FEDERATION EQUESTRE INTERNATIONALE
FEI PRESS NEWS 28/03
3 SEPTEMBER 2003

FEI EUROPEAN REINING CHAMPIONSHIP
GERMANY TAKES THE TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL GOLD

The very first FEI European Reining Championship was conquered by Germany
who took both the team and individual gold medals home. The competition
hosted in Reggio Emilia, Italy, location where the first FEI CRIO took place
and where the AQHA European Championships are being held until September
7th, saw eight participating nations (Austria, Czech Republic, France,
Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Italy and Switzerland) and three individual
riders (Yves Fromont and Gerald Fievet from France and Daude Henning from
Germany).

The first go round of the competition took place on Friday and saw Team
Germany take the lead with a total of 641points, score which was determined
by keeping the three highest scores obtained and by dropping the lowest.
Switzerland, Great Britain and Israel were standing in second place with a
score of 634 and team Italy was fifth with a score of 631.5.

In the second go round held on Saturday, competition stepped up as the
European reining enthusiasts gathered on the stands to cheer for their home
country. Team Germany members Alexander Ripper riding Solanos Warlee Boy
(220), Maik Bartmann riding Twist N Shout Whiz (211.5), Jurgen Pieper on GB
Jac (216) and Oliver Stein con Enterprise Winder (213.5) scored a total of
649.5 bringing their composite total to 1290.5 which assured them the team
gold. Thanks to the 214.5 obtained in the first go round and the 220 in the
second, Alexander Ripper clenched the individual gold medal. ³This is truly
a great team², said the smiling Team Coach Paul Kratschmer, ³and working
with them was so easy!². ³It¹s my first time showing on a team and I am
simply thrilled with this achievement², said 22 year old Alexander.

Team Italy members Giovanni Pagani on Show One Mark (202,5), Matteo
Paracchini on Where is Snapper (215), Francesco Arrighi on Vudu Dunit (215)
and Marco Ricotta on Mifillenium (219.5) climbed up three positions and
conquered the silver medal as well as the individual bronze which went to
Ricotta and Mifillenium.

Bronze medal honours with a total of 1279, a half point behind Italy, went
to Team Switzerland (Manuela Graf riding Sailwins Pride, Jeannette
Krahenbuhl riding Arc Golden Boy, Daniel Straumann riding Gallo Pequeno,
Judith Baumeister on Top Booggie Sail).

For the Swiss team who has always competed in European CRIO events and who
also qualified for the 2002 WEG (World Equestrian Games), this is the first
medal.

The individual silver medal went to Rosanne Sternberg of Great Britain who
earned this prestigious spot after obtaining the top score of the second go
round, a 220.5, astride her 14 year old stallion Nijomi Sonny Reb.


FEI GANDINI WORLD JUMPING RIDERS RANKINGS
FUCHS IN THE LEAD FOR THE 3RD CONSECUTIVE MONTH

Markus Fuchs (SUI) the new World No 1 since June 2003 keeps the first place
of the FEI Gandini World Jumping Riders Rankings list. He dropped 320 points
from August 2002, but could recuperate most of them in August this year,
despite the fact that he scored no points at the European Championships in
Donaueschingen. However, he earned 150 points at CSIO Gijon (ESP) where he
finished 2nd in the Grand Prix and another 120 in Coruna.

Fuchs' runner-up Ludger Beerbaum (GER) narrowed the margin separating him
from the No 1 as he did more than recuperate the 265 points he was dropping
from last year. If Fuchs went to Spain to score his points of August, Ludger
just stayed home to earn 257.50 pts in Donauschingen and another 124 in
Münster.

Otto Becker (GER) went up from 5th to 7th place thanks to the 190 points he
scored in Donaueschingen (140 at the Europeans and 50 at the CSI 3*).

Good progression also for Beat Mändli (SUI) who is going up from 15th to 11
place. He earned 148,33 points at the Europeans and was also successful in
Valkenswaard CSI 5* where he finished 4th of the Grand Prix. We shall note
also the jump of the newcomer in the Swiss Team Steve Guerdat, who went up
from 84th to 49th place thanks to his performance in Donaueschingen.

Samantha McIntosh (BUL) had an excellent progression from 4oth to 23 place
(she won 122.50 points at the European Championship and 130 in Valkenswaard,
where she won the Grand Prix.

The new European Champion Christian Ahlmann (GER) goes up from 29th to 21st
place.

