Tosi Tops The Field In Aquece Rio Equestrian Test Event #1yeartogo #Rio2016

Marcelo Tosi (BRA) performed the winning test in the Aquece Rio International Horse Trials after a supremely confident Dressage performance with the 11-year-old Briefing DB Z in the Olympic Equestrian Centre yesterday.

Rio 2015 Olympic Games

Tosi, who celebrates his 46th birthday next Friday, performed to a soundtrack of Mozart clarinet concerto to score 37.60 and secure a 6.9 penalty lead over compatriot Marcio Jorge with the impressive grey Coronel MCJ, but Tosi has decided not to ride Briefing in tomorrow’s Cross Country. He has a second chance of success, however, as he is also in third with Glenfly on 47.2, while Jorge, who was a member of the silver medal team at last month’s Pan American Games in Toronto (CAN), is fourth with Winner on a mark of 48.8.

Tosi, who competes in all three Olympic disciplines – Eventing, Jumping and Dressage – was based in Great Britain for four years, but moved back to Brazil last October in preparation for next year’s home Games.

Like the rest of the Brazilian team, Tosi is trained by Anna Ross for Dressage and double Olympic gold medallist Mark Todd for Cross Country and Jumping. Briefing, which finished 10th in the test event for last year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ is a world-class horse, according to Todd, and Tosi hopes he’ll be his ride at next year’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games. “The Olympics will be great, having them in your own country, it keeps us motivated.”

Tosi enjoys a friendly rivalry with team mate Marcio Jorge: “We’re friends in and out of the arena. We always try to beat each other, it’s the best way to improve. There aren’t lots of riders at the same level to compete with here like in Europe, so it’s great to have him to compete with.”

Under the sun: Rio 2016 Olympic Games Test Event – the Aquece Rio International Horse Trials – off to a great start with the Dressage phase of Eventing at the Olympic Equestrian Centre today in Deodoro. (Raphael Macek)

Marcio Jorge will be first out on the Cross Country tomorrow, with the first of his two rides Winner, when the action kicks off at 10.00. Pierre Michelet’s track covers much of the same ground as that being prepared for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, but at 3.1km is substantially less than the distance horses and riders will tackle next year.

Aquece Rio International Horse Trials (Olympic Test Event) –

1, Briefing DB Z (Marcelo Tosi), BRA, 37.6 penalties;

2, Coronel MCJ (Marcio Jorge), BRA, 44.5;

3, Glenfly (Marcelo Tosi), BRA, 47.2;

4, Winner (Marcio Jorge), BRA, 48.8; equal

5, CDC Super Star (Andre Paro, BRA and Cross Rock (Marcio Appel), 52.5.

Olympic Equestrian Test Event Marks One-year Countdown To Rio 2016

The Olympic Equestrian Test Event – the Aquece Rio (“Warm Up Rio”) International Horse Trials – gets underway on 6 August, a day after celebrations in Brazil to mark the one-year countdown to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Representatives from 16 National Federations, including athletes and officials, will travel to the Olympic Equestrian Centre in Deodoro to take part in the Observers Programme which runs concurrently with the Test Event.

Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, Sweden and the United States of America will all be sending delegations to Rio next month.

Rio 2015 Olympic Games

All five Technical Delegates will be present at the Test Event: Tim Randle (Veterinary), Jacques Van Daele (Dressage), Alec Lochore (Eventing), Santiago Varela (Jumping) and Amanda Bond (Para-Equestrian Dressage), along with John McEwen, Chair of the FEI Veterinary Committee, and the FEI Sports Directors of the three Olympic disciplines: John Roche (Jumping), Trond Asmyr (Dressage) and Catrin Norinder (Eventing).

The Test Event will also be attended by 12 International Technical Officials and a large team of National Technical Officials, with the second group including FEI Stewards, Dressage scribes, judging assistants and Eventing Cross Country officials.

The CIC2* competition, which will be contested by local horses, features a Cross Country course designed by Pierre Michelet (FRA), the man responsible for the championship track at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy last year.

The Warm Up Rio event allows for the testing of a wide range of components prior to the 2016 Games, including technological aspects such as results, scoring and timing, the Field Of Play (both the Main Arena and Cross Country), training arenas, stabling operations, sanitary and biosecurity procedures, spectator flows and management, accreditation and media operations.

Anti-doping processes will also be tested, with human and equine sampling being conducted during the event. FEI Vet Committee member Colin Roberts will oversee equine testing, while Peter Whitehead, Chair of the FEI Medical Committee, will oversee human testing systems, as well as assessing medical facilities.

The event also allows for comprehensive testing of the footing in both the Main Arena and on the Cross Country. Christian Bauer, the footing advisor appointed by the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, and Professor Lars Roepstorff, the international footing specialist from a scientific perspective, will both be in attendance. In addition to the horses contesting the CIC, a small group of Jumping horses will be brought in to test the Main Arena footing.

“As equestrian is one of the first major test events for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games it will play an important role in establishing the Organising Committee’s systems and processes”, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Zeender said. “The test event is a vital stage in the preparations to assess operational readiness, and a huge amount that needs to be tested will be tested.

“There are still some areas that will have to be tested between now and Games time, such as accommodation for athletes, grooms and National Olympic Committees. Another aspect that won’t be tested next month is the arrivals and departures process for horses, as we only have national horses at the test event, but Rio 2016 has an expert and hugely experienced team in place led by Peden Bloodstock which flies horses all over the world, including in and out of Brazil, so we are confident that this process is in safe hands.”