Fei focus 8

July 2011

Sands Of Time

Memory Lane Revisiting Olympic & Paralympic Achievements – Page 06

One Day Nicolas Thévenaz on Para-Equestrian Dressage – Page 34

IT IS THE ULTIMATE DREAM FOR RIDERS; THE ULTIMATE SPECTACLE FOR ENTHUSIA STS. IT IS SIMPLY MAGNETIC AS THEY ASSEMBLE TOGETHER ON HALLOWED GROUNDS, UNITED

BY A N EQUAL PA S S ION. W ITH E V ERY MA STERFUL JUMP, ELEGANT PIAFFE AND STUNNING ATHLETIC MOVEMENT, A ACHEN EPITOMISES THE EQUESTRIAN EVENT AGAINST WHICH ALL OTHERS ARE ME ASURED.

OYSTER PERPETUAL DATEJUST

chio chio aachen aachen world world equestrian equestrian festival festival

JULY JULY 8TH8TO TH17 TOTH, 17TH, 2011 2011 A ACHEN, A ACHEN, GERMANY GERMANY

Editorial

Note from the FEIPresident HRH Princess Haya

We are just six months into the year, and as I look back at recent events such as the indoor sporting showcase in Leipzig, the inauguration of the FEI Headquarters or even the FEI’s forays into the new frontier that is social media, I am reminded of the passion and constant state of flux in which our sport evolves.

The subtitle of this edition of FEI FOCUS, “Sands of Time”, is symbolic of that constant evolution, falling grain by grain, marking the past, the future and where we stand in the present. It also reminds us that it is not about leaping into the future, but about taking thoughtful and measured steps towards greater diversity, acceptance and universality.

Looking back in this edition, we review the past 99 years of Olympic tradition in our Memory Lane focus, and then look forward to the European Championships in all the FEI disciplines that will take place between the months of July and September. Some of these Championships have a long tradition such as the FEI European Eventing and Jumping Championships that date back to 1953 and 1957 respectively, while for others, such as the FEI European ParaEquestrian Dressage Championships they are only in the early stages of making their history but as they do, they also contribute to the history of equestrian sport as a whole.

Integrating Para-Equestrian in 2006 has been one of the important steps taken by the FEI towards greater universality and diversity within our sport and it is testimony to this integration that the cover of this edition features aspiring Swiss rider, Nicolas Thévenaz, and an article on his goals and motivation.

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Like many sports, we rely heavily on our volunteer body, who act behind the scenes to provide the athletes and the spectators with safe and fair conditions for competition, and ensure that welfare and sportsmanship are always at the heart of their actions. We feature Dr Gerit Matthesen in our “life in a day” section to gain a better understanding of the type of person it takes to devote time and energy on a voluntary basis.

The equestrian community is full of extraordinary people whose achievements in and out of the arena are the result of their outstanding ability to focus on their goals. The FEI Awards celebrate that talent and determination and have shown us that whether you are an athlete, a groom or the initiator of a project that enhances the lives of others, you share a deep love for the horse and the belief that equestrianism at any level is well worth the time and energy that you devote to it. I would like to encourage all readers to visit the FEI Awards website (www.feiawards.org) to make nominations by 31 July to help us to express our gratitude to and admiration of those people who deserve it.

The FEI Awards will be presented to the winners at a gala evening in Rio de Janeiro on the occasion of the FEI General Assembly hosted by Brazil. You will find a brief introduction to the Brazilian National Federation in the Postcard from Brazil page 44, with facts and figures and a Q&A with the President of the Brazilian National Federation, Mr Luiz Roberto Guigni.

Lastly, I would like to thank all the guest that were able to attend the FEI Extraordinary General Assembly and the Inauguration in May, for the beginning of a new chapter for the FEI. For those that were unable to attend, I hope you will be able to gage the warmth and genuine goodwill of all attending the event in the pages devoted to the celebration.

The King Hussein I Building will be a place for dialogue and decision-making as the FEI continues its mission to advance the orderly growth of equestrian sport worldwide, while ensuring that the welfare of the horse and a level playing field remain at the centre of all that we do.

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Table of Contents

06 Olympic & Paralympic Games

Memory Lane

14 FEI World Cup Finals TM

Jumping, Dressage, Driving & Vaulting

18 Preview

FEI European Championships 2011

28 HSBC FEI Classics

TM

A world class meeting of generations

30 Why the long face ?

Viggo Mortensen

32 The other side of...

Laurent Elias

34 One day

Nicolas ThĂŠvenaz

14

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Impressum - Focus N° 7 - June 2011 Circulation 2,800 Frequency Quarterly Editor in Chief Olivia Robinson Design / Art Equestrio SA Printing Grafiche SIZ - Italy Cover ©Hugues Siegenthaler

38 FEI Awards 2011 42 Globetrotter 44 Postcard from Brazil

46 A life in a day

Contact / Advertising FEI - Fédération Equestre Internationale richard.johnson@fei.org HM King Hussein I Building

Chemin des Délices 9

1006 Lausanne

T. +41 21 310 47 47

F. +41 21 310 47 60 www.fei.org

48 Alltech Tips

Feeding to reduce stress for the equine traveller

50 FEI News

FEI celebrates NEW Headquarters

56 FEI Insight

Social Media - the new frontier

Dr Gerit Matthesen

30

50

FOCUS 05

Olympic & Paralympic Games

Memory Lane A journey of Olympic

& Paralympic achievements

In 2012, the disciplines of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing celebrate 100 years of Olympic history. For Para-Equestrian Dressage, it’s sixteen years of intense and ever increasing competition and participation.

Take a stroll down Memory Lane to revisit the sporting achievements of Champions 1920 1921 1922 past and present.

Games of the VII Olympiad, Antwerp (BEL) 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904

Games of the II Olympiad, Paris (FRA) Grand Prix Jumping, long jump, high jump, hunter competition and a coaching competition were on the 1900 programme. The events went officially unrecorded until the 1970s, which is why it is often assumed that 1912 marks the first inclusion of equestrian sports on the Olympic programme.

Participation: Twenty-four riders from 4 countries.

1912 1913 1914

Games of the V Olympiad, Stockholm (SWE) Jumping, Dressage, and Eventing made their début in Stockholm and remain to this day the only equestrian disciplines on the Olympic programme. It took two years to construct the new brick-built Olympic Stadium, which served for the 1956 Olympic Equestrian Games and the 1990 FEI World Equestrian Games™.

Participation: Sixty-two riders and 70 horses from 10 nations – all European except for the USA.

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World War I had just ended in 1918 and there were serious doubts that the 1920 Olympic Games would go ahead. It was on 3 April 1919 that the IOC decided to accept the offer from Antwerp (BEL). The short term allocation of the Games did leave some in the lurch such as team USA who, at first unable to find a passage to Europe at that late stage, were able to secure the help of the military to transport the team. Sweden’s solid and meticulous preparations were well rewarded, as they picked up more than half of the 15 medals at stake and confirmed their stronghold on the sport.

Participation: Seventy-two riders from 8 nations.

Vaulting was for the first and only time on the Olympic programme.

1924 1925 1926

Games of the VIII Olympiad, Paris (FRA) First Olympic appearance for the... FEI. Did you know The Dressage arena of 60 x 20 m was in the centre of the huge Stade de Colombes, at least 60 meters away from the public. The five judges sat, with their assistants, on a long table together on a short side. The

1912: France’s Jean Cariou - Individual gold and team silver Jumping medallist as well as individual bronze medallist in Eventing

individual winner in Jumping was Swiss militia officer, Lt. Alphonse Gemuseus on the eight-year old Irishbred mare Lucette, who had been bought for £48 as an army remount horse in 1922.

The length of the Eventing Cross Country was 36km.

Participation: Seventeen nations, 126 horses.

1928 1929 1930

Games of the IX Olympiad, Amsterdam (NED) By 1928 the IOC had clarified the definition of an amateur. For equestrian sport, an amateur was every professional officer actively serving or anyone riding solely for the sport and recognised by a national body as a gentleman.

Participation: Twenty nations, the major return was Germany – not invited in 1920 and 1924 – but now there in full force.

1932 1933 1934

Games of the X Olympiad, Los Angeles (USA) Because the 1932 Olympics were held in the middle of the Great Depression and in the comparatively remote city of Los Angeles, half as many athletes from only six nations took part compared to 1928. The Japanese team came by ship from Yokohama to Los Angeles. France and Sweden took a ship to New York, then travelled by railroad across the USA, as did the

Mexicans. The Dutch, who sailed through the Panama Canal directly to Los Angeles, remembered that the US equestrian team, travelling by ship to Amsterdam in 1928, had kept their horses fit by hiring the treadmill used during the filming of Ben Hur with its chariot races. The Dutch constructed their own treadmill and kept their horses busy during the voyage.

The first known Olympic Jumping course designer, John A. Barry (who rode for the USA in the 1920 and 1924 Olympics) supported by Sloan Doak (also an experienced Olympic rider) built a course that was much more difficult than 1928. It had 18 obstacles and 20 jumping efforts over a length of 1,060m. No team finished the competition and the team medals remained unclaimed.

For the first time, piaffe and passage were asked for in Dressage.

In Eventing, only two teams – USA and The Netherlands – finished the competition. The team bronze remained unclaimed.

Participation: Six nations.

FOCUS 07

1952: The Dressage medallists: André Jousseaume (FRA) - bronze; Henri St-Cyr (FRA) - gold; Lis Hartel (DEN) - silver

1936 1937 1938

Games of the XI Olympiad, Berlin (GER) The Games of the XI Olympiad were held in Berlin three years after the National-Socialist regime came to power in 1933. They are best remembered for Adolf Hitler’s failed attempt to use sport to prove his theories of Aryan racial superiority. The equestrian events, held on the last five days of the 16-day programme, played an important part in the overall running of these first monumental and politically misused Olympic Games.

Participation: Twenty-one nations, 127 riders - 7 countries had full representation (3x3 riders). Germany won all the equestrian team and individual gold medals.

1952 1953 1954

Games of the XV Olympiad, Helsinki (FIN) The 1952 Olympic Games brought some fundamental changes to equestrian sport. Most visible was the change from military riding to civilians. Women were allowed in Dressage but not in Jumping or Eventing. The best known of these women is Lis Hartel of Denmark. In 1944, at the age of 23, she was paralysed by polio and while she gradually regained the use of most of her muscles, she remained paralysed below 08

the knee. Despite being helped on and off her horse, she went on to win the silver medal. When gold medallist Henri St-Cyr helped her up onto the victory platform for the medal presentation, it was one of the most emotional moments in Olympic history.

Participation: Twenty-five nations. For the first time since 1912 Russian riders competed – now representing the Soviet Union. Canada, Egypt & Korea were also newcomers.

1956 1957 1958

Games of the XVI Olympiad, Melbourne (AUS) / Stockholm (SWE) When the IOC selected Melbourne (AUS) as host to the Games of the XVI Olympiad, it had not taken into consideration the Australian six-month pre-shipment quarantine for horses. In 1953, a meeting was held in Canberra, attended by the federal authorities which recommended not to alter quarantine laws. The IOC decided on a separate venue for the equestrian events and on 13 May 1954 chose Stockholm (SWE).

The Jumping course was demanding; it is considered by many as the first modern course. There were no clears in the first round. Hans Günter Winkler (FRG) was in the

lead with one knock-down riding the great mare Halla.

