Genshitsu Sen, the president of the Japan Equestrian Federation died on 14 August, aged 102.

Dr Sen was born in Kyoto, Japan, in 1923. While at university he was called to serve the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, training as a pilot. Following the war he became a renowned anti-war advocate and humanitarian.

In 1964 he succeeded his father to become the 15th grand master of the Urasenke school of Japanese tea; promoting the motto “peacefulness through a bowl of tea”. Over the years he performed tea ceremonies around the world and served tea to many presidents and heads of state, including The late Queen Elizabeth II.

Dr Sen became president of the Japan Equestrian Federation in 2003, dedicating 22 years to “the growth and promotion of equestrian sport in Japan”. His tenure included landmark achievements such as the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the Japanese eventing team’s bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.

He was warmly regarded worldwide and in 2012 he was appointed a UNESCO goodwill ambassador, in recognition for his “contribution to peace and culture through the traditional Japanese tea ceremony”. He also held prominent roles in Japan including advisor to the minister of foreign affairs and president of the United Nations Association of Japan.

FEI president Ingmar De Vos described Dr Sen as “a remarkable man and an outstanding ambassador for equestrian sport”.

“His dedication and commitment will be remembered with great respect, and he will be profoundly missed,” he said.

“Many of us have treasured memories of the tea ceremonies Dr Sen held for our equestrian family during the FEI general assembly in Tokyo in 2016, as well as at the family lounge in the equestrian venue at Baji Koen during Tokyo 2020.”

A spokesperson for the Japan Equestrian Federation said Dr Sen led the federation with “strong leadership, and a love and passion for equestrian sports”.

“Our team will continue to work hard to realise the strong Japanese equestrian sports that he always wished for,” he said.

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Positive signs for Japan’s eventers after first Olympic medal in Paris

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There are positive signs that Japan’s eventers will be able to build on their team bronze at the Paris Olympics.

Two of the medallists, Ryuzo Kitajima and Toshiyuki Tanaka, are funded by Riding Club Crane and based with Angela Tucker in Gloucestershire. They will continue to train with Angela and aim to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics at the 2026 World Championships.

“We will also send new riders to the UK to train,” said a spokesperson for the club.

Angela told H&H she hopes the club will send her a third rider in April, adding: “We’re trying to use the fact we won a medal and widen the base. The riders who went to Paris are world-class, but to move forward to Aachen and Los Angeles, we need other riders involved, too.”

Kazuma Tomoto – the best-placed Japanese eventer in Paris (fifth) and Tokyo (fourth) while based with William Fox-Pitt in Dorset – works for the Japan Racing Association (JRA), which recalled him to Japan in September, to chiefly teach, and retrain former racehorses.

A JRA spokesperson said Kazuma’s base “will be Japan for the time being” and that “it is under consideration” whether the JRA will send another rider to Britain to replace him.

Independent rider Yoshiaki Oiwa, who based himself with Pippa Funnell for his Paris campaign having bought her five-star horse MGH Grafton Street, confirmed he will be working towards the Asian Games and World Championships in 2026 and the Los Angeles Olympics.

A spokesperson for the Japan Equestrian Federation (JEF) said: “We will continue cooperating with the eventing committee of JEF, the Japanese Olympic Committee and the JRA and will make new plans to build up the athletes and horses both in Japan and abroad.

“We have a couple of talented riders in Japan, so we’ve started to make a build-up plan to grow up our next generation toward LA 2028.”

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Olympic team bronze medal-winner Kazuma Tomoto moves back to Japan tomorrow (10 September) after nine years based in Britain.

“I am a member of staff for the Japan Racing Association and they decide everything,” said Kazuma. “The original plan was to go back to Japan after Paris, but I hoped after we got the medal I could stay in the UK until after the Los Angeles Olympics and that my bosses’ decision would change. It’s really sad.”

Kazuma, 41, finished fifth at the Paris Olympics on Vinci De La Vigne JRA, winning a team bronze medal, as well as fourth individually at the Tokyo Olympics on the same horse.

His three event horses, including Vinci, will stay in Britain and the Japan Racing Association (JRA) will send another of their riders to Britain to ride them.

Kazuma Tomoto has been based with William Fox-Pitt in Dorset for eight years, but says he is yet to decide where the horses and the new rider will train.

“It is up to me, I think,” he said. “At William’s yard they know my horses and my horses know them, but the next rider will be inexperienced so the next trainer needs to organise everything and make the event plans, whereas I could do everything on my own. William is the best trainer to me, but he’s still busy, so I’m not sure he could organise everything.”

Kazuma tried to make it to Paris in showjumping as well as eventing and he will take his showjumper, Dispo Cece, back to Japan and compete there. He may also have the opportunity to compete in eventing up to three-star, including on some former racehorses. The majority of his work will be teaching other riders, plus some retraining of former racehorses.

“I’m really excited to see family and friends and to have lovely food – sorry, British guys! – but on the horsey side it is quite boring,” said Kazuma, who has a wife, Keiko, and an 11-year-old daughter, Mio, in Japan.

Kazuma would like to have the opportunity to return to Britain and train towards the World Championships in 2026, helping Japan qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, but does not know if this will be possible.

