Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 – Round 1: Brilliant Belgians Top First Round At Furusiyya 2015 Final

FEI YouTube: https://youtu.be/WV99DKEslN8

The Belgian team came out on top in the super-tough first round of the €2.3 million Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP) today. With only eight places up for grabs for Saturday’s second and deciding round, there was a ferocious battle between the 19 competing nations, and some heroic performances from sides that didn’t make the cut.

Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, USA, the defending champions from The Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland claimed the remaining qualifying spots in that order, and the stage is now set for a spectacular finale on Saturday night.

The testing course set by Spain’s Santiago Varela produced only seven clear rounds from a starting field of 76 horse-and-rider combinations, and the penultimate triple combination claimed a huge number of victims. A total of 33 horses faulted here, and at least 24 of those left the middle element on the floor. All four members of the French team picked up penalties at this one, and the country that won the first Furusiyya Final back in 2013 finished well down the line in 16th place on their final tally of 24 faults.

The countries that just missed out were Qatar, Mexico and Brazil who shared ninth place on a 16-fault scoreline at the end of the day, and it was interesting to note that three of the rare clear rounds were posted by riders from countries that finished outside the qualification zone. Pedro Veniss got Brazil off to a perfect start when fault-free with Quabri de L’Isle, while both Australian pathfinder Jamie Kermond (Quite Cassini) and Egypt’s anchorman Karim Elzoghby (Amelia) did likewise – the latter two countries sharing 12th place at the end of the day.

Fair but unforgiving

Varela’s course was fair but unforgiving, riders having to plan every step of the way in order to leave all the timber intact and to avoid exceeding the 81 seconds time-allowed. The pressure really began on the roll-back to the planks at fence five which was followed by a big double, and then a right-bending line to the open water. As the Spanish course designer explained afterwards however, the majority of mistakes later on the track were created by loss of control after the open water which was followed by a big oxer and then a turn back to a two-metre-wide triple bar.

“It was six (strides) to the vertical after the triple bar and oxer, but the majority of the riders went on seven and some upset the balance of their horses” he explained this evening. Many paid the price at the blue oxer at fence 11, the front pole kicked out time and again before riders turned down the final line.

Every element of the triple combination at 12 saw plenty of action. “It was at the end of the course, and the jump in was a bit short”, Varela said. The red poles at the vertical second element were further complicated by a water tray below them which distracted some of the horses. The course wasn’t only difficult to ride, Varela said it was also difficult to build. “We only had the warm-up competition and then a 1.60m class – I think it was a fair course with faults everywhere from the start to the end. The question today was not to win, it was to be in the eight teams that qualify for Saturday” he pointed out.

Judy-Ann Melchior and As Cold as Ice Z helped Belgium take top spot in today’s first round of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP). (FEI/Dirk Caremans)

Impossible to predict

It was impossible to predict how the competition would play itself out until the very end as each rider had only one chance to get things right, but the British looked secure having posted a nine-fault scoreline by the end of the third-rider rotation, while Christian Ahlmann’s opening clear with Taloubet Z helped seal Germany’s eight-fault total. Rolf-Goran Bengtsson did the same for Sweden when third to go for his side, but the Dutch had a bit of a moment when one of their dream-team combinations – Maikel van der Vleuten and VDL Groep Verdi – collected 17 uncharacteristic faults. However with a foot-perfect run from the superstar partnership of Jeroen Dubbeldam and Zenith they finished with 10 on the board after five-fault efforts from both Jur Vrieling (VDL Zirocco Blue) and Gerco Schroder (Glock’s Cognac Champblanc), and the defending Furusiyya champions still look well set to continue on the glory trail they have been following over the last year.

The final placings were undecided to the very end however, the Americans heaving a huge sigh of relief that at last, after missing the cut at the previous two Furusiyya Finals, they are through on a nine-fault finishing score while the Irish and Swiss claimed the last two places when posting scores of 13 and 15 faults respectively.

Clear winners

The clear winners today however were the Belgians who confidently cruised home with a final tally of five faults thanks to a fantastic last-to-go clear from newly-crowned European silver medallist, Gregory Wathelet.

