 Image: Kit Houghton Olympic gold medallists Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser, took an early lead at the beginning of today's dressage phase at Badminton Horse Trials, presented by Mars Equestrian, and remained unchallenged at the end of the day after a superb performance for the excellent score of 23.4.
'It's a shame he didn't do that test in Tokyo,' quipped Tom, who also won the Olympic individual silver medal there. 'He was phenomenal, the half passes were lovely, he was smooth in his body and kept up a great rhythm, and it was pretty well mistake-free. It's lovely to be back here at Badminton,' he added. Tom holds a 1.4-penalty lead over Kitty King and the smart grey Vendredi Biats, who scored 24.8. Kitty was visibly emotional about the performance of her 2021 European team gold medallist. 'He was tricky yesterday, breaking in all his medium trots, which made me a bit stressed,' she admitted. 'He was much more “with” me when I rode him this morning.'' Kitty earned a 10 for a halt: 'I didn't know about the 10, so when there was a gasp from the crowd as I went into medium canter I thought “yikes, where am I going?”. I'm not used to getting 10s!' Just 0.1 of a penalty behind Kitty, and completing a British one-two-three, are 2021 Luhmuhlen five-star winners Mollie Summerland, 24, and Charly Van Ter Heiden, who unfortunately picked up an injury after his big win. 'He means the world to me and just to be here with him – to ride in that arena with him — was a privilege,' said Mollie. 'I've found it tough since Luhmuhlen, putting pressure on myself with altered expectations. To be honest I feel a little bit shell-shocked. I've never ridden in front of crowds like that and I'm so proud of him. He deserves that score.' American first-timer Tamra Smith, riding Mai Baum, is in fourth place, ahead of defending champions Piggy March and Vanir Kamira, fifth, and 2009 winner Oliver Townend with new ride Swallow Springs, who finished fifth with New Zealander Andrew Nicholson in 2019. A further 42 combinations will perform their dressage tests tomorrow. Austria's Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati riding DSP Cosma, will be first into the arena tomorrow at 9.30am, with the final competitor, Kylie Roddy on SRS Kan Do, trotting up the centre line at 5.08pm. Representatives of the presenting sponsor, Mars Equestrian, pronounced themselves delighted with the first day. Geoffrey Galant, Vice President, said: 'This is the perfect fit for us. It's great to see such an international field, and to see the home audience cheering loudly for all of them. I promise we are in it for the long haul.' Full result on www.eventingscores.co.uk
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 Badminton course-designer Eric Winter. Photo thank you to Peter Nixon The cross-country course at Badminton Horse Trials, presented by Mars Equestrian, will be a true championship test, built with the forthcoming World Championships in Italy in mind, and promises to be a great thrill for riders and spectators alike. Competitors will find that Badminton's course-designer, Eric Winter, has created a more undulating track than in the past, bearing in mind what his predecessor in the role, Giuseppe della Chiesa, is likely to produce in the rolling hills of Pratoni del Vivaro in September. The Badminton course will run in an anti-clockwise direction — as it traditionally does in an Olympic or World Championship year — heading from the main arena in the direction of the HorseQuest Quarry (fence 4abc). This, explains Eric, is a smoother, flatter start which will help get horses going forward. The next famous feature is the Voltaire Design Huntsman's Close (6abc), which is followed by the world-renowned Badminton Lake. Here, horses gallop the length of the Lake in front of hospitality before turning right into the water over an imposing log. This is followed by a brush fence in the water and another one on the way out (Badminton Lake, fences 9/10ab). The intensive Vicarage Ditch area has a new look, utilising a different piece of undulating ground and providing extra spectator viewing. The influential Ditch is jumped three times, first at the Mars Equestrian Footbridge (fence 15), then again at the Rolex Rails (21/22) and at the Holland Cooper Vicarage Vee (23ab). Next comes the Lightsource bp Solar Farm, a sunken-road complex at fence 24, after which riders will feel they are on the homeward stretch. They will need to keep petrol in the tank, however, for a new arrangement at fence 30, Joules Keepers Ditch. The intention here is to slow horses down at around the 11½ minute mark — the optimum time is likely to be around 12 minutes — before the final gallop home to the Platinum Jubilee fence where cheering crowds will surround the finish in the arena. Eric concludes: "It's an attacking course and will suit bold horses with scope and agility, as there are a lot of big fences which befits a 5-star competition. Badminton has always traditionally been the best preparation for the international championships and this year will be no exception." Andrew Nicholson, who has ridden around Badminton more times than anyone else and won in 2017, pronounced the course "proper cross-country, proper 5-star". Andrew was in the unusual position — for him — of having a preview course walk, as he has retired from top-level competition (his former 5-star ride Swallow Springs will be ridden by world number one Oliver Townend). "Eric has done a good job," Andrew said. “It’s very fair. There are no surprises or blind corners and horses can see what they have to do, but it is big, intense and will take a bit of jumping. It is a case of proper, old-fashioned sitting down and riding, and riders will have to be at their best."  Badminton Horse Trials, presented by Mars Equestrian, has attracted a top-class field of entries which is headed by Great Britain's reigning Olympic, World and European champions and includes 14 of the top 20 riders in the FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings.
