Showjumping and dressage European Championships will go ahead in 2021, it has been confirmed, after the rescheduled Olympics.
The FEI has committed to allocate the championships, both to German venues. The European showjumping championships will run at Riesenbeck, the base of former Olympic champion Ludger Beerbaum, from 30 August to 4 September.
The European dressage championships is due to take place at international venue Hagen, from 7 to 12 September. Both events are awaiting final confirmation from the organisers.
“The FEI board, with the full support of the European Equestrian Federation (EEF), agreed that in view of the rescheduled Olympic and Paralympic Games and the huge amount of planning involved, if either of the venues is unable to host these championships, the bid process for 2021 will not be re-opened,” an FEI spokesman said.
The board had ruled that Europeans would not run in the Olympic or Paralympic disciplines next year to allow the focus to be on Tokyo. But the EEF and some national federations asked the FEI to review the decision.
“We are very happy to have great venues at Riesenbeck and Hagen available to host the European Championships in jumping and dressage next year and we look forward to receiving the final confirmation from the two organisers for these championships to go ahead”, said FEI president Ingmar De Vos.
“These championships have really been a great example of the FEI, EEF, the German national federation, the two organisers and everyone else involved working together to accommodate the wishes of the European national federations and the athletes’ community to have these championships next year. I am particularly grateful for the valuable work done by the FEI technical committees and calendar task forces.”
No European championships will run in eventing, as organisers who had submitted expressions of interest later withdrew from the process, or in para dressage, to “allow athletes to focus on the Tokyo Paralympics”.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
