Latest from Horse & Hound in World-equestrian-games-2022

Separate World Championships announced as two disciplines await decision

Becky Murray — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 16:59:36 +0000

Changes have been announced to the World Equestrian Games format for 2022 as two host countries have been confirmed for separate World Championships.

The FEI board held an in-person meeting in Moscow, Russia on 16 November where it was decided Herning, Denmark, will host the showjumping World Championships, dressage World Championships, para dressage World Championships and vaulting World Championships in August 2022. The city currently holds a qualifier for the dressage World Cup, and in 2013 held the European Championships for showjumping, dressage and para dressage.

Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy, will host the driving and eventing World Championships in September 2022.

A spokesman for FEI said the venue, which played home to the Rome 1960 Olympics, is “no stranger” to high-level events having hosted the 1998 World Equestrian Games and the driving World Championships for singles in 2006 and 2010.

FEI secretary general Sabrina Ibáñez said: “When we opened the process for 2022 to single and multi-discipline bids, our intention was to have events that were more manageable and sustainable at proven venues.

“By allocating these multi-discipline championships to Herning and Pratoni del Vivaro we’re working with hosts that already have the necessary experience and required infrastructure in place to organise world-class equestrian championships. We received some truly excellent bids and unfortunately we don’t have enough World Championships to allocate to everyone, but we very much hope that these excellent organisers will bid again in the future to host championships at their venues.”

The 2022 championships will serve as qualifiers in showjumping, eventing, dressage and para dressage for the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.

Article continued below…

10 venues vie to host 2022 world championships: two bids for full Games

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

The end of WEG as we know it? FEI opens bids for individual world championships

The FEI has not received any ‘realistic bids’ for the 2022 World Equestrian Games

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

A spokesman for the FEI said the board “agreed unanimously” that any decision on endurance and reining would be postponed pending the outcome of discussion about both disciplines today (18 November), with voting taking place tomorrow (19 November).

It was also decided that the World Cup finals for showjumping, dressage, driving and vaulting will be held in Leipzig, Germany,for 2022 to 2024, where they were held in 2011. The World Cup finals for showjumping and dressage will take place in Omaha, USA, in April 2023 and Riyad, Saudi Arabia, in 2024. Driving will be held in Bordeaux, France, in February 2023 and 2024.

“The bidding process for the FEI Vaulting World Cup finals 2023 and 2024 will be reopened,” said the spokesman.

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10 venues vie to host 2022 world championships: two bids for full Games

Sarah Radford — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 12:32:05 +0000

Ten countries have entered formal bids to host FEI World Championship events in 2022, following a move by the FEI to offer to break up the traditional World Equestrian Games (WEG) format and also invite interest in hosting single or combined disciplines, in addition to the eight-strong sporting event.

Two venues — Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Rome in Italy — have put in bids to host all eight equestrian events, meaning the combined format familiar since Stockholm 1990 could still survive.

Bidding countries for one or more disciplines are Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America. Great Britain has not put forward a bid.

Bids for individual world championships include one from Millstreet in Ireland (eventing) and another from the National Stud of Szilvásvárad, Hungary (driving;) while Herning in Denmark has put forward to host a combined jumping, dressage and para-dressage championship.

Endurance has attracted three countries to step forward with single discipline bids: Jazdecký Klub Napoli, Samorin (SVK), Stichting Endurancesport, Ermelo (NED) and Padise Equestrian Centre (EST).

Hosting a full eight-disciplines WEG has become expensive and challenging for host nations, leading to a history of venues withdrawing from the process.

The Kentucky Horse Park in the United States and Samorin in Slovakia both expressed an interest in hosting the 2022 event but pulled-out, prompting the FEI to re-open bidding last year.

At the FEI general assembly in Bahrain in November 2018, the governing body announced that despite launching the bidding process twice, there had not been any “realistic” offers for 2022.

Continued below…

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

The end of WEG as we know it? FEI opens bids for individual world championships

The FEI has not received any ‘realistic bids’ for the 2022 World Equestrian Games

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

FEI president casts doubt over World Equestrian Games’ future

‘We must have the courage to look at the future of our World Championships and ask if the WEG is

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

As the 2022 World Championships are a qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics, the FEI has been under pressure to find viable hosts for the Olympic and Paralympic disciplines. This led it to consider various options for the games’ future and announce it would open up the process to bids for individual championships.

“The number of formal bids that we’ve received for single and multi-discipline FEI World Championships and full games is an excellent indication that the interest in the world championships is as strong, if not stronger than ever”, said FEI President Ingmar De Vos.

