THE nominations for the FEI Awards 2022 were announced this week, with Athlone teenager James Derwin (13) receiving a nomination in the FEI Rising Star category, following a phenomenal season which saw him crowned European pony show jumping champion as well as winning team gold in Strzegom, Poland with Rincoola Babog (ISH).

Harry Allen won the award in 2017 after he won double gold at the Pony European Championships and he was the first Irish person to win an FEI Award.

Online voting has opened for all categories which include the Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete, Longines FEI Rising Star, Cavalor FEI Best Groom, FEI Against All Odds and FEI Solidarity Awards.

Britain’s Charlotte Fry, who took home two individual dressage gold medals at the Ecco FEI World Championships in Herning is one of four nominees for the Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete Award. Her peers include vaulting world champion and former Longines FEI Rising Star Award winner Lambert Leclezio from France, Para Dressage multi-world champion and Paralympic gold medallist Sanne Voets from the Netherlands, and Swedish world number one and world champion show jumper Henrik von Eckermann.

The ultimate accolades will go to the winners at the FEI Awards Gala presented by Longines on November 13th in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Longines FEI Rising Star category is once again bristling with young up-and-coming talent and also nominated alongside 13-year-old James Derwin is eventer Alice Casburn (GBR), Denmark’s world championship 2022 para dressage team silver medallist Karla Dhym-Junge and Dutch vaulter Sam Dos Santos.

As is always the case, some of the most incredible and inspirational stories come from the FEI Against All Odds and FEI Solidarity categories. From New Zealander Trevor Harris who overcame 5% odds of ever walking again after a car accident, to the Horse Charity Barbados, which rescue and rehabilitate horses for equine therapy purposes – these are the stories that touch the heart and highlight the determination, drive and passion that can bloom from being involved with horses.

The winners will be decided by combining 50% of the public’s vote and 50% of the nine judges’ vote for the final result. The public has until October 16th to cast their votes for their heroes. To vote, visit www.fei.org/awards/vote.