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World University Equestrian Championship26.-30. July 2000 Berne, Switzerland |
The World University Equestrian Championship takes place every two years.
It represents the absolute highlight among the international student
riding competitions Concour Hippique International Universitaire (CHIU)
and Student Riding Nations Cups (SRNC), which are organised throughout the
year and all over the world.
Participation is open to all countries who have associations or
federations with a membership in the International University Sports
Federation (FISU), the
International Equestrian Federation (FEI) or the IOC. The competitors must
be natives of their respective countries, registered for and pursuing a
full time course of study and between 17 and 28 years old.
The event is submitted to the General
Regulations for World University Championships of FISU and the Technical Regulations for World
University Equestrian Championships of the International University
Equestrian Federation (AIEC)
in compliance with the technical rules of the FEI.
All riders have to perform in the two major equestrian disciplines:
dressage and showjumping. Each country is represented by 3
riders and can be accompanied by a reserve rider and two officials. In the
course of the competition riders are eliminated by a
knockout-system over 5 rounds. The horses are provided by the
organizers/host countries and the participants have only about 5 minutes
to adapt to a horses peculiarities before they perform the test. A
horse is presented by 3 riders and the one who does the best makes
it to the next round. The riders who do not move on are ranked according to
their difference to the best rider on this horse. The standard of riding
in dressage ranges form a novice test in the first round to the Prix St.
Georges in the final and in showjumping from heights of 90cm in first round
to 150cm in the final.
The competition takes place at the former army horse center EMPFA
which is now a private riding institution called NPZ (Nationales
Pferde Zentrum). Amongst many other facilities the NPZ has two indoor
riding arenas, an outdoor show-jumping and dressage ground and a huge all
weather gallop with cross-country jumps. For the WUEC this year a total
of 2*(24+8+4+2+2)=80 horses have to be supplied by the organizers.
Most of these are provided by the NPZ. For the further rounds we rely on
benevolent private horse-owners, who will kindly give us their top class
horses. During the competition most of the horses have to be managed by a
reliable team supplied by the organizers.
Besides taking care of a considerable number of other peoples horses
the organizers are responsible for the participants' accommodations,
catering and well-being. The official teams are lodged in a first class
Swiss army camp. Optional accommodation in a hotel can be made available
on request. Supportes will sleep in a bunker, well-known and loved by all
studentriders who have been to Berne before.
The catering is mainly supplied by the camp and additionally from
local farmers and restaurants. We will try to spoil our guests with the
best of Swiss food, except cheese-fondue, which is just not appropriate
for summer-temperatures.
During an extra cultural day sightseeing tours offer the visitors
from all over the world an extraordinary in-sight of the hospitality and
way-of-life in Switzerland. At the WUEC this year our guests may choose
between 3 different excursions.
Sponsors are harder to find than a needle in a haystack. But
nevertheless we managed to get the finance needed. Beside the bank
Credit Suisse and sponsors from industry and business we are supported by
University, City and Canton Berne as well as by the government, the Swiss
Sports Federations and private sponsors.
The organizing committee consists of
seven people: Sandra Wiedmer is a law student in
Berne who rides Dressage on top level. She is the person responsible for
all the paperwork, judges and sponsoring. Simone Hofer is an
economy-student in Berne and our top show-jumper. She is responsible for
horses and the riding. Simon Schatzmann is learning how to fly and wants
to become a pilot. On the horse he is the master in eventing. He is
organizing the accommodation and the catering. Sabina Ganter is a
veterinary doctor working in the Berner Oberland. She is the big boss and
main coordinator.
Fritz Holzer from the University Sport of Berne together with Leonz Eder
from the University Sport of St. Gallen are a great help in finding
sponsors and are contact persons to International University Sports
Federation (FISU), Swiss University Sports Association (SUSA) and the
National Olympic Federation (SOV). Nogc Linh, secretary of the sports
dept. at the University of Berne took care of registering all the teams
and other arduous paperwork. Anne-Cathrine Strauss is responsible for
finances.
Thank you to all the photographers who take their camera to
competitions. Unfortunately those who made the fine pictures above
collected from the internet are unkown. Thank you also to those
collecting and publishing pictures on the internet like the site of
Ralf Becker.
Fortunately we know where the pictures where taken: