News

Read News from previous months, click below
2005 February / March / April / May / June / July / August / September / October / November / December
2006 January

December 2005

Day 3 CDI-W and FEI World Cup Final for Young Riders

Sad end for Poëtin

Probably the world’s most famous mare, world champion young horses Poetin, has died. The extremely talented 8 year old Brandenburg mare Poetin (sired by Sandro Hit), was showed to perfection by Kathrin Meyer zu Strohen winning in Verden the 2003 World Championship Young Horses of the six year olds. After that Poëtin was sold for the record price of 2.5 million euro at the 2003 PSI Auction. Last September she was auctioned again in Nijkerk, the Netherlands, due to financial problems of owners De Keizershoeve. Her new owner French breeder Xavier Marie preserved her for breeding only. The reason for her death cannot be given yet. A sad end of a short dream it is.

DRESSAGE AT AN IMPASSE

Judges and riders have both lost the plot according to Kyra Kyrklund

Dressage is at an impasse, or so it would seem from the discussions surrounding rollkur and the welfare implications of certain training methods. And if they aren't the talk of the day than unbalanced judging is.
“I have the feeling that the judges are as lost as the riders are at the moment," says highly respected Finnish rider and trainer Krya Kyrklund, 53. "No one knows what course to pursue. We have all lost the way and this has to change for the sake of dressage."
Kyrklund who is much admired, not least for the successes of her star pupil Swedish rider Jan Brink and her own promising comeback on Max, comes across as open and sincere. She says professional riders, showing at the highest levels, can do whatever judges want them to do. “During a test we professional riders can do everything. We can ride the exercises faster. We can ride slower, with more or less tension. We can ride in a longer frame, we can ride more collected. We can do it all, but we need to have proper direction in what way we have to develop and it is the judges who have to give that direction."
The general principles are not clear enough to everybody involved says Kyrklund. "All of us should really have the same goal and ideals and that is not the case today."

The objectives

Kyra poses the question: “Why do we ride dressage anyway?” and then answers it herself. “The first object is to control the horse. We want him to be obedient and to trust us. That was the way it was in the days of the cavalry and still is. The next goal immediately together with the control is to develop the natural abilities of the horse. The horse can be an athlete, or a ballet dancer, however you prefer to see it. His three natural gaits, walk, trot and canter have to get nicer, stronger, more supple, and more expressive. And the horse has to like that development too: he should have the looks of the ‘happy athlete’ which is described in the rules and regulations.”

This sentence about the happy athlete brings the subject immediately around to the agitating issue of the moment: over flexing in low and deep training.

Kyra is very straightforward in her opinion: “I am absolutely against any abuse of any animal but I can’t see why those horses worked in that way would be more unhappy than other horses. Training takes in a lot of different things. It means stretching them, working them up, training all groups of muscles. You can’t train horses only in the way they should be shown in the arena. It’s the same with all other sports. You can’t train only to run the hundred meters, or to jump the high jump. You have to train and exercise the whole body.”

“I can’t see that this training is forcing horses to do something. A forced horse gives up. If you want a horse to perform, you can’t be mean to him. He’ll give up. Every training method can be abused, whether you ride up or down. It’s not really the method, it’s how you use the method that determines the good and the bad.”

Happy Athlete

“Horses are good natured beasts,” Kyra continues.“You can force them to a certain limit, yes, but not over the limit. To me it’s the same as with humans. Some people wake up in the morning with a headache and stay in bed for the rest of the day. Others will get up with the same headache but work themselves over the pain. The same goes for horses. Every horse has its limit. But every horse also has its own place in life. Like a ballet dancer, they have been pre-selected for their natural abilities and exercised to do that and it takes years and years to train all the body in this way and to perform in this way.”

