More Voice Speak Out After WEG Endurance Fiasco

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Friday 14 September - 11h13 | Yeelen Ravier and Lulu Kyriacou

In the wake of the fiasco at the World Equestrian Games Endurance by the on Wednesday, more voices are speaking out on the subject and hopefully leading to positive change for the sport. Grand Prix talks to one and reports on a second, both aiming for positive change in the sport they love.

NICOLAS WAHLEN, PRESIDENT OF THE ALLIANCE OF ENDURANCE ORGANIZERS

Nicolas Wahlen was in office during the Normandy Games four years ago in particular and does not budge from his position: there will be a before and after Tryon for the discipline he adores.

GrandPrix-Replay: What is your assessment of these World Endurance Championships, which you have experienced from a distance?

Nicolas Wahren: It was a surreal situation. I followed the race on the screens, and it was very addictive. In thirty years of my career, I have never seen that! What happened was the factor of several causes. The organization in the first place, and the technical delegate did not have to do his job perfectly. I saw a lot of things in all the events where I officiated, but never such as this! How could they organize a race in these conditions? It's a crazy world ... I do not necessarily want to throw stone at the organization, but it's a fact.

Then the jury and the officials gave two starts; it seems unlikely! The President of the jury is supposed to be on the starting line! The stewards, for abstract reasons, have asked some competitors to leave on the left and others on the right ... As for the problems of markup during the first loop, it is true that in the United States, the races of endurance run less quickly, so the arrows can often be less well positioned. Afterall, I was not there, but that's what I saw on the pictures. From the moment you give two different starts, there is no longer any possibility of equality of chances.

And finally, there are always these conflicts of interest between the international bodies and the partners ... Seeing that Meydan, with whom I have good relations since I worked for a long time with them, was sponsor of the championship ' was shocking. At the 2014 World Equestrian Games, it was totally forbidden. The FEI had told us that it was impossible for an FEI championship to be owned by a brand, precisely to avoid political and financial conflicts of interest ...

Read more here:
http://www.grandprix-replay.com/uk/article/5724/more-voices-speak-out-after-weg-endurance-fiasco