United States Eventing Association

Germany is proving the nation to beat this year, after European silver medallist Sandra Auffarth opened the 2012 FEI World Cup™ Eventing with a convincing victory at Strzegom (POL) at the weekend and led her team to a second win in the FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing series.

Clarke Johnstone (NZL) was celebrating with a large bottle of champagne, part of his spoils from Haras du Pin (FRA), where he finally sealed victory in the FEI World Cup™ Eventing 2011. “I’ve just flown five horses from New Zealand to England, so I’m not really in credit at the moment!” joked Johnstone. “But this is a very satisfying result and I’m going to enjoy it.”

Niklas Lindbäck (SWE) and Mister Pooh, the super-talented horse many international riders would love to own, scored a brilliant back-to-back victory in the FEI World Cup™ event at Malmö (SWE), the penultimate competition in the 2011 series.

Reigning World Champion Michael Jung (GER) has established his position on the 2011 FEI World Cup™ Eventing rankings after scoring an emphatic one-two at Strzegom (POL), the fourth leg of the series. In a remarkable record, Jung, the reigning Series Champion from 2010 and winner of the 2009 FEI World Cup™ Eventing Final in Strzegom was winning at this leading Polish venue for the third consecutive time.

New Zealand rider, Clarke Johnstone has won both World Cup rounds Down Under and heads to the UK to continue his Olympic dream. Doug Payne joins Chris as co-host and reflects on his fortunes in New Jersey.

British riders got their chance to make an impression on the FEI World Cup Eventing™ 2011 leaderboard when, at the third leg, Emily Baldwin (GBR) spearheaded a one-two-three for the home side at Chatsworth (GBR). Baldwin and the Dutch-bred Drivetime have a reputation as CIC3* specialists and won the FEI World Cup™ event at Haras du Pin (FRA) last year, a competition that Baldwin has signalled she will be returning to in August in her quest for further points.

As anticipated, Antipodean riders seized the chance to steal a march on their northern hemisphere colleagues in the 2011 FEI World Cup™ Eventing series by targeting the second leg, at Sydney’s Weekend of Equestrian World Cups (AUS).

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.

Britain’s Emily Baldwin spearheaded a competitive international field to win her first ever HSBC FEI World Cup™ event, at the inaugural Haras du Pin (FRA) CIC3*-W, the penultimate competition in the 2010 series.

British-based riders have their first chance to earn points in the valuable HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing series at Chatsworth (GBR) this weekend (May 15-16), and five nations are represented in the entry of 33.