It is awards season at the FEI with our annual FEI Awards Gala Evening fast approaching. Each day this week we will be announcing the shortlist from our 5 categories, Longines Rising Star, Reem Acra Best Athlete, Best Groom, Against All Odds and FEI Solidarity.
With so many worthy nominees already announced for our FEI Awards within the Longines Rising Star, Against All Odds, FEI Solidarity and Best Groom categories we now look to the brightest stars of our sport with the nominees of the Reem Acra Best Athlete Award to round up the week.
After a year of outstanding sporting achievements from our athletes across all disciplines it was an especially difficult task to create a shortlist of only four athletes. The public nomination process highlighted a wide range of athletes from which the following four were selected to go through to the judges’ vote:
Boyd Exell (AUS)
Since winning his first driving competition aged 16, Boyd has gone on to dominate the discipline of driving in a manner never before seen. His 2015 win at the FEI World Cup™ Driving Final means he has now won a record 6 times alongside being a 4 time World Champion at four-in-hand. He is the current no.1 driver in the FEI Driving Standings.
William Fox-Pitt (GBR)
Taking home his second Badminton CCI4* title this year brought William’s CCI4* tally up to a highly impressive 14 wins. At the Longines FEI European Eventing Championships he claimed Team Bronze with Team GBR. William has been an integral part of the British Eventing team for 16 years and is an exemplary athlete in the sport of Eventing.
Jeroen Dubbeldam (NED)
Last years’ winner Jeroen continued his golden streak into 2015 as he become only the third jumper in history to have won Olympic, World and European gold medals when he took home both Team and Individual Gold from the FEI European Championships in Aachen.
Jacques Ferrari (FRA)
Jacques, chose 2015 to be his final defining year, bowing out of the sport on a high as the current World & European Champion after winning the FEI World Cup Vaulting Final. A complete showman and outstanding athlete his unique style, choreography and athletic ability took vaulting to new levels.
Charlotte Dujardin (GBR)
As a previous winner of the Reem Acra Best Athlete Award, Charlotte’s star is showing no signs of fading as she has been shortlisted once again. Her achievements this year include retaining her many titles including the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final, alongside Individual and Freestyle Gold, and Team Silver at the FEI European Championships in Aachen.
Ingrid Klimke (GER)
Success followed Ingrid in 2015 as she stormed through the FEI Classics series winning the CCI4* Luhmuhlen & Pau, as well as coming second in Badminton resulting in her being crowned FEI Classics Champion 2014/15. At the Longines FEI European Eventing Championships in Blair she also won Team Gold with Germany.