“We knew that some of the countries that put in expressions of interest back in February were just dipping their toes in the water, but these formal bids are a great validation of the new bidding process and show that we have a really strong product.”

While the FEI has said that multi-discipline hosts will be given priority, it believes the new bid process has allowed for “sustainable and cost-effective use of existing equestrian sports facilities” and encouraged interest from national federations that “may have hesitated to put forward multi-discipline bids in the past”.

All bids are to be fully evaluated over the summer and the allocation of FEI World Championships for 2022 will be made at the in-person board meeting during the FEI general assembly in Moscow (RUS) in November.

A full break down of bids is as follows:

All disciplines (World Equestrian Games):

Pratoni del Vivaro (Rome), Elementa (Rome) and Isola della Scala (Verona) (ITA)
Saudi Equestrian Federation, Riyadh (KSA)

Multi-discipline:

Dubai Equestrian Club (UAE) — showjumping and endurance
Herning (DEN) — showjumping, dressage, para dressage
WestWorld of Scottsdale, Arizona (USA) — reining and vaulting

Endurance only:

Jazdecký Klub Napoli, Samorin (SVK)
Stichting Endurancesport, Ermelo (NED)
Padise Equestrian Centre (EST)

Driving only:

National Stud of Szilvásvárad (HUN)

Eventing only:

Millstreet Equestrian Services, Millstreet (IRL)

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

The end of WEG as we know it? FEI opens bids for individual world championships

Lucy Elder — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 18:03:44 +0000

The World Equestrian Games (WEG) may be separated into individual world championships due to a dearth of bids to host the 2022 event.

The FEI announced the decision at its general assembly in Bahrain on Saturday (17 November).

A number of previous hosts have found holding the games expensive and logistically difficult.

A statement from the FEI bureau said the organisation has twice opened the bidding process for the 2022 games, but this has “not resulted in any realistic bids”.

The governing body will open the bidding process for individual world championships and preference will be given to multi-discipline bids.

“The president stressed that this does not necessarily mean the end of [WEG] bids to host the full seven-discipline games for 2022 and 2026 will be considered,” added the statement

“However, he made it clear that securing world championships for 2022 in the Olympic and Paralympic disciplines was crucial as these serve as qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Games.”

The ill-fated endurance saga

A report into the endurance failings at WEG 2018 by the independent Equestrian Community Integrity Unit (ECIU) found there was “no single reason” for the chaotic scenes during the competition.

It concluded the problems arose from multiple issues, mainly a lack of communication between officials — particularly a lack of radios — and between the organising committee, national federations and athletes.

There were also troubles with delays to the preparation of the vet gate and the endurance trail, plus the decision to maintain a full schedule of events at Tryon that “stretched an already under-resourced team required to deliver both these events and the games”. The ride was cancelled part-way through.

A second report, regarding allegations of misconduct, will be reviewed by the FEI legal team to decide whether further disciplinary proceedings will be brought before the FEI tribunal.

FEI secretary general Sabrina Ibáñez presented an overview of the games, including their delivery, communication, the management structure of the organising committee.

“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,” said Ms Ibáñez. “Without them we would have had no WEG 2018.”

For more detail and reaction to the WEG news, don’t miss this week’s issue of Horse & Hound, out Thursday (22 February).

FEI president casts doubt over World Equestrian Games’ future

Lucy Elder — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 07:50:57 +0000

The president of the FEI has cast doubt over the future of the World Equestrian Games (WEG) as he prepares for his next term in office.

Ingmar de Vos has pledged to review the FEI’s games and championships “with an open mind in order to make the best choices for the future and sustainability of our sport”.

“Although we have further strengthened the minimum eligibility criteria, we must recognise that due to the successful development of our sport in many regions it is more and more difficult to find organisers that are capable of organising an event of such magnitude,” said Mr de Vos.

“It is also increasingly difficult for [national federations] to send athletes in all the disciplines for which their athletes achieved the minimum eligibility requirements.

“We must have the courage to look at the future of our World Championships and ask if the WEG is still the best format.”

He added while the FEI would promote multi-disciplinary bids, the organisation needs to ask itself it is “realistic to impose a model integrating all our disciplines in one event”.

“If we want to be successful we need to have a model that creates competition and can interest a lot of organisers rather than having to fight to find and motivate one organiser for WEG,” said Mr de Vos.

A number of previous WEG venues have found hosting the event challenging, particularly on the financial side.

