The past has a way of repeating itself, as Australian rider, Andrew Hoy, takes the lead yet again of the FEI Eventing Riders’ World Ranking list. Thanks to his winning form in Lexington and Badminton as well as his runner-up positions in Hartpury and Burghley, he has retained his spot at the top of the 2006 rankings with 566 points.

Another tribute to the past (see 2005) William Fox-Pitt (GBR) is again in 2nd place with 433 points. His first places in Burnham Market and Hartpury, as well as other excellent results during the season, have kept him gravitating towards the top end.

Clayton Fredericks, also from Australia and 2005 FEI Eventing World Cup™ winner, is 3rd with a final score of 432 points. His results are based on his outstanding performances in the WEG Aachen (2nd), in Badminton (17th) and in Saumur (1st).

Bettina Hoy (GER) is ranked 4th with a total score of 425 points thanks to her good placings in the WEG Aachen (6th), Luhmuehlen (2nd and 16th) and Boekelo (7th).

Nicolas Touzaint (FRA) winner of the 2006 FEI Eventing World Cup™ in Malmö is placed 10th with 375 points. With Karim Florent Laghouag (ranked 6th), this is the second French rider placed in the Top-Ten of the Rankings.

Thanks to higher level events organized in South America to allow riders to get qualifications results for the Pan American Games, several riders from Brazil earned points in the 2006 World Ranking List, as Guto De Faria (55th) and Marcio Carvalho Jorge (63rd).

In the ranking per geographical zone, it is great to welcome Alena Tseliapushkina (BLR) ranked 69th, the highest score from the Central & Eastern Europe Zone. Her biography shows good performances in Kreuth (13th), Minsk (2nd) and Moscow (3rd and 4th).

Please also note the great results of Yoshiaki Oiwa (JPN), ranked 144, who participated in Barroca d’Alva (8th), in the Aaachen WEG (18th) being an outstanding element in the Asia-Oceania Zone.

In the Top-Ten of the 2006 FEI Eventing Riders’ World Ranking list, Australia is the leading country together with Germany (3 riders each), followed by France (2 riders), Great-Britain and USA (1 rider each). Riders from 4 Zones (Asia-Oceania, North-Western Europe, North America, South-Western Europe) on the 7 Eventing Zones are present in the Top-Ten.

To note: as of 1 January 2007 the FEI Eventing Riders’ World Ranking list will be rolling over a 12 months’ period. For further information, please refer to: http://www.horsesport.org/c/PDFS/Ranking_Rules_07.pdf