Welcome back to Equiworld News, your weekly round-up of all the top equestrian action from across the globe. We’re broadcasting from our base here at Hayfield, near Aberdeen in Scotland, bringing you the latest news and analysis on the equestrian world.
This week, we bring you coverage of the following:
- Jumping - Dutch domination continues at the FEI World Cup Jumping League
- Dressage - Anky van Grunsven makes it four in a row at the Dutch Masters
- Eventing - Badminton nominations announced, and the US faces a tough test in England
- Horse Racing - A record breaking year in Australian racing and the Cheltenham Festival in the sights
Jumping
The FEI World Cup Jumping League is reaching its climax, with the competition heating up in preparation for the Final at the end of March in Gothenburg. This week, it was the turn of the Dutch Masters, held at the Brabanthallen in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The Netherlands once again dominated, with their riders demonstrating their prowess in front of the home crowd. The winner on Friday was Eric Lamaze on his stallion, Checkmate, while the overall competition was secured by the seasoned veteran, Jos Lansink on his top horse, Eiger. It's not the first time Lansink has dominated at the Brabanthallen. This win continues the impressive recent run of the Dutch riders. This is setting the stage for a thrilling battle for the title in Gothenburg, with the world’s best riders gunning for glory.
Dressage
The Dutch Masters wasn't only dominated in the jumping classes, but in the Dressage as well. Reigning World Champion Anky van Grunsven was unstoppable, capturing the Grand Prix Freestyle title. It was a particularly convincing win for the Dutch legend, making it her fourth win in a row in this competition, underlining her incredible dominance in the sport. We look forward to seeing Van Grunsven again later in the season, as she aims to maintain her form in her quest to continue dominating the world of dressage.
Eventing
Looking further ahead, we’re gearing up for the highlight of the British Eventing season, the prestigious Badminton Horse Trials. Nominations for the 2014 event closed last week, and we’ve got an incredible field set to compete for this top prize. The UK, home to some of the greatest riders and horses in the sport, will have plenty of top names aiming to win at Badminton. Amongst these include Pippa Funnell, William Fox-Pitt, Mary King, and Oliver Townend, all hoping to replicate the achievements of their previous years at the famed event.
Across the Atlantic, US riders will face a tough test in England, aiming to match their impressive showing in the recent four-star competition in Wellington, Florida. We’re excited to see how they measure up to the tough test presented by the Badminton course.
Horse Racing
Down under, Australian racing continues to break records. A stellar performance by Kingston Rule in the Australian Derby, setting a new course record at Randwick racecourse, continues a string of fantastic results for the Aussie trainers and jockeys. The future looks incredibly bright for this fast growing racing industry, which is steadily building an international reputation.
On the other side of the world, our sights are already on the Cheltenham Festival. It's the pinnacle of National Hunt racing, bringing in horses and trainers from all across the world, eager to test their abilities on the notoriously challenging course in the Cotswolds. With the world's best horses lined up, expect plenty of thrills and spills from Cheltenham come the middle of March. We’ll be here bringing you all the excitement and insight from the greatest steeplechase spectacle.
Equiworld on the Ground
Here in Hayfield, we’ve had some exciting developments as well. Our new indoor riding arena is nearing completion and will be available to use shortly. It is set to provide riders in the area with a state-of-the-art facility to practice their skills during those unpredictable Scottish winters. This new addition builds upon our already existing network of riding schools, and we’re excited to share this wonderful new facility with the local community.
Coming up this week
We’ve got another exciting week of events on the horizon, starting with the prestigious Hamburg Jumping Derby, one of the oldest and most exciting horse jumping events on the calendar. And further afield, we’ll be reporting on the first round of the European Championships for young riders in Aachen, Germany, featuring all the bright new talents from across the continent.
That’s all for this week. We're looking forward to sharing more equestrian news with you next Saturday. Be sure to subscribe to our website at www.equiworld.org and follow us on social media to stay updated with all the action. Until next week, happy riding!