CRUNCH TIME APPROACHES IN HSBC FEI WORLD CUP EVENTING™
22 July 2010Tension is mounting in the HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing with the eighth and ninth competitions, Kalispell (USA) and Minsk (BEL), in the 12-event series taking place this weekend.
Germany’s Michael Jung has set a tough target in this year’s HSBC FEI World Cup™. With riders’ best two placings counting, he heads the rankings following two wins – at Marbach (GER) and last month at Strzegom (POL) – from Megan Jones (AUS) who scored a first and second at the two Antipodean events.
However, one rider could equal Jung’s achievement: Mara Dean (USA), already a winner at the season’s opener, Tallahassee (USA), is one of the 28 entries at Rebecca Farm, Kalispell, Montana (21-25 July), with the same horse, the veteran High Patriot.
She is lying equal ninth in the rankings, and has most to gain from a good placing, but if double Olympic gold medallist Phillip Dutton (USA), equal 13th in the ranking with 67 points, manages to win on one of his three horses, he will shoot into equal second place with Jones.
Eastern European riders contesting the Belarusian event at Minsk (22-25July) have their first chance to get on the HSBC FEI World Cup™ rankings. And the highest placed riders among the 21 entries there may well carry on to Malmö in Sweden or Schenefeld in Germany to increase their points tally in this valuable series, in which the top 15 riders will share a US$180,000 prize pot.
1. Tallahassee (USA), 5-7 March 2
2. Kihikihi (NZL), 2-4 April
3. Sydney (AUS), 7-9 May
4. Marbach (GER), 7-9 May
5. Chatsworth (GBR), 15-16 May
6. Tattersalls (IRL), 27-30 May
7. Strzegom (POL), 24-27 June
8. Minsk (BLR), 21-25 July
9. Rebecca Farm, Kalispell (USA), 22-25 July
10. Malmö (SWE), 13-15 August
11. Haras du Pin (FRA), 18-22 August
12. Schenefeld (GER), 26-29 August
Standings (after 7 of 12 events)
1 Michael Jung (GER) 142 points
2 Megan Jones (AUS) 138
3 = Clarke Johnston (NZL) 128
3 = Lucy Wiegersma (GBR) 128
5 Sonja Johnson (AUS) 119
6 Kai-Steffen Meier (GER) 107
7 Andrew Downes (GBR) 104
8 Mary King (GBR) 74
9 = Mara Dean (USA) 71
9 = Chris Burton (AUS) 71
9 = Sam Griffiths (AUS) 71
9 = Oliver Townend (GBR) 71
1st place: 50,000
2nd: 34,000
3rd: 23,000
4th: 18,000
5th: 13,000
6th: 10,000
7th: 8,000
8th: 6,500
9th: 5,000
10th: 4,000
11th: 3,000
12th: 2,000
13th: 2,000
14th: 1,500
15th: 1,000
HSBC, the world's local bank, is a platinum partner of FEI and global sponsor of the eventing discipline.
As part of this partnership, HSBC is title sponsor of the HSBC FEI Classics and HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing.
At the centre of all HSBC’s sponsorships is a commitment to youth, education and community. The Pony Club and HSBC have teamed up to create the HSBC Pony Club Eventing Training Programme.