FEI PRESS NEWS 26/03
19 AUGUST 2003
- Pan American Games Jumping event
- European Dressage Championship in Hickstead
- Test event in Athens
- FEI/PSI World Challenge Finals
- In Memoriam
PAN AMERICAN GAMES IN SANTO DOMINGO (DOM)
JUMPING
The United States won the team Gold Medal with 13.66 penalties at the 2003
Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Mexico earned the
Silver Medal with 21.87 penalties and Brazil the Bronze with a team total of
43.39.
The competition was very tight as only 0.21 faults separated the United
States and Mexico. Mexico's Gerardo Tazzer riding Chanel was the second to
last rider in the ring and had 12 faults. Chris Kappler (USA) riding Royal
Kaliber followed with a clear round, which allowed the U.S. to drop one of
the previous 8 fault scores to clinch the win.
Mark Watring of Puerto Rico and his mare Sapphire won the individual Gold
after having led throughout the Games. Watring, who trains in California,
had only one fence down in the second round of the Individual Final. Chris
Kappler (USA) earned the silver and Margie Goldstein Engle (USA) the bronze
medal.
The United States, Mexico and Argentina qualified a team to the 2004 Olympic
Games in Athens. Puerto Rico, Canada and Colombia qualified an individual
each, Brazil two individuals.
More information on www.santodomingo2003.com
EUROPEAN DRESSAGE CHAMPIONSHIP IN HICKSTEAD (GBR)
Ulla Salzgeber retains her European title
During a highly successful championship held in Great Britain for the first
time in 16 years, Ulla Salzgeber's Rusty led Germany to Team Gold and
finished with a total score of 244.092, after having made an extraordinary
score of 85.44% in the Freestyle to Music (Kür).
2 sets of medals were awarded: three for the European Championship and three
for the Open European Championship, which included competitors from outside
Europe. Ulla Salzgeber and Rusty won both gold medals.
Spain earned the Team Silver medal and Great Britain the Team Bronze. With
a total score of 235.332, Lisa Wilcox (USA) finished second and earned the
silver medal of the Open Championship, followed by Jan Brink (SWE) and
Beatriz Ferrer-Salat.
Great Britain, Austria and Canada qualified a team for the 2004 Olympic
Games in Athens, joining Germany, USA, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland
and the Netherlands which earned their qualifications already last year at
the World Equestrian Games in Jerez. Ireland qualified one individual, as
Heike Holstein, who finished 20th of the overall individual classification,
was the best placed individual in the Grand Prix not yet qualified through
the World Equestrian Games 2002.
Individual medals
Open European
Gold: Ulla Salzgeber and Rusty (Germany) (total 244.092)
Silver: Lisa Wilcox and Relevant (USA) (total 235.332)
Bronze: Jan Brink and Bjorsells Briar (Sweden) (total 230.070)
European
Gold: Ulla Salzgeber and Rusty (Germany)
Silver: Jan Brink and Bjorsells Briar (Sweden)
Bronze: Beatriz Ferrer-Salat and Beauvalais (Spain) Total 227.950)
Team
Gold: Germany
Silver: Spain
Bronze: Great Britain
TEST EVENT FOR THE GAMES OF THE XVIII OLYMPIAD
Athens (GRE), 13 - 29 August 2004
Terry Boon and Air Cruise Triumph at Markopoulo
From start to finish, Terry Boon and Air Cruise were in the lead, winning an
uncontested first place in the Athens 2003 CIC** Sport Event which took
place from 15 to 17 at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre. The British
rider and his horse, with 36.10 penalty points from the first day (Dressage
Event), rode a faultless Cross Country course and, receiving only one
penalty point in the Jumping Event held on the last day, won the Gold medal
with 37.10 penalty points in total.
In the second place, another British pair, that of Caroline Pratt and her
horse Kinsey Control, with 42.40 penalty points in total. The Bronze medal
went to Australian Olympic Gold medallist Andrew Hoy, who rode Yeoman's
Point, with 48.10 penalty points. Hoy's wife Bettina (Germany) had a fall in
the second round and was eliminated from final ranking.
Dimitris Natsis, riding Master Exchange, made the best appearance of the two
Greek competitors participating in the event, finishing in 6th place with 60
penalty points, as he was penalised for exceeding the time limit in the
first round and received a jumping penalty in the second round.
Some 1,000 Equestrian fans followed the last day of the Sport Event. Among
them was Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyanni and her husband and President of the
Hellenic Equestrian Federation Isidoros Kouvelos.
During the test event, a veterinary course was organised by ATHOC in
collaboration with the FEI. All veterinarians scheduled to assist in next
years' Olympics participated in the course. Course lectures were given by
Prof. Jeffcott (Chairman of the Veterinary Committee), Dr Nigel Nichols
(Sydney Veterinary coordinator) and Dr. Sluyter (Head of the Veterinary
Department).