The Olympic team gold medallists will be competing against each other at 5-star level for the first time since the trio won Gold in Tokyo last year: Tom McEwen rides his individual silver medallist Toledo de Kerser, world number one Oliver Townend has Ballaghmor Class and Laura Collett rides London 52. Oliver has also entered dual Kentucky winner Cooley Master Class and exciting new ride Swallow Springs, previously the mount of Andrew Nicholson. The reigning World champion, Ros Canter and her wonderful veteran Allstar B will be returning to Badminton and the European champion, Nicola Wilson, makes her debut on the spectacular JL Dublin, a prolific winner at 4-star level. The last winner of Badminton, in 2019, was Piggy March riding the gallant mare Vanir Kamira and the partnership is heading back to defend their title. Piggy also has Brookfield Inocent, her European team gold and individual silver medallist. Other leading British combinations include European bronze medallists Sarah Bullimore and Corouet, Pippa Funnell and her 2019 Burghley winner, MGH Grafton Street, Mollie Summerland and Charly van Ter Heiden, winners of Luhmuhlen last year, plus Kitty King (Vendredi Biats), Kristina Cook (Billy the Red), William Fox-Pitt (Little Fire and Oratorio) and Zara Tindall (Class Affair). The Badminton prize fund is the largest at 5-star level this year, with £100,000 to the winner. A strong international field, with 13 nations represented, is headed by New Zealand's Jonelle and Tim Price, who are ranked second and third in the world. Jonelle is entered with her 2018 winner Classic Moet and Grovine de Reve and Tim has the hugely experienced Ringwood Sky Boy and Xavier Faer. The American contingent includes Phillip Dutton and Lauren Nicholson; French representatives include Maxime Livio and Thomas Carlile, making his long-awaited Badminton debut; world silver medallist Padraig McCarthy and Cathal Daniels are among those from Ireland and Bill Levett and Sammi Birch fly the Australian flag. "It really is a superb entry and should be a fascinating competition," said Badminton Director Jane Tuckwell. "We are hugely looking forward to welcoming so many top riders back to Badminton as well as some exciting new faces." For the full list of entries and the wait list please click here  With the entries for the 2022 Badminton Horse Trials presented by Mars Equestrian opening this week, we are delighted to confirm that the prize fund remains the highest in the sport of eventing at £360,750.00. The winner will take home a First Prize of £100,000, with the remaining prize fund being spread across those that are placed. Event Director Jane Tuckwell commented “We are delighted to be able to maintain the level of prizemoney, which as well as rewarding the winning owner, recognises those owners whose horses finish at least in the top 20.” “It’s so thrilling to have Badminton back in real sight again and greatly appreciated by riders that the organisers have managed to find this high level of prize-money, as befits such a prestigious occasion,” said Olympic gold medallist Laura Collett MBE. Click here to buy tickets now Badminton, which is a 5-star international event (the highest level, CCI5*), was founded in 1949 and takes place on The Duke of Beaufort’s estate in Gloucestershire. Badminton is one third of the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. More information on visiting can be found here Timetable: Thursday, May 5th: CCI5* Dressage Friday, May 6th: CCI5* Dressage Saturday, May 7th: CCI5* Cross-Country Sunday, May 8th: CCI5* Show Jumping Finale and Prize giving Remember if you can’t come to the event, like to watch lots of our recent event coverage online or relive every moment of the event when you return home you can now buy a subscription to Badminton TV  Photo Copyright © FEI/Richard Juilliart Great Britain claimed the team title along with all the individual medals in the thrilling closing phase of the FEI Eventing European Championships 2021 at Avenches in Switzerland today. Leading all the way from the outset, the team held firm when both Nicola Wilson (JL Dublin) and Piggy March (Brookfield Inocent) jumped clear while Kitty King (Vendredi Biats) collected just four faults to add to their tally. Fourth team member, Ros Canter, provided the drop score after yesterday’s cross-country phase, but today she was clear with her World Championship winning ride Allstar B who made nothing of the 12-fence showjumping track. Finishing on a score of 73.1 they pinned the defending champions from Germany into silver medal spot while Team Sweden sprang a surprise when moving up from overnight sixth place to take the bronze. This was Britain’s 23rd team victory in the history of these Championships that date back to 1953, and the sixth time British riders claimed all the individual medals. Gold went to Wilson, silver to team-mate March and bronze to individual competitor Sarah Bullimore (Corouet) whose clear round today saw her move up from fifth place when both Frenchman Maxime Livio (Api du Libaire) and German star Ingrid Klimke (SAP Hale Bob OLD) had a fence down. . Results here  by Louise Parkes Britain’s Oliver Townend, Laura Collett and Tom McEwen were in a league of their own when cruising to Eventing team gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Baji Koen Equestrian Park tonight. This was their country’s fourth team title but it’s been a very long wait since Richard Meade, Mary Gordon-Watson, Bridget Parker and Mark Phillips stood top of the podium a full 49 years ago in Munich in 1972. Australia took the silver tonight, while the defending champions from France claimed the bronze. And Germany’s Julia Krajewski has entered the equestrian history books as the very first female athlete to take the Individual Olympic Eventing title. When the Games last took place in Tokyo back in 1964 the USA’s Lana du Pont was the first woman to compete in the three-day event, so female firsts and the Tokyo Olympics seem to be intrinsically linked. In the battle for the remaining Individual podium places it was Britain’s Tom McEwen who took the silver while Australia’s Andrew Hoy clinched the bronze. Hoy’s result is nothing short of sensational because the three-time team gold medallist has a staggering