What will the new Olympic eventing format be? Plans to be finalised
The new format for Olympic eventing is due to be finalised today (Wednesday 2 March) by the FEI eventing committee, taking into account last-minute submissions from the major eventing nations.
Top riders and delegates from the main 23 eventing nations met to try to agree and present a formula for their sport’s future in the Olympic Games last week in London (23 February).
It has emerged that Britain was, until recently, the only leading nation to send detailed responses on the proposed new format to the FEI. A further six then hastily did so last week after attending the multi-national riders’ meeting, organised to discuss the potentially radical changes.
Countries now understood to have formally given feedback to the FEI include New Zealand, Australia, Germany, the USA and France.
David Holmes of British Eventing said that there were still two major areas of disagreement: whether teams should be four members or just three with no discard score, and whether the showjumping round which determines the individual medals should now be held before the team round, instead of after it as at present.
FEI eventing chair Guiseppe Della Chiesa attended.
Mr Holmes said: “Guiseppe introduced each proposal and then we literally went round the room in federation order asking for their own position. It was fantastic that he came to hearing things directly.”
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The FEI has been discussing the 2020 Agenda for more than a year.
Equestrianism is one of several sports asked by the IOC to increase its public and media appeal, involve more countries, and make scoring easier to understand.
There is also confusion about how Olympic eventing can be staged at the highest four-star level if many countries in which eventing is still a “young” sport are to participate.
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Formerly Horse & Hound’s first female deputy editor, Pippa is an award-winning journalist who has actively campaigned to raise awareness of the welfare concerns within the sport of endurance in order to drive change. During her 21 years on the H&H staff rota, Pippa sub-edited every sector of the magazine before being promoted to assistant editor and then deputy editor. She was also an active reporter, covering Olympic Games, European championships and the last stand-alone world eventing championship, at Gawler, South Australia, in 1986, prior to the introduction of the World Equestrian Games.