The horse had taken off early for the penultimate fence and Winkler was thrown into the air and went on to land heavily back in the saddle, pulling a muscle in the process. He knew that if he withdrew from the final round, the German team would be eliminated. Dizzy and in pain, he rode anyway. Halla completed the course without a fault. They earned gold in both the individual and team events. Winkler went on to win another five gold medals at various Olympics and is the only Jumper to win seven medals in total and the only rider in any discipline to earn medals in six different Olympics.

Participation: Twenty-nine nations; Australia, Cambodia and Venezuela competed for the first time.

1960 1961 1962

Games of the XVII Olympiad, Rome (ITA) The Australians were the 1960 Eventing sensation. The foursome of Larry Morgan, Neale Lavis, Brian Crago and Bill Roycroft dominated the Cross-Country to an extent never experienced before. At the end of the day, Morgan was overwhelmingly in the lead ahead of Crago and Lavis. Roycroft, after a fall at the cement drain pipes, was not too far back, except for the fact that he was in hospital with a concussion and a broken collarbone.

When Crago’s potential silver medal horse Sabre was rejected at the second horse inspection, Australia no longer had a team. Forty-five-year old Bill Roycroft was taken out of hospital, rode Our Solo to a clear round in the Jumping phase and secured team gold for Australia.

Participation: Twenty-nine nations.

1964 1965 1966

Games of the XVIII Olympiad, Tokyo (JPN) The 1964 Olympic Games were the first to be held in Asia. These were only the second Olympics – after Los Angeles in 1932 – for which most horses had to travel across the world. Most horses came by aircraft. The Soviet horses still came by sea and were caught in the typhoon Wilda. For the first time a former Olympic Jumping champion repeated his victory. Forty-four year old Pierre Jonquères d’Oriola (FRA), the 1952 champion with Ali Baba, won, this time with the nineyear old Lutteur B. Another first was the participation of a woman - Lana du Pont (USA) - in an Olympic Eventing competition.

Participation: One hundred and sixteen riders from 20 countries competed in Tokyo.

1968 1969 1970

Games of the XIX Olympiad, Mexico City (MEX) The choice of Mexico City to host the 1968 Olympics was a challenging one because of the city’s high altitude, 2,300m, which meant that the air contained 30% less oxygen than at sea level. An adjustment period of three to four weeks for the horses was advised.

The horses from the Soviet Union, Argentina and Ireland were, in mid-September, the first to arrive.

The last to stable were France and Germany on 28 September, i.e. 20 days before the start of the competitions. Of particular interest was the first participation of Dressage and Eventing riders from the German Democratic Republic. In 1960 and 1964, their Eventers were part of a unified German team.

This time they were allowed to enter under their own flag. The equestrian competitions were timed manually and electronically; for the first time, the electronic time was the official one.

Participation: Eighteen nations.

1972 1973 1974

Games of the XX Olympiad, Munich (FRG) In 1972, everybody expected great Olympic Games, and for the first ten days, everything went smoothly.

But on 5 September 1972, peace was chattered as eight Palestinian terrorists representing the militant group “Black September” broke into the Olympic Village, killed two members of the Israeli team and took nine more hostage. In an ensuing battle, all nine Israeli hostages were killed, as were five of the terrorists and one policeman. The Olympics were suspended for 34 hours. In defiance of the terrorists, the IOC ordered the competitions to resume, IOC President Avery Brundage famously declaring, “The Games must go on!”.

All other details about the Munich Games pale in significance. The equestrian events were, obviously, also affected. After the first day of Dressage on 5 September, the second half of the competitors rode on 7 September; the ride-off followed on the 9th.

Team Jumping, at that time still preceding the closing ceremony, took place on 11 September 1972.

Liselotte Linsenhoff on Piaff became the 13th Olympic Dressage champion – the third German to achieve this (after con Langen in 1928 and Pollay in 1936), but the first woman to do so.

Participation: Twenty-seven nations.

FOCUS 09

1976 1977 1978

Games of the XXI Olympiad, Montreal (CAN) All in the Eventing genes… Mother Rita and daughter Silva de Luna were both on the Guatemalan team.

Father Bill, 61, and son Wayne Roycroft were on the bronze-medal winning Australian team…

For the first time in the FEI’s Olympic history there was a disqualification due a positive medication case: San Carlos, the mount of the Irish Army Eventing rider Ronald McMahon. The medical treatment after an injury during transport had been announced to the authorities. But the rules suffered no exceptions. Automatic disqualification followed although there was no additional punishment.

Barbara Kemp became the first woman to design an Olympic cross-country course.

Participation: Twenty-three nations; Guatemala and Puerto Rico were the newcomers.

1980 1981 1982

Games of the XXII Olympiad, Moscow (URS) The 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow represented the lowest point in the history of the Olympic equestrian events as a U.S. led boycott reduced the number of participating nations to 11. From the top equestrian nations, only Austria, with the reigning European Dressage champion, Elisabeth (Sissi) Theurer, and Italy with its Eventing team, went to Moscow. Sissi’s decision to participate in Moscow created considerable controversy in her native Austria – resulting in the resignation of the President of the National Equestrian Federation.

Participation: Eleven nations.

1984 1985 1986

Games of the XXIII Olympiad, Los Angeles (USA) The Los Angeles Games were the first since 1896 to be staged without government financing and became the model for future Games, particularly after it was revealed that they had produced a profit of US$ 223 million. The organisers depended heavily on existing facilities and corporate sponsors. The celebrated Santa Anita racetrack was chosen as the competition site for the equestrian events. It was the first time an Olympic equestrian event was organised by an existing management of proven competence and long experience.

In response to the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, a boycott led by the Soviet Union marked the 1984 Olympics.

The USA dominated the Jumping competition winning both individual and team gold with a superiority rarely experienced before or since. Joe Fargis (USA) and Touch of Class were the first to achieve a double clear in the Olympic team competition. Eventing legend Mark Todd from New Zealand (pictured left) won his first Olympic medal.

Participation: Thirty nations.

1988 1989 1990

Games of the XXIV Olympiad, Seoul (KOR) The Seoul Games were highlighted by numerous exceptional performances. For Dressage, it was the first time that all three individual medals were awarded to women. Reiner Klimke (pictured above-right) captured his last Olympic medal as West Germany won the team Dressage competition. With six gold and two bronze medals won at five Olympic Games – Reiner Klimke participated in six Olympic Games

altogether - he is the most decorated rider in Olympic history. Only for the second time in the 76-year history of Eventing at the Olympics, the defending champions repeated their victory: Mark Todd (NZL), 32, with the 16-year-old Charisma. For the first time qualifications were held to reduce the starting field for the individual Jumping. The reigning European champions, Pierre Durand (FRA) and the 13-year-old black gelding Jappeloup added Olympic gold to their winnings.

Participation: Thirty-two nations.

1992 1993 1994

Games of the XXV Olympiad, Barcelona (ESP) In Dressage, the individual battle was played out between Isabell Werth’s Gigolo and the defending Olympic champion from Seoul, Nicole Uphoff’s 15-year-old Rembrandt. Rembrandt and Uphoff triumphed and secured the gold. After the repeat wins of Henry St-Cyr (SWE) in 1952 and 1956 on two different horses, this was the first double triumph of a combination. After the elaborate, beautifully built and decorated Jumping obstacles of Seoul 1988, the Spanish decided on something different and the two architects in charge of designing the 25 obstacles used minimal figural and colour elements so as to more objectively define the difficulty of the obstacles. This new vision did not find many partisans.

Participation: Thirty-four nations

1988: The German gold medal team (from left to right) - Ann-Kathrin Linsenhoff, Monica Theodorescu, Nicole Uphoff and Reiner Klimke. © Kit Houghton

1996 1997 1998

Games of the XXVI Olympiad, Atlanta (USA) The Atlanta Games saw extensive changes made to the competition formats of Dressage and Eventing.

Following the IOC’s reasoning whereby two sets of medals could not be distributed for the same effort, the FEI split Eventing into two competitions: team and individual. An elaborate qualifying system in all three disciplines was created and, for the first time, quotas were established.

The heat and humidity expected in Atlanta led to extensive research and measures aimed at protecting the welfare of the horses. It was found that horses needed three weeks of acclimatisation – seven days to recover from the effects of transport and 14 days of passive acclimatisation to the new conditions.

The major measure was the installation of misting fans throughout the venue.

Linda Allen was the course designer, the first woman to provide the Jumping courses at an Olympic Games.

Participation: Thirty nations.

FOCUS 11

2000: The team podium in Eventing - Great Britain (silver); Australia (gold); USA (bronze). © Kit Houghton

1996 1997 1998

The X Paralympic Games, Atlanta (USA) 1996 also marks for the first time equestrian sport was included at the Paralympics, with Para-Equestrian Dressage on the programme. The competition was run on borrowed horses. Jo Jackson (GBR) won three gold medals, the maximum possible. For Great Britain, it was a first of many team medals…

Participation: Sixty-eight competitors from 16 nations.

2000 2001 2002

Games of the XXVII Olympiad, Sydney (AUS) Forty four years after Melbourne 1956, when no horses would be allowed into Australia, the Australian quarantine and inspection services proved to be much more accommodating. The conditions were tough: two weeks of pre-shipping quarantine in Europe and, after arrival in Sydney, two more weeks of quarantine on site.

Of the 15 medal-winning horses, 12 were thoroughbreds and the other three were 7/8 thoroughbreds.

The year 2000 was the final show-down of the two Dressage horses who had dominated the sport since the early nineties – Gigolo ridden by Isabell Werth (GER) and Bonfire ridden by Anky Van Grunsven (NED), with the latter taking gold medal honours.

Australia, for the third time in a row, won the team gold medal in Eventing.

Participation: Thirty-seven nations 12

2000 2001 2002

The XI Paralympic Games, Sydney (AUS) The Australian spirit and warmth conveyed during the Olympics continued throughout the Paralympic Games thanks to the formidable cooperation between the Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee (SPOC) and the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG). Paralympic and Olympic athletes lived in the same village, and enjoyed the same catering services, medical care and facilities. Errors in the scoring meant that medals had to be re-attributed but this did not cause too much upset. Lee Pearson (GBR) took home three gold medals (including another team gold for GBR), the maximum possible, while Australia’s Julie Higgins achieved an impressive double gold triumph.

Participation: Seventy athletes from 23 nations.

2004 2005 2006

Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, Athens (GRE) In 2004 the Games returned to Greece, homeland to the Olympic Games.

The equestrian events were affected by controversies.

Waterford Crystal, the horse ridden by Olympic champion in Jumping, Cian O’Connor (IRL), tested positive to a prohibited substance generally administered to humans but forbidden for use in horses. After lengthy legal procedures, O’Connor was disqualified and sanctioned. The gold medal was awarded to second-placed

Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA). Another three horses tested positive as well. As a result, Germany lost its Jumping team gold which was awarded to the USA in February 2005 at a ceremony in Palm Beach, FL (USA).

A new competition format for Eventing, involving two Jumping rounds, one for the individual and one for the team standings, was introduced. The two roads and tracks (A + C) and the steeplechase (B) of the Endurance phase were abolished.

Participation: Thirty-seven nations

the fact that main land China did not hold diseasefree zone status from the International Organisation for Animal Health, the competitions were held in Hong Kong, 2000km away from the Olympic host city Beijing. In order to protect animal welfare, detailed studies on the effects of heat and humidity on horses were undertaken by the FEI in cooperation with top scientists. The competition timetable was modified to avoid the hours of intense heat and the horses were stabled at the exceptional air-conditioned facilities provided by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Six horses, five from Jumping, tested positive to prohibited substances. As a result, Norway lost its first Jumping medal – bronze – which, after more than two years of legal proceedings, was awarded to Switzerland.

