FEI Endurance Proposals : Qualification Procedures

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Non-Olympic disciplines and Para-Equestrian Future

Wed, 2015-04-29 — Claude NORDMANN
Statements of the FN Switzerland:

For the welfare of the horses and to apply the basic principles of the endurance, we insist on a qualification procedure which considers also the rider-horse combination.
That means we propose that the last two qualification steps have to be done as a couple. This is the only way to guarantee at best the horsemanship and the welfare of the horses. For the public, but also everyone in the equestrian world, it is not understandable, that in a high-performance sport including metabolic and other health risks, riders should compete at championships without ever having ridden the respective horse before.


Wed, 2015-04-29 — Claude NORDMANN

Statement of the FN Switzerland : Format for the WEG
The Swiss Federation welcomes all the efforts in direction of technical tracks and a strict qualification procedure.
But the Swiss Federation is not favourable to the new proposed format of 2 x 100 at WEG for several reasons: all statistics of the last 20 years clearly show up, that the shorter the races, the more dangerous they are for the welfare of the horse. 2 x 100 km as a championship would invite riders to take more risks than at a 160 km format. In addition, breeding, selection, education and training for 160 km races have much evolved in the last years for the benefit of the horses, and a change of the format would not produce the desired increase of animal welfare. Specially also regarding the fact, that European and World championships would still take place using the old 160 km format. In conclusion with the new proposed format of 2 x 100 km no increase of welfare and no better image in the public are to be expected.

Great Britain: 9 things you might not know about the Golden Horseshoe Ride

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Madeleine Pitt
24 April, 2015

The Golden Horseshoe was first run on Exmoor in 1965, but the current organiser Barbara Wigley, 67, retires this year, and no one has yet stepped up to take the helm. On the eve of its 50th anniversary, which could be its last, we take a look back at the ride’s history.

1. The first ride was organised in 1965 by the British Horse Society, promoted by author Ronald Duncan and Colonel Mike Ansell, and sponsored by The Sunday Telegraph. It was so popular that organisers had to close entries a month early, having reached the limit of 110 entrants.

2. The route started at Malmsmead and finished at Ronald Duncan’s home in Welcombe, Devon.

3. In 1965 were no markers, and riders had to find their own way, including navigating across ‘The Chains’ [a wild moorland ridge] with the help of local people on Exmoor ponies...

Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/9-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-golden-horseshoe-ride-483379#rCZsCeyv2Yyet12c.99

FEI votes to change Statutes to allow for Presidential remuneration

FEI.org

28 Apr 2015

FEI votes to change Statutes to allow for Presidential remuneration

The FEI today voted unanimously to modify the organisation’s Statutes to allow the FEI President to receive remuneration. The amendment to the Statutes opens up the possibility for remuneration, but the final decision still rests with the FEI Bureau, which will discuss the issue at its in-person meeting in June.

The vote was taken at an Extraordinary General Assembly (EGA) held during the FEI Sports Forum at IMD in Lausanne (SUI). A total of 59 National Federations were on-site to register their votes and there were 27 powers of attorney, giving a total of 86 valid votes. The required quorum is 67, half of the 133 National Federations plus one.

FEI President Ingmar De Vos, who opened the second day of the Sports Forum, excused himself from the EGA and handed over to FEI 1st Vice President John Madden (USA) to chair the meeting. FEI 2nd Vice President Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa (BRN) and FEI Secretary General Sabrina Zeender also presided.

Dr Claude Nordmann of the Swiss National Federation spoke briefly after the vote, calling for a study to be conducted on salaried positions and commenting that the contents of the study would also be useful for other International Federations.

The EGA also voted unanimously to a number of proposed changes to the Internal Regulations of the FEI, including the addition of the President to the list of signatories to official documents.

Australia: Endurance riders saddle up for Charleville's 160km ride

Warwickdailynews.com.au - Full Article

Ali Kuchel | 28th Apr 2015

LESS than a month ago, endurance horse rider Nicole Sallur didn't know if her horse would complete an 80km journey, but he surprised her on the weekend.

Nicole and her horse Ironheart entered the 160km ride with the Charleville Endurance Club and although they opted to retire at 120km, she said she was very happy with their performance.

"We'd been having a few issues with his back," Nicole said.

"We were both a bit tired by that stage... to do an extra 40km and pass the vet check at 120km was really good..."

Read more here:
http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/endurance-riders-saddle-charlevilles-160km-ride/2621166/

FEI Sports Forum Opens with Discussion on Future of WEG

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

April 27 2015

FEI Sports Forum 2015 opens with discussion on future of FEI World Equestrian Games™

The FEI President Ingmar De Vos welcomed 270 delegates representing the International Olympic Committee (IOC), National Federations (NFs), riders’, trainers’, and organisers’ clubs, sponsors, experts, media, guests and FEI staff to the fourth FEI Sports Forum which opened this morning at the prestigious business school IMD in Lausanne (SUI).

“We are all here because we care about our sport,” De Vos said in his opening address. “We need to be open and honest about the challenges we are facing as a sport but more than that we need to be proactive and brave enough to consider changes that will address these challenges. I remember a quote from IOC President Thomas Bach who said “change or be changed.

“So it is absolutely not about change for the sake of change and by no means is there any desire to lose or replace the values and traditions of our sport. But we need to be open-minded to look at changes that can improve our sport and its legacy for the generations to come. What should be changed and how is why we are here today and I am grateful to each and everyone one of you for taking the time to participate in this Sports Forum,” he said.

Professor James Henderson, Dean of Programmes and Innovation at IMD welcomed participants to the renowned school. “It is a great honour to host you at the wonderful institution that is the IMD,” he said. He outlined the school’s mission of educating the world’s leaders to lead transformation journeys in times of turbulence and support others to embrace change in a spirit of dialogue, openness and transparency. Professor Henderson emphasised the importance of innovation and change and wished the delegates open, inspired and pioneering discussion...

Read more here:
http://www.horse-canada.com/horse-news/fei-sports-forum-opens-with-discussion-on-future-of-weg/?utm_source=EnewsApr27&utm_campaign=EnewsApr272015&utm_medium=email

Farlington’s Bedwin is youngest rider to complete Endurance Great Britain

WSCountytimes.co.uk - Full Article

27 April 2015

Farlington School’s Katie Bedwin has become the youngest person in the history of Endurance GB horse riding to complete a 100-mile event.

The 17-year-old and her horse Elayla travelled to Nottingham in preparation for the Haywood Oaks Endurance ride.

The pair and the three others in her class, had a mass racing start at 6am on the Saturday morning in the dark, their only light being head torches.

By the third vet gate, there was only Bedwin and one other extremely experienced combination left in the race...

Read more here:
http://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/news/farlington-s-bedwin-is-youngest-rider-to-complete-endurance-gb-1-6711345

Good Lord!

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

Blogs Straight-Up | April 23, 2015

Over the past couple of years, I have hammered on pretty annoyingly (to some) about the highly dubious objectivity of the FEI’s repeated use of Lord John Stevens and his company Quest in its investigations into various and sundry scandalous situations which have primarily involved Endurance. Well guess what. Turns out I had a point.

Two weeks ago, the British papers were all fat-kid-on-Smartie over the news that Lord Stevens is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)...

Read more here:
http://www.horse-canada.com/straight-up/good-lord/