“I sometimes might ride deep down and forward again as well. Probably not with this short neck, I work this in the way it works for me and for my horses, but that’s not the issue. When my horses learn the piaffe, I mostly like to have them really deep, but with a very light contact. That’s because I want to be in control. I don’t want them to run away. I want them to be over the back and to be slow and to be relaxed and to learn the piaffe steps. I can’t see why this training would cause an unhappy athlete or even could be considered as abusive. My horses are the kings of the stable as I’m sure the horses of most of us professionals are and they know it. I see that my horses love to go to a show. When the lorry comes in, they are prepared to go. When arriving on a big show like the Europeans or Aachen, they behave like they are number one. They would not perform, if they were unhappy. It’s not in their nature to perform if they are in pain or feeling miserable. They are not unhappy...”
Conformation Considerations

Kyra has another intriguing example from her rich history. Once she had a horse called Dingo, which she wasn’t able to teach the piaffe. She had been to the Olympic Games in Moscow 1980 (where she was fifth riding Piccolo) and Dingo was to be her new Grand Prix mount. “I took him to Herbert Rehbein as I believed he would be able to help me. He rode the horse a few times and then concluded that this was a horse nòt able to understand the specific movement pattern of the piaffe. So Dingo would be a happy Intermediate I-horse, or an unhappy or crazy Grand Prix horse. I accepted that. That was when I learned that I should not try to change things which I cannot influence. I am not able to influence the conformation of a horse. I have to do whatever I can with what the horse brings. No more, no less. If a horse doesn’t want to do what you want him to do, he probably isn’t capable of it because of his conformation. But if it is easy for him, he will do it easily…”

Kyra adds that the whole idea of dressage is to make the horses' natural abilities stronger and more beautiful, in all ways. “People don’t know enough about mechanics. How many critics have ever attented a practical training session at an international stable? Probably most of them not even once! Or have seen something in Aachen or at the Europeans which can be considered as abusive? They are orthodox in their prejudgement, but my conclusion is they don’t know what they are talking about.”
Training these days has adapted to the type of horse required, Kyra contends.

“You have to train the sensible light horse in quite a different way from the cold, heavy, more lazy type of horse of the older days. You have to ride the colder type up to really get them going, there is no other way. But look at Salinero or a lot other hot horses with nerves. Or look at Olympic champion Rembrandt. Or Bonfire. You have to work and ride them down to get them controlled, relaxed and at ease. I have ridden a lot of hot tempered horses with nerves myself, you have to calm them down. Look at Anky when warming up at a show. She is mostly easily trotting, she doesn’t do piaffe and passage at all, she is only calming down and relaxing the horse. You have to remember we are riding Ferrari’s now. It’s like someone just having his driving license and being safe to drive a Volkswagen or Skoda. Don’t put them into a Ferrari or they will kill themselves. If I did gymnastics, I don’t go to the Olympics to see the Olympic final and then go to my own school at home and try and do the same. That would be crazy. I would injure myself .”

Kyra Kyrklund, her partner Richard White and Anky van Grunsven having a chat in Aachen
Match making

“The same thing doesn’t work for everybody. That’s also why people look for different types of horses and look for different partners. It’s a match. It’s like a marriage, the partnership has to fit together. And if you have found your system works with one horse, you have to try to find the same type of horse for it to work again. It is basically good to discuss this, but it is not black and white. That’s unfortunately what most critics make out of this, but it is not,” Kyra states firmly.
Kyra has another nice comparison which would be of help for the dressage world. She feels dressage specialized riders could benefit from what they see from the jumping riders and from western classes. “Look at the cowboys. If they have an important show, they just take one or two shows where they just school the horses. They don’t go to the limits there. Jumping riders take their top horses in an easy class to start with to relax them. It’s strange that in dressage there is no habit to do that. I think we dressage riders can learn from them. It’s hard to always be pressurized to go to the limit. We should have some confidence building competitions and ride easy and relaxed and nòt go to the limits. By only being pressurized, horses start to get nervous and lose their confidence. The judges should also be able to recognize what is happening, when a rider decides to have an easy ride to relax his horse. No problem for a lower mark, that’s calculated by the rider and is fitting for the schooling of the horse.”
Kizimov teachings

