Kenki Sato and Chippieh about to jump at the Blenheim Eventing Team Qualifier 2011
The Japanese eventing team gained Olympic qualification at the Eventing Team Qualifier for Africa, Middle East, South East Asia and Oceania at the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials in 2011 and all of the riders competing at that event were named in the London 2012 team. The team nominated is;
- Yoshiaki Oiwa on Noonday De Conde
- Atushi Negishi on Pretty Darling CD
- Kenki Sato on Chippieh
- Toshiyuki Tanaka on Marquis De Plescop
- Takayuki Yumira on Latina 43
Kenki and his Japanese team mates were delighted with the qualification
The win at Blenheim last year, their only chance to qualify for London 2012, was an emotional one for the Japanese riders against Australia and New Zealand. As the New Zealand team had already qualified and South Africa was unable to put together a team at the last minute, it was basically between Australia and Japan and, to be honest, most people expected it to be an Australian victory. However the Japanese riders and their horses rode to the challenge and took the qualification while Australia qualified through the FEI ranking system the following March.
It was heart warming to see the joy of the Japanese riders when they realised their long held ambitions and we wish them well at London 2012. Here’s a little bit about each of the Japanese riders;
Yoshiaki Oiwa
A leading Japanese rider, Yoshiaki has been based in Germany since 2001.In 2005 he placed 11th as a first timer at Badminton and then went on to compete at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen (2006) and Kentucky (2010) and the Beijing Olympic Games (2008). At the Doha Asian Games 2006 he won Individual gold and won Team gold and Individual bronze at the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010
The joy and relief at Kenki Sato realises his showjumping round has secured the Japanese qualification at Blenheim (even Prue Barrett, NPD for the Australian team who failed to qualify is smiling!)
Kenki Sato
Kenki is from a Buddhist family and is a Buddhist monk who is based in Germany for his training. He was placed 35th at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky (2010) and won Individual and Team gold at the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010. His family have a long and distinguished connection with equestrian sport; his father, Shodo, was selected for the Japanese team for the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow but didn't compete due to the Japanese boycott and his younger brother, Eiken, competed on the Japanese jumping team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games before scoring a surprise victory in the Rolex FEI World Cup qualifier at Mechelen, Belgium in 2009. Kenki and Chippieh were the highest placed individual combination in the qualifier at Blenheim last year
Atushi Negishi
Atsushi first competed outside of Japan at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky (2010). He moved to the UK in July 2011 and contributed to the Team gold medal at the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010
Takayuki Yumira
Takayuki also competed for the first time internationally at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky (2010). He then moved to the UK and competed in the Olympic Test Event in London. Latina 43 was previously ridden by Australian Lucinda Fredericks and purchased late in 2011.
Toshiyuki Tanaka
Based in Tenri, Japan, Toshiyuki Tanaka started riding at the age of 15 through the influential Japanese riding establishment, Riding Club Crane. He made his international debut in Portugal in 2012.
