FEI WORLD CUP DRIVING SEASON CONTINUES IN LEIPZIG

Leipzig will host the fourth leg of the FEI World Cup Driving on 23 and 25 January. Last year, Leipzig made its debut in the World Cup Driving circuit and received a warm welcome from both the competitors and the spectators.

Seven drivers will travel to Leipzig, amongst which double World Cup Champion and current leader of the point standings Michael Freund. Freund has received a wild card from the organisation. The second wild card is allocated to Steffen Scholz, an international four-in-hand driver from the Leipzig area. Scholz has been a steady member of the B-kader for many years. He has achieved several top-ten placings at international events amongst which a second place at the CAI Altenfelden, Austria, in 2003. Scholz, who has not competed at international indoor level before, will compete with his team of German bred geldings. The wild card drivers will have to compete against their fellow countrymen Christoph Sandmann and Rainer Duen, Switzerland¹s Werner Ulrich and the reining World Champion Ijsbrand Chardon from the Netherlands.

The warm up competition of the Partner Pferd horse show in Leipzig will take place on Friday, 23 January at 22.00 hrs. The World Cup competition in the Leipziger Messe is scheduled on Sunday, 25 January at 13.00 hrs. Michael Freund will perform once more during the Gala evening on Saturday. Freund will treat the crowd at a world premiere by driving a pas de deux with his seven-year old son Marco, who will drive a team of Shetland ponies.

REPORT FROM CSI CAIRO (EGY)

9th Mövenpick international Equestrian Competition

by Birgit Popp 

The garden of the Mövenpick Hotel Cairo-Helipolis became an oasis of the international show jumping sport from January 10 - 16, 2004. After a seven-year-break the CSI Cairo revived with its ninth edition seeing 61 riders of 18 nations participating. In this unique event two days of choosing and training the horses in the Police Academy and three days of competition in the hotel garden were accompanied by sightseeing activities and a two-day-trip to the tourist center Sharm El Sheikh. The social part did not come short with a Welcome and a Farewell Party in the hotel and a Gala-Dinner given by the Egyptian Equestrian Federation during a Nile boat cruise.

Five Egyptian television stations plus the worldwide via satellite receivable station ART (Arabian Radio and Television) have been broadcasting live the three classes. Victory in the warm-up competition built by Hauke Schmidt (GER) went to the Dutch rider Marcel Goran aboard Watch Out ahead of Egypt's Andre Sakakini aboard Leonardo and his country-fellowman Islam Amr Eid aboard Sphinx. Victory in the Grand Prix was taken in the second round by Egypt's Karim Zohair El Sobky aboard Le Gatte in clear 43.58 seconds. Second place went to Belgian rider Francois Mathy Jr. aboard Darios (0/44.59) and third to the Egyptian General Ahmad El Sawaf aboard Meshmish Z (0/47.74). Second-best non-Egyptian rider became Alfredo Fernandez Duran, the Top Leading Rider 2003 of Spain, placing seventh aboard Crepe Suzette (4/44.73). For the team competition in manner of a Nations Cup the teams were drawn. The team competition was won by a team of three Egyptian riders plus the Italian rider Massimo Grossato.

With the FEI Secretary General Dr Bo Helander and the FEI Executive Board member Hanfried Haring, top officials of the international equestrian sports were present. Both were impressed by the organisation and the high quality of the event, as well as by the  the participating Egyptian riders and horses.

NEW HIGHLIGHTS FOR REINERS

Shows in Bremen and Dortmund now approved as CRIs (FEI Reining)

The International western shows at Bremen and Dortmund were just approved by the FEI as Concours Reining International" CRI  Cat. B. Besides the NRHA Lawson Bronze Trophy and the qualification for the German Championship Reining (FN), Bremen and Dortmund now offer the chance of qualifying for the $ 100.000,-- World Reining Masters 2004 in Oklahoma City.

The first two qualifying events for the World Reining Masters are now Bremen and Dortmund.

Dates:

CRI BREMEN: Kampmann Pferdesportfestival, Bremen, February 27 and 28, 2004 (CRI: Friday, Feb. 27, approx. 6 p.m.)

CRI DORTMUND: Internationales Reitturnier, Westfalenhallen Dortmund, March 12-14, 2004 (CRI: Friday, March 12, approx 6 p.m.)

Nominations for CRIs must be made on the official FEI forms and can be sent to the show office (Sylke Stemme).. The fee for the CRI, which includes the qualification to the German Championship is EUR 75,-- plus EUR 8,-- FEI charge. Nomination Forms and Schedules: www.dqha.de 

IPEC RANKING LIST

2004 FEI EUROPEAN EVENTING CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2004 FEI European Eventing Championships for Juniors, Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA), has been confirmed from 9 to 12 September.

FEI GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The 2004 FEI General Assembly will take place in Paris (FRA) on 20 and 21 April. In the frame of the Assembly, a Forum and several workshops will be organised. One of the important points on the agenda will be the revision of the FEI Statutes and General Regulations, as well as a presentation on the FEI new coaching system.

More information and online accreditation at http://www.horsesport.org/fei/reference/reference_05/ref_05_04.html

IN MEMORIAM

William D. “Billy” Haggard (USA), respected rider and owner, passed away on 5 January 2004. Haggard was best known for his success aboard Bold Minstrel, the only horse ever to represent the United States at the World Championship level in two different disciplines.  Haggard rode Bold Minstrel in two consecutive Pan American Games, earning the Eventing Team Silver Medal in 1959 and the Team Gold in 1963.  In 1964, he loaned Bold Minstrel to fellow eventer Mike Plumb who piloted him to the team Silver Medal in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Later on, under Haggard’s ownership, the wonderfully versatile Bold Minstrel began to train in show jumping with William Steinkraus and the pair went on to win the team Silver in the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg.