Boudheib (UAE) named host of FEI Endurance World Championship 2022

Inside.FEI.org

10 November 2022
Author: FEI

The world renowned Boudheib International Endurance Village (BIEV) is set to host the FEI Endurance World Championship 2022, following a decision made by the FEI Board during its meeting in Cape Town (RSA) today.

The BIEV venue, which was strongly recommended by the FEI Endurance Committee, is situated approximately one hour from Abu Dhabi’s city centre will be the venue for the rescheduled World Championship. In September 2022, the FEI terminated the Host Agreement with Isola della Scala in Verona (ITA) that was originally scheduled to host the biennial event from 19 to 23 October 2022. This decision also included the provision to reopen the bid process in order to find a new host for the Championship.

With October to March being the winter season in Abu Dhabi and the period for outdoor and equestrian events, the World Championship will now take place from 20 to 26 February 2023, with the ride itself scheduled for Saturday, 25 February.

“We are very pleased with the decision to award the FEI Endurance World Championship 2022 to Boudheib,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.

“The FEI Board was impressed with the world-class permanent infrastructure and facilities offered by the BIEV and the proven ability of the Organisers to guarantee all the logistical organisation for our human and equine athletes in a short period of time.

“The safety and security of human and equine athletes is the FEI’s top priority, and the Organiser’s track record of commitment to horse welfare was a key factor in the decision to award this Championship to Boudheib.

“We are confident that the Organisers will give our athletes a Championship to remember and that the venue will deliver on all its promises.”

Since 2004, around 147 FEI and 153 National Endurance events have been held at the BIEV which will host the FEI Endurance World Championship for the first time ever.

The venue has earned global recognition for its modern and well-equipped clinic that has digital x-ray, ultrasonography and other diagnostic services, highly qualified veterinary staff and laboratory technicians. Located close to the Central Vet Gates and the Holding Area, the clinic includes examination areas, stables for in-patient treatment as well as observation and administrative areas.

The track, which passes through a forestry reserve, is designed to naturally regulate pace and to challenge the skill of the riders. The BIEV is known for producing technical rides that prioritise horse welfare.

Under the guidance and support of the late former deputy UAE Prime Minister H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Boudheib Protocol Initiative was implemented in BIEV and other venues around the world to ensure that the welfare of the horses and horsemanship prevail. Another initiative guided by the vision of Sheikh Sultan is the Boudheib Academy, which trains young Endurance athletes by teaching proper riding techniques and the basics of horsemanship.

For the FEI Endurance World Championship 2022, the BIEV will offer prize money to all finishers including a prize category for Best Condition. The total prize money for teams, individuals, horses in best condition and all finishers is AED 2,000,000 (approximately USD 545,000).

Also agreed at the FEI Board meeting today was the allocation of the Mexican qualifier of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2022 to a new venue, San Miguel De Allende from 26 to 30 April 2023.

Verona Endurance Problems Flagged 16 Months Pre-Cancellation

HorseSport.com - Full Article

FEI reveals that concerns were raised about the 2022 World Endurance Championship venue during the test ride in May 2021.

By: Horse Sport staff | November 2, 2022

Five new venues have applied to host the delayed 2022 FEI World Endurance Championship, as it emerges that the original Verona site was known to have many problems 16 months before the FEI removed the event at short notice.

When the cancellation was announced on September 8 this year, reference was made to difficulties in completing the final preparation works because of the concurrent staging of a “rice festival” on the same site.

However, HorseSport.com has learned that problems went back to at least May 2021, when the obligatory test ride took place, causing both riders and the FEI’s own technical committee to voice concerns and the organizer be replaced. New deadlines to resolve them since then were repeatedly not met during 2021 and 2022...

Read more here:
https://horsesport.com/horse-news/verona-endurance-problems-flagged-16-months-pre-cancellation/

Pessoa, Hoy Unopposed in Poorly-Contested FEI Elections

HorseSport.com - Full Article

A very small pool of candidates means that four riders will enjoy a “shoo-in” to the FEI sports committees.

