Bids for equestrian World Championships sought by end of February

IrishExaminer.com - Full Article

Wednesday, November 21, 2018 - 03:10 AM
By Michael Dunne

The world governing body of equestrian sport (FEI) has given a three-month timescale for bids to host the next world championships in 2022 and has said it will accept representations from venues interested in staging standalone events as well as those who would be prepared to host all seven equestrian disciplines at once.

The all-in-one format, introduced in 1990, has been known as the World Equestrian Games (WEG), but doubts were cast on its future just over two weeks ago when FEI President Ingmar de Vos stated that it may not be the best model going forward due to the enormous cost and logistical challenge to a single bidder.

At its Annual General Assembly, which concluded in Manama, Bahrain, yesterday, the FEI announced that bids are now being invited to find venues to host separate world championships for the various disciplines. However, it also said that preference would be given to a bidder prepared to stage the seven disciplines - jumping, dressage, eventing, reining, vaulting, endurance and para-equestrian dressage - in one location, thus maintaining the WEG format. There is no doubt, though, that this is being said more in hope than expectation...

Read more here:
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/bids-for-equestrian-world-championships-sought-by-end-of-february-886728.html

Patagonia: The New Gaucho Derby

TheAdventurists.com

A new world-class horse race in Patagonia.

We here at The Adventurists created the Mongol Derby a staggering 10 years ago. Not content with running the world's longest and toughest horse race for so long, we thought we should take our equine expertise across the pond. Behold, the Gaucho Derby.
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What?

The Institute of Adventure Research shouted 'Gaucho Derby' at us quite loudly, then disappeared into their cave of intention. This can mean only one thing. Soon, they'll reemerge glorious, sweating and full of ideas that we'll then craft into an adventure that will redefine horse racing. Yet again.

It's going to be a long-distance, endurance event on horseback, in one of the most eyeball-meltingly brilliant spots on this planet.
Where?

Mr Tom initially wanted to do it in the North Pole, but we reminded him it was a bit chilly, had no horses and didn't really go with the name. So Patagonia it is. The Institute is investigating racecourse options in the mountains, deserts, pampas and grasslands of the southern section of the Andes as we speak.
When?

The Institute of Adventure Research are in Patagonia right now meeting people, shaking hands, and gawping at the horses and scenery. Plans are being crafted right now, with an Institute-led pioneers edition penned for early 2019 and the first full edition targeted at October 2019.

Stay tuned at:
https://www.theadventurists.com

Australia: Collie to host Tom Quilty endurance ride

CollieMail.com.au - Full Story

Amanda Rayner
November 21 2018

On September 18 and 19, 2020, Collie will host the Tom Quilty Gold Cup 160km Endurance Ride. The Tom Quilty ride is the premier event on the national calendar and the one event that every endurance rider wants to compete in.

Riders leave with pitched excitement at midnight on Friday night, trying to complete the gruelling course before midnight on Saturday.

It is a test for both the horse and rider against the terrain and the elements. Horses are vetted stringently pre-ride and along the way at various checkpoints and then at the end of the ride.

If all vet criteria is met the horse and rider are deemed ‘fit to continue’ and ultimately receive the coveted silver buckle for completion.

In 1966 R.M. Williams organised the first 100 mile (160km) endurance ride in Australia. At that time he approached his friend Tom Quilty, of Springvale and Bedford Down stations in the Kimberley, to sponsor the ride...

Read more here:
https://www.colliemail.com.au/story/5767938/collie-tom-quilty/

Equestrian sports leaders reflect on past year, look to future at 2018 FEI General Assembly

Eurosport.co.uk - Full Article

Grand Prix
November 20 2018

Discussion, debate, elections and awards. This week, the 2018 General Assembly of the Fédération Équestre Internationale – the world governing body for Olympic equestrian sports – has been taking place in the Persian Gulf island nation of Bahrain. The event wraps up this evening as the organisation charts the future of show jumping, eventing, dressage, and diverse equestrian-related topics.

The Swiss-based FEI, which was founded in 1921 and has in the past been led by both HRH Prince Philip and HRH Anne, Princess Royal, is today headed by its President Ingmar De Vos of Belgium, who this week was officially re-elected for a new four-year term in the role. He is accompanied at the top of the organisation by FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez, who presides over many of the assembly sessions. Indeed, she noted that 116 national federations have been in attendance either directly or indirectly from November 16–20 in Bahrain, a country whose name means “two seas”.

In his acceptance speech following his re-election, De Vos highlighted some of the major issues the FEI is currently dealing with, including testing its new competition formats ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, implementing a new commercial strategy and looking for new partners, adopting new technologies, graphics and applications for equestrian sports fans, and finding a solution for the problem-plagued long-distance discipline of Endurance, “with a clear emphasis on Endurance riding not Endurance racing...”

Read more here:
https://www.eurosport.co.uk/equestrian/equestrian-sports-leaders-reflect-on-past-year-look-to-future-at-fei-general-assembly_sto7019620/story.shtml

FEI invested $US1m in failed WEG endurance event

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

November 20, 2018
Horsetalk.co.nz

Just over $US1 million was spent by the FEI on the endurance track at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina, delegates to the FEI General Assembly in Manama, Bahrain were told on Monday during a meeting to discuss the issues surrounding the cancelled event.

Findings by the independent Equestrian Community Integrity Unit (ECIU) on the issues surrounding the Endurance championships at the Games, were presented at the General Assembly, focusing on the sequence of events that took place from about 12 hours before the start of 160km competition that ultimately led to the false start on September 12. Some competitors were misdirected and officials opted to change the ride to a 120km event, before deteriorating weather forced the event’s cancellation.