From her rich history in being schooled herself, one of her favourite lessons came from Ivan Kizimov. Kizimov won Olympic gold riding Ichor in Mexico 1968 and was part of the Russian gold medal winning team at the 1972 Games in Münich. From him, she took on the black Russian bred stallion Edinburg (sired by Elever), with which she competed at the Barcelona Games where they were fifth.
“Kizimov didn’t look for the gaits when starting with a young horse. He thought they could be developed by proper training. Most important to him was the position and conformation of the hind leg. It should be placed towards the position of the centre of gravity, in order to be able to carry weight in the future.
The position of the head to the neck also was most important in his opinion. If the distance between the jawbone and the atlas vertebra is small, the distance between the neck and the head of the horse will obviously get very tight when the horse is raising his head and neck in more collection. For the nose to stay almost at the vertical line, the horse has to give more in the poll and if the distance between the atlas and the jawbone is not big enough, the saliva gland (looking like a banana) can get pinched. This is uncomfortable for the horse and he will not stay softly on the bit. Some horses are even so tight here, that it is physically impossible for the horse to give in the neck, as bone touches bone.
Ideally you should be able to place three to four fingers between the jaw and the atlas vertebra. Horses like my very successful Matador or Isabell Werth's Gigolo, were very big in this area. Most of Matador's offspring are also very "open" in this space and they are because of their conformation.
When we go back to the subject of the deep training and stretching now, it’s easy to see that this is very simple for this type of horse with this conformation. I don’t think you can force the head down, not even with a gogue or double bridle, but this type of horse almost does it from nature. You need to have a horse on the hindleg when you want to stretch him and ride him deep. If you have a horse on the hindleg and over the back, than they go on the bit of their own accord. And if you have horses on the hindleg and over the back, you can stretch them as deep as you want. But if not on the hindleg, you will never be able to get them up again. Another problem will happen if you work them too high without having him on the hindleg. They will break and go into two pieces.”

“The outline is a very, very fine line: you will have to be able to work your horses up and down. It is a training for years and years. And that is something that is easily forgotten by most ill-informed critics."
Modern day judging

Dr Volker Moritz proposed in Aachen to form teams of judges who judge for several shows together, resulting in the judging of the major championship of that year. Moritz also presented at the Global Dressage Forum an insight to the Dressage Handbook which will be, eventually, a detailed guideline for the judges.

“What we have seen from the first proposal of the Dressage Handbook, is that the basics are more defined again. We see at the moment that anyone knows that in Young Horses classes and junior and Young Riders classes, it’s important that the gaits of the horses are pure and relaxed. When we come to Grand Prix, there are more technical things to look at. You forget to easily the basic quality that is needed in the first place. All technical things have to be evaluated in the light of the basic way of going. In light of rhythm, relaxation and a nice contact to start with, this Handbook will be a good thing," says Kyra.

“In regard to a team of judges, which we have been debating for more than ten years, I am in favour of one clear person being responsible for all the judging and education, paid by the FEI, fulltime or halftime or whatever. He or she should be the one who keeps all the judging seminars and works towards the championships. I think the judges should reserve the Monday after championships or after big shows like Aachen to go through all the differences, chaired by the leading dressage person, using the videos from the show. This person should be backed by a committee. This person should also have to go over the world to lead all education and all riders would be very happy with this clear attitude and to pay some euros more for their starts at a show, if this will bring more clarity of thought in judging. All riders want is for the sport to be as fair as possible. The judging should be an educational process which is as clear and divided as to the education of a horse. It is the judges who are ruling the sport. They have to guide us, both riders and trainers.”

Judging has moved on Kyrklund feels. “Eric Lette started the ball rolling and we have open judging now, where we can follow the scores. It’s good, as it is in Aachen, that the judges themselves can’t see the scores, only the audience. If the judges can see the scores, it distracts them from judging. For themselves it can’t be really fun to be in a judges team where there are too many differences. I have the feeling that the judges are quite upset too about the judging… More changes are needed definitely, for us riders, and for them the judges.”

The Dressage Handbook might be a nice start to making descriptions for judging more clear suggests Kyrklund. “I hope this handbook will work in two ways. When the judges will be able to recognize a ‘trainingtest’ just performed out of the relaxation point of view, versus that of a test where you go to the limits and for the maximum of the horse. Judges need to recognize this and not automatically give the points they gave the last time they saw you. Our sport really needs to find the way again. And it is the judges who have to guide the way.”