record of participation at eight Olympic Games dating all the way back to Los Angeles in 1984. He was only 25 years old back then, and today at the age of 62 he’s as competitive as ever. Team Tom McEwen paved the path to Britain’s team victory with a superb round from Toledo de Kresker over the first of Santiago Varela’s beautifully decorated tracks tonight. And he was filled with confidence that his team-mates would do the rest of the work without difficulty. A four-fence advantage and more after the previous day’s cross-country test had left his side sitting comfortably ahead, and as it turned out his confidence was not mis-placed. “He was incredible”, he said of his 14-year-old horse, “I just put him on the spot and he was up and away. Everyone that follows Eventing knows he’s a great jumper so it’s just up to me on top”, he added. However team-mate Laura Collett had a scary moment when London 52 baulked at the water tray at fence four and scattered poles everywhere before regaining his equilibrium. “He started like his normal self but just as I came around the corner the light shone on the water and he suddenly started to draw back and I was quite far off it and he just went up and paddled. I was lucky he’s such a great jumper and it didn’t faze him and he got it back together and finished really nicely. I’m gutted and it’s a shame but I think it could have been a whole lot worse! I just hope I haven’t put too much pressure on Oliver”, she said. Pressure However it’s difficult to put too much pressure on Oliver Townend who was heading the Individual rankings going into today’s closing stages after a sensational run in both Dressage and Cross-Country with Ballaghmor Class. The first element of the double at fence nine, four fences from home, hit the floor but that still left Team GB finishing on a score of 86.30 and under no threat from their closest rivals. The real battle was played out between Australia and France, Kevin McNab opening the Aussie account with a foot-perfect run with Don Quidam before Shane Rose’s Virgil also fell victim to the first element of fence nine. Meanwhile Nicolas Touzaint and Absolut Gold who were part of the gold medal winning French side at the Rio 2016 Games returned with just 0.4 for time, while second-line rider Karim Florent Laghouag faulted only at the first element of the triple combination at fence five. The two sides had the started the day with a hair’s breadth between them, and even though Frenchman Christopher Six was clear and clean with Totem de Brecey, Andrew Hoy made no mistake with Vassily de Lassos to bag the silver when last to go, the two sides separated by just 1.3 penalties. IOC Vice-President and Chair of the Coordination Commission for Tokyo 2020 John Coates was on hand to see Australia take team silver and offered his congratulations to the three team members. Individual The Individual finale was truly gripping as the top-25 slogged it out. Japan’s Kazuma Tomoto collected just 0.4 penalties when seventh-last to go with the lovely Vinci de la Vigne, and when France’s Christopher Six faulted at the last of the triple combination on the new course Tomoto began to move up the order. Colletts’s bay gelding left the last two fences on the floor but when Hoy followed with a clear the top three had absolutely no breathing space. McEwen didn’t need any when executing yet another regal tour of the track but Townend’s luck ran out, his 4.8 penalties pushing him off the podium. Last in, Krajewski could have been completely overwhelmed but held her nerve to deliver a fabulous round from the mare she calls Mandy. She would take the top step of the podium and her place in equestrian history, ahead of McEwen and Hoy in silver and bronze. The 32-year-old rider who is based in Warendorf, Germany has had a really tough year, beginning with the passing of her father and then having to retire her top horse Samurai du Thot after he had his eye removed due to a lingering infection. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games seemed an impossible target after that, but when the young mare she calls Mandy won the CCI4* in Saumur, France and the pair took bronze at the German Championships in the spring, then suddenly the horizon was completely altered. And now she finds herself an Olympic champion. A fairytale finish “It’s the stuff that movies are made of, and yes I cried, because I was thinking of my family and my father and basically everyone who has been behind me. This is very much a fairytale finish for me!”, she said. Silver medallist McEwen is 30 years of age and looks set on a long road of further success while Hoy was keen to declare that he’s not hanging up his boots anytime soon. “When I started in the sport I was really proud of being the youngest person in the team and now its just an absolute joy that I’m still here and so healthy. When people meet me in the Olympic Village they say, you are an official are you? And they look a bit surprised when I say no, I’m an athlete!” He has enjoyed these Games as much as any and was full of praise for the organisation. “Without doubt the Japanese people, the country of Japan and the city of Tokyo deserve the biggest gold medal for putting these Games on. The effort they’ve gone to is incredible, and it’s a privilege to be here”, he concluded. Quotes: Julia Krajewski GER: “I won my first Pony title 20 years ago and since then it’s been a roller-coaster really. It’s quite unreal. Going in last tonight I wasn’t thinking about Olympic gold. I said we’re going to do a great round like jumping at home and that is all. Oliver Townend GBR: Talking about winning team gold - “It’s very unreal and hasn’t sunk in yet but at same time we were three riders on exceptional horses and that’s what’s been so special. All three of us have been on horses of a lifetime and we knew that coming here we had a very good chance. Looking back at whole week I feel relieved and very proud of the whole team, not just the people here, but the whole team at home, people who put in the hard graft every day - they deserve this as well. Laura Collett GBR: Talking about winning team gold - “Being on the podium was a completely surreal experience. I’m a bit lost for words, just to be here at an Olympics is a dream come true let alone