This year’s WEG faced huge challenges, including Storm Florence.

Tryon stepped in with less than two years to prepare for the Games, which were originally to be hosted at Bromont, Canada. But in a mutual decision between Bromont and the FEI, the Canadian venue pulled out of hosting WEG 2018 due to financial issues.

Mr de Vos’ comments were made as part of his presidential programme for 2018 to 2022, in which he sets out aims for the sport for the next four years.

Article continues below…

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Support for grooms

The president has also pledged to do more to “understand and support” grooms.

“I strongly believe that we must reach out more to a group that often has been neglected, namely, the grooms,” he said.

“As they take care of our horses, day in and day out, and travel with them from event to event, we should make more effort to better understand and support them.

“Several preparatory meetings have been held with representatives of the grooms. We will continue these efforts and will help them create their own international association in order to have a representative body with whom we can interact.”

He added the “ultimate goal” is to register grooms with the FEI and provide them with a certificate after an online course and exam in order to “recognise their crucial role in the equestrian world”.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

Kentucky withdraws bid for 2022 World Equestrian Games

Rachael Turner — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 13:22:47 +0000

The Kentucky Horse Park will not host the 2022 World Equestrian Games.

On Friday (13 January) the park’s commission announced that it was withdrawing from consideration for holding the event.

The Lexington venue was one of two candidates to host the 2022 games.

Samorin in Slovakia is now left as the only official bidder.

Commission members expressed concerns regarding the “potential conflict” that hosting the games would create with the long-term goals of the park.

“We are committed to being good stewards of the Kentucky Horse Park,” said Tandy Patrick, chair of the Kentucky Horse Park Commission.

“We do not think it would be economically feasible for the park to host the 2022 games.”

The Kentucky Horse Park is a 1,224-acre equestrian facility that hosts a number of high-profile events and shows.

The centre hosted the games in 2010, becoming the first venue outside of Europe to do so.

The FEI announced that the park was in the running for hosting the 2022 games in December.

“We have had an open dialogue with the public through several visioning sessions and we’re hearing good ideas about long-term strategic growth at the park,” added Don Parkinson, secretary of the tourism, arts and heritage cabinet of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

“Additionally, a recent survey of the park’s assets found $12 million in deferred maintenance expenses, and we recognise the need for immediate and near-term investments in our facilities.”

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The 2022 event will be the ninth World Equestrian Games, which are held every four years.

The games include competitions in all eight of the FEI disciplines: showjumping, dressage, eventing, para- dressage, driving, endurance, vaulting and reining.

For further information on the plans for the 2022 games don’t miss the 19 January edition of Horse & Hound magazine.

Could Ireland host 2022 WEG?

Sophia Heath — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 07:55:47 +0000

Could Ireland host the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in 2022? The Duggan family, who own Millstreet, now believe they have a suitable venue.

The site in Co. Cork has 11 international standard all-weather arenas, three indoor schools and stabling for 1,200 horses.

This year a new cross-country course, designed by Mike Etherington-Smith, was built for the venue to host the Pony European Championships (30 July-3 August).

The competition was heralded a “great success” and Noel C Duggan, and the rest of the Duggan family, have now set their sights on WEG 2022.

Senior international eventer Michael Ryan supports the bid.

“It would be fantastic for the country and there is no question Noel C is the man for the job,” he said.

The cost of hosting a WEG — due to the need to be able to facilitate seven different disciplines — has regularly prevented countries from bidding, with the event typically making a loss.

In 2008, Millstreet offered to hold WEG 2014 and Irishman Dr Pearse Lyons — whose company Alltech sponsored this year’s event in Normandy — reportedly offered €10m (£7.8m) towards the running costs.

However, Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) rejected the idea of Ireland bidding for the event after a feasibility study.

“The main finding was that hosting the games would require substantial private and public funding,” said a spokesman from HSI.

“Given the economic situation in 2008, the HSI board took a view, following consultation with the government of the time, not to bid for the 2014 games.”

HSI told H&H that it had not yet discussed the potential bid for 2022 but that it had attended information sessions, which were held at WEG in Normandy this summer, for countries that might consider hosting in the future.

Earlier this year it was announced that Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park in Canada had been awarded the 2018 event (news, 6 June).

2010 host Kentucky was the only other venue in the running after the British Equestrian Federation did not put in a formal bid, while Wellington, Florida, withdrew from the running due to a sponsor conflict.

This news story was first published in H&H magazine (16 October 2014).