Estimada Familia de la ACODEPA,

Nos encontramos trabajando en la renovación de la Comisión de Atletas de la ACODEPA. Por tal motivo, nos complace extender la respectiva convocatoria a las Confederaciones Deportivas Panamericanas y Organizaciones Deportivas Regionales que forman parte de la ACODEPA, para que se sirvan postular, a quienes consideren cumplen los siguientes requisitos:

• Edad superior a los 18 años.
• Nacionalidad de los CONs que forman parte de Panam Sports.
• Haber competido en Juegos Panamericanos Senior (en los últimos 8 años).
• No haber infringido el código de la Ama.
• No haber infringido los Códigos de Ética de su NF, IF y CON.
• Que durante su actividad como deportistas, hayan demostrado actitud de servicio y colaboración en su lugar de residencia y, en la comunidad deportiva en particular.

Sólo serán elegibles para ser miembros de la Comisión de Atletas, los candidatos que sean propuestos por su respectiva Confederación Deportiva Panamericana u Organización Deportiva Regional, que a su vez forme parte de los deportes que conforman el programa deportivo de los pasados Juegos Deportivos Panamericanos Santiago 2023.

Mucho agradeceremos consideren postular a dos atletas, uno femenino y otro masculino.  Así mismo enviar resumen ejecutivo del CV y foto de presentación de cada uno, antes del 22 de julio de 2024.

Desde ya muchas por su colaboración y compromiso.

Dear ACODEPA Family,

We are working on the renewal of the ACODEPA Athletes’ Commission. For this reason, we are pleased to extend the respective call to the Pan American Sports Confederations and Regional Sports Organizations that are part of ACODEPA, so you can apply to those who consider they meet the following requirements:

• Age over 18 years.
• Nationality of the NOCs that are part of Panam Sports.
• Have competed in Senior Pan American Games (in the last 8 years).
• Not to have violated the code of the WADA.
• Not have violated the Codes of Ethics of their NF, IF and NOC.
• That during their activity as athletes, they have demonstrated an attitude of service and collaboration in their place of residence and in the sports community in particular.

Only candidates who are proposed by their respective Pan American Sports Confederation or Regional Sports Organization of the sports that were included in the program of the past Pan American Games Santiago 2023, will be eligible to be members of the Athletes’ Commission.

We would be very grateful if you would consider nominating two athletes, one female and one male. Likewise, please send an executive summary of the CV and presentation photo of each one, before July 22, 2024.

Thank you very much for your collaboration and commitment.

February 5, 1949 was a special day in the equestrian world when Chilean Army officer Captain Alberto Larraguibel Morales and the Thoroughbred stallion Huaso set the world high jump record at 2.47 metres (8ft 1in). Incredibly, that record still stands, 74 years later!

The venue where the fabulous pair jumped their way into the record books was the Chilean Army Riding School in San Isidro de Quillota. Now over 100 years old, it will be the competition venue hosting the equestrian disciplines for this year’s Pan American Games. 

The record-breaking fence is still onsite, and so is Huaso, in the form of a statue commemorating the horse that jumped himself and his rider into history.

Thomas Wolff, one of Brazil’s best known veterinarians who had worked all over the world at major international equestrian events, has passed away after losing his battle with lung cancer. He was 71.

Born in April 1951, equine veterinary medicine was his lifelong passion. He qualified as a veterinarian in 1975 at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of São Paulo and earned his doctorate in veterinary medicine at Zurich University in Switzerland the following year. Between 1975 and 1990 he worked in the Netherlands, Britain, Germany and the United States of America.

He was the Veterinarian in charge of the Brazilian Equestrian Team at two Olympic Games – Seoul 1988 and Beijing 2008 – and also at two Pan American Games –Rio (BRA) 2007 and Guadalajara (MEX) in 2011. 

During his many years working with equestrian sport’s global governing body, the Federation Equestre International (FEI), he was President of the Veterinary Commissions at both the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Other highlights of his FEI career came in 2014 when he was appointed as a Member of the FEI Veterinary Commission at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy (FRA), as Foreign Veterinary Delegate (FVD) at the FEI World Cup™ Finals 2017 in Omaha (USA), FVD at the Youth Olympic Games 2018 in Buenos Aires (ARG) and also at the FEI Jumping South American Championships for Young Riders, Juniors, Pre-Juniors and Children at Mar del Plata, Argentina in October last year.

He was National Head FEI Veterinarian in Brazil from 2000 to 2017 and was a valued member of the FEI Veterinary Committee from November 2015 to November 2019. He was on the limb sensitivity testing team at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final at the 2022 Final in Barcelona (ESP), and had just been appointed by the FEI as Foreign Veterinary Delegate for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games in Chile later this year.