Their pathfinder, Olivier Philippaerts (H&M Armstrong van de Kapel) made a mistake at the planks at fence five, but, next to go, Judy-Ann Melchior, collected only a single time penalty with the ever-reliable Cold as Ice Z. Jos Lansink fell victim to the middle part of the combination with For Cento, but Wathelet’s clear sealed it in style.

Wathelet said afterwards “for sure I am really happy about my clear round, but today my team was really good and they made it easy for me! There was not so much pressure when I was going in so I could ride a nice, quiet round. I’m happy for my team, and I hope we can keep it this way for Saturday. We will try to do the same on Saturday but it is a whole new day. Our goal was to be in the top eight this evening, and the main thing is we succeeded in that” he said stoically.

For further information on the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 Final at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP) from 24 to 27 September, visit http://www.csiobarcelona.com or contact Press Officer Isabel Suter, isuter@rcpolo.com, +34 760 258 222.

Result:

1. Belgium 5 faults: H&M Armstrong van de Kapel (Olivier Philippaerts) 4, As Cold as Ice Z (Judy-Ann Melchior) 1, For Cento (Jos Lansink) 5, Conrad de Hus (Gregory Wathelet) 0.
2. Germany 8 faults: Taloubet Z (Christian Ahlmann) 0, Fibonacci (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum) 5, Cornet d’Amour (Daniel Deusser) 4, Chiara (Ludger Beerbaum) 4.
2. Sweden 8 faults: H&M Tornesch (Malin Baryard-Johnsson) 4, Tinkabell (Angelie von Essen) 21, Unita Ask (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) 9, Cantinero (Henrik von Eckermann) 4.
4. Great Britain 9 faults: Diva ll (Ben Maher) 1, Spirit T (Jessica Mendoza) 4, Utamaro D’Ecaussines (Joe Clee) 4, Cassionato (Michael Whitaker) 13.
4. USA 9 faults: Nouvelle (Laura Kraut) 1, Barron (Lucy Davis) 12, Ohlala (Lauren Hough) 4, Cortes C (Beezie Madden) 4.
6. Netherlands 10 faults: SFN Zenith NOP (Jeroen Dubbeldam0 0, VDL Groep Verdi (Maikel van der Vleuten) 17, VDL Zirocco Blue (Jur Vrieling) 5, Glock’s Cognac Champblanc (Gerco Schroder) 5.
7. Ireland 13 faults: Molly Malone (Bertram Allen) 5, MHS Going Global (Greg Broderick) 5, Good Luck (Cian O’Connor) 4, All Star (Denis Lynch) 4.
8. Switzerland 15 faults: Quorida de Treho (Romain Duguet) 1, Clooney (Martin Fuchs) 9, Bonne Chance CW (Janika Sprunger) 16, Castlefield Eclipse (Paul Estermann) 5.

Facts and Figures:

Team Belgium came out on top in the first round of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 which took place at Real Club de Polo in Barcelona (ESP) this afternoon.

The prestigious Club, which was the Jumping venue for the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992, is celebrating its 104th anniversary fixture this year.

The Furursiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 consists of three competitions.

Today’s opening class was a one-round competition in which all 19 qualified nations lined out.

Tomorrow’s Challenge Cup is open to the 11 teams that did not finish in the top eight today.

Saturday’s third and final competition is open to the eight top teams in today’s event. It is a one-round competition with the possibility of a jump-off only for first place.

7 clear rounds from starting field of 76 horse-and-rider combinations in today’s competition.

The 8 nations that have qualified for Saturday night’s final round are Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, USA, Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland.

Louise Parkes

Harutyunyan, A True Champion On And Off The Ring

Artem Harutyunyan (GER) the new APB Light Welterweight (64 kg) Champion who defeated Armen Zakaryan (RUS) on 22 September is also a champion with remarkable off the ring activities which attracted attention among local media and boxing fans alike. Indeed, Harutyunyan took the initiative to invite 500 Syrian refugees to his fight in Hamburg in order to show his support and solidarity with them.

He said: “I invited 500 refugees to my fight. I had previously been in a refugee camp in Hamburg and was teaching some boxing lessons. In 1991 my family fled from Armenia to Germany so I know what a hard time the refugees have. I want to offer them a future with the sport of boxing and be a role model for them. Sport can connect people no matter where they are from. I like to help people as much as I can”.

