The FEI World Cup™ Eventing 2011 series kicks off at Kihikihi in New Zealand on 7-10 April, when John Nicholson’s imaginative cross-country course will test the mettle of some of the world’s most talented horse and rider combinations.
This year’s series - which takes place at eight venues across Australasia, Europe and the UK - will once again run in similar fashion to the Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ in Jumping, with the rider topping the points table at the end of the season claiming the prestigious title of FEI World Cup™ Eventing champion 2011.
The points based system has proved extremely popular with riders as it opens up the series to those not able to travel long distances with their horses. Riders will gain points based on their performance and final placings at each venue. They will have to obtain a minimum of three FEI World Cup™ Eventing results during the series to be eligible for the title.
All eyes will undoubtedly be on Germany’s world champion Michael Jung, who last year pipped Australian Olympian Megan Jones by just four points to claim the HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing title for 2010 at the final event of the season in Schenefeld (GER).
Jung, who won individual gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky last year, was also crowned HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing champion in 2009 and would be the first rider to score an FEI World Cup™ Eventing hat-trick if he can top the leaderboard again in 2011.
Jones will be another one to watch in the FEI World Cup™ Eventing 2011 series. In 2010, she effortlessly won the HSBC FEI World Cup™ class at Kihikihi for the second year running with her home-bred grey Kirby Park Irish Jester and a win in New Zealand next month could make it three in a row.
“The FEI World Cup Eventing™ series plays a pivotal role in the international calendar and is a thrilling competition for our riders”, FEI Eventing Committee Chair Giuseppe della Chiesa commented. “With the build-up to the London Olympic Games, we expect to see some exceptional talent vie for the 2011 title.”
Former dual FEI World Cup™ Eventing champion Clayton Fredericks added: “The FEI World Cup 2011 is set to be one of the most exciting yet, with the prospect of competing against the very best in the sport. Michael Jung and Megan Jones have both achieved so much already and with 2012 around the corner, the fans will be looking forward to seeing everyone at their best.”
The FEI World Cup™ Eventing 2011 series also includes venues in Australia, Britain, Poland, Belarus, Germany and Sweden, before the seasonal curtain-closer in France at Normandy’s world-renowned Haras du Pin.
FEI World Cup™ Eventing 2011 Calendar:
Kihikihi (NZL), 07- 10 April 2011
Sydney (AUS), 06 - 08 May 2011
Chatsworth (GBR), 14 - 15 May 2011
Strzegom (POL), 23 - 26 June 2011
Minsk (BLR), 13 - 17 July 2011
Schenefeld (GER), 29 - 31 July 2011
Malmö (SWE), 05 - 07 August 2011
Le Pin au Haras (FRA), 18 - 21 August 2011
If you are wanting to get a good parking spot at the Kentucky Horse Park this morning, you better be on your way as early as possible! Cross-country day at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event is easily the busiest day the Kentucky Horse Park sees each year, so it's time to grab your coffee and go ensure you get the viewing spot you want for both the CCI4*-S and CCI5*-L divisions today.
Riders in both the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S and the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L are sharing similar sentiments about this year's cross-country courses: course designer Derek di Grazia didn't play around this year. Here is what some of the riders across both divisions had to say about the tracks they will aim to conquer on Saturday.
Off The Record decided not to let Michael Jung be the only record-breaking entry at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event this week and delivered a career-best score in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S on Friday morning. He and Will Coleman delivered a test that received a score of 21.8, not only marking a personal best for the horse but also securing their position at the top of the leaderboard going into cross-country tomorrow.
Boyd Martin and the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding Commando 3 were the last pair to go in the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L field on Friday afternoon and were warmly greeted to the bluegrass with an impressive downpour that outshined anything the other horse and rider pairs had to combat throughout the day. But that didn’t stop this pair from putting their best foot forward and impressing the judges enough to earn them a score of 26.0, just 0.2 points ahead of second-place pair Tom McEwen (GBR) and Brookfield Quality.
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