“We have lost a dear friend and a talented veterinarian with the passing of Thomas Wolff”, PAEC President Cesar Hirsch said. “We were roommates at the Rio Olympic Games and we worked together at so many events. Along with all his friends and colleagues, I will miss him enormously. He was a truly great man and the world is a poorer place without him. May he rest in peace.”

PAEC extends its sincere condolences to Dr Wolff’s wife Doris and his children, to the Brazilian National Federation, and to his wide circle of friends in the veterinary and equestrian sports worlds.

When you make your debut in a Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ qualifier, of course you dream of winning it, but how many people make that a reality? Well, Mexico’s Jose Saavedra Garcia did exactly that on Saturday, January 28, claiming the top spot in the feature Longines North American League qualifier in Puebla. And, even more incredibly, Saavedra Garcia and Maximus jumped the only clear of the entire competition!

They left in their wake last year’s winners Manuel Gonzales Dufrane (MEX) and Hortensia van de Leeuwerk, who slotted into second with the fastest four faults. Saavedra Garcia’s trainer Arturo Parada Vallejo claimed third on Bacot for an all-Mexican podium, with Denmark’s Nikolaj Hein Ruus and Bordeaux in fourth. And the field also included the top ranked Mexican Nicolas Pizarro, and the current national champions of Mexico, Federico Fernandez (MEX) and Davidoff.

Saavedra Garcia made his international debut at San Miguel de Allende in May of last year when he competed in three classes with Maximus and, less than a fortnight later, the duo jumped their way into the winners’ enclosure at the Puebla venue at only their second show together. Returning to San Miguel last October, Jose and Maximus won the CSI 2* Grand Prix. After the stunning Longines win at the weekend, Saavedra Garcia has now notched up 11 top 10 placings in 21 starts with the 13-year-old Oldenburg stallion son of Quidam de Revel. 

Saavedra Garcia is 689^th in the Longines Rankings and 126^th in the FEI U25 Ranking, but the maximum 20 points from the weekend victory has now put the 24-year-old 14^th in the North American League standings. 

Check out the full FEI stories on Jose’s brilliant win here and here and savour the winning round on FEI Facebook. The full class results are available here

After seven qualifiers hosted by PAEC members, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League winds up at Ocala (USA) on 19 March 2023

FEI PRESS RELEASE
Lausanne (SUI), 6 January 2023

In Memoriam: FEI mourns loss of FEI Jumping Director Marco Fuste (1962-2023)

Spain’s Marco Fuste, known for his bountiful charisma and extensive experience in the equestrian sporting sphere, including his tenure as FEI Jumping Director since 1 February 2021, passed away on 5 January 2023 from heart complications. He was 60 years of age.  

Highly regarded by the equestrian family, Fuste had a wealth of experience in the equestrian world which he gained through the many roles he embraced: from athlete to event organiser, chef d’équipe as well as hands-on governance administrator both in and out of the equestrian sphere.  

During his time at the FEI, Fuste oversaw the full revision of the FEI Jumping Rules, the successful delivery of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games due to Covid-19, the delivery of FEI World Championships, World Cup and Nations Cup Finals among thousands of events around the world. He prioritised consultation, was always reachable and worked closely with the FEI Jumping Committee and Chair Stephan Ellenbruch (GER) to ensure the different stakeholders within the community understood the decisions, the reasoning and the decision-making process.   

“The FEI and the greater equestrian community have lost a true friend, loyal equestrian, mentor and aficionado,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.  

“Marco always gave it his all – he was not one for half measures or taking the easy option – and everyone respected him for his tenacity, his integrity and his good business sense. 

“Marco was true to his convictions and was always true to himself. He was passionate about the sport and about the people, rational beyond measure and simply a wonderful human being. His generosity and thoughtfulness, as well as his wise insights and remarkable ability to recall and recount countless anecdotes, made him memorable and colourful at every encounter. 

“Marco said that to be appointed FEI Jumping Director was his dream job, and for us, he was our dream candidate – passionate, experienced, knowledgeable, genuine, caring, determined and driven to do the right thing for the sport and for the people in the sport.

“We will miss him dearly at the FEI, and I know the entire community is also mourning his loss and everything he stood for.”

On behalf of the FEI Family, which held Marco in the greatest esteem, the FEI extends its deepest condolences to his wife Isa, his daughter Ainhoa, his father, extended family, the Spanish equestrian community and everyone around the world who had the chance to get to know and spend time with him. May he rest in peace. 

