25/08/2011

The official presentation of the CSIO5*  took place at the Gijón Town Hall. The equestrian event will be held the 31st of August to the 5th of September in Las Mestas. The list of participants has been made public.

The list of participants includes approximately 180 horses and 70 riders. Countries participating in the Nation’s Cup include Spain, Belgium, Canada, France, UK, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. Other individual riders from Holland, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, El Salvador and Peru will also compete. A total of 15 nationalities will be represented in the equestrian event.

Among the confirmed riders will be those who formed the podium of the last World Equestrian Games. This means that the current individual World Champion and Bronze winner with the Belgium team, Philippe Le Jeune (15 June 1960), will surely be one of the favorites, as well as the runner-up, from Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Al Sharbatly (21 September 1982). However, the Bronze Medal winner, the Canadian Eric Lamaze (17 April 1968), may overcome them both, as he is currently the holder of the titles Olympic Champion and No. 1 of the FEI Rolex Ranking.

The event will hold two daily trials on each of the six competition days. The most important ones will be the Nation’s Cup on Saturday, where 10 national teams will join forces for a victory, the Trophy S.A.R Prince of Asturias on Sunday and the Grand Prize Cajastur, the grand finale of event.