FEI President Ingmar De Vos opened the first in-person meeting of the FEI Board at the FEI General Assembly 2019 in Moscow (RUS) with a vote of thanks to outgoing Board members and a particular vote of thanks to the Russian hosts. The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, posted a personal message on the Kremlin […]
via FEI President opens in-person Board meeting at FEI General Assembly 2019 — finixsportsblog
Ingmar De Vos, President of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), was today elected to the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) Council at its General Assembly held during the SportAccord World Sport and Business Forum in the Gold Coast (AUS). The Belgian native, who was elected in the first round of voting, is also […]
via Ingmar De Vos Elected To ASOIF Council — finixsportsblog
Ingmar De Vos was today re-elected unopposed as President of the FEI at the General Assembly in Manama (BRN), where he pledged to build on the success of his first term in office. The Belgian native received unanimous support for a second four-year term from delegates representing the FEI’s 133 National Federations. It is the […]
via Unanimous Support For Re-Election Of Ingmar De Vos As FEI President — finixsportsblog
Ingmar De Vos, who was elected as President of equestrian sport’s global governing body, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) in 2014, is the sole candidate for this year’s Presidential election, which takes place at the FEI General Assembly in Bahrain’s capital Manama on 20 November. A total of 52 athletes from 26 countries on five […]
The Working Group put in place to review the Jumping Invitation Rules and CSI/CSIO requirements met at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) over the past two days (20 and 21 June) and has produced a series of recommendations which will be passed on to the FEI Jumping Committee to draft proposed rule changes. The Jumping […]
The FEI has today launched FEI Campus, a unique and free e-learning gateway for everyone with a love of horses and equestrian sport, wherever they are in the world. FEI Campus is an FEI Solidarity project and the online resource – https://campus.fei.org – is expected to become the virtual reference point for millions of equestrian […]
via FEI Campus Launches Today – Get e-learning Anytime, Anywhere! — newfanzoneblog
World experts on the Olympic sports of Jumping and Eventing and the non-Olympic discipline of Endurance will address the FEI Sports Forum 2017 when it takes place at the International Management Development Institute (IMD) in Lausanne (SUI) from 10-11 April. The programme for the annual event, which is acknowledged as the key opportunity for the […]
via Leading experts to debate equestrian sport’s key topics at FEI Sports Forum 2017 — newfanzoneblog
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal was awarded the prestigious Longines Ladies Award in London’s Natural History Museum today. The Princess Royal, FEI President from 1986-1994 and now an FEI Honorary President, joined global horse sport industry leaders on the eve of Royal Ascot, Britain’s most valuable race meeting, to receive the Longines Ladies Award […]
via Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal honoured with Longines Ladies Award — newfanzoneblog
If there is one trophy in the sport of Jumping that every athlete wants to win, it’s the Longines FEI World Cup™ which has been raised in triumph by the world’s greatest stars. And if there is one place where riders would most like to record that victory, it is in the city of Gothenburg (SWE) where Austrian legend, Hugo Simon, was the first man to claim the title 37 years ago.
A unique quality sets the winning horse-and-rider partnerships apart, because success in this series has been consistently marked by a large measure of determination combined with raw talent, keen judgement, courage and, most importantly of all, a truly exceptional horse.
The story of the FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final is one of heroic duos often defying the odds to emerge triumphant, and sometimes simply in a league of their own. And as athletes from all across the globe gather in the Scandinavium Arena in Gothenburg next week for the latest seasonal finale, another fascinating page of the compelling FEI World Cup™ Jumping history book will begin to unfold.
Expansion
As the sport of Jumping has continually developed, the number of FEI World Cup™ qualifiers has expanded to 15 leagues world-wide, stretching across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South East and Central Asia and China, and on to North and South America, South Africa, the Middle East, Caucasia and Central and Western Europe. In all a total of 108 qualifying events have taken place this season, providing a platform for many athletes from less developed regions to up their game. The best of the best have now emerged, and 38 of them will line out when the action gets underway next week.