The FEI rankings are published on the FEI website
http://www.horsesport.org/fei/consult/consult_02/con_02_01.html


FEI BCM WORLD DRESSAGE RIDERS RANKINGS

The European Champion Ulla Salzgeber (GER) firmly keeps her position of
World No. 1 with an improved score of 80.978 compared to 80.293 last month.

Lisa Wilcox (USA, in second position, is also increasing her score to
78.961. She finished 2nd of the European Open Championship which took place
last month in Hickstead (GBR).

Debbie Mc Donald (USA) drops down one place to 4th, and exchange place with
Nadine Capellmann (GER). Heike Kemmer (GER) goes up one place and replaces
Ingrid Klimke (GER)at the 6th place of the rankings.

Rafael Soto Andrade enters the Top Ten, and goes up from 57th to 10th rank,
as now he has got a 10th result taken into account in the calculation of his
overall score.


SAMSUNG NATIONS CUP SERIES
Ireland wins the Nations Cup in Gijón

Nearly 15.000 people witnessed the victory of the Irish team over the nine
other countries that took part in the Nations Cup competition held in Gijón
on 30 August. After Ireland came Great Britain and Belgium.

Lt. Shane Carey with "Killossery" (4/4), Capt. Gerry Flynn with "Bornacoola"
(8/8), Harry Marshall with "Splendido" (0/4) and Clement MacMahon with
"Gelvin Clover" (4/0) were the winners of the Nations Cup. Seven countries
out of ten passed to the second round: Ireland (16 points in total), Great
Britain (20), Belgium (24), Switzerland (29), United States (34), Italy (36)
and Spain (44) -that had to use its privilege as home team -. Germany (24 on
the first round), France (28) and Portugal (with two horses eliminated
during the first round) didn't make it.

None of these forty riders completed two clear rounds and only ten managed
to finish one of the rounds with no faults. The best individuals were
Kristof Cleeren with "Lover Boy" (0/4), Harry Marshall with "Splendido"
(0/4) and Damien Charles with "Romolus 16" (4/0).

Ireland won for the first time in Gijón, putting an end to the Spanish team
dream of winning the Nations Cup at home for the third consecutive time.

Standings after the 12th leg of the Series:
1. Switzerland 43 pts
2. USA 33 points
3. Spain 26 points

Next event: CSIO Spruce Meadows (CAN) starting today!
Website : http://www.sprucemeadows.com


JACK'S CORNER
SELECTION FOR THE FEI WORLD CUP DRIVING

During CAI Donaueschingen, which was held at the end of August, the Top Ten
Four-in-Hand drivers of the Summer qualification series selected the events
they wish to compete in the coming 3rd World Cup season.
Isbrand Chardon, as the winner of the qualification series, could select his
four events first. The 9 other drivers, one at a time, could select their
events in order of their placing in the Western European qualification
series.

Chester Weber, who won a parallel qualification series in North America, may
compete in four of the eight events as extra, i.e. 7th driver.

At each event, a wild card is given to a home driver to arrive at a starting
field of six drivers.

Stuttgart (GER) 19-23 Nov. 2003 -- Christoph Sandmann (GER) -- Werner Ulrich
(SUI) -- Michael Freund (GER) -- Joszef Boszik (HUN) -- Joszef Dobrovitz
(HUN)

Stockholm (SWE) 28-30 Nov. 2003 -- Ysbrand Chardon (NED) -- Michael Freund
(GER) -- Boyd Exell (AUS) -- Tomas Eriksson (SWE) -- Gert Schrijvers (BEL)

Mechelen (BEL) 26-30 Dec. 2003 -- Ysbrand Chardon (NED) -- Werner Ulrich
(SUI) -- Tomas Eriksson (SWE) -- Gert Schrijvers (BEL) -- Rainer Duen (GER)

Leipzig (GER) 22-25 Jan. 2004 -- Ysbrand Chardon (NED) -- Christoph Sandmann
(GER) -- Werner Ulrich (SUI) -- Tomas Eriksson (SWE) -- Rainer Duen (GER)

Bordeaux (FRA) 06-08 Feb. 2004 -- Michael Freund (GER) -- Boyd Exell (AUS)
-- Joszef Boszik (HUN) -- Gert Schrijvers (BEL) -- Joszef Dobrovitz (HUN)

Vigo (ESP) 13-15 Feb. 2004 -- Michael Freund (GER) -- Boyd Exell (AUS) --
Joszef Boszik (HUN) -- Gert Schrijvers (BEL) -- Joszef Dobrovitz (HUN)