Jumping gold went to team USA. In Dressage, Anky van Grunsven (NED) aboard Salinero won her seventh and eighth Olympic medals, team silver and individual gold. Eventing legend Mark Todd (NZL) made a much acclaimed come back, but the spotlight was on Hinrich Romeike and the extraordinary Marius.

The story of the 2008 Olympic Eventing gold medallist is all the more extraordinary as Hinrich is an amateur rider. By day his time is spent in his dental surgery attending to his many patients so his riding is restricted to after-hours.

Participation: Forty-two nations.

2004: Lee Pearson (GBR) in Athens where he scooped the maximum three gold medals available to him.

2004 2005 2006

The XII Paralympic Games, Athens (GRE) The venue was excellent and there was good support from local volunteers. Both Debbie Criddle and Lee Pearson (pictured above) from Great Britain picked up the maximum three gold medals. The International Paralympic Committee presented the Equestrian Technical Delegate with the award for Best Official of all the sports at the Paralympic Games.

Participation: Seventy athletes from 29 nations.

2008 2009 2010

Games of the XXIX Olympiad, Beijing (CHN) / Hong Kong (CHN) For the second time in Olympic history, the equestrian events were held separately from other sports. Due to

2008 2009 2010

The XIII Paralympic Games, Beijing (CHN) First Paralympic participation for the FEI, following the inclusion of Para-Equestrian in 2006 to be governed alongside the 7 other disciplines. These Games set a new benchmark for Para-Equestrian events with great facilities, cheerful volunteers and large audiences totalling over 30,000 - an unprecedented attendance for Para-Equestrian events.

For the third Paralympics in a row, Lee Pearson (GBR) won three gold medals, keeping up his record of winning all the gold medals available to him. Singapore’s Laurentia Tan picked up Asia’s first Paralympic Equestrian medals with two individual bronze medals.

Marco Alves picked up Brazil’s first Paralympic Equestrian medal with bronze in Grade Ib. Participation: Seventy-eight athletes from 28 nations.

FOCUS 13

FEI World Cup™ Finals ROLEX FEI World Cup™

JUMPING “It was wonderful to be back in Leipzig again for yet another great Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final in a city with such a rich cultural background.”

John Roche, FEI Director of Jumping The climax of the indoor international Jumping season brought together 43 riders from 21 nations and ended with Christian Ahlmann riding Taloubet Z to Germany's ninth victory in the 33-year history of FEI World Cup™ Jumping. Canada’s reigning Olympic champion Eric Lamaze took second place with Hickstead, followed by Dutch combination Jeroen Dubbeldam and BMC Van Grunsven Simon, who rocketed up from overnight 11th to finish third when producing one of only two double clears on the final afternoon.

German riders dominated from the first of the three qualifiers in Leipzig – the speed competition, which Marco Kutscher with Cash won with 63.55 seconds, followed by his compatriots, defending champion Marcus Ehning and Christian Ahlmann, who took second and third place respectively. In the second qualifier, the withdrawal of Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al Sharbatly reduced the field to 40 starters. Eric Lamaze took the lead with a fabulous clear in 40.68, a win that bounced him up to fifth spot, just six points behind the leading pair – an ascent he continued to master on the final day.

JUMPING FINAL LEIPZIG

Highlights available as video on demand on

Reem Acra FEI World Cup™

Dressage “The Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage took place in a perfect setting, with enough space for everyone to give their very best performances” Trond Asmyr, FEI Director of Dressage

Adelinde Cornelissen (NED) and the magnificent Jerich Parzival danced to victory to the strains of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite in the Freestyle competition that closed the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final. Denmark’s Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein and Digby finished second, while Germany’s Ulla Salzgeber steered Herzruf’s Erbe into third place.

The 2010 title-winner Edward Gal (GER) finished fourth with a great performance from Sisther de Jeu. The top three mirrored those of the Grand Prix class two days earlier, when a confident performance, rewarded with a score of 80.957 put Adelinde Cornelissen (NED) in first place, followed by Denmark’s Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein with Digby (76.884; 3) and Germany’s Ulla Salzgeber riding Herzruf’s Erbe (76.216 points). Defending champion Edward Gal rode a tense Sisther de Jeu, with a disappointing test score of 70.122.

The final saw 17 horse and rider combinations from 10 nations compete – three from the USA, The Netherlands and Germany, two from Sweden and one from Hungary, Finland, Poland, Belgium, Great Britain and Denmark. Fifteen riders went on to the Freestyle competition.

DRESSAGE

FINAL LEIPZIG

FOCUS 15

FEI World Cup™

DRIVING “Once again the world’s best indoor drivers came together for a thrilling final; the combination of horses working together in a team, driven by superbly skilled horsemen to produce thrilling and spectacular driving sport.”

Ian Williams, FEI Director of Non-Olympic Sports.

16

Boyd Exell (AUS) successfully defended his FEI World Cup™ Driving title in Leipzig’s thrilling final, speeding to victory in front of a wildly enthusiastic crowd and becoming the second driver to score a hat-trick of World Cup victories. Hungary’s Jozsef Dobrovitz drove two brilliant rounds with his team of Lipizzaner horses and finished second, ahead of IJsbrand Chardon (NED).

The FEI World Cup™ Driving Final was run over two indoor competitions, which took place on 29 April and 1 May. Seven drivers competed: Tomas Eriksson (SWE), Koos de Ronde (NED), Werner Ulrich (SUI), Christian Plücker (GER) and the triumphant trio, who, after emerging from the first round on 1 May with the highest number of points, qualified for the winning round immediately afterwards.

Highlights available as video on demand on

“For the first time an indoor final that provided the public with an opportunity to witness the gymnastic movements of athletes atop magnificent horses, all choreographed to breathtaking musical arrangements.”

Ian Williams, FEI Director of Non-Olympic Sports.

Switzerland’s Patrick Looser and Germany’s Simone Wiegele claimed the inaugural FEI World Cup™ Vaulting titles at the 2010/2011 FEI World Cup™ Finals, a glittering Freestyle to Music showcase held over two days.

Looser’s fellow starters in the Men’s section were: Nicolas Andreani (FRA), Viktor Brüsewitz (GER), Daniel Kaiser (GER); Lukas Klouda (CZE); Nikolaus Luschin (AUT) and Yvan Nousse (FRA). Looser, 26, was under pressure, having finished second to Nicolas Andreani from France in the first Freestyle competition. But the reigning World Champion, who won three of the four qualifying rounds over the winter months, produced a superb performance, which left Andreani in second place and Germany’s Viktor Brusewitz in third.

In addition to the victorious Wiegele, contenders for the Female title were her three compatriots, Pia Engelbury, Ines Jückstock and Antje Hill, Simone Jäiser (SUI), Stefanie Kowald (AUT) and Anna Cavallaro (ITA). In the second competition, Wiegele followed team-mate Hill into the arena in Hall 1, which seemed to be much more to the liking of the horses than the smaller ring used on the first day. And although Hill’s routine was dramatic and beautifully controlled, it was Wiegele’s more complex display that settled the destination of the very first Female World Cup trophy.

Preview

FEI European Championships 2011 European Championships for seniors in all the FEI disciplines are being held in 2011. We take a quick 360° look at the dates, venues, facts & figures, and triumphant moments of the past 50 years of European Championships.

When and where 26 – 30 July

FEI European Reining Championship for Seniors & Juniors

Wiener Neustadt (AUT)

16 – 21 August

FEI European Vaulting Championships for Seniors & Juniors Le Mans (FRA)

17 – 21 August

FEI European Dressage Championships

Rotterdam (NED)

25 – 28 August

HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships

Luhmühlen (GER)

01 – 04 September Open FEI European Driving Championships for Four-in-Hand Breda (NED) 01 – 04 September FEI European Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships 10 September FEI European Endurance Championships 13 – 18 September FEI European Jumping Championships

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Moorsele (BEL) Florac (FRA) Madrid (ESP)

Don’t miss a beat Complete competition reports, updates, behind the scenes information, facts and figures and more can be found on www.fei.org as well as our dedicated facebook, twitter and you tube pages.

13-18 September 2011 Madrid (SPAIN)

FEI European

Jumping Championships For the 31st edition of the FEI European Jumping Championships, the event returns to Spain, 18 years after the Championships in Gijon, only this time to be held at the Club de Campo Villa in Madrid.

The FEI European Jumping Championships take place every two years, in the middle of the Olympic cycle and have been held since 1957, with the introduction of team medals in 1975.

The venue The Club de Campo Villa de Madrid (ESP) has been host to an annual CSI for 100 years and will be temporarily replacing its usual grass in the main arena with all-weather sand footing to ensure perfect going for the Championship.

The current title holders Team – Switzerland Individual – Kevin Staut (FRA) Olympic qualification The 3 best ranked nations from Olympic Qualifying Groups A & B at the 2011 FEI European Jumping Championships (excluding the teams already qualified at WEG) will be qualified to take part with a team consisting of 4 athletes & 4 horses or 3 athletes & 3 horses.

Great Horses of the European Championships DEISTER - An extraordinary horse with an extraordinary record. With Germany's Paul Schockemohle on board this brilliant bay Hannoverian led won three consecutive individual gold medals - in Munich, Germany in 1981, Hickstead, England in 1983 and Dinard, France in 1985. Bred by Hermann Hahl in Osterbruch, Lower Saxony, Deister was by Diskant out of Adlerklette by Adlerschild, stood 171cms high and had the heart of a lion. Deister's European medal

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haul also included team gold at Munich in 1981, team silver in Rotterdam in 1979, and team bronze at both Hickstead in 1983 and Dinard in 1985. Despite his incredibly active career the hardy Deister, who was born in February 1971, lived to the ripe old age of 29.

MR SOFTEE - The closest challenger to Deister for the title of Champion of the Europeans is the Irishbred Mr Softee - a three-time winner, but with two different riders. Mr Softee enjoyed a hugely successful career with David Broome. However it was with another Briton, David Barker, that the chestnut horse with four white legs took the individual European title for the first time in London in 1962. This was then followed up with David Broome’s victory in Rotterdam in 1967 and in Hickstead in 1969.

Broome once said that, like many other top horses, Mr Softee had a big opinion of himself - "He thought he was a king - and he was right!"

Believe it or not…

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It was only in 1975 that women were permitted to compete alongside men in the European Jumping Championships, prior to this there had been the Ladies European Jumping Championships held from 1957- 1973.

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Only 2 women have ever won the FEI European Championships, France’s Alexandra Ledermann in 1999 and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (GER) in 2007.

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Germany led the gold tally with 20 medals (14 individual & 6 team) double the amount of runner up Great Britain on 10 (6 individual and 4 team).

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17-21 August 2011 Rotterdam / Netherland

FEI European

dressage Championships Rotterdam gets set to host the 25th edition of the FEI European Dressage Championships for the first time and only the second time for the Netherlands (Arnhem 1999).

The FEI European Dressage Championships take place every two years, in the middle of the Olympic cycle, and have been held since 1963.

The current title holders Team – The Netherlands Individual – Kür to Music: Edward Gal (NED) & Moorlands Totilas Individual – Grand Prix Special: Adelinde Cornelissen (NED) & Jerich Parzival

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FEI European Championships in 1963 and 1965 riding Wolfdiedtrich and competed in five consecutive editions of the Olympic Games – Helsinki 1952, Stockholm 1956, Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964, and Mexico 1968 – winning a total of five Olympic medals including Olympic champion in 1964.

Record breaking….

In 2009, the formidable partnership of The Netherlands' Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas smashed the world Freestyle record before a packed house with Windsor Castle standing proudly as a backdrop when scoring 90.70% (including an unbelievable 29 perfect-10 scores) to win the Freestyle gold medal.

