Olomouc to host a show jumping event in the World Cup Series for the tenth time in june 2023

The traditional World Cup show jumping competition will be held for the tenth time at the Equine Sport Center Olomouc from 22nd to 25th June. For the first time, the event will be held as the Banka CREDITAS CSI2*-W Olomouc. “We are delighted to enter the second decade of our international show jumping events with a new general partner – Banka CREDITAS a.s. With the support of our new general partner, we will be able to offer participants and spectators another unforgettable sporting experience in the comfort of our arena,” said Barbora Hubáčková, President of the Event. “I am glad that Banka CREDITAS has become the general partner of such a prestigious event as the FEI World Cup Show Jumping. It is an exciting experience not only for the riders but also for the spectators who always come to Olomouc in large numbers. Show jumping requires courage, agility, precision and maximum interaction and connection. Bank CREDITAS supports these attributes not only in sport,” said Vladimír Hořejší, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bank CREDITAS a.s.   

Twenty-one competitions will be held during the four-day event with the total prize money of EUR 86,000. “In the CSI2*-W category, there will be two competitions within the Equestrian Federation Longines Ranking, the third competition will be part of the CSI U25. The Grand Prix, which starts at noon on Sunday, will once again be part of the FEI World Cup Central European League. It will also be a qualifier for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and the 2023 European Championship,” added Kristýna Koutná, Director of the Equine Sport Center, who is also the Event Director. The CSI2*-W category will consist of three tours with three rounds each – Bronze Tour (120cm to 125cm), Silver Tour (130cm to 135cm) and Gold Tour (140cm to 145cm).

Young riders under the age of 25 are also a traditional part of the Olomouc event. There will be three competitions for this age group, with the main event taking place on Sunday afternoon as part of the popular European Youngster Cup. One of the highlights of the Saturday programme will be the Junior Grand Prix with a full tour. The other three competitions will be in the CSI1*YH category for young 6 and 7-year-old horses. “This year, there will also be a new amateur tour, the Elite Tour CSIAm-A with obstacles of 110cm to 115cm, which will be open to Czech riders and horses without the need for an FEI passport. Amateur riders will thus have the opportunity to experience the atmosphere of international competitions and courses designed by a four-star course designer,” added Kristýna Koutná.

The course designer will be forty-eight-year-old Portuguese Bernardo Costa Cabral, who also designed the courses in Olomouc last year. He gained his extensive experience at numerous prestigious events in Europe, the USA, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. He designed the courses for the Youth Olympic Games held in Buenos Aires in 2018. “In the ten-year history of this event, we have worked with top course designers. Bernardo Costa Cabral previously worked with Olaf Petersen, who designed the courses in Olomouc from 2014 to 2016. In 2017, the courses were built by Peter Schumacher, who also built the courses in the Equine Sport Center in 2018. The renowned Italian course designer Uliano Vezzani, the course designer of the Global Champions Series, accepted our invitation in 2019. A year later, he was succeeded by Eduard Petrovic from Croatia. Two years ago, the riders had the opportunity to try out the courses designed by Alan Wade from Ireland. And since the riders really liked the courses designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral last year, we invited him again this year,” recalled the names of previous course designers Barbora Hubáčková.

The Banka CREDITAS CSI2*-W Olomouc show jumping event will be held under the auspices of the Governor of the Olomouc Region, Josef Suchánek, and the Mayor of the City of Olomouc, Miroslav Žbánek. For more information visit www.csiolomouc.cz.

Photo: Katerina Navojova