It is a pleasure and an honour to welcome you to Minsk for the seventh qualifier of the 2009 HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing series.

On behalf of the Federation Equestre Internationale, I commend the organisers for bringing one of our best-loved equestrian sports to a growing audience and HSBC for the support they are offering that enables this to happen. I extend a special welcome to members of the public who can experience first-hand the excitement of this thrilling sport.

Minsk can boast the unique honour of hosting Belarus' sole qualifying event for the 2009 HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing Final, to be held this year in Strzegom, Poland.

Eventing has made giant strides in adjusting its structure to ensure continued competition at the highest levels on the global sporting scene. As President of an international governing body of sports, I have nothing but praise for the efforts of the dedicated owners, athletes and organisers within this discipline. They have taken up the challenges of a new age and are leading the sport forward to a bigger and brighter future.

I sincerely wish all the athletes and their connections the very best for a successful event, and I thank the organisers and sponsors for their commitment to this supreme highlight of the Belarusian Eventing calendar.

HRH Princess Haya
FEI President

It's a new start for the global Eventing series that began in 2002, with the HSBC FEI partnership extending its wings in 2009 to also include the HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing Qualifiers. This year, the series boasts nine qualifiers in nine different countries from which the top ranked riders will be selected to take part in the HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing Final at the much-praised Polish venue of Strzegom, which lies in south-western Poland.

"The input from HSBC is enabling the FEI to develop the World Cup™ Eventing series and extend the boundaries of the sport. The fact that the Final will take place in Eastern Europe for the first time is a matter of great satisfaction to the FEI. We and the organisers at Strzegom will endeavour to provide a memorable Final that will be a fitting conclusion to the inaugural season of HSBC's partnership with this important series," said David Holmes, FEI Executive Director for Sport.

The prestigious series which unites all corners of the international Eventing community, kicks off in April in the Southern Hemisphere, with the first qualifier held at Kihikihi in the North Island of New Zealand. At the beginning of May, the series moves to Sydney (AUS) before a summer campaign of Northern hemisphere events in Europe, America and Canada. Minsk (BLR) in July will be the most Northern qualifier.

The HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing Qualifiers 2009

"The HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing is an integral part of our sponsorship which offers a truly global circuit with the qualifying events being held in many of our key markets. It is really exciting for HSBC to be involved with such a dynamic sport." commented Giles Morgan, Group Head of Sponsorship for HSBC.

Previous FEI World Cup™ Eventing Champions:

2003 Pau (FRA)               Linda Algotsson/Stand By Me (SWE)
2004 Pau (FRA)               Linda Algotsson/My Fair Lady (SWE)
2005 Malmo (SWE)          Clayton Fredericks/Ben Along Time (AUS)
2006 Malmo (SWE)          Nicolas Touzaint/Galan de Sauvagere (FRA)
2008: Deauville (FRA)      Clayton Fredericks/Ben Along Time (AUS)

The 2008 winner, British-based Australian Olympic team silver medallist Clayton Fredericks, will gain an automatic invitation to this year's unique final - he has already signalled that this will be his main goal this year. "The HSBC FEI World Cup™ Final means a lot to me - when I won it the first time, it signalled a major breakthrough in my career - and it's definitely my main autumn goal this year."

For a full explanation of the rules, points system and to keep abreast of 2009 results as well as all the latest news, visit www.feiworldcup.org