Believe it or not…

Olympic qualification The 3 best ranked nations from Groups A, B & C at the 2011 FEI European Dressage Championships (excluding the teams already qualified at WEG) will be qualified to take part with a team consisting of 3 athletes & 3 horses.

• Germany has won the European Dressage Team Title on 21 occasions.

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The greatest number of teams to participate in European Dressage Championships is 14 - at Hickstead (GBR) in 2003 and again at Hagen (GER) in 2005.

The wind of change For 21 consecutive Championships, from 1965 to 2005 (no team title awarded in 1963) the Germans held the European title, but the last two editions have seen an upset to that tradition, with the Netherlands clenching gold. In 2009, the Dutch domination was particularly strong with five out of six individual medals awarded to Dutch riders, and the sixth going to British rider Laura Bechtolsheimer.

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Germany's Dr Reiner Klimke won three indi vidual titles - at Aachen in 1967 riding Dux and again in 1973 riding Mehmed, and at Copenhagen in 1985 riding Ahlerich.

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With Gigolo, Germany's Isabell Werth took the individual title in 1995 and 1997 and won the Grand Prix Special at Donaueschingen, Germany in 1991 and at Lipica, Slovenia in 1993.

In memory of Henri Chammartin (SUI) At the time of writing, a legend in the Dressage world, Henri Chammartin (SUI) passed away at the age of 92. An Olympic and European Dressage champion, Henri Chammartin won the first two editions of the

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Anky van Grunsven has three wins to her name – in 1999 with Bonfire followed by the back to back wins with Salinero in 2005 and 2007.

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1-4 September 2011 Moorsele / Belgium

FEI European

para-equestrian dressage Championships These are the second FEI European Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships to be held since ParaEquestrian joined the FEI Family in 2006. ParaEquestrian Dressage has been a regular fixture at the Paralympic Games since 1996.

The first FEI European Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships were held in southern Norwegian town of Kristiansand in 2009 with a total of 78 athletes from 22 countries participating.

The current title holders Team:

Great Britain

Grade Ia: Individual - Sophie Christiansen (GBR);

Freestyle - Emma Sheardown (GBR) Grade Ib: Individual & Freestyle

Lee Pearson (GBR)

Club Quadrille Moorsele has been host to a regular international Para-Equestrian Dressage events for the past few years, with the Club Quadrille as organiser. The Club Quadrille was founded in 1981 by Anne Van Nested'Ieteren, Belgian Dressage Champion from 1977 until 1982, current President of the Belgian Paralympic Committee and member of the FEI Para-Equestrian committee. It is a unique sports club that works with both able bodied and disabled athletes and is active in the promotion and education of the sport.

As member of the honorary IPC Board, Her Royal Highness (HRH) Princess Astrid of Belgium has been a fervent supporter of the event, and has attended on many occasions.

Grade II: Individual - Petra Van der Sande (NED);

Freestyle - Angelika Trabert (GER) Grade III: Individual & Freestyle

Hannelore Brenner (GER)

Grade IV: Individual & Freestyle

Sophie Wells (GBR)

The mobility, strength and coordination of competitors are assessed and athletes with similar functional ability profiles are grouped into competition grades that range from Grade Ia for the most severely impaired to Grade IV for the least impaired. This means that the competition within each Grade can be judged on the skill of the individual competitors on their horses, regardless of their disabilities.

Believe it or not…

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Lee Pearson (GBR) has won every gold medal within reach at Paralympic, World and Continental level, and the Europeans in 2009 were no different, with another triple gold victory.

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Great Britain also have the Midas touch when it comes to team medals – and are the current Paralympic, World and European title holders.

• In 2009, Germany came closer than ever to taking the gold medal from all-time champion Great Britain.

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25-28 August 2011 Luhmühlen / Germany

HSBC FEI European

eventing Championships A record number of fans are expected to attend the HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships as they return to Luhmühlen for the fifth time to mark the 30th edition of the Championships.

The FEI European Eventing Championships take place every two years, in the middle of the Olympic cycle, and have been held since 1953.

The current title holders Team – Great Britain Individual – Kristina Cook/Miners Frolic (GBR) Olympic qualification The 2 best ranked nations from Groups A, B & C at the 2011 HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships (excluding the teams already qualified at WEG) will be qualified to take part with a team consisting of 3 athletes & 3 horses.

The venue Luhmühlen, one of only six 4* events on the international Eventing calendar and part of the prestigious HSBC FEI Classics™ series, will greet Europe’s best athletes with a fresh look and feel this year following extensive renovation to the existing infrastructures.

The recently renovated showground, includes three Dressage and two Jumping arenas, a tribune able to seat 850 spectators with spectacular views as well as a newly designed entrance including six ticket box facilities and fully catered trade stands. The showground also boasts an open air stage with space for up to 15,000 spectators. “I am confident that the investment in the infrastructure will be of great benefit to all involved whether you are a volunteer, a groom, an athlete – both the horses and the riders - as well as for the sponsors, guests, spectators and the fans. We are really looking forward to great competitions this year at both the CCI4*/CIC3* in June and at the Europeans in August and hope many will join us to witness this historic moment.”

Julia Otto, Event Director Luhmühlen 22

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HSBC HSBC has renewed their sponsorship for a further three-year term as global sponsor of FEI Eventing to include title sponsorships of the HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships in both 2011 and 2013 and the HSBC FEI Classics™ until the end of 2013.

Official Timepiece Rolex, the leading name in luxury wrist watches, will be the Official Timekeeper for the HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships 2011.

Believe it or not…

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Ginny Elliot (born Holgate), the only rider to win three successive individual titles, and Ian Stark hold the joint record for European gold medals won – seven each, but Lucinda Green still has the most medals (10).

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Supreme Rock, ridden by Pippa Funnell (GBR), is the only horse to win back-to-back titles (in 1999 and 2001); he has four European gold medals in total, equaling the record of Kilbarry, The Poacher and Over To You, who won a record four consecutive European team golds (1999-2005).

• Princess Anne and Zara Phillips are the only mother-daughter combination to win European titles (1971 and 2005).

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Great Britain have held the European title for the past 8 consecutive Championships (since 1995)! And of the 29 editions to date (starting in 1953) the team have won a whopping 21.

1-4 September 2011 Breda / Netherland

FEI European

driving Championships for four-in-hand In September, Breda Hippique in The Netherlands will be host to the seventh edition of the FEI European Driving Championships for Four-in-Hand, not held since 1981. This edition is open to both European and non-European drivers and will also count as a qualifier for the indoor FEI World Cup™ Driving, which is held during the winter season. Only competitors from Europe can claim the individual and team medals.

The FEI European Driving Championships for Fourin-Hand were first held in 1971 in Budapest and continued to be held every two years until 1981 at which stage they were discontinued.

The current title holders Team – Hungary Individual – Györgyi Bardos (HUN)

Something in the water…

Hungary have won five out of six available team European titles, and on the individual front, two Hungarians stand out from the crowd: Imre Abony – individual winner in 1971 and 1975 and Györgyi Bardos, triple consecutive winner in 1977, 1979, 1981.

In the beginning…

The first European Championships took place in Budapest in 1971 and moved on to Windsor in Great Britain in 1973, Sopot in Poland in 1975, Donaueschingen in Germany in 1977 and in Haras du Pin in France in 1979. The sixth and last edition took place in 1981 in Zug, Switzerland.

The venue Breda has hosted the only Nations competition (CAIO) for Four-in-Hand horses in The Netherlands for many years. In 1995, Breda hosted the first FEI European Driving Championships for Four-in-Hand ponies and in 2010 was host to the FEI World ParaEquestrian Driving Championships. Aside from the four-in-hand teams, Breda will also host international pony teams and national horse pairs at the event this year.

Believe it or not…

• Hungary have won five out of six team gold titles.

• Auguste Dubey from Switzerland was the only non-Hungarian European Champion, he won the Championships in 1973.

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Prince Philip, FEI President from 1964- 1986, who celebrated his 90th birhtday in June, is an avid fan of Driving and partici- pated in six World and three European Championships.

Note: At the time of writing, the FEI European Driving Championships for Four in Hand was pending approval by the FEI Bureau.

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10 September 2011 Florac / France

FEI European

endurance Championships The 14th edition of the FEI European Endurance Championships return to Florac in France, twenty five years after the inaugural event was held there.

The FEI European Endurance Championships first took place in 1984 and were immediately followed up by a second edition in 1985, and have since been held every two years. They have always been open to the world with two sets of medals presented – open and European.

The current title holders Team – Spain Individual – Maria Alvarez Ponton & Nobby

Record Breaking Current title holder, Maria Alvarez Ponton & super horse Nobby is the first rider to hold European and World titles at the same time. She will be looking to confirm her stronghold on the sport following her second consecutive World title with a second consecutive European title in Florac, a feat no rider has managed to achieve at the Europeans to date.

The vet gate Modern competitions consist of a number of sections known as ‘phases’. At the end of each phase, there is a compulsory halt for veterinary inspection.

Each horse, which is thoroughly examined before it is allowed to start the ride, must be presented for inspection within a set time of reaching each vetgate.

The time spent at each vetgate prior to inspection by the vets is counted as part of the overall competition time and the aim is to determine whether the horse is fit to continue the ride.

The Support Crew A vital part of Endurance riding is the support crew.

Riders are assisted by a team of helpers who meet them several times over the ride, bringing bottles of water to pour over the horse to cool it down, as well as a drink for the rider. Crews also have spare equipment, in case something breaks down or needs replacing.

Believe it or not…

• The French have the medal edge, with 6 individual and 4 team gold medals from the 14 editions held.

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Florac is the only venue to host the European Championships twice (the first edition in 1984 and the upcoming edition in 2011).

• Endurance is the fastest growing FEI discipline, from 2000 to 2010, the number of international events have multiplied by 10!

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16-21 August 2011 Le Mans / France

FEI European

vaulting Championships Vaulting became an FEI discipline in 1983 and saw its first FEI European Championship organised just one year later, in the town of Ebreichsdorf in Austria.

This 15th edition of the Championship – which also includes the European Juniors competition, return to France for the 4th time, but for the first time in the world renowned venue of Le Mans, famous for its 24 hour race.

The current title holders Team – Austria Individual male/longeur/horse Nicolas Andreani (FRA)/Marina Joosten Dupon/ Idefix de Braize Individual female/longeur/horse Joanna Eccles (GBR)/John Eccles/WH Bentley

The wind of change Germany and Switzerland have traditionally battled for the team title (Germany has 7 gold versus Switzerland’s 5), but in 2009, Austria, who had come second on four occasions since the inception of the Championships in 1984, finally climbed onto the top spot of the podium and claimed the title.

In terms of the individual performances, Germany had the stronghold on the male category winning 11 out of 14 gold medals. But again in 2009, France, the only other country to have ever beaten a German male vaulter at the Europeans, made it to the top spot of the podium for only the third time since the Championships began.

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Similarly with the female vaulters, it was an all German domination until 2007, when Austria’s Sissi Jarz claimed gold, followed by Joanna Eccles (GBR) in 2009 – leaving Germany off the top step of the podium entirely in 2009.

Great Britain – a vaulting nation…

Times have definitely changed from the Swiss/ German domination with current World and European titles held by Great Britain’s Joanna Eccles.

She was the first British vaulter (male or female) to claim a medal at the Europeans – let alone a gold medal - and then went on to secure the world title in Kentucky last year.

Believe it or not…

• The only country other than Germany and Switzerland to have claimed a European Vaulting title is Slovakia in 2005.