By: Horse Sport staff | October 27, 2022

International riders have only until October 31 to vote for their rider representatives on the FEI sport committees, but for many it has been an academic exercise due to the lack of candidates.

German eventing legend Bettina Hoy, dressage’s Yvonne de Losos Muniz of the Dominican Republic, vaulting’s Lambert Lerclezio of France and driving’s Franz Schiltz of Luxembourg are the only candidates in their respective disciplines, and so are set to take up their new roles unopposed for the next four years.

For the jumping committee, the politically experienced Rodrigo Pessoa has one rival, but this is Russia’s Vladmir Tuganov who, like all Russians, is indefinitely suspended from FEI participation because of the invasion of Ukraine...

Read more at:
https://horsesport.com/horse-news/pessoa-hoy-unopposed-poorly-contested-elections/

FEI to Increase Powers to Eliminate ‘Horse-Unfriendly’ Performance

HorseSport.com - Full Article

New FEI ethics commission recommends that rounds and tests which go against the ‘principles of horse welfare’ be subject to elimination.

By: Horse Sport staff | October 24, 2022

The FEI is set to empower judges to eliminate anyone whose riding goes against horse welfare, as efforts continue to safeguard equestrianism’s ‘social licence’ and combat growing negativity among the general public.

The FEI’s new Ethics and Wellbeing Commission (EEWB) has issued six initial recommendations to be actioned by the end of this year. The FEI board has resolved to take them forward to its General Assembly next month, as equestrian becomes more aware of its ‘social licence’ to exist...

Read more here:
https://horsesport.com/horse-news/fei-increase-powers-eliminate-horse-unfriendly-performance/

Bids in for rescheduled endurance World Championships

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Lucy Elder
25 October, 2022

Italy is bidding to retain its position as host of the 2022 endurance World Championships after the plug was pulled weeks ahead of the scheduled event.

This year’s championships were set to be held in Verona from 19 to 23 October, but were cancelled in September as the safety of horses and riders “could not be guaranteed” (news, 15 September).

The FEI reopened the bidding, and has extended the cut-off date for the 2022 championships to be held to 30 April 2023...

Read more here:
https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/bids-in-for-rescheduled-endurance-world-championships-807459

Sitting on Top of the Endurance World

FEI.org

21 October 2022

We speak to World No.1 Julia Montagne...

Endurance is about strategy, with the top athletes knowing that a course of 100 to 160km is best handled in the individual phases of the race.

In essence, the strategic rider treats the four phases of a 160km endurance competition individually; they focus on each 40km phase, completing the mandatory veterinarian inspections, without losing sight of the race’s finish line.

Julia Montagne of France is currently sitting on top of the FEI World Endurance rankings, with a comfortable lead in the point standings. She trains and competes multiple horses at FEI competitions with Endurance Vilaltella based in Portugal. The consistent performance of Julia and her Endurance horses has led to her long stretch as the world’s highest-ranked athlete.

“This year has been amazing, and I hope we will have more results still at the end of the year,” Julia said.

Read more here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/sport/endurance/julia-montagne-profile-2022

Endurance: Italy relaunches bid for FEI World Championship

CavalloMagazine.it - Full Article

The proposal was officially presented to the FEI by the Italian Equestrian Federation. The Italian National Olympic Committee’s support in the words of its president Giovanni Malagò

Bologna, October 20, 2022 – The same Organizing Committee that organised the unanimously praised 2021 edition of the event – Italia Endurance asd and sistemaeventi.it srl – has taken action to order to keep the next FEI Endurance World Championships in Italy, proposing the date of April 29th 2023 and confirming Pisa San Rossore Racecourse as the venue, a facility that has also proved to be a real equestrian paradise for this discipline.

The Championship, previously assigned to Isola della Scala – Verona, should have taken place in October 2022, but the FEI unfortunately decided to cancel the event a few days earlier due to organizational problems and has consequently reopened the global process for bids...

Read more here:
https://www.cavallomagazine.it/english/equestrian-sports/enduranceeng/endurance-italy-relaunches-bid-for-fei-world-championship