International showjumping in Windhoek

NAMIBIA’S top showjumpers tested their skills against the best competitors from seven other African countries last weekend without even leaving the country.

Vanessa Jacobs on Voice-of-the-Turf proved she was the best individual in the Namibian leg of the FEI World Jumping Challenge 2005 by winning the A category, followed by Michelle Kunzle on Rostock Ritz Oskuri and Sabine Decker on Wunderlicht. These riders were tested over jumps of 1,20 metres at the event organised by and held at the Gymkana Club Windhoek Sonja Kasch on Davetsaub Anteus, Sonja Kessler on Flagrant and Gillian Kotze riding Pastel Andros respectively took the honours in the B category.In this section of the Challenge, jumps were set at 1, 05 metres.This competition, established by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the international governing body for equestrian sports, was introduced to give riders from 72 countries, which are divided into 10 groups, a chance to compete internationally in showjumping and dressage.North America and Western Europe do not take part in this particular competition.Namibia is in a group with Mauritius, Swaziland, Botswana, Zambia, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo whose riders will also compete over two rounds, in both categories, on an identical course.The winning riders points and times are then forwarded to the FEI and compared with those from around the world.The results are only expected at the end of the year when all countries have submitted their scores.Then the best two competitors from each group of countries are invited to participate in a competition in Germany.The FEI’s visiting judge from South Africa, Denise Whitehead, described the standard of jumping this year as exceptionally high.”Although the Gymkana Club has won the gold award for best organised show of 2003 and 2004, this year’s show was even better organised and approached in a very professional manner,” she added.Club chairman Anselm Voigts said this year’s competition was far tougher than last year and that the riders’ performance had improved too.”We are pleased with the results and we are confident Namibia will achieve good standings as opposed to the other countries in our group,” he said.These riders were tested over jumps of 1,20 metres at the event organised by and held at the Gymkana Club Windhoek Sonja Kasch on Davetsaub Anteus, Sonja Kessler on Flagrant and Gillian Kotze riding Pastel Andros respectively took the honours in the B category.In this section of the Challenge, jumps were set at 1, 05 metres.This competition, established by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the international governing body for equestrian sports, was introduced to give riders from 72 countries, which are divided into 10 groups, a chance to compete internationally in showjumping and dressage.North America and Western Europe do not take part in this particular competition.Namibia is in a group with Mauritius, Swaziland, Botswana, Zambia, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo whose riders will also compete over two rounds, in both categories, on an identical course.The winning riders points and times are then forwarded to the FEI and compared with those from around the world.The results are only expected at the end of the year when all countries have submitted their scores.Then the best two competitors from each group of countries are invited to participate in a competition in Germany.The FEI’s visiting judge from South Africa, Denise Whitehead, described the standard of jumping this year as exceptionally high.”Although the Gymkana Club has won the gold award for best organised show of 2003 and 2004, this year’s show was even better organised and approached in a very professional manner,” she added.Club chairman Anselm Voigts said this year’s competition was far tougher than last year and that the riders’ performance had improved too.”We are pleased with the results and we are confident Namibia will achieve good standings as opposed to the other countries in our group,” he said.