German riders have dominated the winner’s podium over the years with a total of 10 victories, and this year’s Longines Final line-up suggests they will again be the ones to beat. Marcus Ehning is one of four athletes who have won the FEI World Cup™ Jumping title three times, so another success would set a new record. Daniel Deusser is the most recent German winner, coming out on top in Lyon (FRA) in 2014, but with Marco Kutscher and new young star Niklas Krieg also in the hunt, it’s anybody’s game.
And then of course there’s 2011 FEI World Cup™ Jumping champion Christian Ahlmann who has swaggered to success at three legs of the Western European League series and who looks to be on the form of his life. It seems the German contingent will be tough nuts to crack, but there is nothing predictable about this Final which has provided more than a few surprising moments throughout its long and rich history.
Early dominance
American riders, so dominant over the early years of the series, have made a strong come-back since Rich Fellers and the super-tough stallion, Flexible, broke a 25-year drought back in 2012 only to be immediately followed by a win for Beezie Madden in 2013. That brought the tally of US wins to nine and, backed up by seven other riders who will be flying the Stars and Stripes including 22-year-old Katie Dinan who will be lining out at her fourth Final, the phenomenal Fellers and Flexible will be back in business once again this time around.
They are always headline-stealers wherever they go, not just because this horse has fought back from career and life-threatening injury and illness so many times, but also because the stallion is now 20 years of age and still fighting fit and rearing to go. It was in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NED) that they pipped Steve Guerdat and Nino des Buissonnets for the title four years ago in a thrilling two-way third-round head-to-head, just a few short months before the Swiss duo went on to take individual gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games. And 12 months later Guerdat was again the bridesmaid, beaten in a timed decider by Fellers’ compatriot Beezie Madden.
Coveted trophy
Guerdat had to wait another two years before he got his hands on the coveted trophy in Las Vegas (USA) last April where, true to tradition, the result hung in the balance to the very end and spectators all across the world were gripping the edges of their seats throughout the closing moments. Guerdat really wanted that win.
“I’ve been trying a long time … and I’ve come close so many times. It’s the third time I was in the lead going into the final competition, and today I nearly messed it up again! Coming to the last I was riding more like a cow-horse rider! But I’m so happy, I feel blessed!” he said at the end of that dramatic day.
A typically gutsy effort from Fellers and Flexible saw them sharing the lead with Guerdat and Albfuehren’s Paille going into the last of the three competitions, but it was French woman Penelope Leprevost who eventually finished in runner-up spot behind Guerdat, and there’s no doubting the strength of the French challenge again this year.
Leprevost led a French cavalry-charge at the opening leg of the Western European League series in Oslo (NOR) where European individual bronze medallist, Simon Delestre, lined up second and Patrice Delaveau finished third. Delestre is now world number one on the Longines rankings and Leprevost, who went on to bag another victory during the qualifying season, is ranked fifth. With Kevin Staut also on the start-list it seems the French, whose only previous victory was recorded by Bruno Broucqsault and Dileme de Cephe in Milan (ITA) in 2004, may be about to address that imbalance this year.
Host of others
While a host of others also arrive carrying their hopes and dreams, including representatives from Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Egypt, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland and Saudi Arabia, the man with the biggest weight on his shoulders may well be Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann.
Despite the fact that this is the 14th time for the FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final to be staged in Gothenburg, there has never been a Swedish winner, and as the only rider flying the host-nation’s flag there will, no doubt, be great expectations from the home spectators. The 34-year-old, who has worked with German star Ludger Beerbaum for some years now, is a cool character however and is unlikely to be fazed by the buzz of electricity in the Scandinavium Arena.
Like all the others, his focus will be on attempting to place his name on the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Roll of Honour, which includes so many of the greatest partnerships in the sport. Ian Millar and Big Ben from Canada, Britain’s John Whitaker and the extraordinary Milton, Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa and Baloubet du Rouet and Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and the sensational Shutterfly are just a few of the legends whose names are intrinsically linked to the supreme title of indoor Jumping – the Longines FEI World Cup™.
