Celebratory Weekend for Emile Faurie at 2016 London Olympia Horse Show

Shows

2016 CDI-W London

International dressage rider and Olympian Emile Faurie made a welcome return to Olympia last week, with a master class demonstration, a convincing performance in both the Grand Prix and Kur, and his eponymous charity nominated as the official charity of the 2016 CDI/CSI London.

The Emile Faurie Foundation, which provides disadvantaged children living in inner cities with the opportunity to ride and have contact with horses, was nominated as the official charity for the 2016 London Olympia International Horse Show. Founded in 1996, the charity was started as a way to remove one of the barriers to a sport that can enrich the lives of everyone who participates. The Emile Faurie Foundation offers courses that not only teach riding but help develop essential life skills such as boosting self-esteem, responsibility and discipline.

Olympia show director Simon Brooks-Ward stated: “The Emile Faurie Foundation is a great charity that offers a golden opportunity to children who wouldn’t usually be able to participate in equestrian activities. The work it does has a proven positive impact on a child’s life. We hope that their involvement with Olympia Horse Show will help them with their vitally needed fundraising and give them further recognition.”

Tom Goode and Dior III in the Emile Faurie master class at Olympia Emile, who is currently Finland's Grand Prix team trainer, also gave a convincing master class on Tuesday 13 December 2016 to the Olympia sell out crowd featuring his yard’s latest talent, Dior III, trained by Emile and ridden by stable jockey Tom Goode. The 8-year old Dutch warmblood stallion Dior, owned by Emile and his long-standing friend Sam Geddes), is one of the UK’s next superstars with his talent for piaffe and passage.

Emile also competed Hof Kasselmann's 15-year old Oldenburg gelding Weekend Fun (by Welt Hit O) in the CDI-W. They scored an impressive 72.06% on their first outing to Olympia coming fourth in the FEI World Cup Dressage Grand Prix, and 8th in the Kur. Owned by Ullrich and Bianca Kasselmann, Weekend Fun has only been with Emile since January this year and the combination are clearly strong contenders for the World Class Podium programme next year.

Commenting on the event, Emile said, “I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to return to the centre stage at Olympia and feel very privileged to have two amazing horses here who both put on such stellar performances. Of course, it has also been a wonderful chance for us to raise awareness of the importance of the work undertaken by the charity, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2016. We are hopeful that the Silent Auction and other fund raising initiatives throughout the show will enable us to extend the valuable work undertaken by the Foundation to many more children in 2017”