A problem for a lot of sensitive dressage horses of today is the lack of instant relaxation and because of that for instance a bad walk. Kyra Kyrklund and Max are an exception. Kyra Kyrklund returned to the forefront of international dressage this season when she first started showing the Swedish-bred 10 year old Max (Master x Alpenfürst). “Max was anxious and insecure and very, very hyper sensitive. He was bucking people off as a youngster. When I sat on him, I had to be very well in balance and not do anything quick. Move slowly on the back. Otherwise he immediately got tensed and started to run away. He must have had some bad experience. And now? He is the most confident horse you might want to have. Only when you enter his stable, you have to make him aware of yourself first, otherwise he will kick you. But somewhere you have to have that sort of sensitivity in a horse for top dressage and top show jumping, I guess”, Kyra says.

Kyra bought him, by word of mouth, six years ago. “Someone phoned me and had ridden him for the auction. He is really like his father Master. In Aachen this year he grew to the occasion. A lot of horses have more physical power than he has, but he has the grace. He has all the potential really and goes better from show to show. He has done more than I had planned for this year,” Kyra says proudly.
Kyra took her time with Max, one thing at a time. “Extensions did not come before this summer really. Everything has to do with strength, trust and confidence. Passage is like a fourth gait for him, but I also did accept from the beginning that he had some weaker points although he is a fast learner."
Kyra is not aiming to qualify for the WC Final 2006 with Max: “To win the World Cup, you definitely need to have a horse that can easily move from one difficulty to the next difficulty. In the World Cup final it is only the Freestyle that is counting, not two or three tests. At this point I don’t want to over face him now. That will come with Max in a few more years. I’ll take my time.”

Claartje van Andel
All pictures © by Claartje van Andel

Source: This interview is published about now in the December-issue of the international equestrian magazine Horse International. Please read more details on the history and achievements of Kyra Kyrklund at www.kyrak.com

Day 1, Horse Inspection, Julie Watchorn and Quintesse successfully through to the first leg of the inaurgral FEI World Cup Dressage for Young Riders.

2010 FEI World Equestrian Games awarded to Kentucky (USA)
(France willing to bid for 2014 WEG)

The FEI Bureau today awarded the FEI 2010 World Equestrian to Kentucky
(USA).

Delegations representing both bids - Kentucky (USA) and the region of Basse-Normandie (Northern France) - have travelled to Bahrain in order to make a final decisive presentation to the FEI Bureau this morning.

"Both presentations were very impressive" commented FEI President HRH The Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón. "We were in presence of two excellent candidates, both with a strong political backing and a recognized organisational know-how", she went on. "Basse Normandie and Kentucky are "horses" area and can count on the enthusiastic support of local experts in the field of equestrian sport, and on thousands of volunteers".

Kentucky won the bid by a large majority. "We are incredibly gratified to have been selected by the FEI," stated John Nicholson, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Park. "We are mindful of our great responsibility to properly organise the first non European FEI World Equestrian Games" he added.

The FEI Games are expected to have an economic impact of nearly USD 100 millions for the commonwealth of Kentucky. The Kentucky Horse Park will play host of the FEI Games at the end of September 2010 ."We are working on our candidature for 8 years. Within the hour the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games had been allocated to Aachen, we started working on our bid for 2010," John Nicholson explained.

The FEI World Equestrian Games are the combination of the World Championships of all the FEI disciplines held concurrently at the same location. The first edition took place in 1990 in Stockholm and was a great success. It was followed by the The Hague (The Netherlands) in 1994, Rome (Italy) in 1998, Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) in 2002. Some 800 riders, drivers and vaulters and their horses, 1,000 media representatives and at
least 300,000 spectators are expected to gather in the German city of Aachen in 2006 for the fifth FEI World Equestrian Games. Competitions - both team and individual - in seven FEI disciplines will be staged: Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Vaulting, Endurance, and Reining.

To clarify the ownership of the FEI World Equestrian Games and to establish an impacting long term brand structure, a new identity has been unveiled: the "FEI Games". This new brand will be understood by all and improve the marketability of the most prestigious property of the FEI portfolio.