Harutyunyan, a true champion on and off the ring

Surrounded by his supportive fans, friends and family, as well AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu and German Boxing Federation President Jurgen Kyas, Harutyunyan was awarded the prestigious APB Light Welterweight bout following his triumph.

AIBA President Dr Wu praised the boxer’s initiative: “Boxing has the power to change the world and Harutyunyan’s actions embody the values that our sport stands for – respect, solidarity and humility. I am very proud that one of our APB Champions is living these values both inside and outside of the ring”.

AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) World Championship bout in Hamburg was the last in the series of the title events in the pro competition identifying one champion in each weight category of Cycle I of the competition. Fighting in front of a hugely supportive audience in Hamburg, Harutyunyan was awarded the victory by split decision after 12 rounds of intense action.

Say cheese: world’s top Jumping athletes in team photo shoot at Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final in Barcelona

All 19 nations competing at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 in Barcelona have taken part in a special photo shoot as part of the #SupportYourNation campaign, which centres on supporting the athletes at this Final across all news and social media platforms.

The world’s top Jumping riders may have a serious mission ahead of them, but that hasn’t stopped them having fun on set at the Real Club De Polo De Barcelona, where the €2.3 million Final showdown kicks off at 16.00 local time today (24 September).

Carly Rae Jepsen to perform at Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015

Global pop icon Carly Rae Jepsen will be singing at the closing ceremony in Barcelona

Carly Rae Jepsen will be performing live at the closing ceremony of the €2.3 million Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final in Barcelona (ESP) on Saturday 26 September.

The Canadian superstar will be singing on Saturday night at the world’s richest team final, staged at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona. The iconic Club, venue for the equestrian events at the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992, celebrates its 104th anniversary show this year.

Teams from 45 nations took part in 19 qualifiers around the globe, with 19 countries qualifying for the Final in Barcelona, where they’ll compete for a total prize fund of €2,362,500. FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping is the world’s oldest and most prestigious team jumping event, celebrating 106 years of competition.

Carly Rae Jepsen Credit: Universal Music Group

Carly Rae Jepsen shot to fame in 2012 after her single Call Me Maybe reached number one in 18 countries worldwide. She has since released a number of smash hits, including I Really Like You and Run Away With Me.

Carly Rae was thrilled with the invitation to perform at the closing ceremony in Barcelona, where she will be showcasing some of her greatest hits, as well as tracks from her new album Emotion, which is out now.

“I am really excited to be performing at the closing ceremony for the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Final”, Carly Rae said. “I’ve always loved horses and show jumping and I can’t wait to see the world’s best riders compete in Barcelona and then get on stage and perform for them! It’s going to be amazing!”

Ingmar De Vos, FEI President said: “We are so happy to have Carly Rae Jepsen performing at the closing ceremony. She’s a global pop icon and she’s going to be singing at a world-class event. We are really looking forward to seeing her perform as the wrap-up to the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Final, the highlight of our outdoor jumping season.”

First test events in view as IOC concludes 5th Coordination Commission visit in PyeongChang

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Coordination Commission for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 has concluded its fifth visit (22-24 September) to the Korean host city positive about the progress being made, while underlining the importance of test events for the Games preparations. The Commission was joined for the meeting by representatives of the seven International Federations of sports on the programme of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, who were able to share their expertise and actively contribute to shaping the project.

Commenting after the meeting, IOC Coordination Commission Chair Gunilla Lindberg said, “The preparations for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 are developing well. Support from all the local partners continues to be strong, with the national and regional governments both present during our meetings. We were also delighted to have with us representatives of the seven International Federations on the 2018 programme, who brought their sport-specific expertise to the discussions. This was helpful for PyeongChang 2018, as it has now entered the delivery phase of preparations and is working on the detailed services for the athletes and technicians. This will be particularly important for the first sports events early next year, which include important dates on the international calendar, namely an FIS Alpine World Cup, an FIS Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard World Cup, and an IBSF/FIL pre-homologation event.”