win a gold medal. It’s going to take a few days, weeks, months for this to actually sink in. Andrew Hoy AUS: “We’ve got the most wonderful relationship, this horse and myself. He was so fresh he was having a little buck in the warm-up, it’s as if I did a dressage schooling exercise with him yesterday. We got the horse on 13th May 2017, the day Steffi and I got married, so an easy day to remember. Got him from Tom Carlile and for me it’s an absolute joy to work with him every day, every day he puts a smile on my face. Shane Rose AUS: “We’re all mates on this team so you ride everyone’s highs and lows with them, but we obviously think team first in Australia and how you perform individually affects your team-mates so you always want to give your best foot forward. So for me watching them do well is great, and if myself or them has a bad moment you feel that with them. In Eventing we don’t get team opportunities very often, I’m basedin Australia and these guys are based in Europe so we only get to see each other every few years and when we do come together it’s amazing how quickly we bond. Karim Florent Laghouag FRA: “This team medal is very emotional. I miss having the public and would like to share this medal. All the team have received lots of messages and support and we are very grateful for the support and want to thank all the people that encouraged us. This medal belongs to them too!” : IMAGES; Copyright © FEI/EFE/Kai Försterling
 Defending double-champion, Michael Jung riding Chipmunk, took over at the top of the individual leaderboard and lifted Team Germany to silver medal spot ahead of tomorrow’s cross-country phase at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Baj Image - FEI/Libby Law TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES - Eventing Dressage Day 2 Tokyo (JPN), 31 July 2021 Leaderboard gets a shake-up before Eventing Cross-Country by Louise Parkes The leaderboard began to look a bit more familiar after the final session of Eventing dressage at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Baji Koen today. Great Britain remains at the head of affairs but it is now Team Germany that sits second ahead of New Zealand in third, while the host nation of Japan continues to shine in fourth place going into tomorrow’s cross-country phase. An amazing score of 21.10 from defending double-champion, Michael Jung, lifted Germany from overnight fifth to just over two points behind the British leaders whose position at the top of the leaderboard was bolstered by a solid test from Tom McEwen and Toledo de Kerser who posted a mark of 28.90. Jung was really pleased with his 13-year-old gelding Chipmunk. “We had a very good partnership today, everything worked like I wished. Since the European Championships in 2019 I’ve had more time to train with him. We had a long winter to work more and have had many more competitions this year, so everything is going much better”, he said. He may not have realised it, but he was being watched by IOC Member HSH Prince Albert II who paid a visit to the Equestrian Park today to watch some Eventing Dressage, including the start of Jung’s Olympic title defence. After a traditional Japanese tea ceremony in the Olympic Family Lounge together with fellow IOC Member and FEI President Ingmar De Vos, the Prince was taken on a full tour of the venue, including a visit to the stables and the onsite veterinary clinic. Dramatic improvement Meanwhile world number two, Tim Price, was responsible for the dramatic improvement for Team New Zealand who rose from sixth to third. His score of 25.60 with vitali puts his side, that includes his wife Jonelle, on a tally of 86.40, exactly six penalty points behind Germany and just over eight points off pole position. “That’s good, that’s what we want!”, Price said when he realised his result had made such a big difference. “We just want to be a solid team, we’re only a little nation with a few riders to choose from”, he pointed out. Sweden dropped from overnight second to fifth, but Australia was another to rise meteorically thanks to a classic ride from the oldest competitor in Eventing at these Olympic Games. Andrew Hoy (62) and Vassily de Lassos posted 29.60, and all scores below 30 proved highly influential. “I believe it is the maximum (score) we could have had from today. There were tiny little things that I can always improve. The joy I get from riding this horse is unbelievable, and I use one word to describe what I’m trying to achieve - harmony…when you see the great riders with harmony then it is poetry in motion!”, Hoy said. Chinese team The Chinese team slipped from fourth to seventh, but pathfinder Alex Hua Tian is sitting in individual bronze spot with Don Geniro going into cross-country day. The 31-year-old made history when becoming the first Chinese athlete to compete in Olympic Eventing at the Beijing Games in 2008. And, based in Cheshire in England since 2013, he took individual silver at the Asian Games in Incheon (KOR) in 2014 before finishing eighth individually at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. He’ll be hoping to hang on to that bronze medal spot at the end of tomorrow’s cross-country contest. As today’s dressage phase came to an end, Great Britain’s Oliver Townend was in silver medal position behind Jung who is chasing down his third consecutive individual gold. But all the athletes are a little in awe of the cross-country challenge that course designer Derek di Grazia (USA) has set for them. Fantastic “The ground is fantastic and the fences are beautiful, like at every Olympic Games the presentation you cannot question. It’s a proper challenge, and I don’t mean just with the height of the fences. The layout of the course, the flow - it’s going to be a challenge to get the time. But I’m sitting on one of the greatest cross-country horses in the world and we’ve got a wonderful relationship and I believe it’s achievable but only time will tell!”, said Andrew Hoy today. “It feels like a proper three-phase test to us this time. Mainly because of what Derek has done it’s going to be a good competition for us all”, said Tim Price. However Germany’s Michael Jung is feeling super-confident, partly because his team has such a good draw. “We have a very good start position, our first rider is number 14, so before she (Julia Krajewski) goes some nice information will have come through which we can use. You need a lot of luck with the weather and other things you can’t control, but definitely it’s good if you start towards the end”, he pointed out. As German anchorman he has a great draw himself, going second-last in the field of 61. Facts and Figures: There was one withdrawal from today’s second day of dressage - Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati from Austria. Lara de Liedekerke-Meier from Belgium who competed in yesterday’s first day of Eventing dressage has also withdrawn. 