A total of 43 riders from 19 countries will compete in the 2009/2010 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final at the Palexpo Arena in Geneva, Switzerland, next week from April 14-18. All but one of the competitors have emerged from nine leagues that took place around the world in recent months, the sole exception being the host nation's Niklaus Schurtenberger who has been awarded a Wild Card entry with his top horse, Cantus.
A notable absentee from the exciting closing stages will be 2008/2009 champion Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum from Germany who gave birth to her first baby daughter, Brianne Victoria, just six weeks ago. The three-time winner first held the coveted World Cup trophy aloft in Las Vegas in 2005 and then recorded back-to-back victories in Gothenburg in 2008 and again at Las Vegas in 2009, always partnering the great Shutterfly who turned 17 in January of this year. Meredith has decided that she will not defend the title.
The full list of confirmed riders and qualified horses for the 2009/2010 Final is therefore as follows:
AUSTRALIA
Chris Chugg - Vivant
Edwina Alexander - Cevo Itot du Chateau/Cevo Socrates
BRAZIL
Rodrigo Pessoa - Night Train/Let's Fly/Champ
Yuri Mansur Guerios - Ideal de Balia
CANADA
Karen Cudmore - Southern Pride
ESTONIA
Tilt Kivisild - Terrero/Cinnamon
Rein Pill - Virgin Express
FRANCE
Kevin Staut - Kraque Boom/Le prestige St Lois/Sea Coast Silvana
Patrice Deleveau - Katchina Mail
Penelope Leprevost - Mylord Carthago
GREAT BRITAIN
Michael Whitaker - GIG Amai
GERMANY
Philipp Weishaupt - Catoki
Marcus Ehning - Noltes Kuchengirl/Sabrina/Plot Bue
Ludger Beerbaum - Gotha
Marco Kutscher - Cash
IRELAND
Jessica Kuerten - Castle Forbes Cosma/Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois
Darragh Kenny - Obelix
Dermott Lennon - Hallmark Elite
ITALY
Natale Chiaudani - SNAI Seldana di Campalto
KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
Abdullah Sharbatly - Goldex
HRH Abdullah Al Saud - Mobily Saudia/Mobily Allah Jabek
LITHUANIA
Benas Gutkauskas - Quick Jet
MEXICO
Alberto Martinez - Leonard
THE NETHERLANDS
Albert Zoer - Uraguay
PORTUGAL
Luciana Diniz - As-Taro Z/Winningmood
RUSSIA
Ljubov Kochetova - Aslan
SWITZERLAND
Pius Schwizer - Ulysse / Carlina
Beat Mandli - Louis
Daniel Etter - Peu a Peu
Steve Guerdat - Tresor/Jalisca Solier/Ferrari
Niklaus Schurtenberger - Cantus
SWEDEN
Svante Johansson - Caramell KS
USA
Maclain Ward - Sapphire
Mario Deslauriers - Urico
Michelle Spadone - Cadence/Melisimo
Hillary Dobbs - Quincy B/Corlett
Lauren Hough - Quick Study
Ken Berkley - Carlos Boy
Todd Minikus - Pavarotti
Rich Fellers - Flexible
Joie Gatlin - Camaron Hills Quick Dollar
Richard Spooner - Cristallo
VENEZUELA
Andres Rodriguez - Larkanaro
For further information on the 2009/2010 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final in Geneva check out www.worldcupgeneva.com.
Watch the Excitement Unfold on FEI TV
The provisional FEI TV broadcasting schedule from the Palexpo Arena in Geneva is as follows:
Thursday, April 15, 2010 - 19.10 to 21.15 CEST, Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final, Jumping
Friday, April 16, 2010 - 19.10 to 21.45 CEST, Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final, Jumping
Saturday, April 17, 2010 - 22.10 to 23.15 CEST, FEI World Cup™ Final, Driving
Sunday, April 18 2010 - 13.25 to 16.45 CEST, Rolex FEI World Cup™, Jumping
The broadcast schedule can be downloaded from www.feiworldcup.org.
FEI World Cup™ Jumping has entered its 32nd season. The series, created in 1978, today comprises 14 leagues on all continents. The best riders from 121 preliminary competitions will qualify for the final in Geneva, Switzerland.
The International Equestrian Federation (FEI), founded in 1921, is the international body governing equestrian sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and includes 133 National Federations.
Equestrian sport has been on the Olympic programme since 1912 with three disciplines—jumping, dressage and eventing. It is one of the very few sports in which men and women compete on equal terms. It is also the only sport which involves two athletes—horse and rider. The FEI has relentlessly concerned itself with the welfare of the horse, which is paramount and must never be subordinated to competitive or commercial influences.