Louise Parkes
Reem Acra, the internationally renowned fashion designer, has extended her partnership with the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Western European league and series Final for a further three-year term through to 2019.
Reem Acra signed an initial three-year agreement for the FEI World Cup™ Dressage Western European league in 2010, renewing for a further three-year term in 2013. The new agreement extends the partnership term to nine years.
The official signing ceremony for the new agreement, which starts with the new 2016/2017 season, took place backstage at the Reem Acra Fall 2016 ready-to-wear runway show during last month’s New York Fashion Week.
The celebrity designer, who has dressed some of the world’s most famous Hollywood A-listers, including Angelina Jolie and Halle Berry, and music icons Taylor Swift and Beyonce, also sponsors the FEI’s annual Best Athlete award and has designed gowns for award winners Charlotte Dujardin and Adelinde Cornelissen.
“We have worked together with Reem Acra for six years now and are delighted to have this opportunity to strengthen our ties and take our partnership to another level, including the brand’s continued involvement in the FEI Awards”, said FEI President Ingmar de Vos, who flew to New York to sign the new agreement.
“It was fascinating to see Reem Acra in her own creative environment behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week. The focus on perfection is in many ways very similar to the work that our athletes go through behind the scenes to prepare for a winning Dressage test. This new chapter in our partnership will generate further global exposure of the Reem Acra brand, demonstrating the synergies between the brand and our sport, and attracting new audiences to Dressage.”
“We have already established a very successful partnership with the FEI during our time as title sponsor of FEI World Cup Dressage and really enjoy being associated with this prestigious Dressage series”, Reem Acra said. “I absolutely adore the grace and elegance of horses and the harmony of dressage resonates with me and with the style and elegance of my creative designs. I had no hesitation in extending our partnership to another level of commitment, to continue my association with equestrian sport and this world class event.”
HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, FEI Honorary President and Goodwill Ambassador, was also honoured, taking the Local Sports Figure award in recognition of her outstanding work as FEI President during 2006 to 2014, and for establishing the FEI’s global sport development programme, FEI Solidarity.
FEI Solidarity, launched in 2011 and inspired by the Olympic Solidarity model, is focused on providing opportunities for the next generation of athletes and all those working in equestrian communities around the world, so that local structures can be established to develop the sport.
The FEI was not the only International Federation to be recognised at the awards ceremony. The International Judo Federation, also with a base in the Olympic capital of Lausanne, was presented with the International Organisation Award for its efforts in bringing judo and its values to children in Syrian refugee camps.
“For the FEI, it is particularly gratifying to see FEI Solidarity recognised in the award to our Honorary President Princess Haya, and to see our 2nd Vice President Sheikh Khalid honoured. It is good to see their services and commitment to equestrian sport getting this recognition”, said Ingmar De Vos, FEI President and FEI Solidarity Chair. “Speaking on behalf of the international equestrian community, I would like to congratulate all the athletes, teams and sports institutions who put their hearts and souls into winning these awards. Sport is an essential part of our global society. The creativity we see in the sports industry is very exciting, with clear benefits to the communities we all live in and are looking to develop for future generations.”
A total of 180 entries were received for this seventh edition of the annual Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards, part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Global Initiatives focusing on humanitarian, social and developmental strategies.
The FEI President Ingmar De Vos has today again confirmed that the FEI’s position on the Global Champions League (GCL) remains unchanged and that the Federation will continue to fight the decision of the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) with all legal means.
“The GCL is still an unsanctioned event which is not approved by the FEI and we are still seeking a full annulment of the decision”, Ingmar De Vos said.
“As the international governing body, we of course have to respect the decision of the Court and have complied with the BCA ruling to publish a statement declaring that, as an interim measure, athletes and horses competing in the GCL events will not be sanctioned. But I want to make it absolutely clear, these are only interim measures which we will continue to fight and that no decision has yet been taken on the merits of the case.
“Some people are trying to create confusion about this case and the position of the FEI, but let me be very clear, our position has not changed. We will fight to defend the principal of unsanctioned events and, once this rule is upheld, it will be applied immediately.”
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