• Christoph Lensing (GER) holds the male medal record – with three gold (1989, 1993 & 1995) as well as silver in 1991.

• Nadia Zülow and Silke Michelberger (formerly Bernhard) with three gold medals each.

26-30 July 2011 Wiener Neustadt / Austria

FEI European

reining Championships This is only the fifth edition of the European Reining Championships since the discipline joined the FEI in 2000 and the first time they will be held in Austria.

The event also includes the FEI European Championships for Juniors and Young Riders – a formula introduced in 2009 in Kreuth (GER) which proved to be a multigenerational success.

The FEI European Reining Championships take place every two years, and have been held since 2003.

The current title holders Team – Germany Individual – Nina Lill (GER) riding Lena Cielo Jewel

The Judging Reining horses are judged individually. Each horse automatically begins the required pattern with a score of 70. One or ½ points are given or taken away for each manoeuvre. Credit is given for smoothness, finesse, attitude, quickness and authority. Controlled speed in the pattern raises the level of difficulty and makes the reining horse exciting to watch.

Believe it or not…

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Italy and Germany are the only two nations to have won gold medals – Germany has 3 team gold and 2 individual gold versus Italy’s single team gold and two individual gold.

• Germany’s Nina Lill, winner in 2009, was the first woman to take the individual title since the Championships began in 2003.

•

Olympic, World and European Dressage Champion Anky Van Grunsven (NED) competed at the Alltech FEI World Eques- trian Games™ in 2010 in both Dressage and … Reining.

•

13 nations were scheduled to attend the Championship at the time of writing, the largest participation by country ever recorded for the Europeans.

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HSBC FEI Classics

TM

By Kate Green

A World class meeting of Generations The 2011 HSBC FEI Classics™ could not have got off to a more epic start, with wins at Badminton and Kentucky by two of the sport’s most enduring personalities.

The 55-year-old New Zealander Mark Todd rolled back the years to score a fourth victory at the Gloucestershire venue, 31 years after his first attempt in 1980.

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“Thirty-one years’ experience comes in handy sometimes,” joked the ever-relaxed Todd, who was a legend by the time he “retired” in 2000 with back-toback Olympic golds, five Burghley wins, two world gold medals and three Badminton victories, one on a horse he had never ridden before. “It is incredibly special, though, right up there with the back-to-back Olympic golds. When I came back to the sport (in 2008) it was to see if I could get back to top level.

It has always been my aim to win another big one.”

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Todd’s winning mount, the 10-year-old NZB Land Vision, was a green horse for this level and he finished the Cross-Country phase tired, but his rider kept his cool in an extraordinarily tight finish, in which the price of one Jumping fence covered the top 12 riders, any of whom could, with a bit of luck, have won the Mitsubishi Motors Trophy. “In the end it came down to horse-power, and I’ve obviously got a good one here,” said Todd. “Charisma (his double Olympic gold medallist) will always be the most special horse, but this one has no weak links.”

As is the nature of the sport, Todd’s lead in the HSBC FEI Classics™ didn’t last long – he came down to earth with a bump the following weekend with a CrossCountry run-out on NZB Grass Valley, his ride at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event (USA), and 49year-old Mary King (GBR) stole the headlines with a record one-two on Kings Mistress and Fernhill Urco. It was King’s first CCI4* victory for 11 years – she has won Badminton twice and Burghley once – but she certainly smashed a few records with this one. She became the first rider to score a one-two at Kentucky, the first in modern times to win a CCI4* on a home-bred horse, and the oldest female to win a CCI4*.

King, who has six team gold medals at World and European level plus competed at five consecutive Olympics, had the luxury of knowing she had already won the event, on the inexperienced 10-year-old Fernhill Urco, a horse bred in Portugal, by the time she entered the arena on Kings Mistress, but she still produced a second clear round. “I never dreamed that I would be in this position and I’m enjoying the moment,” said the ever-smiling King. “It was great to have the feeling of having already won on Fernhill Urco, but I still wanted desperately to go clear on Kings Mistress, as it is so special to win on a horse I bred myself.” It was also an all clear from Germany’s Andreas Dibowski and Euroriding Butts Leon in order to secure victory at the fourth leg of the HSBC FEI™ Classics™ in Luhmühlen presented by E.ON Avacon.

The resurgence of so much experienced talent makes it harder for younger riders to work their way up the leaderboard, but 29-year-old Sinead Halpin (USA) had a spectacular CCI4* debut at Kentucky, finishing third and best of the home side in distinguished company. This achievement earned her the HSBC Training Bursary, worth US$1,000 towards training, a prestigious and valuable award presented to the rider who achieves the best result on completing a CCI4* for the first time.

The bursary winner at Badminton, Fiona Hobby (GBR), 39, has had a rather longer wait to complete her first CCI4* – she was 26th on Roma ML – but she has, in the meantime, produced two children, had a career as a sports therapist and only switched from Jumping to Eventing relatively recently. Hobby has vowed to spend the money on dressage training: “Roma couldn’t believe it when she arrived in the arena and saw all those people, but she was great across country, really focussed. I’m delighted.”

For Germany’s Sandra Auffarth, Luhmühlen provided an outstanding CCI4* debut on Opgun Louvo, a young horse she has produced herself, coming second and picking up the HSBC Training Bursary and the exciting prospect of a possible place in the squad for the forthcoming HSBC FEI European Eventing Championship at Luhmühlen (25-28 August) at which Germany, as host nation, will be entitled to field 12 riders.

Last year’s HSBC Training Bursary winners include Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch (CAN), who went on to win a team silver medal at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™, Lauren Shannon (GBR), who finished 17th at Badminton this year, and Giovanni Ugolotti (ITA), who is furthering his career by basing himself in Britain for the season and having lessons with Mark Todd.

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Why the long face ?

Viggo Mortensen The Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter has been around horses most of his life, from riding Hasufel and Brego in The Lord of the Rings trilogy to early childhood memories in Argentina, his passion for floating as he describes it has never wavered.

What is it about the horse that makes you a horse lover?

We get along, generally. I respect their strength and their personal space.

Your first riding experience – was it bliss or terror?

Like floating, like being on a warm and floating mountain. I remember being happy.

Do you think anyone can ride?

Yes. It is a question of allowing yourself to ride, of allowing yourself to cooperate and not be in total control. Children are more adept at figuring this out, letting things happen without getting impatient or scared, just as they are braver and less selfconscious about pronouncing new words or singing.

Anyone at any age or in any physical condition can 30

achieve a degree of success and satisfaction with horses, even if it is just a question of touching them, being near them.

If horses could talk, what would they be saying?

You will know if you listen and watch them.

Is there a unique trait you look for in a horse that you can’t find in people?

They are more patient and less apt to complain about life’s setbacks and physical ailments than most people. I admire a tough, smart horse, whatever its breed, age or size.

What would you miss most if you could no longer go riding?

The companionship and the floating, perhaps also the abandonment of usual daily worries that relaxed riding requires.

What’s your usual riding outfit consist of?

Anything will do. Loose-fitting clothes and good, comfortable boots are a plus, but not vital. I have even ridden barefoot – naturally taking care to avoid being stepped on when not on the horse but I do not recommend this to anyone. The most important thing is to have a clear and focused mind, to be THERE at all times when around horses, and NOWHERE ELSE.

Sugar lumps or carrots?

I’ve been guilty of offering an occasional apple or carrot, although it is best not to give horses anything special unless treats are part of training them for special tricks or stunts, a pursuit best left to experts like master horse trainer Rex Peterson, whom I’ve had the good fortune to work with and study quite a bit. Treats spoil horses and do not keep the animal focused on the task at hand.

What’s your favourite part of a horse?

The brain.

What do you think young people gain from riding?

Self-confidence and an understanding of the value of cooperation.

When did you first develop the bond with the horse?

Two horses go out for dinner, what kind of restaurant do they choose?

The first time I got on one as a little boy in Argentina.

You either develop a bond of some kind or you fall off. Of course, you may even fall off if you develop the bond, but you have to start (and restart!) somewhere.

Late spring grass, near a slow-moving, clean river with a gentle, firm shoreline, an hour before sundown, far from any people or other animals.

Did your friends ride?

My brothers also rode, and I have ridden with many kinds of people over the years – some good and patient with horses and some not. If I had not ridden as a boy I would probably have been wandering around, fishing, imagining I was a cowboy or an Indian or a Viking – which I did anyway.

Where in the world would you most like to ride?

Most anywhere will do, but I have been extremely lucky to have ridden in many wide-open, wild places – deserts, grassy plains, mountains, by different seas and rivers in Argentina, New Zealand, North Africa, and North America.

If you could spend one afternoon riding with a famous person (past or present) who would it be and why?

I’ll give you 3: Oglala chief Tasunke Witko (Crazy Horse), my ancestor William F. Cody, or any real Gaucho from the province of Chaco, Argentina.

All time favourite horse film?

I have a subjective, soft spot for the stories and real horses involved in the making of “Hidalgo” and the 2nd and 3rd installments of “The Lord Of The Rings” trilogy, but I admire other “horse movies” as well.

The 1953 French movie “Crin-Blanc” (“White Mane”), directed by Albert Lamorisse, is a personal favourite.

The other side of...

© Christophe Bricot

Laurent Elias

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After three years at the head of the successful French Jumping team with back to back FEI Nations Cup™ titles and a silver medal at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™, Laurent Elias is moving on to new spheres with the French Horse & Riding Institute, where he will be training the riders of the National Riding School in Saumur.

If I had not become a professional rider, I would have…

My biggest challenge has always been…

made a career in a humanitarian organisation.

Horse riding is sometimes too trivial.

shyness. Horse riding has really helped me overcome it. Horses brought me on stage and there, I had to meet people.

My priority in life is…

As a Chef d'Equipe…

to be able to look at myself in the mirror in the morning, and make sure I am at peace with my conscience.

My family…

keeps me grounded. My wife helped me a lot when I was in charge of selections for France. She took charge of my personal life and was the first person I called when we got the medal in Lexington. I also admire my parents for the values they passed on to me.

there is no single defining achievement, it’s all about the solidarity and the moments spent together as a team. I’ll never forget the first time Penelope Leprevost rode her mare Jubilée d’Ouilly in the FEI Nations Cup™ of Rotterdam. McLain Ward had just completed a real fast run with Sapphire. We thought the Americans would win, but she did it faster, and beat Sapphire.

I remember my first riding experience…

aged six, we were shooting a family film and I was on horseback. I finished upside down under my horse for a long time. I stopped riding for one year.

I used to dream about…

safaris. One of my uncles was passionate about safaris. Through him, I became very interested in African trips and the jobs that allow you to travel as a reporter were fascinating to me as well.

I have been thinking a lot about…

what happened in Japan these past few months.

First, this tsunami that devastated everything without warning, then the nuclear disaster.

It made me think that progress should not be destructive.

My horse Guénour…

changed my life. I was just a coach, and he brought me to the top. I won the national championship in 1981 with him.

Laurent Elias and the French team en route to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™. © PSV-Jean Morel

In terms of events…

Aachen is my favourite competition - for its wonderful organisation. But we have also pretty good five star competitions in France.

I don’t sleep much…

probably because I am just happy to be alive!

I’m not scared to laugh or cry…

I laugh at the funny situations we sometimes find ourselves in life and enjoy people with quirky personalities. I cry when I see others in pain.

FOCUS 33

One day

Nicolas ThĂŠvenaz Aged 23, studies Robotics and Autonomous Systems Micro Engineering in Lausanne (SUI), alongside regular training and competition in Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage events. Born with spastic diplegia, Nicolas was introduced to horses via hippotherapy aged seven and quickly developed a passion for riding which not only helped with his physical condition but also taught him, through Dressage, the art of patience and perseverance.

