farriers to accompany him on his missions and similarly donate their time to this worthy cause.
Ingrid Klimke is a living legend in Eventing and the freshly-crowned individual and team FEI Eventing European Champion at the Longines FEI Eventing European Championships in Luhmühlen (GER) 2019 with her horse SAP Hale Bob OLD. This was the third time that Ingrid had been nominated for this award and she was thrilled to have finally won it.
The FEI Awards 2019 celebrated the arrival of two new sponsors alongside Rising Star and presenting Gala sponsor Longines. Making their debut at the FEI Awards were Cavalor, one of the world leaders in equine nutrition for high-performance horses, and Peden Bloodstock, a company specialised in first-class horse travel and the provision of associated equine health and logistics solutions required for the intercontinental movement of elite competition horses.
Ingmar De Vos, FEI President and IOC Member
Following a comprehensive nomination phase with all the FEI’s stakeholders – National Federations, Athletes, FEI Board and Committee members, Officials and related associations – the FEI shortlists four candidates for each of the five categories. The shortlisted candidates are then presented to the public for an online vote worth 50% and to an exclusive panel of judges, also worth 50%, to determine the winners.
