FEI Board moves swiftly to close loophole over catastrophic injuries in Endurance

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

December 23, 2018
Horsetalk.co.nz

FEI officials have moved quickly to close a loophole over catastrophic injuries to endurance horses.

The current FEI Endurance rules define a catastrophic injury as one requiring euthanasia.

Sanctions are applied on the basis of the owner agreeing to the horse being euthanised and can be avoided if euthanasia is refused, with obvious serious welfare consequences for the horse.

The Endurance Temporary Committee, set up by the FEI in a further bid to tidy up undesirable aspects of the discipline and return it to its “original roots”, discussed the catastrophic injury issue during its December 12 meeting.

It proposed that, in addition to catastrophic injury, the sanction would also apply when there is a “severe injury” to the horse...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/12/23/fei-loophole-catastrophic-endurance-injuries/

Endurance Department Updates

Inside.Fei.org

21 Dec 2018
FEI Endurance Rules

At present, the FEI Endurance Rules define a Catastrophic Injury as one requiring euthanasia. Sanctions are applied on the basis of the owner agreeing to the horse being euthanised and can be avoided if euthanasia is refused with obvious serious welfare consequences for the horse. The Endurance Temporary Committee discussed this serious issue during their meeting on the 12 December and has proposed that, in addition to catastrophic injury, the sanction would also apply when there is a “Severe Injury” of the horse.

In order to protect the welfare of the horse, the FEI Board unanimously approved during their teleconference of 19 December 2018 the following modification to Article 815.3 of the Endurance rules which can be found here. This change would become effective as of 1 February 2019.

Please take note that in keeping with FEI Statutes Art. 20.3, the FEI Board may pass resolutions which are normally the prerogatives of the General Assembly. In such cases, the National Federations are promptly notified. If a majority of the National Federations eligible to vote, respond within thirty (30) days of the date of the notice, signifies its disapproval, the measure shall be rescinded if possible.

In addition, as the Endurance Temporary Committee continues working on its proposals for Endurance Rule changes for 2020, which will be discussed at the FEI Sports Forum next April, the FEI will actively reach out to Organisers to test the implementation of modified Heart Rates and presentation times in order to gather valuable information that will be presented as part of the Endurance discussions at the Sports Forum.

Should you have any question, do not hesitate to contact Marc Chovelon at marc.chovelon@fei.org or Aude Barby at aude.barby@fei.org

Spain Fails in Second Appeal for WEG Endurance Medals

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

December 17, 2018
by: Pippa Cuckson

Spain, front-runners when the World Equestrian Games endurance ride was controversially called-off, has failed in a second attempt to receive medals in hindsight.

The FEI Tribunal dismissed an appeal from the Spanish Equestrian Federation in a decision notice published this week. Spain’s first appeal at Tryon on September 12th also failed.

Tribunal rejected the claim on a number of legal points, notably that under FEI rules the winning horses must have completed the “entire course” and passed the final vetting. By definition, the FEI said, anything cancelled cannot have a winner.

Tribunal also rejected the argument that precedent was set at the Euston Park 2012 world championship, abandoned during a heavy storm. On that occasion, Tribunal said, 52 combinations and four teams had completed the whole competition before the thunderstorm arrived...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/spain-2nd-appeal-weg-endurance/

Long Rider Jing Li cements his place in equestrian history

Jing Li has ridden thousands of kilometres across some of the world’s most remote terrain. Photos: Longridersguild.com
Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

December 15, 2018
Horsetalk.co.nz

Jing Li, once dubbed the world’s most elusive Long Rider, has completed an epic ride across Russia, and is now making plans for an 11,250-kilometre horseback journey from St Petersburg, Russia, to Jiang’an in China.

Long Riders’ Guild founder CuChullaine O’Reilly says the Chinese-born rider has established himself as the foremost equestrian traveller in the saddle today.

The completion of his latest ride from the Caucasus Mountains across Russia has added to Jing Li’s remarkable series of achievements in the saddle.

At the end of the 4380km journey, he carried the Guild flag into the Moscow lecture hall of the Russian Geographical Society...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/12/15/long-rider-jing-li-equestrian-history/?utm_medium=40digest.prsonly.20181215.home&utm_source=email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=campaign

Spain: France's Virginie Atger wins the 65th International Raid of Barcelona – Santa Susana

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

14 December 2018
Race Report made with the assistance of Marc Grèbol

Sant Pol de Mar, Barcelona. Thursday 6, Friday 7 and Saturday 8 December 2018. The French elite rider Virginie Atger won the 65th Barcelona International Raid – Santa Susana (sponsored by SportHG and Meydan), the oldest equestrian endurance competition in Europe.

Atger completed the 192km race, divided over two days, on her horse Come’t d’Ardene with a time of 11:45 and demonstrated his enormous quality at the end of the European endurance season.
For 20 years, the town of Santa Susana has hosted the Barcelona Raid in the first week of december. The event enjoys a special prestige among the European riders of this discipline, both for its age and the closure of the sports season. The discipline of endurance or raid, in peak in recent years, consists of traveling long distances on horseback, divided into several phases. Thus, a great physical and mental resistance is required for both the rider and the horse, as well as great skills of domination of time and energy...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/virginie-atger-wins-international-raid-of-barcelona-santa-susana/

‘Cheating must be stamped out’: new endurance committee faces up to challenges

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Eleanor Jones
17:28 - 13 December, 2018

The people tasked with cleaning up endurance say they are “under no illusions about the challenges” they face, after their first meeting.

The temporary committee set up by the FEI board in October, to “urgently review the endurance rules in order to address the issues currently affecting the discipline”, met at FEI HQ in Lausanne, Switzerland, yesterday (12 December).

Committee chairman Sarah Coombs, a British vet, said: “Today’s meeting generated really strong and productive debate and, together with input from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, we have already drawn up a list of our key focus areas. Your voices are being heard.”

Committee members had already had a “huge amount” of feedback from the endurance world, on a number of key areas.

These include: increased testing of horses for prohibited substances, increased sanctions for horse abuse, reviewing speeds, reassessment of rules on mandatory rest periods, redefinition of elimination codes (particularly catastrophic injury), qualifications, hyposensitivity screening, heart rates, over-training and over-competing, course design and crewing numbers...

Read more at https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/cheating-must-stamped-new-endurance-committee-faces-challenges-673162#2kHk5XZkwv5DKmK8.99

Endurance committee takes first steps to clean up sport

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

December 13, 2018
Horsetalk.co.nz

A temporary committee charged with an urgent review of the FEI’s endurance rules has had its first in-person meeting at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

The committee has a remit to bring the discipline back to its original roots of endurance riding as opposed to endurance racing. Britain’s Dr Sarah Coombs, chairwoman of the committee, said it had received “a huge amount” of feedback from the endurance community on an array of topics, following its establishment by the FEI Board.

Coombs said the committee would do “whatever is necessary to rebuild the trust of our community and restore the image of a discipline that has every right to remain a part of the FEI, provided the rules are adhered to and enforced to ensure that our horses are protected and cheating is stamped out.”

She said the meeting generated “strong and productive debate”, and its key focus areas had been decided...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/12/13/endurance-committee-clean-up-sport/