By Emily Goddard

blenheim_eventing_07-09-11September 7 - A world-class field will be competing at this week's Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials as the event acts as the London 2012 team eventing qualifier for Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia and Oceania, with only one place available.


With only one nation being given the chance to qualify for next year's Olympics in the the capital, both Japan and Beijing team eventing silver medallists Australia will be vying to secure the opportunity to join FEI Olympic Groups F and G.

They will hope to join the host nation Great Britain, along with Canada, New Zealand, United States, Germany and Belgium, who qualified at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010, and France and Sweden, who secured Olympic participation at the HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships last month.

"Blenheim is synonymous with Olympic qualification," said FEI director of eventing and Olympic Catrin Norinder.

"In 2003, Blenheim hosted a qualifier for the 2004 Athens Olympics; a second Olympic qualifier in 2007 was organised in view of the 2008 Beijing Games.

"The best team from this year's Asia Pacific Eventing Championship, excluding New Zealand who have already qualified, will secure Olympic participation and we wish the riders and their horses the best of luck."

London 2012 is a particularly momentous year for the FEI, marking the 100th anniversary of equestrian sport in the Olympic Movement.

The Olympic Opening Ceremony on July 27 will be followed by 12 days of equestrian competition, with the world's best athletes competing for six gold medals in the Olympic disciplines of eventing, dressage and jumping.

Eventing opens the Olympic equestrian events on July 28, with two days of dressage, followed by cross-country on July 30 and two rounds of Jumping on July 31 to decide the team and individual medals.

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