61 horse-and-rider combinations will tackle Derek di Grazia’s cross-country track at Sea Forest tomorrow morning. Quotes: Tim Price NZL - Talking about his horse Vitali - “He’s had to do everything right and he’s 95% done that since last year when I first sat on him to now, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. I’m very confident in him but it’s a short time in terms of partnership, because that’s one of the key things on display at the Olympics is the partnership between horse and rider and how they can rely on each other. I’m very confident with him, he’s a very genuine guy and I feel very comfortable on him”. Michael Jung GER - Talking about his horse Chipmunk - “He’s a very powerful horse but very nice to ride cross-country, this helps a lot, you don’t need too much preparation before the fence. The time is very tough tomorrow so you need good communication with your horse, in the end they have to listen and you need to be focused and to concentrate”. Andrew Hoy AUS - Talking about evolution of the sport of Eventing - “We are light years ahead of where we were when I started out. I rode my first championship in 1978 and it’s changed immensely, I believe for the good. In my lifetime I’ve looked at some of the changes and totally disagreed but now I’m at the stage - if there’s a change I think about what I have to do to be there. It’s not about fighting change, it’s about working with change”. Boyd Martin USA - Talking about his test that didn’t go to plan - “Thomas (Tsetserleg TSF) has been so good in the dressage for years….some great moments and some disastrous. You come here hoping to give a personal best. Cross-country tomorrow is so difficult it’s so hard to get the time but I think we (Team USA) are in with a chance if we can deliver three good rounds cross-country with three good seasoned horses that are older and experienced. We’ve nothing to lose by going out there and giving it a crack!” Results here https://tokyo2020.live.fei.org/  by Louise Parkes
After Germany’s Michael Jung won the second of his two consecutive Individual Olympic Equestrian Eventing titles at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games he was asked what he had next in his sights. “Tokyo 2020 of course, and the Europeans and maybe the world title along the way!”, he replied. He wasn’t joking of course, because the 38-year-old who made Eventing history by becoming the first to hold the European, Olympic, and World Championship titles at the same time is one of the most formidable athletes in all of equestrian sport. He didn’t make it to the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2018 when his horse had an injury, but at the FEI European Championships the following year he took team gold and was just pipped at the post for the individual title by team-mate Ingrid Klimke. This is a man who sets the bar really high for everyone else, and if he can do the individual hat-trick in Tokyo then he will set a new Olympic record. Charles Pahud de Mortanges from The Netherlands came out on top in Amsterdam in 1928 and again at the following Olympics in Los Angeles in 1932, and New Zealand’s Mark Todd won in Los Angeles in 1984 and again in Seoul in 1988. Both riders partnered the same horse on each occasion, the Dutchman riding Marcroix and the Kiwi riding the legendary Charisma. Jung was also riding the same horse, the mighty Sam, when coming out on top at London 2012 and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. This time around he will partner his 2019 European Championship horse Chipmunk, and the world waits to see what more magic he can bring. Team silver He’ll be joined on the German team by two of the three athletes who helped clinch team silver in Rio, Sandra Auffarth (Viamant du Matz) and Julia Krajewski (Armande de B’Neville). However it is the French who line out as defending team champions, with Thomas Carlile (Birmane), Nicolas Touzaint (Absolut Gold HDC) and Christopher Six (Totem de Brecey) flying the flag for Les Bleus. The British arrive as reigning world champions with the world number one, Oliver Townend (Ballaghmore Class), number five Tom McEwen (Toledo de Kerser) and number 22, Laura Collet (London 52) in their side, backed up last-minute replacement reserve Ros Canter with Allstar B, the horse she rode to individual gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018. . There’s great strength in depth in this selection, while the Irish world silver medallists, and the Kiwi side that includes husband-and-wife Tim and Jonelle Price, also look highly competitive. But there are further Olympic records hanging in the balance. Australia’s Andrew Hoy, Shane Rose and Stuart Tinney have 166 years of life-experience and eight Olympic medals between them. And 62-year-old Hoy could make Olympic history by becoming the first athlete to win gold medals an incredible 29 years apart. He won his first team gold in Barcelona in 1992 and if he could do it again he’d break the all-time record set by Hungarian fencer Aladár Gerevich, who triumphed in 1932 and 1960. Hoy went on to win two more team golds, at Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000, and just by turning up in Tokyo he will set an Australian record with his eighth Olympic appearance since his debut in Los Angeles in 1984 at the age of 25. Changes The sport of Eventing has been subject to many changes down the years and at the Tokyo 2020 Games there will be a new and shorter Dressage test, which will take just under four minutes to complete. The Dressage and Jumping phases will be staged at Baji Koen Equestrian Centre in the city, while the Cross Country action will