Andrew Smith from the ECIU detailed the underlying reasons that affected preparations for the endurance event, with the report’s findings based on information provided during interviews with several people, including key people within the Organising Committee, the FEI and other witnesses.

The conclusions of the report show...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/11/20/fei-invested-us1m-weg-endurance/

Investigation reveals "multiple issues" with endurance discipline at World Equestrian Games

Insidethegames.biz - Full Article

By Dan Palmer
Monday, 19 November 2018

An investigation into the endurance event at this year's World Equestrian Games in Tryon has concluded that there were "multiple issues".

The topic featured heavily during discussions at the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) General Assembly in Bahrain today.

Endurance was beset with problems at the event in the United States with athletes first misdirected at the start of the race on September 12.

FEI officials halted the action after the first loop and the event was restarted as a 120 kilometre competition.

It was claimed that this was the only "pragmatic solution" as there was no possibility to reschedule the event for the following day.

However, the entire competition was then cancelled due to bad weather on the course.

It meant that neither the individual or team medals were awarded.

The FEI instructed the independent Equestrian Community Integrity Unit (ECIU) to investigate while Spain’s Ignasi Casas Vaque was provisionally relieved of his duties as deputy chair and member of the Endurance Committee.

This was pending legal proceedings for alleged incorrect behaviour...

Read more here:
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1072443/investigation-reveals-multiple-issues-with-endurance-discipline-at-world-equestrian-games

FEI Releases Report On 2018 WEG Endurance Cancellation

Chronofhorse.com - Full Article

By: Edited Press Release
Nov 19, 2018

The 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, in Mill Spring, North Carolina, and the future of the Games were the subject of a well-attended session at the FEI General Assembly in Manama, Bahrain, today.

The independent Equestrian Community Integrity Unit, which was tasked with investigating the issues surrounding the endurance championships at the Games, presented its findings on the sequence of events that took place from approximately 12 hours prior to the start of competition that ultimately led to the false start on Sept. 12.

Andrew Smith from the ECIU also detailed the underlying reasons that affected preparations for the endurance event, with the report’s findings based on information provided during interviews with multiple persons, including key people within the Organizing Committee, the FEI and other witnesses.

The conclusions of the report show that there was no single reason that caused the false start but multiple issues: most importantly lack of communication between officials—particularly the lack of radios—and also between the Organizing Committee, national federations and athletes, delays to the preparation of the vet gate and the endurance trail, and the decision to maintain a full schedule of events at Tryon International Equestrian Center that stretched an already under-resourced team required to deliver both these events and the Games.

The ECIU has also provided a second report to the FEI regarding allegations of misconduct. This will be reviewed by the FEI Legal team to assess whether further disciplinary proceedings will be brought before the FEI Tribunal. The final decisions on any such proceedings will be published by the FEI.

FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez then presented the overall conclusions, acknowledging that there were multiple factors that contributed, not just to the issues surrounding endurance but which also impacted the overall delivery of the Games. The management structure of the Organizing Committee, other construction projects and resources that were given priority over delivery of fields of play and other Games-related infrastructures, and communication of vital information in a timely manner were major contributory factors, she said.

However, “to be completely honest we, as a community, were fortunate that Tryon were courageous and willing to take on the enormous challenge to host the Games only 22 months prior to the event. Without them we would have had no WEG 2018.”

She informed delegates that the FEI invested close to $1 million on the endurance track alone, over and above other financial support provided by the FEI to the Organizing Committee to ensure the Games happened. In-keeping with good financial oversight, the FEI had made financial provisions specifically to cover emergency situations specifically related to the Games.

Mrs Ibáñez highlighted the incredible sport over the 12-day Games and the tireless teamwork of all concerned. “The Organizing Committee, the volunteers, officials and FEI staff and the national federations who, despite the frustrations, continued to work positively with both the Organizing Committee and FEI to find solutions and provide the best possible environment for their athletes, horses and team staff.”

She also acknowledged that, despite the FEI’s commitment to support the Organzing Committee, in particular during the latter stages of event preparations, the FEI had no realistic mechanism to push the Organizing Committee to deliver on its promises other than threatening to cancel the Games, which was not an option due to the time and resources that national federations and athletes had invested in preparing for the Games.

Prior to opening up the meeting to questions from the floor, the Secretary General talked through the plan to open up the bidding process for individual world championships in all disciplines for 2022, but with preference being given to multi-discipline bids.

The Secretary General stressed: “This does not necessarily mean the end of the FEI World Equestrian Games and bids to host all-discipline Games will still be considered.”

FEI Director Games Operations Tim Hadaway had opened the session by presenting a report on the planning and delivery of the Tryon 2018 Games, highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of four key areas: sport, Games operations, commercial, communications & media operations.

Top sport (with the exception of endurance) was the key success of the Games, along with superb broadcast coverage on NBC in the home market, including 57 hours of live coverage that resulted in a record audience for equestrian sport. However, lack of venue readiness and an under-resourced Organizing Committee, both from a financial and personnel perspective, were major negatives that ultimately impacted the delivery of the Games.

Questions and comments during the 90-minute session from National Federation delegates from France, Chile, Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Uruguay, Italy and Bahrain focused on weather and the suitability of Tryon for the Games, reimbursements to national federations that sent endurance athletes and horses to the Games, lack of communication, Officials, and lack of accountability.