She continued, “The venues continue to progress rapidly. We visited Jeongseon and the Alpensia Sliding Centre, and got a really good impression of what the athletes will experience come Games time. I am confident that they will be very pleased. The competition sites remain on schedule for the Games, but the organisers need to maintain their focus, as some delivery dates are very close to the start of the test events. It is important that PyeongChang 2018 delivers these events successfully and, in particular, the first events next February, in order to create a solid basis for its planning and preparations for the Games. This will also be a great opportunity for Koreans to experience elite winter sport and get engaged in the Games, as some of the world’s best athletes in those sports will be present in order to get a feeling for the 2018 Olympic venues.”

Additionally, the Commission was informed that the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee (POCOG), the National Government and the Gangwon authorities were working together in a venue legacy advisory group in order to deliver on their commitment to complete the detailed legacy plans for the venues by December. It was underlined by the Commission that one of the key legacies of these Games would be human, with expertise being developed in numerous areas but especially in the organisation of winter sports. The upcoming test events will already start to deliver on that promise, with local staff working closely with federation experts on the competitions.

PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee President Yang-ho Cho said, “It has been a very productive three days. I feel that we are moving in the right direction to stage great Olympic and Paralympic Games. With the feedback and support of the Coordination Commission, we have made a number of important and critical decisions. As we move further ahead into the operational phase of the Games, I would like to thank the national and International Federations for their guidance and support. Their expertise and Games experience have been instrumental to guiding POCOG.”

The support of local partners was also reinforced during the visit, as the Commission learnt about POCOG’s third-wave restructuring, which has seen the number of staff at the Organising Committee grow in line with the increasing workload that comes as the Games approach. The different levels of government have contributed positively to this evolution by supporting the recruitment and retention of secondees from their respective administrations.

There was also good news on the marketing front, as POCOG announced that it has now reached over 50 per cent of its sponsorship target. This showed the Commission the strong backing of the Korean business community for the Games.

Over the three days, the Coordination Commission heard updates about areas as diverse as Athlete and National Olympic Committee (NOC) Services, Sport and International Federation Services, Media Operations, Spectators, Technology and the Paralympic Games. As well as visiting the Jeongseon Alpine Centre and Alpensia Sliding Centre, the Commission members participated in the ground-breaking ceremony of the PyeongChang Olympic Village.

The next visit of the full Commission will be in March 2016.

Nigeria Rugby Football Federation Enters Nigerian Sports Awards Race

In accordance with directive of the organisers of the prestigious Nigerian Sports Awards, the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation has called on all sports loving Nigerians and sports enthusiasts to nominate the federation as the Ball Sport of the year and also Administrator of the year for 2014/2015.

According to the President of the Federation ‘Sir Fom Edward Pam’ being nominated and winning the 2015 award will be “an icing on an already sweet and creamy cake” considering the lofty achievements recorded by the federation despite the poor level of support from the National Sports Commission and the Ministry of Sports.

It would be recalled that in 2014, the federation under Sir Edward Fom Pam mobilized and masterminded the Nigeria’s Rugby senior national team qualification for the Commonwealth games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Despite the heartbreak from the Nigerian Olympics Committee and then Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye who decided that Rugby was not going to be represented at the fiesta, they were undeterred as they rallied back from this heartbreak to travel to Togo for the All African games and pre-Olympics qualifiers where they booked their tickets to these events with little or no support from government.

The NRFF is one of the few federations in the country with a regular league season which is divided into 4 regions for easier administrative purposes; The NRFF is also focused on grassroot development thereby giving home based players the opportunity to excel in the sport.

The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation as also engaged the service of a foreign coach (Fabian Juries) and this as boosted the growth of Rugby. The fast pace of the sport is manifest in Nigeria’s rating and ranking by World Rugby (the international ruling body) The NRFF also possesses a technical department that is fully automated and is equipped with a second to none Data base, the federation in conjunction with Rugby Africa (the continental ruling body) organized a weeklong training for coaches and referees in Nigeria while grassroots programs have also been initiated in schools in their quest to take the sport to the nooks and crannies of the country.

To nominate NRFF as the Ball Sport of the year and Administrator of the year in Nigeria for 2014/2015 calendar year, log on to http://nigeriansportsaward.com/nominations