Riders and Horses Confirmed Geneva (SUI) – A total of 43 riders from 19 countries will compete in the 2009/2010 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final at the Palexpo Arena in Geneva, Switzerland next week from 14-18 April.  All but one of the competitors have emerged from nine leagues that took place around the world in recent months, the sole exception being the host nation’s Niklaus Schurtenberger who has been awarded a Wild Card entry with his top horse Cantus.

A notable absentee from the exciting closing stages will be 2008/2009 champion Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum from Germany who gave birth to her first baby daughter Brianne Victoria just six weeks ago.  The three-time winner first held the coveted World Cup trophy aloft in Las Vegas in 2005 and then recorded back-to-back victories in Gothenburg in 2008 and again at Las Vegas in 2009, always partnering the great Shutterfly who turned 17 in January of this year.  Meredith has decided that she will not defend the title. The full list of confirmed riders and qualified horses for the 2009/2010 Final is therefore as follows: AUSTRALIAChris Chugg – VivantEdwina Alexander – Cevo Itot du Chateau / Cevo Socrates BRAZILRodrigo Pessoa – Night Train / Let’s Fly / ChampYuri Mansur Guerios – Ideal de Balia CANADAKaren Cudmore – Southern Pride ESTONIATilt Kivisild – Terrero / CinnamonRein Pill – Virgin Express FRANCEKevin Staut – Kraque Boom / Le prestige St Lois / Sea Coast SilvanaPatrice Deleveau – Katchina MailPenelope Leprevost – Mylord Carthago GREAT BRITAIN  Michael Whitaker – GIG Amai GERMANY          Philipp Weishaupt – CatokiMarcus Ehning – Noltes Kuchengirl / Sabrina ‘ / Plot BueLudger Beerbaum  – GothaMarco Kutscher – Cash IRELAND           Jessica Kuerten – Castle Forbes Cosma / Castle Forbes Myrtille PauloisDarragh Kenny – ObelixDermott Lennon – Hallmark Elite ITALY                           Natale Chiaudani – SNAI Seldana di Campalto KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIAAbdullah Sharbatly – GoldexHRH Abdullah Al Saud – Mobily Saudia / Mobily Allah Jabek LITHUANIA        Benas Gutkauskas – Quick Jet MEXICOAlberto Martinez – Leonard THE NETHERLANDSAlbert Zoer – Uraguay PORTUGAL                                Luciana Diniz – As-Taro Z / Winningmood RUSSIALjubov Kochetova – Aslan SWITZERLANDPius Schwizer – Ulysse / CarlinaBeat Mandli – LouisDaniel Etter – Peu a PeuSteve Guerdat – Tresor / Jalisca Solier / FerrariNiklaus Schurtenberger – Cantus SWEDENSvante Johansson – Caramell KS USAMaclain Ward – SapphireMario Deslauriers  – UricoMichelle Spadone – Cadence / MelisimoHillary Dobbs – Quincy B / CorlettLauren Hough – Quick StudyKen Berkley – Carlos BoyTodd Minikus – PavarottiRich Fellers – FlexibleJoie Gatlin – Camaron Hills Quick DollarRichard Spooner – Cristallo VENEZUELA        Andres Rodriguez – LarkanaroWatch the Excitement Unfold on FEI TVThe provisional FEI TV broadcasting schedule from the Palexpo Arena in Geneva is as follows:Thursday 15 April 2010-19.10 to 21.15 CEST, Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final, JumpingFriday 16 April 2010-19.10 to 21.45 CEST, Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final, JumpingSaturday 17 April 2010-22.10 to 23.15 CEST, FEI World Cup™ Final, DrivingSunday 18 April 2010-13.25 to 16.45 CEST, Rolex FEI World Cup™, Jumping For further information on the 2009/2010 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final in Geneva check out website http://www.worldcupgeneva.com/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR WESTERN EUROPEAN LEAGUE: 1, Oslo (Norway) 9-11 October; 2, Helsinki (Finland) 15-18 October; 3, Lyon (FRA) 28 Oct-1 November; 4, Verona (Italy) 5-8 November; 5, Stuttgart (Germany) 15-22 November; 6, London-Olympia (Great Britain) 15-21 December; 7, Mechelen (Belgium) 26-30 December; 8, Leipzig (Germany) 21-24 January; 9, Zurich (SUI) 28-31 January; 10, Bordeaux (France) 5-7 February; 11, Vigo (Spain) 11-14 February; 12, Gothenburg (Sweden) 25-28 February; 13, s’Hertogenbosch (The Netherlands) 25-28 March; FINAL – Geneva (Switzerland) 14-18 April.Photo Credit: McLain Ward and Sapphire by Randi Muster, mustphoto.com