's-Hertogenbosch (NED) 25-28 March 2004 -- Ysbrand Chardon (NED) --
Christoph Sandmann (GER) -- Boyd Exell (AUS) -- Joszef Dobrovitz (HUN) --
Rainer Duen (GER)

Göteborg (SWE) 08-12 April 2004 -- Christoph Sandmann (GER) -- Werner Ulrich
(SUI) -- Joszef Boszik (HUN) -- Tomas Eriksson (SWE) -- Rainer Duen (GER)


FEI TOP DRIVER AWARD

FOUR-IN HAND, SUPPORTED BY FINN CASPERSEN

Further to the cancellation of Bydgoszcz (POL), the Top Driver Award for
Four-in-Hand concluded in Donaueschingen. With 78 points, World Champion
Ysbrand Chardon (NED) is the winner of the 2003 Trophy, which he had won
only once in 1997. Boyd Exell (AUS) is second with 68 points, followed by
Christoph Sandmann with 66.

PAIRS SPONSORED BY VAN DER WIEL HARNESS

Only one more competition (Jardy, 18-21 September) before the conclusion of
the FEI Top Driver Award for Pairs. French driver Pierre Jung leads the
standings with 53 points ahead of Zsolt Selyben (HUN) 53 points but only a
second place as best score (Jung was first in Windsor), and Ben Gosschalk
(NED) with 51 points.

SINGLES SPONSORED BY KUEHNLE GmbH

André Herman wins the FEI Top Driver Award for Singles with a total of 48
points, ahead of Renaud Vinck (FRA) and Anne Violaine Brisou (FRA).

TOP ENDURANCE RIDERS AT PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Over 100 endurance riders and their horses from 11 countries are gathering
at the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest at Trout Lake, WA for the 2003 Pan
American Endurance Championship. The USA will field five teams while Canada
is sending two. The countries of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Japan,
New Zealand, Romania, Spain and Sweden are also sending top ranked riders to
challenge the trails.

Competitors will begin the 100 mile (160 km.) ride over rolling terrain at
5:00 the morning of 13 September. Although they have a full 24 hours to
complete the ride, the winners are expected to cross the finish line in
about half that time. Riders will also be vying for the coveted Best
Condition and High Vet Score awards, which reward the excellent physical
condition of the top endurance horses.

USA Pacific South rider Heather (Bergantz) Reynolds will be looking to earn
her second consecutive individual gold medal, although the horse she is
riding is not the one she rode to success at the 2001 Pan Am Championship.
Reynolds, this year's Tevis Cup winner, said she thinks her chances of doing
well with the 7-year-old Arabian gelding Aleclipse are very good. "I feel
very good about the ride," she said.

The USA East team will be defending the Team Gold it won at the 2001 Pan
American Championship, with three of the winning four riders returning to
the squad. They will be joined by Valerie Kanavy and her Arabian gelding
Emphatic, co-winners at last year's World Masters Championship.

PAC 2003 organizer Stephanie Irving said preparations for the competition
are on schedule. This being one of the driest years in history, they are
working with the Forest Service on a fire prevention plan, and a strict
protocol to reduce the fire risk. The local volunteer fire department will
be keeping the camp and the trail supplied with ample water. "We're
fortunate that forestry officials are working with us to allow us to go
ahead with the PAC and to keep our riders, horses and the environment safe,"
said Irving.


CALENDAR
PROVISIONAL FEI WORLD CUP DRESSAGE CALENDAR 2003/2004
WESTERN EUROPEAN LEAGUE

1. AARHUS (DEN) 31 Oct-02 Nov 2003
2. BERLIN (GER) 13-16 November 2003
3. STOCKHOLM (SWE) 28-30 November 2003
4. MAASTRICHT (NED) 11-14 December 2003
5. MECHELEN (BEL) 26-30 December 2003
6. AMSTERDAM (NED) 29 Jan-01 Feb 2004
7. NEUMUNSTER (GER) 19-22 February 2004
8. 's-HERTOGENBOSCH (NED) 25-28 March 2004
9. DÜSSELDORF (GER) 01-04 April 2004 FINAL



IN MEMORIAM

Mr. Tadateru Matsudaira (JPN), advisor of the Japan Equestrian Federation,
passed away at the age of 89 on 1 September, from a heart failure at his
home in Tokyo. Born in an aristocratic family, Mr Matsudaira was a
successful businessman as well as a devoted executive of the Japan
Equestrian Federation, first Secretary General and then as Vice-President.
He contributed greatly to the development of equestrian sport in Asia as
Secretary General of Asian Equestrian Federation under Dr. Sen, President,
working together with Ko Tokuda from 1990 to 1998.