The eagerly-awaited 2009 HSBC FEI World Cup ™ Eventing season kicks off this weekend at the ‘down under’ venue of Kikikihi in New Zealand’s North Island. It will be staged during Easter on April 10-12 and will be the first of the nine prestigious world-wide qualifiers.
Australia’s Megan Jones and her Olympic mount Kirby Park Irish Jester (pictured) forged a decisive lead after the first day at the HSBC FEI World Cup Eventing Qualifier at Kihikihi. Megan delivered a professional and relaxed dressage test to score a total of 38.1 penalties ahead of Olympic team mate Shane Rose and All Luck who scored 41.5 penalties. New Zealand rider, Matthew Grayling and NRM Parklane Hawk lie in 3rd place (44.6 penalties), with last year’s winner Heelan Tompkins and Sugoi in 4th (47.3 penalties). The competition shifts to the cross-country phase tomorrow, and concludes on Sunday with the show-jumping.
Photo supplied by Timeless Images Photography
Twenty riders from New Zealand and Australia
For New Zealand riders, the Mitavite International Horse Trials at Kihikihi represents one of their most important outings – a win here last year sealed an Olympic team place for the winner, Heelan Tompkins on the exciting youngster Sugoi, one of 20 combinations entered this time.
Two members of Australia’s 2008 Olympic silver medal team are travelling south to Kihikihi in the hope of clocking up some early points in the HSBC FEI World Cup ™ Eventing series: Megan Jones (AUS), who finished fourth in Hong Kong on her home-bred grey, Kirby Park Irish Jester, and her team mate Shane Rose (AUS) on All Luck.
The home side includes two previous winners of Kihikihi, Clarke Johnston, who won on Oakley Vision in 2007 and has also entered orient Express, and dual former winner Matthew Grayling, a dairy farmer and member of New Zealand’s 2004 Olympic team, with NRM Parklane Hope.
Unprecedented prize money
An unprecedented prize-pool of NZD$70,000 is on offer at Kihikihi, thanks to the series’ new backing this year by HSBC.
Demanding Cross Country course
Kihikihi boasts one of the most beautifully presented and appropriately demanding cross-country courses in the world. Designed by John Nicholson, brother of British-based Olympian Andrew, it has an enchanting ‘Winnie the Pooh’ theme, with carved figures of Pooh, Roo, Tigger and Kanga abounding in the ‘Hundred-Acre Wood’.
After Kikikihi, the action stays in Australasia, with a second qualifier at Sydney (AUS) on 2-3 May. The series final takes place for the first time in Eastern Europe, at Strzegom (POL) in August.
Quotes
Bruce Bason, president of Kihikihi Waikato Eventing Inc.
“Being part of this global series provides a great opportunity to promote Eventing nationwide and keeps New Zealand in the international loop of the sport. We’re really excited that the HSBC FEI World Cup ™ Eventing series could become a vehicle for achieving much more cross-Tasman competition within our sport.”
Giles Morgan, Group Head of Sponsorship HSBC
“It is really exciting for HSBC to be involved with such a dynamic sport,” commented Giles Morgan, Head of Sponsorship for HSBC, which entered the sport for the first time last year. “HSBC is delighted to be a partner of the FEI and a major sponsor of Eventing, and we are very much looking forward to being more involved this season.”
For a full timetable and entries list at Kihikihi, visit www.teawamutu.net/eventing
Notes to editors:
HSBC is a platinum sponsor of the FEI – the highest level of sponsorship within the organisation. HSBC also sponsors the HSBC FEI ClassicsTM world-wide series of five four-star three-day events.
The HSBC FEI World Cup ™ Eventing for 2009 comprises nine qualifiers (CIC 3*) and a Final:
1. Kihikihi (NZL), 10-12 April
2. Sydney (AUS), 2-3 May
3. Marbach (GER), 8-10 May
4. Chatsworth (GBR), 16-17 May
5. Malmo (SWE), 23-24 May
6. Tattersalls (IRL), 28-31May
7. Minsk (BLR), 16-19 July
8. Kalispell (USA), 23-26 July
9. Mansfield (CAN), 7-9 August
Final: Strzegom (POL), 21-23 August
Riders are accepted for the Final in points order. Riders can score points as follows, at each qualifier: 1st place = 71 points; 2nd = 67; 3rd = 64; 4th = 61, and so on in increments of 3 points within the top 25% of competitors. For a full explanation of the rules, and to keep abreast of 2009 results, visit www.feiworldcup.org
In 2008, some 200 riders from more than 25 countries took part in the FEI World Cup ™ Eventing series.
Previous FEI World Cup ™ Eventing Champions:
2003 Pau (FRA): Linda Algotsson/Stand By Me (SWE)
2004 Pau (FRA): Linda Algotsson/My Fair Lady (SWE)
2005 Malmo (SWE): Clayton Fredericks/Ben Along Time (AUS)
2006 Malmo (SWE): Nicolas Touzaint/Galan de Sauvagere (FRA)
2008: Deauville (FRA): Clayton Fredericks/Ben Along Time (AUS)
