United States Eventing Association

Strzegom (POL), 19 August 2009

All Roads Lead to Poland

Follow the event on FEI TV www.feitv.org

Clayton Fredericks (AUS) is counting down the days to his defence of his HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing title this weekend (21-23 August) at the eagerly-awaited horse trials at Strzegom (POL).

It has been his main aim all season for which he has been carefully preparing his dual championship winner and beautiful jumping machine Ben Along Time, a 4-star winner and Olympic and World silver medallist.

However, he will face fierce competition from his travelling companions on the long road across Europe, his wife Lucinda on Headley Britannia and British representatives Ruth Edge (Two Thyme), winner at the recent Gatcombe (GBR) qualifier, and Oliver Townend (Flint Curtis), current leader in the HSBC FEI Classics™ Standings. Edge said that after ‘sleeping on it’ for 24 hours, she was spurred to travel to the prestigious Final, and other British-based riders who have decided it’s not to be missed are the former dual Olympic gold medallist Mark Todd (NZL) with Gandalf and South African Stuart Fitzgerald.

A field of 31 riders from 14 nations, including the 2003-04 champion, Linda Algotsson (SWE) with the 19-year-old Stand By Me, will tackle the first HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing Final to be held in Eastern Europe, at the much-praised venue of Strzegom.

The longest journey by far has been undertaken by Kelly Prather (USA), who has travelled from California with Ballinakill Glory, her trip made possible by a new scholarship given in memory of Jack Le Goff, the French-born mastermind behind the FEI World CupTM Eventing series who died recently.

Germany is the most strongly represented nation, with six riders, including Marina Köhncke, winner of the Malmö qualifier on Calma Schelly, plus Frank Ostholt (Air Jordan) and Kai Rüder (Leprince des Bois), 4th and 6th at last year’s HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing Final, plus recent Luhmühlen 4-star winner Michael Jung with La Biosthetique Sam.

The following nations are represented: Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Lithuania, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Sweden and USA.

Dressage will take place on Saturday and Cross-Country, followed by Horse Inspection and Jumping, on Sunday.

Cross Country Course Designer, Rudiger Schwarz, has made some extensive changes to the course, it will take a different route over a distance of 4400 metres with 27 fences. It will be one of the most challenging courses to have been built in Poland in recent years.

Strzegom is situated in the south-west quarter of Poland and for three days will become the world capital of Eventing.

FOLLOW THE EVENT ON FEI TV www.feitv.org

From Friday 21 until Sunday 23 August 2009, Poland will be in the spotlight of international top level Eventing when for the first time ever a country from Eastern Europe will be hosting a HSBC FEI World Cup™ Final.

The thrilling final of the first FEI World Cup™ season fully supported by HSBC will see elite riders from all global heartlands of Eventing competing for the international title.

FEI TV, the new official video website of the Fédération Equestre Internationale, will stream all the action from one of the sport’s most prestigious and competitive events in high quality right onto your computer.

The broadcasts will be presented by English commentator and horsesport specialist Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes and feature the Cross Country Phase on Saturday 22 August from 14:00 CEST onwards. The live broadcast of the deciding Jumping phase on Sunday will start 14:45 CEST. Additional features such as the Dressage phase as well as interviews will also be made available to users.

Please simply visit www.feitv.org and register to follow your favourites and see which rider will win the HSBC FEI World Cup™Eventing.

2009 HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing standings (after 9 of 9 qualifiers)
1 Mary King (GBR) 211
2 Buck Davidson (USA), 208
3 Megan Jones (AUS) 203
4 Alexandr Markov (RUS) 125
5 Polly Stockton (GBR) 122
6 Phillip Dutton (USA) 119
7 Simone Deitermann (GER) 117
8 Andreas Dibowski (GER) 104
9 Kai Rüder (GER) 92
10 Caroline Powell (NZL) 83
11 Bill Levett (AUS) 79
12 Ilya Anisin (BLR) 73
13= Marina Köhncke (GER) 71
13= Patricia Ryan (IRL) 71
13= Kelly Prather (USA) 71
13= Ruth Edge (GBR) 71
13= Paul Tapner (AUS) 71

Qualifying venues for the 2009 HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing
1 Kihikihi NZL 10-12 April 2009
2 Sydney AUS 2-3 May
3 Marbach GER 8-10 May
4 Chatsworth GBR 16-17 May (CANCELLED)
5 Malmö SWE 23-24 May
6 Tattersalls IRL 28-31 May
7 Minsk BLR 16-19 July
8 Kalispell USA 23-26 July
9 Mansfield, ON CAN 7-9 August
10 Gatcombe GBR 7-9 August (ADDED)

The HSBC FEI World Cup ™ Eventing qualifiers are a series of CIC -3*s.
Previous finalists are:
2003 Pau (FRA): Linda Algotsson/Stand By Me (SWE)
2004 Pau (FRA): Linda Algotsson/My Fair Lady (SWE)
2005 Malmö (SWE): Clayton Fredericks/Ben Along Time (AUS)
2006 Malmö (SWE): Nicolas Touzaint/Galan de Sauvagere (FRA)
2008: Deauville (FRA): Clayton Fredericks/Ben Along Time (AUS)

To find rules and points system, plus full results, visit www.feiworldcup.org