be held at Sea Forest Park in Tokyo Bay. Following the Ready Steady Tokyo Equestrian Test event staged at Sea Forest in August 2019, during which an FEI official climate impact study and horse monitoring project took place, the Cross Country course was shortened to approximately eight minutes. It’s all a long way from the first time Eventing was included in the Olympic programme back in 1912 in Stockholm when the competition began with Phase A, “an Endurance ride over 55km in four hours” and Phase B, “Cross-country over 5km in 15 minutes with 12 obstacles”. After a rest day the all-military competitors then set out to tackle “Steeplechase over 3,500m in 5 minutes and 50 seconds with 10 obstacles”, while on day four there was “Jumping over 15 obstacles up to 1.30m high and 3.00m wide” before finally finishing up on day five with “Dressage”. From seven starting teams, four completed and Sweden took both Team and Individual gold. Times have indeed moved on, but the partnership between horse and athlete remains at the heart of equestrian sport, and in Olympic Eventing that partnership is at its zenith. What is Eventing? Once known as “The Military” because it was a test for cavalrymen and their horses, Eventing is the most comprehensive test of horse and rider, combining the separate disciplines of Dressage, Cross Country and Jumping, with results from each phase totalled for a final score. It is the lowest score that wins, both for the team and individual medals. It has been an Olympic sport since 1912. How it will play out….. The Team and Individual competitions will run concurrently on consecutive days as follows: Dressage test (over two days, 30/31 July), Cross Country test (1 August) and First Jumping Competition (2 August) to determine the Team classification. The Individual Final Jumping test will take place after the Team Jumping Final on the same day (2 August), with the top 25 battling it out for the medals. Eventing Dressage and Jumping will both be staged at Baji Koen Equestrian Centre, with horses travelling to Sea Forest Park for Cross Country day. To enable a finish by just after 11.00, the start time on Cross Country day will be 07.45 JST. Horses can be substituted for the team competition, and a horse/athlete combination may be substituted by a reserve combination for medical/veterinarian reasons in any of the three tests after the start of the competition. The top-25 horse/athlete combinations go through to the Individual Final. The athlete rides the same horse throughout for the Individual classification. There will be two horse inspections - on 29 July, the day before the Dressage phase begins, and on 2 August before the final Jumping phase takes place. A drawn starting order will be used for the Dressage and Cross-Country tests but in the final Jumping test horse/athlete combinations will go in reverse order of merit. Facts and Figures: 29 countries 15 teams 65 horse/athlete combinations 14 countries represented by individuals Australia, Germany and USA share the biggest number of team victories in Olympic Eventing history with four each. Australia, victors in Rome in 1960, has the unique record of winning three team titles in a row - at Barcelona in 1992, Atlanta in 1996 and on home ground in Sydney in 2000. Team France are the defending Olympic champions. The French have twice claimed the team title - in Athens in 2004 and at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Germany’s Michael Jung is the defending double-champion having won the Individual title at London 2012 and again at the Rio 2016 Games. Germany has won the Olympic Eventing Individual title on three occasions but Sweden holds the record for most wins with a total of four, the last recorded on home soil in Stockholm in 1956 by Petrus Kastenman riding Illuster. When the Olympic Games were last staged in Tokyo in 1964, the Eventing it was held in Karuizawa, 150km north-west of Tokyo. History was made when a woman competed in an Olympic three-day event for the very first time that year. The USA’s Lana du Pont, who 27 years later as Mrs Wright won team gold at the World Driving Championships in Paris (FRA), finished 33rd of the 34 horse-and-rider combinations that completed. A total of 48 riders from 12 nations participated, and 14 were eliminated in the Cross Country phase. At Tokyo in 1964, Italy claimed Team gold and the Individual title went to team member Mauro Checcoli riding Surbean. The Teams Australia: Andrew Hoy (Vasilly de Lassos), Shane Rose (Virgil), Stuart Tinney (Leporis). Alternate: Kevin McNab (Don Quidam). Brazil: Carlos Parro (Goliath), Marcelo Tosi (Glenfly), Rafael Mamprin Losano (Fuiloda G). Alternate: Marcio Appel Cheuiche (Iberon Jemen). China: Alex Hua Tian (Don Geniro), Huadong Sun (Lady Chin V’T Moerven Z), Yingfeng Bao (Flandia 2). Alternate: Ruiji Liang (Agora de Bordenave). France: Thomas Carlile (Birmane), Nicolas Touzaint (Absolut Gold), Christopher Six (Totem de Brecey). Alternate: Karim Laghouag (Triton Fontaine). Germany: Sandra Auffarth (Viamant du Matz), Michael Jung (Chipmunk FRH), Julia Krajewski (Amande de B’Neville). Alternate: Andreas Dibowski (FRH Corrida). Great Britain: Laura Collett (London 52), Tom McEwen (Toledo de Kerser), Oliver Townend (Ballaghmor Class). Alternate:Ros Canter (Allstar B). Ireland: Cathal Daniels (Rioghan Rua), Sarah Ennis (Woodcourt Garrison), Sam Watson (Flamenco). Alternate: Austin O’Connor (Colorado Blue). Italy: Susanna Bordone (Imperial van de Holtakkers), Victoria Panizzon (Super Cillious), Arianna Schivo (Quefire de l’Ormeau). Alternate: Stefano Brecciaroli (Bolivar Gio Granno). Japan: Yoshiaki Oiwa (Tullyoran Cruise), Toshiyuki Tanaka (Taima d’Allou), Kazuma Tooto (Vinci de la Vigne). New Zealand: Tim Price (Vitali), Jonelle Price (Grovine de Reve), Jesse Campbell (Diachello). Alternate: Bundy Philpott (Tresca). Poland: Pawel Spisak (Banderas), Malgorzata Cybulska (Chenaro 2), Joanna Pawlak (Fantastic Frieda). Alternate: Mateusz Kiempa (Libertina). Sweden: Ludwig Svennerstal (Balham Mist), Theese Viklund (Viscera), Louise Romeike (Cato S). Alternate: Sara Algotsson Ostholt (Chicuelo). Switzerland: Robin Godel (Jet Set), Melody Johner (Toubleu dd Rueire), Felix Vogg (Cartania). Alternate: Eveline Bodenmuller (Bioline de la