About Marco Fuste

Before joining the FEI and among many career highlights, Fuste was Director of Jumping for the Spanish Equestrian Federation and chef d’equipe of the Spanish Jumping team from 2006 to 2021. During this time, he also served as a member of the FEI Jumping Committee from 2011 to 2015, and a member of the European Equestrian Federation (EEF) Jumping and Nations Cup working groups. Prior to this, he had also worked at both the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games and the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2002 in Jerez (ESP), and was a recipient of the Gold Medal of the Real Federación Hípica Española in 2009, the Federation’s highest distinction. 

In the lead up and alongside his equestrian career – borne from a lifelong love of horses – Fuste earnt his stripes exploring and working in a number of different sports. This started in 1986 with the position of Event Manager at the Spanish sports events company Organización y Gestión Deportiva S.A, before a nine-year stint with the World League of American Football, NFL Europe and NFL Europe League. He would go on to explore the tennis world, becoming General Manager at the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation, a tenure which coincided with Spain recording its first Davis Cup victory. 

Colonel Salim Nigri dies at 81

This Friday (21/01), Colonel Salim Nigri died. He was 81 years old and had a heart attack. Great supporter and collaborator of national dressage, Nigri had an extensive career. He was national and international judge (FEI 4) of the modality, as well as dressage director of the Brazilian Equestrian Confederation and instructor and commander of the Army Riding School. As an FEI 4 judge, Nigri judged the Pan American Games in Winnipeg in 1999.
Nigri graduated as a cavalry officer in 1962 and was an instructor at the Army Riding School for five years. As an athlete, he was state and national champion several times and participated, as an international rider, in several CDIs.

More recently, Nigri taught several training courses for judges. In September 2021, he taught a course for dressage judges at the Army Physical Training Center – Urca (RJ), with the aim of recycling CBH judges and preparing FEERJ state judges.

The funeral will be on Sunday, 1/23, at 10 am, at the Cemitério Comunal Israelita in Rio de Janeiro.

Marco Fuste (ESP), one of the best known figures on the international Jumping circuit, has been appointed as Jumping Director for the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the global governing body for equestrian sports.

Mr Fuste has been Director of Jumping at the Spanish Equestrian Federation and chef d’equipe of the Spanish Jumping team since 2006. He will take up the new role at the FEI on 1 February 2021 and his first task will be a full revision of the FEI Jumping Rules. He replaces interim Jumping Director Deborah Riplinger, who will remain at FEI Headquarters until the end of June next year to ensure an optimal handover.

“To be appointed as FEI director jumping Director is absolutely my dream job,” Marco Fuste said. “Horses and equestrian sport, particularly Jumping, have been a part of my life for so long and I see this new role as the pinnacle of my career. Jumping is already the FEI’s largest discipline and, while I know the challenges involved, I also see great opportunity for further expansion, particularly in South America, so that we can develop the sport more broadly. I can’t wait to get started.”

His lifelong love of horses was cemented at the age of seven when his grandfather took him to a riding school right in the middle of Barcelona. He went on to compete on the Spanish national Jumping circuit, prior to studying law at the University of Barcelona Law School.

He served as a member of the FEI Jumping Committee from 2011 to 2015, and a member of the European Equestrian Federation (EEF) Jumping and Nations Cup working groups. He also worked at both the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games and the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2002 in Jerez (ESP). He is a recipient of the Gold Medal of the Real Federación Hípica Española, the Federation’s highest distinction.

His initial entry into the workplace came in 1986, when he started as Event Manager at the Spanish sports events company Organización y Gestión Deportiva S.A, before a nine-year stint with the World League of American Football, NFL Europe and NFL Europe League. He then switched codes to become General Manager at the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation, with Spain scoring its first Davis Cup victory during his tenure. In 2001 he set up Barcelona Sports Consulting, a specialist company organising horse shows and working directly with Organising Committees, before moving to his current role at the Spanish National Federation.

“Marco Fuste is tailor-made for the role of Jumping Director at the FEI,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said. “He has valuable expertise in the sports world outside the specialist equestrian sphere, and has been involved in our sport from every angle, as an athlete, event organiser and chef d’equipe. He also has hands-on governance experience at the National Federation and at international level as a member of the FEI Jumping Committee. He has encyclopaedic knowledge of the Jumping discipline and is respected and admired by everyone within the sport. We are very much looking forward to welcoming him to Headquarters in February.”

The FEI announced the appointment of Christina Abu-Dayyeh (JOR) as Endurance Director last week (16 December). Recruitment for both positions was done in partnership with British-based agency Hartmann Mason Executive Search.