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He has been fortunate to meet the right people (and horses) at the right time and has been working for the past five years with trainer Vicky-Eileen Baumann (pictured right) and her horses, Magic and Lady (pictured right). “She’s bred them and knows them inside out which is very useful when I have to communicate with them - they know my voice intonations and a whole string of specific words or sounds – which really helps as my body can’t or doesn’t always have the strength to do so.”

As a Grade II Para-Equestrian rider, Nicolas competes in Para-Equestrian Dressage (PED) events as well as national events for able bodied riders as there are only a handful of PED riders and no events in Switzerland.

Unable to attend the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2010 in Kentucky last year, Nicolas and Vicky have their sights firmly set on the 2012 Paralympic Games and will be looking to qualify with Lady over the next 12 months – alongside exams, studies, and everything else life has to offer…

Who is your role model?

For different reasons, I have different role models: Edward Gal, Dane Rawlins, Isabel Werth and Catherine Haddad.

When did you start riding and why?

How do you juggle studies and competition?

At age 7, I was sat on a horse for hippotherapy and liked the complicity with the horse which made me want to discover more.

I think it’s really important to have goals and to do everything you can to achieve them and that includes taking on challenges because if you don’t try then you’ll never know what you could have achieved.

How do you feel when you ride?

Concentrated and industrious.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

Who is your biggest fan?

Participation in international events, together with pursuing my studies.

My trainer’s mum.

Complete this sentence: One day I would like to… have gained enough knowledge to be able to take care of and train my own horse.

What are your long term goals as a rider?

Continue to do my best, to enjoy what I do and show others it’s possible.

How do you feel after winning?

Still working towards discovering the feeling!

What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

My trainer often repeats to me the famous saying by General L’Hotte “Calme, en avant, droit” which says so much about riding but can also be applied to so many other aspects of life.

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What advice would you give someone looking to get involved in Para-Equestrian Dressage?

Train and ride with able-bodied athletes, as often as possible. Being around and working with horses is so rewarding. I’d like - when I’m retired - to write a book to share these feelings with others and hope this will inspire them to get involved.

Complete this sentence: In the future I would like the sport to be... even “cleaner” and fairer and, if possible, not more but less demanding on the horses.

“Last but not least, I’d like to take the opportunity of this article to reach out to those who give me their trust and help, be it with their time, their friendship and any type of support.

Day after day to year after year, team work is essential and I’ll do my best to continue deserving everyone’s encouraging smiles.”

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FEI Awards 2011

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Nominations for the FEI Awards opened in May, enabling the global equestrian community to once again reward outstanding dedication to horse sport in five categories – Development, Best Groom, Against All Odds, Rising Star and Best Athlete.

The search for the equestrian heroes of 2011 is now on: who will be flown to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to receive their awards ?

Where are they now? The FEI asked the current title-holders for an update on their activities.

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Ebony Horse Club (GBR) Winner of the Alltech FEI Development Award 2010 The Ebony Horse Club announced in December 2010 that, after an eight-year fundraising effort, it had the £1.4 million necessary for building an equestrian centre in one of London’s most deprived boroughs. Since 1996, Ebony has offered youngsters in an area reputed for its gang culture, high level of gun crime and drug dealing the chance to ride and learn key social skills. The club’s 50 members travel to riding schools across London on public transport or in minibuses – a logistical headache that the inner-city equestrian centre will end. Construction work began in February.

Ebony Horse Club founder and director Ros Spearing told the FEI: “Riding lessons are continuing and the club is preparing for the transition.” Building will finish on 7 July but the centre will open for riding lessons in October. “The horses will be brought to Brixton in the summer and will have time to acclimatise to their new environment,” Spearing said. The centre will include stabling for nine horses, a small paddock and a floodlit riding arena, as well as a classroom for learning about horses and equine management. Spearing is adamant that club members – present and future – care for their rides and wants the centre to serve as a stepping stone to careers in the horse industry.

Ebony’s existence will continue to depend on the generosity of donors. For more information, visit: www.ebonyhorseclub.org.uk.

Michelle Tipper (GBR) Winner of the FEI Best Groom Award 2010 Michelle Tipper has continued to juggle grooming and study since receiving her FEI Award in November. She has organised the grooms for the British European Junior and Young Dressage teams and, in April, her contract as a travelling groom for British Dressage riders Paul and Bobby Hayler took her to Addington for the first of many international competitions she will work at this year. The Haylers have eight horses competing and the number she works with at each venue varies . Tipper has also been helping British Dressage riders Nicky and Richard Barrett with yard duties. “I feel very lucky to work for both of these families,” said the FEI Best Groom Award winner, adding that she feels part of the two families.

In March, Tipper graduated from university with a Masters in Sport Psychology. She is now working towards British Association of Sport and Exercise Science accreditation, which requires at least 500 hours’ supervised work experience, and is presenting sport psychology workshops in conjunction with the company Inside Performance Consulting Limited (www.inside-performance.com). The workshops are organised internationally for people of all ages from any sport. To find out more, contact Tipper at: michelletipper1979@yahoo.com.

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Angelika Trabert (GER)

Visit the recently refreshed FEI Awards website to find out more about the Awards, the past winners, the judges and to make your

nominations

by 31 July.

www.feiawards.org

Michelle Tipper – ©William Tzeng Award winners – ©William Tzeng Caroline Roffman – ©SharonPacker.com Ebony Horse Club – ©Ebony Horse Club Edward Gal and Totilas – ©Kit Houghton/FEI Angelika Trabert – ©Julia Rau

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Winner of the FEI Against All Odds Award 2010 German Para-Dressage rider Angelika Trabert has represented her country at four Paralympic Games and won some 15 medals at national, European and world championships. She is currently seeking a new home for Londria, the mare that contributed to her Team Silver medal win at the Hong Kong Paralympics. Londria, who had a foal last year, was also Trabert’s ride during her medal-winning performances at the European Championships in Hungary (2005) and Norway (2009).

Trabert said her decision to let go of Londria was hard to make but was necessary for financial reasons. She will keep the foal, Finaud Coquin, and her mares, Walmorel and Ariva-Avanti.

Trabert won the Para-Dressage Grade 2 Freestyle Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ with Ariva, and said the horse was “well and ready to go for the Europeans again in Belgium in September if we qualify”. Trabert competed in her first international competition of 2011 in May in Mannheim, Germany, where she came first in the Grade II individual and second in the freestyle. She is taking part in the German Championships in June.

Away from the equestrian world, Trabert works as an anaesthetist and has participated in medical missions in the rural areas of Guinea for the organisation Mango . In January, she was back in Guinea as part of team that carried out 100 operations in 13 days. www.angelika-trabert.de

Caroline Roffman (USA) Winner of the HSBC FEI Rising Star Award 2010 Success continues to smile on twenty-two-year-old American Dressage rider Caroline Roffman. Since receiving the HSBC FEI Rising Star Award, she has enjoyed numerous wins at small tour and young horse levels, achieving scores in the mid-eighties and qualifying two horses for the young horse championships.

Roffman is currently showing six horses and has won several classes at PSG, and Grand Prix level. “But nothing is as exciting as to be going to Aachen,” said the young woman who has been described as the American Dressage community’s brightest hope, explaining that, at the FEI Awards ceremony in Chinese Taipei, Frank Kemperman, FEI Dressage Committee Chair and Chairman of the Managing Board at CHIO Aachen (GER), invited her to take part in the prestigious event. Roffman will be the first American to compete in the Under 25 Grand Prix there and is hoping to take her horse Lux Stensvang.

An interview with Caroline Roffman at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI will be broadcast on the magazine programme Equestrian World on FEI TV, the FEI’s official online video platform, www.feitv.org.

Edward Gal and Totilas (NED) Winners of the Reem Acra FEI Best Athlete Award 2010 The world-famous partnership of Dutch Dressage rider Edward Gal and the extraordinary Totilas ended in style in 2010 with, notably, three gold medal wins at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™.

The first foal sired by the superstar stallion was born in January, followed by two more in the spring. Gal, who has admired the foals, told the FEI: “You never know – maybe in a few years’ time, I’ll have another Totilas ready!” At the beginning of April he was busy at home training nine horses and preparing for the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final in Leipzig and the European Championships in Rotterdam. He had not yet decided which horses he was going to compete with but was particularly looking forward to the Freestyle to Music. Asked what it was like to compete without Totilas, Gal said: “Everybody expected Totilas to win. I find it easier to ride other horses because nobody expects me to win and when I do, it’s really nice.”

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o g l o be t r

tralia Sport Equestrian Auswards Achievement A ' in est of the best In May, the 'bort gathered to celEquestrian sp hievements of Australebrate the ac coaches, officials, vets, ia’s athletes, s, owners, volunteers administratory other people that and the man time and enthusiasm dedicate their sport. The ceremony to equestrian the introduction of also included ustralia’s Hall of Equestrian A the legendary Bill Fame, won by d Exell, winner of Roycroft. Boyld CupTM Driving the FEI Wor arded the internaFinal was aw hlete of the year tional at award.

tter

Seal of approval for the Adai horse Sixty years have passed since an Adai horse reportedly set a record galloping 354km in one day... Today, the Adai horse, a breed native to Kazakhstan, is back in the spotlight with a gold medal at the FEI Central Asian Endurance Championship in Talgaearlier in May only months after having been awarded official pedigree status following tests conducted by a State Commission in the Mangistau Steppes which allowed itto compete internationally. The horses are cherished for their hardiness, and Oyly, ridden by Altyngali Bissemaganbetov (KAZ) proved just that when crossing the finishing line first, demonstrating just how tough the Adai horses are and the beginning of a new era for sturdy breed on the international stage.

Kevin Staut

becomes first athlete representative on FEI executive board Kevin Staut, one of France’s most successful Jumping riders, became the first athlete to be appointed to the FEI Executive Board for a three-year term. Staut (31), who has held the number one spot in the Rolex Rankings for Jumping since July 2010, has ridden on numerous Nations Cup teams for France and claimed individual gold at the Alltech FEI European Jumping Championships in 2009.

100th anniversary for Finnish riding club

Olympic legend ed 96.

Bill Roycroft passes away ag

in Australia, James William A legend of Equestrian sport as “Bill”, was one of Australwn George Roycroft OBE, kno of only five Australians to ia’s greatest Olympians and one tive Olympic Games (from have competed in five consecu Australia’s oldest medallist 1960 - 1976) as well as being rs and 31 days. In May 2011, and oldest competitor at 61 yea Australia’s inaugural Hall Bill was inducted in Equestrian oldest living Olympian and of Fame – he was Australia’s husiasm for the sport with ent shared his dedication and rke. (See a brief description his sons, Barry, Wayne and Cla mpic Games Memory Lane of his exploits in the 1960 Oly ed Australia’s reputation as article page 9 which catapult s in the world.) one of the best Eventing team

One of the three founding member clubs of the Finnish Equestrian Federation, the Suomen Kenttäratsastusseura-Finska Fältrittklubbenon, celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2011.