Brasserie). Thailand: Arinadtha Chavatanont (Boleybawn Prince), Weerapat Pitakanonda (Carnival March), Korntawat Samran (Bonero K). USA: Philip Dutton (Z), Boyd Martin (Tsetserleg TSF), Doug Payne (Vandiver). Alternate: Tamra Smith (Mai Baum). The Individuals Austria: Lea Siegl (DSP Fighting Line), Katrin Khoddam-Hazrati (DSP Comsa). Belgium: Lara De Liederke-Meier (Alpaga d’Arville). Belarus: Alexandre Zeleno (Carolo Grande JR), Aliaksandr Faminou (Martinie). Canada: Colleen Loach (Qorry Blue d’Argouges), Jessica Phoenix (Pavarotti). Czech Republic: Miloslav Prihoda Jr (Ferreolus Lat), Miroslav Trunda (Shutterflyke). Denmark: Peter Flarup (Fascination). Ecuador: Nicolas Wettstein (Altier d’Aurois). Hong Kong: Thomas Heffernan Ho (Tayberry). India: Fouaad Mirza (Seigneur). Netherlands: Merel Bloom (The Quizmaster), Janneke Boonzaaijer (Champ de Tailleur). Puerto Rico: Lauren Billys (Castle Larchfield Purdy). ROC: Andrey Mitin (Gurza), Mikhail Natstenko (MP Imaging If). Republic of South Africa: Victoria Scott-Legendre (Valtho Des Peupliers). Spain: Francisco Gavino Bonzalez (Source de la Faye). The Officials Ground Jury President: Nick Burton GBR Ground Jury Members: Christina Klingspor SWE and Jane Hamlin USA. Technical Delegate: Philip Surl (GBR) Course Designer: Derek Di Grazia USA Chief Steward: Helen Christie NZL The Nations: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Puerto Rico, Republic of South Africa, ROC, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, USA. Photo caption: Germany’s Michael Jung rides his 2019 European Championship horse fischerChipmunk FRH in Luhmuhlen, (GER) and is aiming to make history with a hatric gold in Tokyo (JPN). FEI/ Oliver Hardt/Getty Images The full list HERE FEI Olympic Hub HERE About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm. The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining. The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving. FEI contacts: Grania Willis Executive Advisor grania.willis@fei.org +41 78 750 61 42  Photo - Lottie Elizabeth Photography. Chinese Olympic star Alex Hua Tian is in the lead in the CCI3*-S class after dressage at Alnwick Ford International Horse Trials. The 31-year-old, who is due to compete at the Tokyo Olympics next month, scored 25.6 aboard Vivian Gu’s Hamlet, a nine-year-old whom he bought from showjumper Joe Davison. Alex said: “It was a good test - he’s very flashy on the flat - but the nice thing is that there is a huge amount of room for improvement, even at this level. He’s a very talented horse but hasn’t had that much mileage for his age; he’s a real people-pleaser who always wants to be in your face and having cuddles.” Second in the CCI3*-S is Willa Newton, with a mark of 26.4 on Laurence and Anne Marshall’s Cock A Doodle Doo, another nine-year-old. Alexandra Farrar-Fry (Grey Finnsky) is third with 28.1. Adam Morgan and his seven-year-old gelding Manfriday top the CCI2*-S class at this stage with a dressage mark of 26.7, ahead of second-placed Stephanie Sacks (Guidaro) on 28.6. Eliza Stoddart is third with 28.9 on De Pleasure. This is the first time that Alnwick Ford International Horse Trials, which is situated between Newcastle and Alnwick in Northumberland, UK, has run a CCI3*-S class. The jumping phases of both international sections take place tomorrow (Saturday, 26 June), with national eventing classes on Sunday, 27 June. Alnwick Ford’s cross-country course is designed by David Evans, who is responsible for building the cross-country course for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.  © Comité Equestre de Saumur / Photos Les Garennes Simply the best! From beginning to end! Leader at the end of the dressage, leader at the end of the cross, the German Julia Krajewski, with Amande de B'neville, did not crack under the pressure and signs a perfect show jumping course, synonymous of victory in this CCI 4 * -L Equi Action de Saumur Complet. Also consistent throughout this Saumur competition, the Frenchman Thomas Carlile sur Birmane finished second. The Olympic runner-up, the Astier Nicolas, in the saddle on Babylon de Gamma, benefits from the three equestrian faults of his team-mate Karim Laghouag, third at the end of the cross, to move up in the final classification and take third place in the competition. FULL RESULTS  © Comité Equestre de Saumur / Photos Les Garennes This morning, the Verrie racecourse (49) hosted the second part of the CCI 4 * -L Equi Action dressage test. And what a half! Of those capable of upsetting the ranking of the day before. Yesterday in the lead after a score of 70.87%, the Italian Stefano Brecciaroli is relegated to provisional seventh place, ahead of a pretty bunch of French riders ... and a German rider, Julia Krajewski, who put all these gentlemen of 'agreement in their place. On an average of 75.32% (24.7 penalties), the rider, riding Amande de B'neville, is ahead of the French Thomas Carlile and Birmane (74.84%, 25.2 penalties) and Nicolas Touzaint on Eboli (72.54%, 27.5 penalties ). Eight couples (out of thirty-four) thus finish the dressage with an average of over 70%: that is to say the level of entries for this last French CCI 4 * -L before Tokyo.
A little teaser from the great event at Mondial du Lion. Looking forward to being there again this year.!
 Image: Trevor Holt Isle of Man's 23-year-old Yasmin Ingham has added the prestigious eight- and nine-year-old CCI4*-S title, usually contested at Blenheim Palace but this week staged at Burnham Market, to her enviable list of accolades, finishing on her dressage score of 22.3 with the stunning nine-year-old Banzai du Loir.
Banzai du Loir was sourced by Uptown Eventing two years ago for owners Sue Davies and Janette Chinn with the aim of Paris 2024 Olympics in mind. "It was worth the mad gallop around Gare du Nord in Paris at 6am trying to find our platform to get the train to Le Mans to try him. He wowed us from the minute we saw him Banzai simply has IT he is stunning in every phase."  It is with great regret that Tattersalls have announced that they are to withdraw from hosting and sponsoring the Tattersalls International Horse Trials. First established by the late George Mernagh in 2006, the annual event had become a popular feature in the international horse trials calendar.
