FEI Sports Forum

The FEI Sports Forum will get underway today in Lausanne, Switzerland, with Secretary General’s from each of the National Federations along with other delegates, in attendance.

The emphasis of the FEI Sports Forum will be on the future of the Olympic disciplines as well as the future of the FEI World Equestrian Games and the Olympic Agenda 2020.

Presentations will be held for each Olympic discipline to look at the format of Olympic and World Equestrian Games as well as Championships, with a number of proposals to develop the sport, solidify its position within the Olympic movement and increase awareness and popularity of the sport to be tabled.

In preparing Equestrian’s Australia’s (EA) response to the proposals, EA has consulted with key stakeholders including EA Olympic Discipline Committee members, National Performance Directors as well as current and former Australian team selectors and current and former athletes.

Some of the key feedback EA provided included:

Eventing

• In the team’s competition at all Championships, teams should consist of four riders.
• The individual and team’s competition should not be separated.
• In the team’s event at all Championships, EA disagrees that riders should compete one after the other.
• EA is open to considering options for a new name for the discipline but not in favour of those suggested.
• EA would welcome and be willing to host in Australia an open forum on the future of eventing, as currently there is not one scheduled for the Southern Hemisphere.
• EA disagrees that a faster round could counterbalance a slower round in the cross country phase.
• EA encourages discussion around the order of the jumping phases although acknowledges that the welfare of the horse is paramount.

Dressage

• Supports increasing the minimum eligibility score to 66%.
• Does not support the shortening of the Grand Prix.
• In the team’s competition at all Championships, teams should consist of four riders.
• Does not agree that all team members need to be in the top 30 to go to the Grand Prix Special.
• Olympic qualification system should remain unchanged.  

Jumping

• In the team’s competition at WEG and Olympic Games, the composition of teams to move to three per team with no drop score.
• Keep the current WEG and Olympic Games format, which sees the team competition run prior to individual competition.
• Qualification for Olympic Games for Group G to continue to be twofold, however change as follows: to be taken as best performed at WEG and then the best performed at a special qualifier.  
• When considering qualification and formats (scoring) for WEG and Olympic Games, CSI Invitation System and Rules, Nations Cup Final and Longines Ranking points, EA supports the best possible scenario to accommodate riders, both Australian and internationally based, in pursuit of best possible performance outcomes for Australia. EA would welcome futher discussion and specific clarification at the forum and the opportunity to revert back to its stakeholders.

A joint session on the non-Olympic disciplines will also be held and Equestrian Australia in consultation with key stakeholders has also provided feedback for these discussions.

The outcomes from the Forum will be made available on the FEI website.