Magnus Rydman, former President of the Finnish National Federation and President of the FEI from 1935 – 1946, was one of the founders of the club. Another of the founders of the oldest club in Finland, was the Eventing rider Colonel Hans Olof von Essen, whose fifth place at the Antwerpen Olympic Games remains the best Olympic equestrian result the country has ever achieved.

webinfo@fei

FEI web wizard Nicole Sigrist has added a new hub for th e Press on ww w.fei.org calle FEI Press Kits d located in the Media section website. The Pr of the ess Kits zone, which is also op the general pu en to blic, is regularly updated with mation relatin inforg to FEI series and specific ev with flip book ents s and downloa da ble PDFs, as w as direct links ell to the Photo C atalogue, the Rankings and Standings, the Annual Report, and m ore. of

Hula Carts helped the lives World Horse Welfare has greatly by presenting them five Senegalese cart horse ownersl people, who depend on with new Hula Carts. The loca livelihoods, were specially their working horses for their ive the carts which have selected by the charity to rece public in the UK. been sponsored by members of the loped to help the The Hula Carts are specifically deve difficult conditions. en oft horses pulling heavy loads in

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decidedly dominated by soccer – being 5 times World Champion makes it a national passion!

But we are continuously looking to attract TV to our events, as this is a huge step towards gaining visibility and popularity.

Interview with the President of the Brazilian Equestrian Federation, Mr Luiz Roberto Giugni The Brazilian Equestrian Federation has been a member Federation of the FEI for 75 years, how has the sport developed over that time?

We were facing regular growth (average of 25% in the last decade) but in the last three to four years, this rate has significantly increased up to 35% a year. We believe that this is due to international achievements (two Jumping Olympic team bronze medals, the individual Olympic Jumping gold medal won by Rodrigo Pessoa, several Pan Am Jumping team gold medals, recent Olympic pre-qualification in Kentucky (4th in the world in Jumping) and the organisations of a Global Champions Tour event in Brazil.

In terms of developing the sport, what are the most successful projects you have undertaken in recent years?

We decided to invest in education and have hired international trainers for all the disciplines, such as Jean Maurice Bonneau for Jumping; Nick Turner for Eventing; Eric Lette for Dressage; Jean Louis Leclerc for Endurance; Mattias Lang for Vaulting, with the long term in mind, that is at least until the end of 2012 and planning towards 2016, when Rio will host the Olympic Games.

How popular is equestrian sport with young people in Brazil and how do you compete with some of the bigger sports for their attention?

Popularization is growing bit by bit in a country 44

Can you tell us about the programmes/initiatives in place for disabled athletes?

We are actively pursuing this, and have achieved really positive results in little time, such as the great performances and medals earned at the Paralympic Games in Hong Kong in 2008. We do this through clinics, courses, international exchanges of athletes, and working alongside our National Paralympic Committee to support us in our efforts.

Brazil will be host the FEI General Assembly at the end of the year, what do you want all the visiting delegates to remember from their visit?

That we are more than just a really beautiful and warm country, with the ability and capacity to organise great events and that we are committed to putting on the best Olympic Games ever.

What are the main objectives/plans for the Brazilian Federation in the lead up to the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games?

Our NOC is really committed to raising the bar of all the sports to a level never seen before and we are working towards that, in terms of our athletes, our judges, our venues and everything that is related to our sport and the quality of our sport.

In line with this objective, we are providing incentives to owners to buy good horses aiming for 2016, and this is going to plan for now. We expect to perform well at the upcoming Pan Am Games and Olympics on our trail to 2016.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I would like to thank HRH Princess Haya, President of the FEI, as well as the Executive Board for all the support that we are getting, which has been paramount to the development of equestrian sport in our country.

Facts & figures

President: Luiz Roberto Giugni Secretary General: Luiz Antonio Rocco Member since 1935 15 members of staff work at the federation 20 regional federations are affiliated to the Brazilian Equestrian Federation with over 300 member riding clubs 6, 000 affiliated riders 91 national events were held in 2010 31 international events were held in 2010 All the FEI disciplines are practiced in Brazil: Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Vaulting, Reining, Endurance, Driving & Para-Equestrian 14 breeding organisations There are 5.8 million horses and ponies in Brazil, making it the fourth largest equine population in the world!

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A life in a day

Dr Gerit Matthesen 56, is a private equine practitioner, an FEI Vet and a member of the FEI Veterinary Committee. He graduated in Veterinary Medicine from Berlin University in 1983 and since 1989 has worked or officiated at some 180 competitions and championships, including the last two Olympics and FEI World Equestrian Games™. He lives near Frankfurt with his wife Carola and their sons, Mike (16) and Lars (14).

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I wake up earlier than I need to – at around 6am – because breakfast time with my family is sacred to me and I can then drive my boys to the village station to take the train to school. After two cups of coffee (enough for the day) and a glass of orange juice, I read the newspapers, then head to my practice offices in our indoor arena. I have a quick look at our horses then start work.

While I listen to my phone messages I deal with my emails and search the internet for news about veterinary medicine and horse sport. I then start planning the day´s schedule with Anna, my assistant vet.

My mobile practice is in a nice, fairly rural area in the north of Frankfurt. There are lots of horse farms but it is not a classic breeding area like the northern part of Germany. There are sport horses as well as pleasure horses. I have examination rooms and stables for horses staying or mares foaling in my practice stables. It’s not a big clinic, which gives me time to work at competitions.

“The combination of my profession and being involved in different aspects of top equestrian sport is my vision!”

I often do that over quiet weekends, when there are no competitions. During the winter season, I am less busy, but in summer a lot of weekends are taken over by the competition schedule.

I love my work, especially in Eventing, which is my favourite discipline. My wife and I practiced it – not up to top level, but it was a fine time, despite a broken ankle from a fall in 1988, which, after 23 years, is making walking more and more difficult for me.

I like to do my competition work on a friendly, but strict basis and I really like to hear riders saying they are treated fairly! Over the years, I have acquired a lot of experience and met all the officials and riders.

After seeing a few small animals in my practice, I normally start my field service at 9.30am. In my car I have enough equipment (ultrasound, X-ray systems and endoscopical devices) for the day’s examinations and standing procedures. We mainly have lameness examinations to do or internal diseases to treat, accompanied by routine work like vaccinations or carrying out pre-purchase or health certificate examinations. If time allows, I go home for a quick lunch, but that’s not every day.

Usually, when I return home in the late afternoon, there are more small animals to see. When I’ve done the day’s paperwork, I hope there will be no more emergencies, such as cases of colic, which usually occur in the early evening.

While I’m driving, I have time to think and I write down everything that come to mind regarding sport, competitions, committees and so on. You have to write down your thoughts when you’re over the age of 50!

The day finishes with the family and a nice cold glass of German beer!

It is not easy planning my day because any emergency can destroy or delay my schedule. For all the paperwork and certificates I need a time frame, so

I look forward to getting on my horse, which is a beautiful show-jumper. I like to ride, but I’ve stopped competing. I do dressage, jumping and go out into the fields but it’s all just for fun now.

It’s a struggle to find time to spend with my family and I often have to cancel my holidays with them.

I am really grateful to my wife and the boys for their understanding of my job and to my assistant vet, who covers for me when I´m out somewhere in the world of equestrian sport.

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Alltech Tips

Feeding to reduce stress for the equine traveller

By Darlene Ricker Executive editor of Alltech’s EQUINE INTERNATIONAL magazine

Pull your show attire from the closet, clean your boots and tack, groom the horses, hook up and pack the trailer, check the clock, double check to make sure you have everything, put on the shipping boots, load your horses... and away you drive to the competition venue or to the airport for transport to a distant event.

You know the drill well, but still you arrive tired, perhaps even a bit frazzled. You’ll sleep (or try to) the next several nights in an unfamiliar bed or camp out in the living quarters of your trailer. You awaken riveted on the competition, playing out the day’s classes in your mind, wondering how your rides will fare against others, praying that the weather will be cooperate and trying to control your nerves, all the while knowing that no matter how well you have prepared, many factors are out of your control. You may even be in a different time zone.

We go through a lot to compete our horses. But if you think life on the road is stressful for you, think about what it’s like for your horses. Your back may be a bit sore from driving or being strapped into an airplane seat for hours on end, but for horses transportation is far more demanding. It is an athletic endeavour, requiring an expenditure of energy to maintain balance during the constant movement of transport. When your horses arrive, they face social isolation from stablemates, lack of security in novel environments, altered training regimes, water that tastes strange and the confines of an unfamiliar stall. This routine impacts a horse’s health and well being, with effects 48

continuing long after the journey is over. During transport, toxic gases (such as ammonia or carbon monoxide) can cause damage to the lung epithelium, precipitating respiratory disease. The final destination itself can also cause problems. Usually horses are transported to environments where they will be mixing with other horses. The mixing of horses from different environments with different infectious organisms and under stressful conditions further precipitates susceptibility to disease.

This can have a severe impact on the equine gut.

The stress of transportation is known to increase gut ulceration in the horse, a painful condition reducing performance and causing colic-like symptoms. Stress can also slow the flow of digesta and alter the normal gut flora, resulting in digestive upset and possibly diarrhoea or colic.

The effects of travel stress on the gut are compounded by the typical diet of the regular equine traveller.

To maintain athletic ability, high performance horses are often fed energy-charged diets containing increased levels of starchy materials such as cereal grains. Unfortunately, this type of diet can reduce beneficial types of gut flora and promote gut acidity, further predisposing the horse to digestive upsets and ulceration. It is not surprising that stressed, tired horses may not fulfill their potential on arrival

Moorlands Totilas arrives for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ after air transport. © Dirk Caremans

and may be subject to health concerns in the days following a long journey. Fortunately, however, you can curb some of the effects of travel stress on the horse’s gut by nutritional supplementation. Organic yeast products used to supplement a horse’s diet can support the normal gut flora, modifying the intestinal environment and improving the horse’s digestion. One such culture is Saccharomyces cerevisae in the form of Yea-Sacc® 1026, Alltech’s propriety organic yeast.

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects Yea-Sacc on gut flora and gut acidity. Horses were fed either a high-starch or a high-fibre diet, both with and without supplementation of Yea-Sacc® 1026.

Results indicated an excessive amount of starch in the gut. The use of Yea-Sacc reduced acidity and stimulated the activity of fibre-digesting bacteria in the hindgut for both types of diet. The result was maximised fibre digestibility and more efficient use of nutrients, thus increasing the amount of energy available to the horse for performance and counteracting digestive upset. Salmonellosis is one of the more commonly diagnosed infectious causes of diarrhoea in horses. Many cases develop after the stress of transport. The effects of travel stress on the normal gut flora allow an over-

growth of opportunistic Salmonella spp., which are present in the intestinal tract of many healthy horses.

These bacteria then attach to the gut lining via a mannan sugar and penetrate it, causing damage and resulting in diarrhoea. One method of preventing or minimising the attachment of these organisms to the gut lining is to provide an adsorbant supplement. A form of sugar found in the cell walls of certain yeasts can do this. This sugar compound is called mannan oligosaccharide or MOS. MOS products, such as Alltech’s Bio-Mos®, have been shown to reduce the colonization of Salmonella spp. in the guts of certain species and augment the immune response to Salmonella spp., potentially conferring an enhanced ability to fight infection. Both Yea-Sacc® 1026 and Bio-Mos are among the natural products contained in Alltech’s LIFEFORCE TM equine supplement, which many FEI competitors have successfully incorporated into their daily feeding regimen at home and on the road. lifeforcehorse.com

FEI celebrates NEW Headquarters Over 250 guests attended the inauguration ceremony on Friday 6 May at HM King Hussein I Building, which was “The building we are timed to coincide with the FEI inaugurating today Extraordinary General Assembly, has been designed to serve our wonderful so that attending National sport,” explained FEI Federation representatives President Princess Haya.

