FEDERATION
EQUESTRE INTERNATIONALE
FEI PRESS NEWS 27/03
25 AUGUST 2003
- European Jumping Championship
- North American Young Riders Championship
- World Combined Driving Pony Championship
- IPC Dressage World Championship
EUROPEAN JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIP IN DONAUESCHINGEN (GER)
Germany wins the European title for fifth time, and grabs all three
individual medals
Germany takes the Team gold and all three individual medals in the European
Jumping Championship, with a surprise victory by newcomer Christian Ahlmann.
The Team title was decided on Friday 22 August in front of 11.000
enthusiastic spectators. None of the four Germans finished without penalty
points in both rounds - this was only achieved by Swiss rider Steve Guerdat,
and Kevin Babington from Ireland. However, with four penalty points from
each round, Christian Ahlmann on Cöster, Otto Becker on Dobel's Cento,
Ludger Beerbaum on Goldfever and Marcus Ehning on For Pleasure masterfully
defended their lead which they had elaborated in the speed and handiness
competition the day before. With a total penalty score of 15,15 points, the
German team was more than 10 points ahead of the second placed team from
France, which consisted of Eric Levallois (Diamant de Semilly), Reynald
Angot (Tlaloc M), Michel Hecart (Quilano de Kalvarie) and Michel Robert
(Galet d'Auzay), who ended up with 25,30 penalty points. Switzerland, with
Willi Melliger (Gold du Talus), Beat Mändli (Pozitano), Steve Guerdat (Tepic
La Silla) and Markus Fuchs (Tinka's Boy) earned the bronze medal with a
total of 28,86 points.
Three nations earned their qualification to the 2004 Olympic Games in
Donaueschingen: Switzerland, Ireland and Italy. The 15 nations qualified to
compete in Athens are now all known: Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany,
Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Sweden, Switzerland and USA.
The newcomer in the German team, Christian Ahlmann, 28, won the Individual
gold on Sunday in front of defending European champion Ludger Beerbaum and
Marcus Ehning.
The Individual Final was very exciting with the 6 best riders finishing with
less than a point difference. In the most dramatic of finishes, the veteran
Belgian Ludo Phillipaerts, riding the grey Parco, lost the gold medal by
just one time fault.
The Swedish star Malin Baryard rose from 12th to second place in the first
round of the individual final, but a fault in the second round dropped her
to 5th place.
All results on www.chi-donaueschingen.de
NORTH AMERICAN YOUNG RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP
American riders win 5 gold medals at the Championnat des Amériques, Canada
steels gold in individual Jumping
The North American Young Riders Championship in the three Olympic
disciplines drew some 14,000 spectators as it came to a close on Sunday 24
August in Bromont (CAN). The United States were the big winners of this
equestrian event for young riders taking 15 of the 18 medals being awarded,
leaving three to Canada.
It is in team competitions that Canada had the most success with a gold
medal in Jumping won by the Ontario Team and a bronze medal in the Eventing
discipline won by a joint Québec-Ontorio team with Québec rider
Colleen
Loach. The United States won gold in the other categories, Dressage and
Eventing.
In the individual competitions, the United States walked away with all three
gold medals in Jumping, Dressage and Eventing.
A $206,000 cheque was presented to honorary guest Nanette Workman by Jean
Fabi, President of the Organising Committee. All the surplus generated by
the event was destined to a group of nine charities benefiting children in
needs.
Pictures and results are available in the media section of the web site of
the Championnat des Amériques at www.champ-amer.org.
