The Samsung Legacy Lives On

As Samsung takes its leave after a fruitful 20-year partnership with the FEI, it is time to reflect on the legacy of the Korean company's influence and contribution. "Samsung opened the door that led to considerable development of equestrian sport worldwide, and we will always be deeply grateful to them," says FEI Director of Jumping John Roche.

It was back in 1988 that the company was named as the new sponsor of the FEI International Jumping and Dressage Competitions which had already been running for six seasons. Designed to provide riders in remote corners of the world with the opportunity to compete at international level without leaving their own countries, the series were already reaping rewards. But it was a far-sighted move in those early days when the sport was enjoying little, if any, visibility.

"In the aftermath of the Olympic Games in Seoul, Samsung’s Chairman, Chairman Lee, expressed an interest in sponsoring equestrian competitions. Prior to the Games he had an equestrian centre constructed in Soul and began to ride on a regular basis. This was the beginning of a long partnership and one that saw Samsung ride along with us for the next 20 years!" John Roche recalls. ".

INCREASING NUMBERS

In the first season of the new sponsorship, riders from 22 countries took part in the Dressage competitions while competitors from 34 nations lined out in the Jumping challenge, and those numbers increased to 24 in Dressage and 39 in Jumping over the next two years. Norway, Puerto Rico and Thailand joined the Jumping clinics and competitions in 1990 when Ireland's Paul Duffy built the Category A courses, America's Linda Allen designed the tracks for Category B and Great Britain's Pam Carruthers produced the Category C tests. The tiered categories were designed to improve skills at all levels and participants were privileged to have the best course-builders in the world at their disposal. Throughout the history of this series, Category B proved most popular for jumping riders.

Commenting on the 1991 season when dressage skills were promoted and encouraged throughout India, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, Mariette Withages remarked that the judges were left with "a very positive feeling - knowing that, on the other side of the world, new friends were made and dressage is progressing at a walk, trot and gallop!"

The judging groups had to be enlarged as the number of countries and participants continued to grow year on year, and by 1993 there were 31 nations and a total of 326 competitors engaged in the dressage competition. But when the joint-series came to an end in 1996 the evidence showed that the flame from that candle was now burning like a roaring inferno.

The interest in Jumping had exploded, and a total of 1,366 starters from 55 countries benefitted from the skills of designers Avelino Rodriguez Miravelles, Tsunekazu Takeda and Helio Lemos Pessoa that year. International Dressage Judge, Rolf Beutler-Bath, praised the remarkable advances that had been made in his field of expertise. "When I first judged the competition in 1990 we started off with six groups covering 26 countries and in 1996 we finished up with nine groups covering 42 countries. This fact tells its own tale. The success is, without doubt, to the merit of Samsung!" he said.

TEAM JUMPING

In 1997 Samsung transferred its sponsorship to the new Samsung Nations' Cup series which encouraged the growth of this team sport in far-flung parts of the world. During the next five years a whole new group of nations began to flex their muscles and raise their game and, as Chairman Kun-Hee Lee, CEO and Chairman of Samsung Electronics, pointed out ten years later - "we have seen the world's oldest and most prestigious international equestrian event receive increased coverage in the media and attract more spectators and participants than ever before".

There were even greater things to come however. 

"When Samsung first came onboard, the FEI promised to provide a unique product that would be especially attractive to them, and we found that in the Super League," John Roche points out. It was indeed a triumph, as the six-year Samsung Super League with FEI series which began in 2003 and drew to a close at the end of this 2008 season saw team show jumping thrive as never before as it drew attention from the world's media and public and earned its place amongst the world's elite sporting tournaments. And it continued to encourage the development process that had begun back in the early 1980's, elevating the sport at every level and providing an inspirational measure of excellence.

GROWING TOGETHER

"Samsung and the FEI have grown side-by-side over the last 20 years and the company is very proud of the significant role it has played in the development of equestrian sport during that period," says Samsung Sports Director, Steffen Ganders. "Through the Samsung Nations' Cup and the Samsung Super League with FEI series more competitors from more nations have been encouraged to participate at increasingly high levels and sportsmanship, skill and internationalism have been restored as key elements of team jumping," he explains. 

"Heritage, global reach and a belief in quality are at the heart of Samsung's philosophy and our partnership with the FEI has spread that message in the best way possible. We take our leave knowing that equestrian sport will continue to go from strength to strength," Steffen adds.

The Samsung legacy lives on.