Show Jumping & Driving World Cup Final in Geneva

Geneva is preparing for a thrilling equestrian experience from 14 to 18 April. Nearly 50 of the worldʼs greatest riders, from all five continents, are participating in the Rolex FEI World Cup Final. This world-class competition is the best possible way to round off the indoor season. And Geneva is also hosting the FEI World Cup Driving Final, with the six most skilful drivers in the world and their four-horse teams. The spotlight is now firmly focused on Geneva Palexpo and its arena, with a daily seating capacity of 10,000. These two FEI finals make the Geneva International Horse Show (CHI-W) the major equestrian event of the year in Switzerland, or even in Europe.

With two finals together, the organizers of the Geneva International Horse Show have set their sights high. And their ambition has been justified, with the box-office doing a brisk trade and tickets for the weekend already nearly sold out! The facilities have also been reviewed and enhanced for visitorsʼ enjoyment and comfort. Now, there will be some 10,000 seats surrounding the show ring. There will also be a new reception marquee and over a hundred exhibition stands for the public to visit, including two new marquees, one hosting a Swiss pavilion and the other housing the educational farm which was such a big success in 2008.

The preliminary events for the showjumping and driving finals will run from Thursday to Sunday. Alongside these will be a dozen or so spectacular competitions, all international benchmarks: the Parfums Lanvin Six Bar event (Thursday 15 April), the Tribune de Genève Progressive Difficulties event (Friday 16 April), the Speed and Handy prize and the Credit Suisse Grand Prix (Saturday 17 April). The programme provides days of intense action where sport and emotion go hand in hand, and the sporting stakes are undeniable.

An unparalleled line-up

Riders and drivers have to qualify beforehand in order to participate in their respective finals, and the organizers are delighted to be able to announce that the worldʼs best will be coming to Geneva. In showjumping – even though not all the qualifying events are completed – it is almost certain that visitors to Geneva Palexpo will be seeing such talented riders as Marcus Ehning, Ludger Beerbaum, Rodrigo Pessoa, Mclain Ward, Jessica Kürten and the European champion, Frenchman Kevin Staut. The current title-holder, the German rider Meredith Michaels Beerbaum is expected to be in the medal running, despite giving birth to her first child in February, and has assured the organizers that she will be aiming for the top place on the podium. In Geneva, no competitor will be there to make up the numbers!

On the Swiss side, the riders have been performing with exemplary consistency, and four of them qualified immediately: Pius Schwizer, Beat Mändli, who is back to top form, Daniel Etter and Steve Guerdat. In a first for Switzerland, the Swiss national anthem has been heard four times in the course of the qualifying stages, in Oslo, Helsinki, Lyon and Zurich! As the host country, Switzerland also has two wildcards to award, and so it is likely that six Swiss riders will have the chance to compete in the Rolex FEI World Cup Final 2010. Switzerland is proving itself more than ever to be an important player on the world equestrian stage.

Six exceptional drivers in Geneva

And Swiss drivers have also proved it by distinguishing themselves throughout the indoor season. The result is that for the first time in the short history of the FEI World Cup Driving, two Swiss drivers have qualified. Daniel Würgler and Werner Ulrich, who are regular competitors in Geneva, have earned the right to pit themselves against exceptional drivers such as the current title-holder, the Australian Boyd Exell, and the Dutch four-times world champion, Ijsbrand Chardon. A total of six drivers will compete in two events, on Friday and Saturday nights; and Saturdayʼs event will finish with a drive-off between the three leading drivers to decide the ultimate winner. Here too, suspense is guaranteed!

The attractions scheduled in the arena will give greatest prominence to the sporting partnership between man and horse, but not forgetting some spectacular displays,

particularly from the “Flying Frenchman” Lorenzo and the Minorcan horses. The official opening ceremony is scheduled for late afternoon on Wednesday 14 April, and will include various scenes depicting Switzerland, with magnificent parades and in particular an appearance by the Swiss National Stud and the riders of the Fête des Vignerons, which can be seen again on Saturday evening.

Bet with Sporttip

For the first time, it will be possible to bet on ten or so of the events at the Geneva International Horse Show. Thanks to Sporttip, well known to the betting public, spectators at Geneva Palexpo will be able to choose fixed or variable odds, bet on the winner or each-way, or bet on the name or nationality of the winner. And it will also be possible to bet at some 35,000 Lotto outlets and online! These bets have been made possible through a partnership between Sporttip and Swiss Top Sport, the organisation representing the 14 biggest sporting events in Switzerland, including the CHI-W in Geneva.

Full programme and further information: www.woldcupgeneva.com.

Title Holder – Meredith Michaels Beerbaum (GER) 1

Arab League 2 (2)

Abdullah Sharbatly (KSA)

HRH Abdullah Al Saud (KSA)

Australian Pacific League 1 (2)

Chris Chugg (AUS)

Central Asian League 0 (1)

– The rider will participate in the jumping classes of the CHI-W

Caucasian League 1 (1)

Rashad Samadov (AZE) – to be confirmed

Central European League3 (3)

Tiit Kivisild (EST)

Rein Pill (EST)

Benas Gutkauskas (LTU)

Japanese League 0 (1)

No rider

New Zealdn League 0 (1)

No rider

South African League 1 (1)

Shaun Neill (RSA)

South American League 1 (2)

Yuri Mansur Guerios (BRA)

South East Asian League

Syed Mohsin Almohdzar (MAS) – à conf. 1 (1)

North American League (7)

Mclain Ward (USA) 7

EST Mario Deslauriers (USA)

Michelle Spadone (USA)

Hillary Dobbs (USA)

Lauren Hough (USA)

+ 2 riders TBD after 04.04.10

Darragh Kenny (IRL) 2

Ljubov Kochetova (RUS)

North American League West 3 (3)

Rich Fellers (USA) – to be confirmed

+ 2 rider to TBD after 04.04.10

NOrth American League Canada 2 (2)

John Pearce (CAN) – to be confirmed

Karen Cudmore (CAN)

North American League Mexico 1 (2)

J. Martinez Vazquez (MEX)

Western European League 18 (18)

Jessica Kuerten (IRL)

Marco Kutscher (GER)

Pius Schwizer (SUI)

Marcus Ehning (GER)

Ludger Beerbaum (GER)

Kevin Staut (FRA)

Beat Mändli (SUI)

Philipp Weishaupt (GER)

Patrice Delaveau (FRA)

Pénélope Leprevost (FRA)

Michael Whitaker (GBR)

Daniel Etter (SUI)

Svante Johansson (SWE)

Luciana Diniz (POR)

Dermott Lennon (IRL)

Natale Chiaudani (ITA)

Steve Guerdat (SUI)

Albert Zoer (NED)