Despite the tireless efforts of the Organising Committee and the generous support of the ‘George Mernagh Memorial Fund’ which was set up in 2012 following the death of George Mernagh, the commercial realities of staging such an event have proved insurmountable and the Trustees of the 'George Mernagh Memorial Fund’ have concluded that the Trust can best achieve its long term objectives of promoting youth participation in Irish equestrian sports by supporting a broader range of equestrian disciplines. Tattersalls will continue to host equestrian sports at the Tattersalls Ireland site in Fairyhouse. Several national events, as well as the successful July Horse Show, are already held at the venue. Tattersalls Chairman, Edmond Mahony, said: "I would like to thank our Organising Committee led by Jean Mitchell MBE, our various sponsors at all levels, and those who volunteered on an annual basis, for making the Tattersalls International Horse Trials an event of which the country could be proud. I would also like to thank the many owners and riders from all over the world who supported this event over many years. Sadly, due to the financial challenges that all of us are facing following the coronavirus outbreak, we regrettably feel unable to continue hosting such a large and costly international event, coming as it does in the middle of a very busy sales period for the company. I would also like to pay particular tribute to the Trustees of the ‘George Mernagh Memorial Fund’ without whose financial support this difficult decision would have inevitably come sooner. "I look forward to Tattersalls continuing to host equestrian events at Fairyhouse, including our successful July Show, which is run annually for the St. Francis Hospice in Blanchardstown. In the meantime, all of us involved in the Tattersalls International Horse Trials can look back with pride on what the event achieved in its 15 years and the contribution it has made to the sport of Eventing in Ireland." For further information please contact either Edmond Mahony on +44-1-638665931 or at edmond.mahony@tattersalls.com or Roger Casey on +353-1-886-4300 or at rcasey@tattersalls.ie.  The NEXGEN Young Horse Series has been gratefully received by riders and owners following the first four qualifiers, with excitement about the final growing.
The inaugural series is the first of its kind in the UK and recognises the talents of four, five and six year olds across all three disciplines. With qualifiers at Keysoe, Richmond Equestrian Centre, Windmill Farm and Coombelands Equestrian Centre the series is set to culminate in an exciting final at Hickstead on 15/16 September 2020. NEXGEN judge, Richard Jones commented, “The courses are testing but fair and highly educational for young horses. It’s great to watch the horses grow in confidence from start to finish.” Internationally renowned competition horse producers, Tim and Antonia Brown added, “This really is a series for riders, run by riders and to bring all three Olympic disciplines together for the first time is a great initiative.” With qualifiers for Hickstead being hugely popular with both professional and amateur young horse producers, new qualifying dates have been added at Field House Equestrian, Cockshot Dressage and Sparsholt Equestrian. The events have been complimented as being efficiently run with a live scoring system straight after each individual round, which is set to be even more of a spectacle during the final. Uptown Eventing’s Rachel Wakefield, one of the founding Directors behind NEXGEN said, “We are delighted at how well the qualifiers has been received and have huge plans for the future of this series, which will continue to follow a very continental format.” The series which are partnered by Elite Stallions, Coldstream Equestrian, Baileys Horse Feeds, Equestriana and Custom Saddlery, introduces a list of additional prizes for riders, breeders and owners and is changing the pathway for all young horses in the UK for the future. “The horses have to grow in confidence from when they set foot in the arena”, NEXGEN’s Victoria Wright added, “we want to give them the best foundations to enable them to progress to the top levels of sport.” For more information go to www.nexgenhorses.com.  Exciting innovative concept launched for recognising talented young horses
NEXGEN Young Horse Series is set to deliver an exciting new concept, recognising the talents of four, five and six year olds through a series of showcase events in the UK. For the first time, talented young horses and ponies from all three disciplines will be bought together under one roof in a series of five qualifiers, resulting in a final at Hickstead on 15/16 September 2020. The team behind this very continental format is Uptown Eventing’s Rachel Wakefield, Caunton Stud’s Victoria Wright, event rider Julia Dungworth and German dressage rider Martin Schleicher. Martin says “Having grown up with the Bundeschampionat in Germany, I have a real passion about the connection between breeding and sport. The NEXGEN Young Horse Series is an exciting new concept showcasing the top young horses of each Olympic discipline in the UK, in one place.” Julia is quick to point out that “a lot of hard work goes into breeding and working young horses. This series will go some way to recognise that and give both horses and riders a chance to prove their skills.” The format in each section sees the introduction of NEXGEN’S own unique scoring system that is individual for each discipline. Throughout the qualifiers and final, an illustrious list of judges awaits competitors along with a prize pot of nearly £15,000 The final for each discipline, which is to be held at The All England Jumping Course at Hickstead, will be streamed live on ClipMyHorseTV giving competitors and equestrian enthusiasts the chance to catch all the action as it happens. “NEXGEN is a brilliant concept and something that's been missing in the UK for a long time. I'm excited to watch this event grow with a passionate team who will bring the UK's young horses to the forefront.” The series kicks off with the first qualifier at Richmond Equestrian Centre on the 31st July and is open to any four, five and six year old horses. The show jumping section of the series is being proudly supported by clothing brand Coldstream Equestrian, with other sponsors set to take the dressage and eventing sections respectively. When asked about this exciting new series, event rider Gemma Tattersall said "This is exactly what we need right now and I'm really looking forward to competing all my young horses in the Series." NEXGEN has also collaborated with British Breeding, allowing them to incorporate the Equine Bridge. The Bridge has replaced British Equestrian’s Pathway Programme and will enable any talented British bred combinations the chance to gain valuable training, veterinary and nutritional advice, along with financial support which is needed to see horses and ponies progress to the highest levels of sport. British Bred horse and rider combinations who qualify for Hickstead can opt to be selected at the final. |
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