New HSBC FEI World Cup^TM Eventing season kicks off

The 2009 HSBC FEI World Cup^TM Eventing season, a prestigious series which aims to unite all corners of the international Eventing community, kicks off next month in the Southern Hemisphere.

The series is, appropriately, newly supported by the 'world's local bank', and starts at Kihikihi in the North Island of New Zealand. At the beginning of May, the series moves to Sydney (AUS) before a summer campaign of Northern hemisphere events in Europe, America and Canada. Minsk (BLR) in July will be the most Northern qualifier.

At the end of the qualifying series, the top ranked riders will be entitled to take part in the HSBC FEI World Cup^TM Eventing Final which, for the first time, will be held at the much-praised Polish venue of Strzegom. Last year, some 200 riders from more than 25 countries took part in the FEI World Cup^TM Eventing. The final, at Deauville (FRA) was a truly international affair, with riders travelling from Australasia and North America for it.

The winner, British-based Australian Olympic team silver medallist Clayton Fredericks, will gain an automatic invitation to this year's unique final - he has already signalled that this will be his main goal this year. "The HSBC FEI World Cup^TM Final means a lot to me - when I won it the first time, it signalled a major breakthrough in my career - and it's definitely my main autumn goal this year."

The series will be supported by a strong and much-welcomed presence from HSBC, who became involved with the sport of Eventing for the first time last year and in October was made a platinum sponsor of the FEI - the highest level of sponsorship within the organisation.

"The HSBC FE World Cup^TM Eventing is an integral part of our sponsorship which offers a truly global circuit with the qualifying events being held in many of our key markets.

Through this partnership, we have been able to engage with our customers internationally at both a regional and local level" commented Giles Morgan, Head of Sponsorship for HSBC.

Qualifying venues for the 2009 HSBC FEI World Cup^TM Eventing:

1	Kihikihi	NZL	10-12 April 2009
2	Sydney	AUS	2-3 May 2009
3	Marbach	GER	8-10 May 2009
4	Chatsworth	GBR	16-17 May 2009
5	Malmö	SWE	23-24 May 2009
6	Tattersalls	IRL	28-31 May 2009
7	Minsk	BLR	16-19 July 2009
8	Kalispell	USA	23-26 July 2009
9	Mansfield, ON	CAN	7-9 August 2009

HSBC FEI World Cup^TM Eventing Final 2009 Strzegom POL 21-23 August 2009
For more information please contact Malina Gueorguiev

Notes to editors:
The HSBC FEI World Cup^TM Eventing qualifiers are a series of CIC***s.

Previous finalists are:
2003 Pau (FRA): Linda Algotsson/Stand By Me (SWE)
2004 Pau (FRA): Linda Algotsson/My Fair Lady (SWE)
2005 Malmö (SWE): Clayton Fredericks/Ben Along Time (AUS)
2006 Malmö (SWE): Nicolas Touzaint/Galan de Sauvagere (FRA)
2008: Deauville (FRA): Clayton Fredericks/Ben Along Time (AUS)
To find rules and points system, for the HSBC FEI World Cup^TM Eventing series, please click here