The rainy Aachen games of 2006 were certainly a point of pride for Great Britain’s Royal Family.
Zara Phillips (now Tindall) pulled out a surprise Individual win in three-day Eventing, against all odds, after beginning the Jumping course late when she didn’t hear the starting bell!
Zara Phillips is the daughter of HRH The Princess Royal, who herself was individual European champion (1971) and competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, before becoming President of the FEI in the 1980s. A love of the sport comes from both sides of the family, however; Zara Phillips is also the daughter of Mark Phillips, an Olympic team champion in 1972.
2. The Fantastic French!
The year 1990 witnessed the first inaugural FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Stockholm.
On courses designed by Olaf Petersen, who had recently also created jumping tracks at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Frenchman Eric Navet won Individual and Team gold. Navet’s victory against riders from 16 nations was also his family’s triumph, as he took the top podium spot aboard Quito de Baussy, a stallion bred by his father Alain at the Haras de Baussy in Calvados, Normandy.
3. Vaulting Force!
The 1998 games in Rome saw a shakeup in Vaulting that would have a lasting effect on the discipline.
American Eric Martonovich presented a modern programme unlike anything people used to more conservative routines had ever seen.
Sporting a ponytail and using hip-hop music, Martonovich enthralled his audience. While he didn’t ultimately win a medal, he changed the face of vaulting forever, setting the stage for more fun, creative programmes in the future!
4. Para Dressage Powers Up!
The 2010 games in Kentucky were an event of many firsts. In addition to being the first WEG competition outside of Europe, the Kentucky games were the first to see the inclusion of Para-Equestrian Dressage.
Sir David Lee Pearson of Great Britain was a three-time champion that year, winning gold in Individual Grand Prix and Freestyle, as well as the Team competition with other British riders. Para Dressage has been a part of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ ever since, with athlete participation continuing to grow!
5. Germany United!
The end of the USSR and dissolution of the Eastern Bloc turned out to be perfectly timed for the 1994 FEI World Equestrian Games™ in The Hague. Athletes from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Croatia, Czech Republic, and Slovakia were able to participate for the first time, as well as riders from the newly united Germany.
And what a force Germany turned out to be! German athletes won 13 out of 39 medals awarded, including gold for Jumping Individual, Jumping Team, Dressage Team, Driving Individual, Vaulting Individual, and Driving Team.
