Championship medals explained!
Wednesday 19 August 2009
Your guide to the Alltech FEI European Jumping & Dressage Championships 2009
With only six days to go to the start of the Championships, and only seven until the first gold medal is won, Windsor is looking forward to five sets of medal presentations across both disciplines.
With so much at stake for the competitors, what exactly does it take to win a medal? The Championship rounds are explained below.
The Dressage Championship
There are three sets of medals available; the team Championship and two individual competitions.
The Dressage first competition is for individuals and teams and runs on Tuesday (25th) and Wednesday (26th). All riders will perform the same test and the winning team is the one having the highest total percentages of their best three riders (the fourth and lowest score is discarded for the team result.) Team medals will be presented at the end of Wednesday afternoon’s performance.
The second Dressage competition is the Grand Prix Special which is an individual competition only. Only the top 30 best placed pairings from the first competition will compete. Each horse and rider will perform the same set of predetermined movements, different to the first competition. The winner is the individual competitor obtaining the highest percentage score. There is no adding of percentages from the first competition, all competitors start on zero. Individual medals for the Grand Prix Special will then be issued at the end of the performance.
The third Dressage competition, the Grand Prix Freestyle to Music (The Kür) then takes place as the final Individual competition on Saturday evening (29th). The top 15 placed individuals from the Grand Prix Special will compete in the Freestyle. Riders design their own set of movements set to a musical accompaniment, with certain movements that must be incorporated. As before, there is no adding of percentages from previous rounds. The gold medal goes to the pairing obtaining the highest percentage score. Individual medals are awarded at the end of the performance.
The Jumping Championship
There are two sets of medals to compete for; the team and individual. Unlike the Dressage, the scores for each round are carried over into the next.
Wednesday (26th) is the first Jumping competition for teams and individuals. All competitors complete one round against the clock. The time taken to complete the course plus 4 seconds for every fault is multiplied by 0.5 and rounded up or down to the second decimal place to give the points for each rider. The competitor with the lowest points after this conversion is given 0 penalties, and every other competitor is given penalties totalling the difference between their points and the lowest competitor’s points. The lowest three penalties in each team are counted for the team result (the highest fourth is dropped.)
The team final and second individual competition takes place on Friday afternoon (28th). Because scores roll over, only those who have competed in the first competition can take part. This takes place over two rounds, not against the clock with a time allowed. Riders will compete in reverse order of the first competition results and the teams on the medals podium will be those who have the lowest combined penalties from their best three riders in the first competition and each round of the second competition. Team medals will be presented at the end of this performance.
The final day of the Championships is Sunday 30th August and the Individual Jumping final. Only the top 25 competitors per the combined scores from all previous rounds compete. The Individual final consists of two rounds, not against the clock but with a time allowed. The overall and individual winner is the competitor with the lowest combined penalties from all Championship classes. A jump-off will be used if there is equality of penalties. Individual medals will be presented at the end of the performance.
Five sets of medals, 15 medals in total and only six days to go until it all kicks off….
Ticket Information:
Tickets for the Alltech FEI European Jumping and Dressage Championships 2009 are priced between £7 and £49 (£7, £10, £16, £22, £25, £28, £35, £45, £49). The box office telephone numbers are 0871 230 1087 (UK) and + 44 115 993 4409 (International). For online ticket bookings and further information of the confirmed programme of events please visit www.alltechwindsoreuropeans.com
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
For further information on the Alltech FEI European Jumping and Dressage Championships please contact Kelly Smith on +44 (0)1753 847915 or email kellys@hpower.co.uk.
About the Organisers:
The HPower Group produce, manage and promote large scale public events worldwide specialising in equestrian competitions, ceremonial events and public entertainment.
The HPower Group is the organiser of the Royal Windsor Horse Show, Olympia, The London International Horse Show and the FEI European Jumping and Dressage Championships 2009. The HPower Group has previously produced and directed All The Queen’s Horses, Army 2002, and the World War 2 60th Anniversary Celebrations. Simon Brooks-Ward, managing director, was also Event Director for the Territorial Army’s 100th Anniversary National Pageant on Horse Guards.
About UK Sport
The Alltech FEI European Jumping & Dressage Championships 2009 has been part funded by UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Events Programme, which aims to secure events of strategic importance that deliver a range of lasting benefits. These include economic, social and cultural benefits as well as improving sporting performance by home athletes, encouraging participation and leaving a legacy of facilities and development initiatives. Over 120 sporting events have been staged in the UK through the programme since 1997. More at www.uksport.gov.uk
About Alltech
Alltech is a global animal health and nutrition company with over 28 years’ experience of developing natural products that are scientifically proven to enhance animal health and performance. Headquartered in Kentucky, USA, Alltech trades in 113 countries and has over 1900 employees worldwide.
Alltech is the proud sponsor of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010™ to be held in Kentucky, USA from the 25th September to the 10th October 2010 and the Alltech FEI European Jumping and Dressage Championships to be held in Windsor, United Kingdom from the 25th to the 30th August 2009.
For further information on Alltech please contact: Christina Lombard on +353 1 825 2244 or at clombard@alltech.com
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