Malmö, Skåne, Sweden - December 13, 2010
The Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) has announced that the renowned equestrian facility of Bökeberg, just outside of Malmö, Sweden, will be the official host of the inaugural FEI World Reining Finals on May 21, 2011.
The new Finals are a reinvention of the old FEI World Reining Masters. Each National Federation may send athletes to compete on behalf of their country in the annual championship with national pride, prize money and the individual title of World Reining Champion at stake. "Malmö 2011" will represent the first time that the annual individual final has been held outside North America since 2005.
Reining is a sport born of the American West with maneuvers similar to those a working ranch horse might have been asked to perform on day-to-day tasks. Today, the sport has exploded around the world as the level of technical sophistication and horsemanship style has evolved into an intricate and beautiful display of power and finesse.
Now represented on six continents and in more than 40 nations, the sport of Reining is an internationally-approved event under the FEI, the international governing body for equestrian sport. The incredible success of the sport at the recent 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) gave Reining significant momentum for continued growth worldwide.
Known for its architectural beauty and technical assets for major equestrian events, the Bökeberg facility will be the home to this international gathering of elite Reining athletes from all corners of the globe as top competitors in the sport vie for the title of World Champion and $100,000US in prize money.
Bökeberg has hosted major FEI championships in the past, including the Swedish National Reining Championship and the 2009 European Vaulting Championships. "We are pleased and proud to be the host site of the 2011 World Reining Finals and look forward to welcoming the world to Bökeberg," said Christer Andersson, owner and operator of the Bökeberg facility.
"The FEI looks forward to the continued growth for the sport of Reining within the FEI structure," said Bob Thompson, chairman of the FEI Reining Technical Committee. "Following a very successful Reining Championships at WEG, 'Malmö 2011' will be a terrific opportunity to bring elite-class Reining to the world audience once again. We look forward to this new tradition and the opportunity to develop the sport globally within the FEI structure," Thompson elaborated.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for a select number of interested stakeholders. A complete schedule of activities, informational website, athletes' information and documents for national federations will be available soon. For more information on the 2011 FEI World Reining Finals, please contact Brad Ettleman of HorsePower, Inc., the official Organizing Committee, by e-mail at Brad@HPowerInc.com, or by phone at: (+1) 720.982.3574.
The Fédération Équestre Internationale is the single international governing body for equestrian sport and the official Federation reporting to the International Olympic Committee on behalf of equestrianism. The primary mission of the FEI is to advance the orderly growth of equestrian sport worldwide by promoting, regulating and administering humane and sportsmanlike international competition in the traditional equestrian disciplines. For more information about the FEI, go to: www.FEI.org
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