Nominated entries confirm record number of nations for the 2014 Games!
Riders, drivers, and vaulters representing no less than 74 nations have been nominated to compete in the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy, the FEI’s flagship event, which kicks off in 18 days. The number is an all-time high and represents a 25% increase compared to the nominated entries for any of the previous editions of the FEI World Equestrian Games™.
The nominated entries list, from which the final entries will be selected, is published today and is available on the website http://www.normandy2014.com/2014-games/nominated-entries/1/jumping
Jumping has attracted the largest number of nations, with 54 countries entered for the competitions at Stade d’Ornano in Caen, closely followed by Endurance. Riders from 48 countries will compete in the Endurance event, which takes place against the spectacular backdrop of UNESCO World Heritage Site Mont Saint-Michel.
The breakdown of the entries per discipline is as follows:
- Total National Federations (NFs): 54
- Nationals Federations with teams: 38
- National Federations with individuals only: 16
- 286 nominated athletes, 409 horses
- 196 combinations expected for definite entries (on 22 August 2014)
Frédéric Morand, Jumping Manager: "As in the other disciplines, the jumping competitions at the 2014 World Equestrian Games have attracted a lot of interest around the world, as the figures below reveal: 190 horses (including reserves), 160 horses taking part in the first event, and 32 teams. With ten places on offer in the final, there should be plenty of exciting jumping on offer. The best teams in the world will be lining up: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Spain, France, Great Britain, Germany, Republic of Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Ukraine and USA. Given the quality of the field, picking a winner is no easy task. The star-studded individual competition will feature all the medallists from the last Olympic Games and World Equestrian Games. The jumping events will also see Bermuda, India, Korea Republic, Latvia and Peru make their débuts".
- Total National Federations: 31
- National Federations with teams: 25
- National Federations with individuals only: 6
- 154 nominated athletes, 167 horses
- 103 combinations expected for definite entries (on 14 August 2014)
Dider Ferrer, Dressage manager: "We have seen a very significant increase in the number of participating nations, with 31 countries entering, as opposed to 24 in 2010. That rise has been reflected in the number of competitors, with 103 expected to take part, 37 more than four years ago. The main reason for that is the fact that the Games are being held in Europe, which is home to most of the leading nations in the discipline, and to the fact that many riders from elsewhere in the world regularly train and compete in Western Europe. All the top horses and riders will be taking part, among them:
- Charlotte DUJARDIN and VALEGRO (GBR), Olympic champions in 2012, European champions in 2013 and FEI World Cup winners in Lyon in 2014.
- Helen LANGEHANENBERG and DAMON HILL (GER), who came second in the 2013 Europeans and in this year’s World Cup
- Adelinde CORNELISSEN and PARZIVAL(NED), who have some unfinished business following their elimination at the 2010 World Equestrian Games and their third place in last year’s Europeans.
- Ridden by Matthias-Alexander RATH (GER), the exceptionally gifted TOTILAS will be making his return. The stallion won the 2010 world title with the Netherland’s Edward GAL, who will be competing this time around with UNDERCOVER (fourth at the 2013 Europeans and third at the 2014 World Cup).
- A podium finisher at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez and the 2004 Athens Olympics, Beatriz FERRER-SALAT is another star attraction.
With the very best riders and horses on show, the battle for team gold should be fierce, with Germany and the Netherlands looking to bounce back after losing out to Great Britain at London 2012. FRANCE have designs on improving their global standing, with the French selectors having chosen four riders from the eight qualifiers, a number that represents a significant increase in the pool of French Grand Prix pairings averaging around 70%. Another nation to watch out for is Sweden, who have put together a very strong team featuring Patrick KITTEL, Tinne VILHELMSON and Minna TELDE".
- Total National Federations: 33
- National Federations with teams: 19
- National Federations with individuals only: 14
- 126 nominated athletes, 159 horses
- 102 combinations expected for definite entries (on 14 August 2014)
Fanny Delaval, Para Dressage manager: "The eagerly awaited team announcements have all been made, and it has given the Organising Committee a great deal of satisfaction to learn that some 33 countries, represented by 102 riders, have entered the event. The leading riders in each grade will be competing, among them Great Britain’s Lee Pearson in Grade Ib, Germany’s Hannelore BRENNER in Grade III, and Belgium’s Michèle Georges in Grade IV. As the host nation*, France has chosen to enter seven riders, including José Letartre, who will be riding Warina ENE HN, the horse that partnered him to the bronze medal at the last European Championships. The discipline’s leading nations, a select group that includes the likes of Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark, all have tough decisions to make by 21 August, the deadline for the submission of their final five-rider squad lists".