Eventing - team
Gold USA area 2
Silver USA area 3/5/8
Bronze Canada (Québec-Ontario)
Dressage - team
Gold USA Zone 3
Silver USA Zone 1
Bronze USA Zone 2
Jumping - team
Gold Ontario - Canada
Silver USA Zone 2
Bronze USA Zone 7 & Zone 4-6
Eventing - individual
Gold USA Zone 4-7
Silver USA Zone 2
Bronze USA Zone 3-5-8
Dressage - individual
Gold USA Zone 1
Silver USA Zone 2
Bronze USA Zone 7
Jumping - individual
Gold USA zone 7
Silver Canada-Ontario
Bronze USA Zone 2
JACK'S CORNER
WORLD COMBINED PONY DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIP
The first ever World Combined Pony Driving Championship was held from 14 to
17 August in Karlstetten (AUT).
Germany was the undisputed leader of the championships and won gold in all
three categories (Four-in-Hand, Pairs and Single) as well as the Team gold.
German drivers Dirk Gerkens (Four-in-Hand), Steffen Abicht (Pairs), Tobias
Bücker (Single) led the championships from the first Dressage day to earn
a
well deserved individual gold medal each. Together with Elke Hillebrandt
(Single), Peter Borgmann (Pairs) und Martin Thiemann (Four-in-Hand), they
were unbeatable and earned the team Gold medal with a total of 329,92,
praising the excellent work of their trainer Ewald Meier. The silver medal
went to the Netherlands and the bronze to Austria.
The Championships were held in a cheerful atmosphere and were very
successful, thanks to the more than 100 volunteers that helped the
Organising Committee. More than 5000 spectators attended the Marathon on
Saturday.
Results
Four-in-Hands
1 Dirk GERKENS GER 134.50
2 Martin THIEMANN GER 138.12
3 Pjotr van der HEYDEN NED 142.08
Pairs
1 Steffen ABICHT GER 102.61
2 Josef STICKELBERGER AUT 122.47
3 Peter BORGMANN GER 122.48
Singles
1 Tobias BÜCKER GER 106.29
2 Peter KOUX DEN 121.77
3 Rudolf PIRHOFER AUT 122.73
PRINCESS ASTRID PATRON OF IPC DRESSAGE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 5th IPC Dressage World Championships will take place from 2 to 7
September in Moorsele, Belgium, under the Patronage of the Princess Astrid
of Belgium. They will be a major selection trial for dressage competitors
who want to qualify for the ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games.
Under the lead of its present Chairperson (Jonquil Solt) and her committee,
Equestrian has grown at a remarkable rate. Dressage riders with a disability
first competed at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games. In 1996, there were 16
nations practising the sport; now there are 40.
Thirty-six of these 40 nations have entered riders for the World
Championships and a total of 120 riders with a disability are expected to
compete at the competitions in Belgium.
Equestrian has established itself as a sport of substance. It has a robust
infrastructure of rules, based on those of the FEI but widely adjusted to
cater for persons with a disability. The forthcoming World Championships
will demonstrate the high standards of performance that have been attained
over the years based on the motto of the International Paralympic Equestrian
Committee: "It's ability that counts - not disability".
For further information, please contact Miriam Wilkens, IPC Media and
Communication Manager on +49 228 209 7180, e-mail:
Miriam.wilkens@paralympic.org or http;//www.paralympic.org
2003 FEI JUNIOR AND YOUNG RIDER ENDURANCE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Press Accreditation for the 2003 FEI Junior and Young Rider Endurance World
Championships has started. The event will take place on 27th September at
the Centro Equestre Federale, in Pratoni del Vivaro (Italy).
Press accreditation forms and details regarding accommodation and how to
reach Pratoni del Vivaro are now available on the Italian Equestrian
Federation (FISE) official website (www.fise.it), in the dedicated section
'Campionati del Mondo Junior e Young Rider Endurance 2003' and on the FEI
website, section news, press service.
The press Accreditation process will close on 10 September 2003. All press
accreditation applications must be presented only by using the official
press accreditation form. All forms will have to be signed (and stamped) by
the editor of the media. Forms not properly filled and/or not signed by
editor will not be accepted. All requests coming from freelance media
(written press and photographers) will have to be accompanied by a letter,
signed by the editor of the publication, confirming that the person will
cover the event for that publication. AIPS and IAEJ membership will be
considered.
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Muriel Faienza, FEI Communications
FEDERATION EQUESTRE INTERNATIONALE
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