The former Olympic team gold medallist, four-time Badminton winner and one of the world’s leading cross-country course-designers reflects on the past few weeks in eventing and issues at the FEI
The eventing Europeans at Agria Blenheim were great and provided a super cross-country day – unless you were on the British team. Not since 1993 have the Brits not finished as a team at the European Championships and never before have four of six Brits had an unscheduled visit to the turf. All the four were going well, then suddenly made rider errors that will haunt them for months.
If I was a betting man I’d back the Brits at the worlds in Aachen next year. The experience gained here will be invaluable and they won’t repeat those same mistakes.
Ros Canter put on a masterclass at Defender Burghley when she and Lordships Graffalo made a difficult five-star cross-country look like a walk in the park. In sport, we are seldom lucky enough to witness such things.
I felt sorry for Oliver Townend with Cooley Rosalent, who was only at Burghley at the behest of owner Paul Ridgeon’s dying wish as he thought he wouldn’t still be alive to watch her at Blenheim. A slightly trusting moment at the Maltings and a fence down on Sunday meant the fairy tale wasn’t going to happen.
“I was dismayed”
I went to Hartpury in August, as a selector and to watch the British open championship I created, ran and promoted for nearly 30 years at Gatcombe, before it moved to Hartpury last year.
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I was dismayed and embarrassed. There were so few in the class and almost more foreign riders than Brits. The prize money of £407 for first won’t have covered the winner’s costs and third prize of £192 won’t have covered the entry fee.
The cross-country was identical to in 2024, bar one fence – but Hartpury did do an amazing job with the footing despite the drought.
The CCI4*-S – in which the leading Brits ran – had over £7,000 of prize money. If the British open means nothing to Hartpury and British Eventing (BE), then scrap it or give it to an organiser who wants to make something of it.
My comments take nothing away from winner Katie Magee – beating Tim Price and Vitali is no mean feat. But when I think back to the greats who’ve won the title – Mark Todd, Blyth Tait, Lucinda Green, Ginny Elliot – it’s sad that BE have allowed this competition to fade into the backwaters.
Issues at the FEI
The FEI level four officials programme, designed to pick out those fit to take roles at five-stars and championships, has been much vaunted and probably misconceived from the beginning and many advised the FEI to scrap it.
I believe nearly all course-designers who applied for level four have now been or are being approved. I guess this was the easiest way for the FEI to save face! We’re now pretty much back to where we started – officials for five-stars and championships will once again be chosen by the FEI committee and the organisers, as all are available.
The FEI still refuses to talk to the International Eventing Officials Club, which represents the vital role of officials, since it arbitrarily cancelled their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
This long-running saga, borne principally over the level four programme, is going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on 8 October. This is beyond belief – surely everyone is on the same side, sharing the best interests of eventing?
The intransigence of the FEI reached new heights in August when they dismissed the director of eventing Frédérique Reffet Plantier as she initially wasn’t sure she could accept the new combined role of director of eventing and driving and spend enough time with her family.
Fred has been a breath of fresh air since she took over in January, working overtime to pursue what is best for eventing, and has universal support. Despite lobbying from all stakeholders the FEI have refused to reverse their decision. Maybe one day we will see a good decision come out of Lausanne…
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