Geneva (SUI), 7 April 2010

Watch the Excitement Unfold on FEI TV

The provisional FEI TV broadcasting schedule from the Palexpo Arena in Geneva is as follows:

Thursday 15 April 2010      –           19.10 to 21.15 CEST, Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final, Jumping

Friday 16 April 2010          –           19.10 to 21.45 CEST, Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final, Jumping

Saturday 17 April 2010      –           22.10 to 23.15 CEST, FEI World Cup™ Final, Driving

Sunday 18 April 2010        –           13.25 to 16.45 CEST, Rolex FEI World Cup™, Jumping

RIDERS AND HORSES CONFIRMED

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 14-18 April.  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 website http://www.worldcupgeneva.com/

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR WESTERN EUROPEAN LEAGUE: 1, Oslo (Norway) 9-11 October; 2, Helsinki (Finland) 15-18 October; 3, Lyon (FRA) 28 Oct-1 November; 4, Verona (Italy) 5-8 November; 5, Stuttgart (Germany) 15-22 November; 6, London-Olympia (Great Britain) 15-21 December; 7, Mechelen (Belgium) 26-30 December; 8, Leipzig (Germany) 21-24 January; 9, Zurich (SUI) 28-31 January; 10, Bordeaux (France) 5-7 February; 11, Vigo (Spain) 11-14 February; 12, Gothenburg (Sweden) 25-28 February; 13, s’Hertogenbosch (The Netherlands) 25-28 March; FINAL – Geneva (Switzerland) 14-18 April.

Broadcast Schedule can be downloaded from www.feiworldcup.org