*The host nation has the right to field eight riders, three more than the other nations.
- Total National Federations: 28
- National Federations with teams: 16
- National Federations with individuals only: 12
- 138 nominated athletes, 168 horses
- 99 combinations expected for definite entries (on 14 August 2014)
Jean-Marc Varillon, Eventing Manager: "With 28 nations, 138 riders and 168 horses taking part, there is no shortage of contenders for eventing gold. Big guns Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, USA and, bien sûr, France are all sending big teams comprising more than ten riders and 12 horses, while we also doff our hats to minnows Austria, Belarus, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Hungary, Japan and South Africa. Though represented by just one rider and horse each, they will not be lacking in determination or courage. More than any other event, the FEI World Equestrian Games™ are a truly global occasion and provide a spectacular backdrop for this celebration of eventing, which will unfold at two exceptional venues: Le Pin National Stud and D’Ornano Stadium".
- Total National Federations: 18
- National Federations with teams: 15
- National Federations with individuals only: 3
- 63 nominated athletes, 508 horses
- 49 combinations and 245 horses expected for definite entries (on 22 August 2014)
Jean-Pierre Brisou, Driving manager: "Caen’s La Prairie racecourse offers the ideal backdrop for the driving competitions, in which 49 drivers from 18 nations will go in search of glory. The fight for the team medals promises to be intense. Germany and the Netherlands are sure to meet some stiff opposition from fellow contenders USA, Australia and Hungary, though outsiders France, Belgium and Switzerland all have the potential to cause an upset. The world’s top 15 drivers will be competing in Normandy and should serve up quite a spectacle, especially in the marathon, while the obstacle-cone driving competition –the last event on the programme – will test their nerve to the full. The winner of that event is sure to be a worthy one, especially with Australia’s Boyd Exell, USA’s Chester Weber and the Dutch trio of IJsbrand Chardon, Theo Timmerman and Koos de Ronde going head to head. But just who will prevail? All will be revealed when the competition gets under way at 13:10 on Sunday 7 September".
- Total National Federations: 48
- National Federations with teams: 34
- National Federations with individuals only: 14
- 258 nominated athletes, 340 horses
- 178 combinations expected for definite entries (on 14 August 2014)
Laurent Cellier, Sports Director of the Organising Committee: "I am very pleased with the "enthusiasm" for the Endurance race this year, with a record number of nations, riders and horses registered on these nominated entries (49 nations, 260 riders and 348 horses). We expect to see a fantastic competition, in a magical setting: the Bay of Mont St Michel, listed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO".
- Total National Federations: 22
- 223 nominated athletes (16 pas-de-deux of 2 vaulters; 20 squads of 6 vaulters; 46 individual females and 25 individual males), 165 horses
- 177 athletes (13 pas-de-deux of 2 vaulters; 17 squads of 6 vaulters; 32 individual females; 17 individual males;) and 97 horses expected for definite entries (on 22 August 2014)
Philippe Rossi, Vaulting manager: "Though there are slightly fewer entrants this year than in 2010, competitor numbers are more or less as expected, with the men’s individual and team events accounting for marginally more participants than the women’s competitions. Leading France’s challenge will be Nicolas Andréani and Jacques Ferrari, both of them genuine medal hopes"
- Total National Federations: 25
- National Federations with teams: 16
- National Federations with individuals only: 9
- 96 nominated athletes, 147 horses
- 91 combinations expected for definite entries (on 14 August 2014)
Michèle Pfender, Reining manager: "Included on the World Equestrian Games calendar for the first time in 2002, reining has proved quite a draw this year, with 25 nations and 96 athletes set to take part. The best in the business will be on show, not least the reigning world and European champions, as well as the discipline’s rising stars and a host of horses who have already made their name. That said, there could well be some surprises in store, with the emerging nations keen to get their hands on the medals. The qualifiers saw record scores being set, which augurs well for the competitions to be held on 25-30 August at the magnificent Parc des Expositions in Caen, which has been refurbished for the occasion and will provide the perfect setting".
Australia, Austria, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden and the United States will be represented in every disciplines. In total 12 countries will be making their FEI World Equestrian Games™ debut – Hong Kong, US Virgin Islands, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Morocco, Mauritius, Peru, Palestine, Romania, Thailand, and Tunisia – demonstrating the increased globalisation of the FEI’s flagship event.
The next and final stage in the Games entry process is the deadline for definite entries, which is 14 August for Dressage and Para-Dressage, Eventing, Endurance, and Reining, and 22 August for Jumping, Driving, and Vaulting.
TO SEE THE FULL LISTS, PLEASE CLICK HERE