San Patrignano, hosts of the 2005 European Showjumping Championships are an amazing community set 15km from Rimini, a famous Italian sea resort town on the Adriatic Sea, and is just 5kms from the Republic of San Marino.

The goals of the San Patrignano community are clear in the following message from Andrea Mucciolo, the President of the San Patrignano Community:

"Every one at San Patrignano has made a choice. The choice of defending and preserving the life of those who are lonely and outcast.

It is possible to carry it out only if we stick to one principle: that we have to forget ourselves and our selfishness as much as possible in order to be welcoming of other people, in order to love them and live for and with them. This is our way to helping others, of interpreting their needs and defending, through the weakness that drug addicts face, their dignity and their life.

For this reason the 2005 FEI European Championship will be not only a big sport event, but also the championships of solidarity and friendship: the championships for whom, like the San Patrignano's guys, has succeeded in leaving behind drug addiction and social out-casting."

As well as the community projects which are based at San Patrignano there is a world class equestrian venue and a breeding program which includes some of the most famous lines in showjumping.

The San Patrignano stud are proud to announce the birth of their latest foal - the third foal from the blue eyed mare Weihaiwej, who was ridden to both Individual and Team Gold by Germany's Franke Sloothak at the 1994 World Championships in The Hague with the sire being one of the most important Holsteiner sires, Indoctro (Capitol x Vanessa VII).

Weihaiwej, a 1984 Oldenburg mare is recognisable worldwide by her startling blue yes and she was one of the most successful International competition mares, with a huge list of achievements of course culminating with the two World Championship Gold medals.

The foal was born by embryo transfer and as yet does not have a name but the stud will find an appropriate name from the Chinese language with a name beginning with "A", the letter which will mark all the newborn foals in 2005 according to Giacomo Mucciolo who is the gentleman responsible for the San Patrignano Breeding Farm.

No doubt these youngsters from this spectacular mare will have great careers ahead of them.

The European Showjumping Championships will run between 21st - 24th July, 2005 and all the best in European will be there as they will no doubt be working to impress their selectors hoping for a berth in the World Equestrian Games teams for their countries.

jumpingaround.com will be bringing you all the latest from this event on a daily basis.