There are only two weeks left until the CSI3*-W Special Olympic Qualifier for Group C at the National Riding Hall in Budapest, Hungary. The organizers expect the arrival of 10 nations for the qualifier and many individual riders with 300-350 horses. The teams of region C will compete for one of the last quota places at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Various nations from the Central and Eastern European Region will have the last opportunity between 27 and 30 June to qualify their teams for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. This weekend Moscow and the National Riding Hall in Budapest, Hungary will host the two Olympic Team Qualification competitions, which is a great recognition for Hungarian Equestrian Sport, thanks to the success of last year’s Longines FEI Nations Cup Jumping of Hungary CSIO5* in Budapest – said Gyula Budai, Ministerial Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, at yesterday’s press conference held at Budapest National Riding Hall.
The nations of Group C (Central and Eastern European Region) had to choose until last February whether to go to Moscow or Budapest for the Olympic Team Qualification Tournament. After the preliminary entries 10 teams and many individual riders decided on Budapest – announced Dorottya Stróbl, Chief Officer of the competition. During the four days of the Budapest CSI3*-W Special Olympic Qualifier for Group C there will be 14 competitions, in four of them riders can collect points for the individual Olympic Ranking as well. The total prize money of the event reaches 132,000 euros.
Hungary was represented last time at the Olympic Games by a show jumping team in 1980 and by an individual show jumper, Vilmos Göttler, in 1992. József Platthy won the only Olympic medal for Hungarian equestrian sport in Munich in 1936.
Kristóf Szotyori Nagy, chairman of the Hungarian Show Jumping Division, explained that meanwhile on the last two Olympic Games, nations of group C could only claim for one team quota place, and for the 2020 Olympic Games they have the opportunity to achieve two quota places. Due to the two Olympic Team Qualification Competitions in Moscow and Budapest, group C will be split in two. Another change for the next Olympic Games is that instead of 27 teams 35 will be present at the Tokyo Olympics. The team will be composed of three riders.
However, at the Budapest CSI3*-W Special Olympic Qualifier for Group C, teams will have five members (one is reserved) and in both rounds the result of the three best riders will be taken into consideration. Ukraine is a favorite for the Budapest Qualifications but the Czechs and Greeks also represent very strong teams. The members of the Hungarian team are Gábor Szabó jr. on Timpex Bölcsész, Balázs Horváth on Zordon, Mariann Hugyecz on Chacco Boy, András Kövy jr. on Heuréka and Sándor Szász.
Gábor Fábiáncsics, Executive Director of the National Riding Hall, is expecting 300-350 horses for the long weekend. They will be placed in 220 – of these 42 brand new – fixed boxes and in additional mobile boxes.
About the competition
The featured competitions of the CSI3*-W International Jumping Competition and Olympic Team Qualifications on 27-30 June, National Riding Hall, Budapest, Hungary:
- Thursday, 27 June 2019 15:00 145 cm Longines Ranking Competition, qualifies for Sunday’s Grand Prix
- Friday, 28 June 2019 15:00 160 cm Olympic Qualification, Team Competition. The winner wins the right to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
- Saturday, 29 June 2019, 14:00 150 cm Longines Ranking Competition, qualifies for Sunday’s Grand Prix
- Sunday, 30 June 2019 15:00 140-160 cm Grand Prix – Longines Ranking Competition, qualifies for the World Cup
Comments are closed.