During the competition, the veterinary platform was successfully organised
with the help of experienced foreign veterinarians, who worked in pairs with
local vets. The horses were closely monitored during the different Eventing
phases and the protocol of 'assisted' cooling of horses was repeatedly
practised during the cross-country. The shaded areas with misting fans
proved extremely effective and will be further expanded for next year. No
horses suffered from serious injures as a result of the competition. The
test event was seen as a promising exercise by the veterinarians and
suggestions for further improvement will be forthcoming.
The Olympic Equestrian Centre will be covered with greenery in August 2004.
The natural environment at Markopoulo and the Equestrian Centre will look
completely different, as arrangements have been made to replant the olive
trees that were growing in the area before construction began, once the
works are completed. The trees in the olive grove on the Olympic Equestrian
site, which were several decades or even one hundred years old, are awaiting
their transfer, scheduled for next April.
CONTACT
Web www.athens.olympic.org
For pictures please contact
Kit Houghton
Tel: +44 1278 671362
Email: kit@enterprise.net
FEI/PSI WORLD CHALLENGE FINALS
Hagen am T.W. (GER), 4 - 10 August 2003
The Third FEI World Challenge Finals were held at Hof Kasselmann in Hagen
(GER) within the framework of the "Internationales Reiterfestival Hagen
2003" where, the CSIOJ, national Dressage competitions for Young Riders at
LM and Grand Prix levels and the German Championship for Dressage
Instructors at Grand Prix level were simultaneously organised.
Despite the very high temperatures (32°C), which were a total surprise for
representatives from Africa and the tropical countries, 10 adults in
Dressage, 20 in Jumping and 20 children in Dressage from all over the world
fought for the title.
The same formula applied for both children and adults in the Dressage
Finals, i.e. 2 qualification competitions, out of them the 3 best continuing
on to the Final with change of horses. In Jumping, the formula was
different: 2 Qualification Competitions, 1 Consolation Competition, a Semi
Final and the Final with change of horses.
All three Finals were attended with enthusiasm and the children charmed the
public and the judges by their performances. Bogani Mvumvu from South
Africa just enchanted everybody by his natural talent and his gift of
communication with horses, his gentleness and carefulness. The determined
little Kyra Hendrix from Colombia also gave a wonderful performance all in
harmony and lightness. Maria Romanova from Russia showed a very promising
talent for the future.
It is to be noted that if riders were able to give good performances, it is
also thanks to the contribution of the very high standard of horses lent by
Paul Schockemöhle in Jumping and Ulrich Kasselmann in Dressage. Gathering
same level horses for 50 riders was a real feat.
Colombia did very well in qualifying 3 riders for the Finals, one in each
category!
The results are as follows:
FEI/PSI World Dressage Challenge - FINAL with change of horses
1. Louisa Hill (NZL) (2572 points)
2. Gisela Barth (COL) (2467 points)
3. Anete Dudele (LAT) (2366 points)
FEI/PSI World Jumping Challenge - FINAL with change of horses
1. Andres Guzman Rodriguez (COL) (8 points)
2. ex aequo: Paige Shiller (RSA) (16 points)
2. ex aequo: Jorge-Nelson Rossi Turrazza (URU) (16 points)
FEI/PSI World Jumping Challenge - Semi Final
1. Andres Guzman Rodriguez (COL) (0 point)
2. Jorge-Nelson Rossi-Turrazza (URU) (0 point)
3. Paige Shiller (RSA) (0 point)
FEI/PSI World Jumping Challenge - Consolation Competition
1. Philip Correia (BER) (0 point)
2. Luis Garcia Meza (BOL) (0 point)
3. Stefanie Papadimitriou (GRE) (0 point)
FEI/PSI World Children Challenge Dressage - FINAL with change of horses
1. Bogani Mvumvu (RSA) (1048 points)
2. Kyra Hendrix (COL) (1016 points)
3. Maria Romanova (RUS) (988 points)
For detailed results, please consult:
www.psi-sporthorses.de
IN MEMORIAM
John Hill (AUS) was a man with a passion for the Equestrian Sport. His eager
willingness to " jump over the arena fence" and lend a hand was a true
characteristic of the kind of person he was. John was a level 3 national
showjumping course designer and would take great pleasure designing the
courses at many shows throughout the West and Southwest of New South Wales
as well as forming part of the showjumping crew at the Sydney 2000 Olympic
Games. John was born in Australia and lived in Dubbo until sadly passing at
the age of 55 from cancer of the oesophagus.
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Muriel Faienza, FEI Communications
FEDERATION EQUESTRE INTERNATIONALE
