Twenty-nine riders representing Australia, Denmark, Finland and home nation Germany gathered in the northern city of Schenefeld near Hamburg for the 13th leg of the 2005 FEI Eventing World Cup from 26 to 29 May. Germany’s Michael Jung took the lead from the very beginning after a remarkably fluent and light Dressage performance scoring 37.2 penalty points on the 9-year old mare Miss Meller. He proved his good condition on the Cross Country course where he scored only 2 penalties for exceeding the optimum time by 5 seconds. He kept his pole position despite one Jumping fence down finishing on a score of 43.2 penalty points, more than 6 points ahead of runner-up Andreas Dibowski. At a time when the forthcoming FEI European Eventing Championship is on everyone’s mind, German chef d’équipe Hans Melzer confirmed that, regardless of this impressive result, Jung will not be part of the national squad heading to Blenheim.

Andreas Dibowski, who is one of the most active riders on the FEI Eventing World Cup circuit since the beginnings, comes in 2nd on FRH Serve Well with a result of 49.40 penalty points. He was in 7th position following Dressage (43.40), but an energetic Cross Country (6 time penalties) and the competition’s only one of two clear Jumping rounds propelled him in 2nd place. Remarkably, he was also the author of the second clear Jumping test on his Olympic mount, the 14-year old gelding Little Lemon B, with whom he finishes 7th (59.39).

Yet another German rider, 24-year old student Simone Deitermann, joins the winning trio on Flambeau H3. Despite the fact that upon walking the course, she had found it exceptionally demanding, she carried out a remarkable Cross Country to finish only 1.1 points behind Dibowski (50.50 penalties).

With a time of 6 min 15 s, Australian Eventing star Andrew Hoy was unrivalled across country. He finishes on a score of 52.40 on Classy Touch and takes 4th position.

The current leader of the 2005 FEI Eventing World Cup standings, Bettina Hoy, was also in Schenefeld. She rode the gelding Diamond Magic who, despite being 10, still remains very much of a young horse. Bettina, who places 6th
(57.50) was very pleased with his Dressage and Cross Country, while there is still room for progress in Jumping where they had two fences down.

Despite the fact that Schleswig-Holstein, the Länder where Schenefeld is located is better known for Dressage and Jumping, this competition has kept developing for the last 30 years. It started as a low-level national show to gradually evolve into a high-standard international. The FEI Eventing World Cup qualifier has added to its prestige. EUR 35,000 were invested in revamping the Cross Country course. In 2006, Schenefeld will have the honour and responsibility to host Germany’s National Eventing Championship.
The full results are available on the event’s website http://www.esrv-online.de/Turnier/Frame-Setesrv_info.html or on the FEI website www.horsesport.org, section Eventing, results.

Action was no less exciting at the antipodes. The 14th leg of the 2005 FEI Eventing World Cup took place from Friday 10 to Monday 13 June, the Queen’s Birthday Weekend, at Werribee Park Equestrian Centre near Melbourne (AUS).

The queen of the day was 26-year old Athens Olympic team member Olivia Bunn, who had also won the FEI Eventing World Cup qualifier at Warwick, QLD. Aboard her Olympic mount, the 13-year old gelding GV Top Of The Line, she was well out of reach finishing on a score of 56.4, no less than 14.6 penalty points ahead of runner up Heath Ryan. A composed Dressage test (40 –
73.3%) had set her in leading position from the very beginning, which she kept throughout despite 12.4 Cross Country time penalties and one Jumping fence down.

At almost 47, Heath Ryan is not the granddaddy of the sport yet. He finishes 2nd riding his very own 12-year old Thoroughbred gelding Flame on a score of 71 penalties. Heath Ryan was also in 2nd and 4th position at Warwick.

He is followed by Wendy Schaeffer on Koyuna Sun Magic with 77.6 points.

Building on the events previous successes, the organised had modified the course adding a new water complex and new and exciting ‘intimate spectator friendly’ group of fences.

The completes results are available on http://www.efavic.com.au/uimages/1638.pdf

After 14 qualifying events, the 2005 FEI Eventing World Cup standings are dominated by Australian riders who, no doubt, are vying to win back their gold medal throne.
1. Phillip Dutton (AUS) – 260
1. Bettina Hoy (GER) – 260
3. Olivia Bunn (AUS) – 200
3. Matt Ryan (AUS) – 200
5. Heath Ryan (AUS) – 150
6. Ruth Edge (GBR) – 139
7. Lourenco Vieira da Silva (BRA) – 114
8. Michael Jung (GER) – 100
8. Neilus O'Donoehue (IRL) – 100
8. Susanna Bordone (ITA) – 100
8. Matthew Grayling (NZL) – 100
8. Jessica Heidemann (USA) – 100
13. Darren Chiacchia (USA) – 97

The complete standings are available on the FEI website www.horsesport.org, section Eventing, Results, Standings.

For its 15th leg the 2005 FEI Eventing World Cup will travel all the way to the Russian capital Moscow.

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The FEI Eventing World Cup is the sport’s first linked series. The 2005 season consists of 17 qualifiers and a Final to be held in Malmö (SWE) from 11 to 14 August. It is organised at the highest level of the sport using the format without steeple chase. The series is designed in manner to encourage the participation of the world’s best riders and horses and thus promote such emblematic values of Eventing, as the constant quest for harmony between physical skills and mental balance, contact with nature, precision, stamina, agility and insightful training. The FEI Eventing World Cup is a showcase of a sport resolutely turning to the future.