“I also feel an immense could be a part of sense of pride knowing that the celebrations. this building carries the name

HRH The Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón, former President of the FEI (1994-2006), also attended the inauguration alongside HRH Princess Lalla Amina, Chairperson of the Royal Moroccan Federation for Equestrian Sports and member of the international Advisory Council of Special Olympics.

They were joined by International Olympic Committee members, representatives from other International Federations, federal and local Swiss authorities as well as architects and designers that worked on the project. Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs, a member of the gold medal winning team at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore last year, accompanied FEI President Princess Haya in officially opening the FEI headquarters.

of my late father and hope that this serves as a constant reminder to all of us who work at the FEI of a unique statesman, whose entire soul was devoted to the service of his people. Our new headquarters will play a key role for the FEI and our National Federations over the coming years. It will be the environment in which important discussions take place and fundamental decisions are taken as we continue our mission to advance the orderly growth of equestrian sport worldwide, while ensuring that the welfare of the horse and a level playing field remain at the centre of all that we do”.

1 Youth Olympic Games team champion Martin Fuchs (SUI), FEI President HRH Princess Haya and her daughter HH Sheikha Al Jalila officially open the FEI’s new home. 2 Gilbert Felli, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director and FEI Secretary General, Ingmar de Vos. 3 HRH The Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón sits down to an interactive quiz in the FEI Gallery. 4 Guests gathered in the atrium of the FEI Headquarters.

All images © Hugues Siegenthaler/FEI

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Highlights available on

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The FEI’s new headquarters, which were donated to the Federation by FEI President HRH Princess Haya in 2007 following a personal fundraising effort, are conveniently located close to the International Olympic Committee and other international sports federations. It has been written into the FEI Statutes that the new FEI headquarters building will always house the Federation’s offices.

In 2008, the building was thoroughly renovated in accordance with the Swiss MINERGIE® construction standard for environmental responsibility, which reduces energy consumption by 25 per cent. Only two per cent of renovated buildings in Switzerland meet the high Minergie standards.

Khuan Chew, founder and design principal of London-based architectural firm KCA International Ltd, worked in close collaboration with Swiss-based architect Hervé de Rham and interior designer Siavosh Adeli (SUI) to transform the building, which was built in the 1960s. The modern and sleek interior was further enhanced with bespoke artworks produced by Swiss creative agency b+g & partners and imagery by world-famous equestrian art photographer Tim Flach, where the simplicity and beauty of his equine subjects seamlessly embrace and accentuate the building’s pure lines and natural materials (see image left).

As they feasted on the innate beauty of their surroundings, the guests also had the privilege to experience the culinary talents of organic chef and specialist Gilles Wannaz and his team based in the town of Cully, which sits on the edge of Lac Leman in Switzerland’s famous Lavaux wine growing region.

5 HRH Princess Haya welcomes the guests to the Inauguration of the HQ and the 90 year celebration of the FEI 6 Artwork by renowned photographer Tim Flach 7 An organic and colourful buffet presented on an authentic lawn by local chef Gilles Wannaz 8 A life size horse sculpture

by Christophe Dumont greeted the guests upon their arrival

THE GALLERY As well as housing offices for its 62 employees and conference facilities for its 133 National Federations, the new headquarters also has a state-of-the-art interactive gallery showcasing equestrian sport.

The Gallery is the brainchild of Dr. Amichai Alperovich, historian, former Secretary General of the Israeli Equestrian Federation and curator of the Israeli Olympic Museum (opened in 2009). He worked hand in hand with the Tel Aviv based company Disk-In Pro, and interior designer Oded Alony to help bring the content to life and the result is truly unique and ground breaking. Giant glass surfaces act as interactive interfaces for the visitors to travel through time FOCUS 53

and space with the latest in touch technology, revisiting the history of the FEI, the equestrian events at Olympic & Paralympic Games, the FEI World Equestrian Games™, and information on all of the member National Federations with statistics, videos, images and text. The Gallery also includes projections on architectural surfaces designed by Oded Alony, referred to as the Origami, as well as interactive stations, and unique video projections on glass screens.

Why were you compelled to make it become a reality?

For all those wishing to visit the FEI Gallery, simply contact the FEI HQ to make an appointment and we would be delighted to take you on a journey to discover or rediscover the human and equine athletes whose talents have marked equestrian history and inspired young riders, drivers and vaulters around the world

I have learned a lot about the history of the FEI, the strong Olympic tradition, the diversity of disciplines, the gender equality, and the unique bond between horse and man. One of the more fascinating topics, was the evolution of the Dressage from its’ Olympic debut to the modern Freestyle.

Interview with

Dr. Amichai Alperovich When did you first dream up the FEI Interactive Gallery?

When I found out the FEI was planning to move into new HQ in 2009, Disk-In Pro and I approached the FEI and presented them with several concepts for the space. Before long, we had agreed on the concept and we got to work.

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So that the FEI, a prominent sports organisation, could present itself to a growing audience in a new and visionary way with the latest technology. And by doing so, the FEI is a pioneer, becoming the first International Federation to have a Gallery of this kind.

What did you learn when researching and gathering content for the gallery?

It’s very innovative technology, what inspired you to take such a leap into the future with such a traditional sport?

Just as Dressage has evolved over the years, and alongside the introduction of new disciplines, particularly Para-Equestrian, you come to realise that the FEI is not as traditional as one would think. Actually, this kind of innovative presentation of equestrian history is really well suited to the FEI. In the same way that you can have horse-man connections, there is an audience-technology connection in the Gallery.

The audience have to be active in order to enjoy the depth of information the Gallery contains.

Now that you have seen it unveiled to the public, how would you like to see it evolve?

I hope the audience will be amazed from the design by architect Oded Alony, and the new methods to deliver information whilst discovering the long history of the FEI, the diversity and the global reach of the organisation. I hope the Gallery will become an icon in Lausanne and one of its highlights for visitors.

I promise the visitors a new platform to learn about equestrianism, and each visit could be different as the information and themes will be updated and modified regularly.

This futuristic gallery is a first for an International Federation, do you think this is something all sports should invest in?

The FEI took this courageous decision and now has this fantastic tool to present the organisation in new ways. Sport is a huge cultural phenomena.

We have learned to consume sport in the arenas and stadiums, in the press, media and new media.

Now it is time to open the door to new places to learn about sport – at the heart of sporting organisations themselves. The Gallery is more than an informative tool, it brings people to the sport and to the heart of its operations.

Established in 1990, Disk-In Pro specialises in the planning, design, production and implementation of Museums, Visitor Centres and sophisticated projects around the world. This includes multi screen production; animation; 3D & interactive films; state-of-theart software platforms; and complex video displays for an unforgettable experience.

Oded Alony holds a B.A. in Design from the Interior Design Section of the Holon Technological Institute and has, since 1998, worked with Israel’s leading Architecture firms. The Oded Alony Studio embraces holistic design: a space where interior design, lighting and graphics are brought together to create a harmonious project vision.

Dr Amichai Alperovich

FOCUS 55

SOCIAL media the new frontier

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The FEI has recently embarked on and embraced a whole new way of talking with the greater equestrian community through the ever expanding social media networks and platforms.

With personalised Facebook, Twitter and You Tube pages, the FEI is taking it step by step and reaching out to this growing audience and listening to what they have to say.

This new communication platform is by no means a substitution of the traditional communication pathways but works alongside the press releases, various publications and content on www.fei.org and www. feitv.org providing a new arena where the FEI can share, interact and dialogue with fans of the sport and of equestrian values in general.

We talk to Richard Johnson, Director of Corporate Communications, about the FEI’s commitment to social media.

What compelled the FEI to venture onto the social media scene?

As a governing body with a vibrant and active community of National Federations as well as thousands of fans, the need to reach out to the online social community has never been stronger. We have been watching the communities grow online for some time and have been listening to their conversations, so being a part of it was the next logical step and a really important one. The conversations will happen with or without us, so taking that step has been crucial in order to share our values and also build relationships with our fan base.

Tradition meets modernity – does equestrian sport/the FEI have a place in social media?

Absolutely, even though equestrian sport has a long history and is perceived as a traditional sport, it is

always evolving. In the 90 years of the FEI, which was founded to govern the three Olympic disciplines, it has grown to also oversee the disciplines of Driving, Endurance, Vaulting, Reining and Para-Equestrian sport. Or if you look at the early days when competitors were from military backgrounds and when women did not compete alongside men to the complete gender equality we have today – a lot has changed and is in a constant state of change.

The fans of equestrian sport are like any other fan base, web savvy and eager for more information, behind the scenes content and to share their opinions and thoughts – so it is an ideal partnership. And from what we have seen these last few months and from the feedback we got from our blog at the Youth Olympic Games, there is a real appetite for this.

The FEI has dedicated Facebook, Twitter and You Tube pages – why did you select these social media platforms?

The figures speak for themselves… Facebook, Twitter and You Tube are the biggest players in the social networking space. With over 500 million Facebook users, 106 million Tweeters and 2 billion views a day on You Tube, there has never been so much opportunity for exposure. Every site has different demographics with different habits and needs, so by having an FEI presence on these three networks, we are able to cover a lot of ground and cater to different audiences by providing different types of content according to the platform.

What are the main benefits of having a presence on various social media platforms?

It’s all about having a two way conversation – the benefits of dialogue where you can share content such as videos, images, facts and figures, thoughts and values and then allow your fan base to react, to get involved and to listen and learn from them. By engaging with our audience and showing them that we are a modern and caring organisation and that we want to hear what they have to say then we are able to build trust and ultimately credibility in what we do and what we say.

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It also keeps us alert as to what is being discussed and debated in the public sphere so that we can manage situations more effectively and be proactive in our messaging and information, so that the facts are at the heart of the debate and not interpretations of them.

How do you generate content for social media?

It was important when we launched our social media presence that it be manageable with the existing communications team in place – and so we have concentrated on keeping it simple and effective and using content innovatively. It’s not about reproducing our website – but to engage with our fans and so often all you need is a good picture, an interesting fact or great achievement to get the ball rolling.

For You Tube, as we already have so much content generated from FEI TV, it was simply a question of using bits and pieces from that content to provide the public with teasers from events, interviews with winning riders or behind the scenes content which they can then follow up on FEI TV with a subscription.

What are your Social media goals?

It’s really to build relationships and dialogue with our fan base by using our content innovatively, by listening to what they have to say and by engaging with the community. And for the National Federations that have yet to take that step, we want to be a guiding hand that can help them get started so that they too can reap the benefits of social media networking. Our sport competes against other sports for attention, so it’s really important that we, the FEI and the National Federations keep our finger on the pulse and cater to our fans.

How can National Federations get involved?

NFs wishing to find out more about Social Media can contact me (richard.johnson@fei.org) and I would be more than happy to discuss opportunities and ways of getting started as well as our experience at the FEI.

58

We asked our Facebook followers why it was important to use facebook and here are a few comments they came up with: It’s a great way to find out about shows • and competitions!

Because facebook can provide up to the • minute updates as to the what is going on in the horse community.

We can share information and ideas over • long distances. We can find and connect with people we wouldn't be able to otherwise.

It also lets us express the true realities of • our spot to keep us grounded.

It can bring people's attention to • excellence – and expose the issues.

WATCH LIVE !

WATCH ONLINE !

www.feitv.org The official video website of the Fédération Equestre Internationale

FEI TV is the FEI’s new official video website and your ticket to the world’s most prestigious competitions. Sign-up to FEI TV (www.feitv.org) and get instant access to all the live broadcasts, the extensive video-on-demand library, all the highlights, the behind the scenes reports, the interviews and so much more.

Be at the heart of horsesport. Join us !

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TV 17.05.10 11:24

A4

“Don’t accept drinks from a stranger.”

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