“It’s quite tough to come back to the UK just for the one big event, you really need to stay longer ahead of the big target,” he said.

Kazuma expressed his thanks to William and Alice Fox-Pitt and their team and to the whole eventing community: “Everyone is so friendly and kind, so I want to say thanks so much guys.”

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Carl Hester’s multiple grand prix winner Barolo has been sold to Japan.

Details on the FEI website show the horse’s ownership changed to the Japan Racing Association on 5 February.

Tokyo 2020 hopeful Kazuki Sado, of Japan, has taken over the ride.

“He rode him beautifully and it was a great match —I wish him loads of luck with the horse,” said Carl.

The 12-year-old, by Breitling W, won the grand prix and the freestyle at Windsor DCI4* and Bolesworth CDI3* under Carl in 2017.

Prior to this Barolo was competed by Charlotte Dujardin. The pair took the national champion title at the 2015 Lemieux National Dressage Championships.

They never finished out of the top-three at international level and won the CDI3* freestyle at Keysoe in 2016.

The chestnut gelding was also one of Charlotte’s longlisted rides for the Rio 2016 Olympics.

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“Rolo”, who was co-owned by Anne Seifert-Cohn prior to his sale, joined Carl and Charlotte’s stable as a six-year-old.

Kazuki trains with Imke Schellekens-Bartels in The Netherlands and has had numerous top-10 placings at international grands prix.

The 33-year-old took the ride on Bellissimo, formerly partnered by Britain’s Andrew Gould, in 2015.

He has also had placings on the international circuit with Ziroco, who is also competed by Dutch rider Janneke Van Riet, and recently added the 10-year-old mare Djuice to his string.

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The Japanese eventing team for the London Olympics has been named:

• Yoshiaki Oiwa on Noonday De Conde (pictured)
• Atushi Negishi on Pretty Darling CD
• Kenki Sato on Chippieh
• Toshiyuki Tanaka on Marquis De Plescop
• Takayuki Yumira on Latina 43

The Japanese qualified for the Olympics by beating Australia in the team qualifier at Blenheim last September.

Japan came away on top from the Eventing Championships at the Asian Games last weekend.

The country claimed team and individual gold at the event, which took place in Guangzhou, China (18-20 November).

The team included Yoshiaki Oiwa, Kenki Sato, Atsushi Negishi and Takayui Yumira.

Buddist monk Kenki Sato won the individual title with Toy Boy.

He was lying second after the dressage and added nothing further to his score, taking the individual prize ahead of Korea’s Jai Sik Cheon.

Sato’s team-mate Yoshiaki Oiwa took individual bronze.

In the team competition Japan finished with a 26-point lead over the silver medallists from Thailand. China claimed bronze, beating Hong Kong by just 0.3 points.

Thirty riders from seven nations — China, Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Qatar and Thailand — contested the event.

Kenki Sato has been riding since he was seven years old.

“I like riding, and do what monks normally do, and I take both seriously,” said the 26-year-old who has completed a year’s study at the Buddhist monastery where his father is the clerical leader.

“My monk identification goes quite well with riding, and I am quite good at both,” he added.

“I would like to thank my horse — we two have been supporting each other all the way here.”

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The Noma, Japan’s smallest horse and one of its eight native breeds has been saved from extinction.

Experts have taken the small but sturdy horse off the endangered list as its numbers rose to 84, all living in Japan. This is a vast improvement from a figure of a mere six horses in 1978.

The Noma averages only 100cm high but was a favourite of the Japanese farmer from the 1600s for its strength and agility as a pack animal in mountain areas.

Its numbers went into decline after the Russo-Japanese war in 1904 when larger horses were found to be more useful on the battlefield.

It was only the perseverance of a few remote farmers in the Ehime district, who continued to breed the hardy little ponies, that has ensured its survival. However, by 1978 there was only one pair in Tobe Zoo and one stallion and three mares in a private collection.

The government-funded Noma Uma Highland reserve now has a well established breeding programme. Its director Katsuyaki Ozawa said: “The breed is now considered stable and we are looking at ways to put them back into use.”

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Two British riders are to take a four-year journey along the ancient silk route to Japan in aid of charity.

London-based Becky Sampson, 24 and her friend Zena Fish, 29, will leave from Buckingham Palace on Tuesday August 5 on a route that travels through France, down to Turkey, possibly through Iran (ancient Persia) on to China and then Tokyo, Japan.

Becky’s long-time ambition to ride the route first established by the Han Dynasty in China in 114 BC to sell their much-treasured oriental fabric, sparked the idea for the trip.

All proceeds from the sponsored ride will go to the world’s largest orphan charity, SOS Children.

Schools they pass on route will be linked with schools back in the UK.

Primary school teacher, Zena, will do the first year of the journey to Turkey, returning to London to run the campaign.

Becky’s 15,000 km journey to Japan is expected to take four years.

She said: “I want to raise awareness for SOS Children, who alleviate the suffering of orphan children worldwide.”

The girls, who ride at London’s Dulwich Riding Stables, are seeking sponsors and welcome riders who might wish to do part of the journey.

Visit: www.soschildren.org

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