For high resolution logo of the FEI Games, please contact FEI Brand Manager Marcus Brugger at m.brugger@horsesport.org

For quotes of Kentucky representatives, please contact John Nicholsons at +1 859 509 1440. To contact the Basse Normandie representatives, call Nicolas Sokolowski at +33 6 098 24 098

FEI BUREAU MEETING Summary

The FEI Bureau held its statutory Autumn meeting on 6 and 7 December in Bahrain (BRN) on the kind invitation of the Royal Bahrain Equestrian and Endurance Federation.

The following items were discussed, approved and/or will be presented for approval to the 2006 General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur (MAS):

MARKETING AND COMMERCIAL MATTERS
Christophe Troendle, Commercial director, presented a comprehensive progress report on the rights situation, sponsorship, television and marketing.

Rolex has joined the FEI sponsors family as the title sponsor of the FEI Equestrian World, a monthly TV magazine distributed worldwide. In relation with the FEI World Cup Jumping Final in Kuala Lumpur, Tourism Malaysia became a FEI Partner. Generali is now an Official Supplier, providing insurance to riders in conjunction with the FEI Riders Registration that will be launched in January 2006.

Negotiations of the extension of the existing contract wit the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), is underway and should be completed in the first quarter of 2006.

Two new brands were unveiled. To clarify the ownership of the FEI World Equestrian Games and to establish an impacting long term brand structure, a new identity has been unveiled: the "FEI Games". This new brand will be understood by all and improve the marketability of the most prestigious property of the FEI portfolio.

Major changes within the FEI agencies network and some of the key FEI properties were explained. In line with the FEI objective of rights centralisation, the FEI will market for the first time the title and category sponsorship rights in collaboration with Kentucky for the FEI Games 2010.

In order to increase the notion of Series that was key to attract potential title sponsor's interest, a new identity for the FEI World Cup was created to be implemented with the FEI World Cup organisers as of January 2006.

STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE
The Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) reported on the work of the Committee.

The first conclusions of the Working group created to move forward the FEI
restructuring process were presented.
The Working group proposed to focus on the principles as followed:
- Clearly defined decision making process
- Clear line of responsibility
- Definition of interface between volunteers and FEI staff

Those directions and the proposed framework for the FEI restructuring were adopted and the Bureau gave the mandate to the SPC Working group to continue the initiated process.

The key areas of interest that will be studied further by the SPC Working group include the creation and definition of a Nomination committee and the roles of the Executive Board, Bureau, FEI staff, Group and Committee Chairmen.

The SPC Working group will meet again in January 2006 and a consultation process will follow in February and March. The SPC Working Group will report on progress at the FEI General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur. 2006 is expected to be a transition period for implementation and cultural change. The new Statutes reflecting the new FEI structure shall be presented for approval in 2007.

LEGAL & ANTIDOPING
The Bureau approved the FEI Equine Anti-Doping and Medication control rules. These rules were drafted earlier this year in conjunction with the revision of the FEI Veterinary Regulations and evaluated by the Task Force on Doping and Medication Policy in September before the consultation period.

This new, comprehensive set of rules includes, among other aspects, clear distinctions as to what constitutes doping and what constitutes medication, with reference to specific substances (an Equine Prohibited List) and the relevant legal standards that apply in each case.

The Bureau decided that the FEI Equine Anti-Doping and Medication control rules will become effective as of 1 June 2006 in order to take into account and review in more detail comments recently received by the National Federations. The Equine Anti-Doping and Medication control rules will be presented "as a package" with the FEI Veterinary Regulations.

The spirit of the FEI Equine Anti-Doping and Medication Control Rules is to preserve the "spirit of sport", which is characterised by the following values:
- Ethics, fair play and honesty
- Health
- Excellence in performance
- Character and education
- Fun and joy
- Teamwork
- Dedication and commitment
- Respect for rules and laws
- Respect for self and other participants
- Courage
- Community and solidarity.

The FEI General Counsel presented a proposed conflict of interest policy which will be further examined by the Strategic Planning Committee's working group on the FEI structure before approval in 2007.

2006 will be a consolidation year for the FEI legal department: priority is to establish consistency and predictability notably in the application of New Equine Anti-Doping and med control rules. Education of all stakeholders with regard to legal issues and processes will be one of the key goals of the FEI in 2006.

VETERINARY
With regard to Medication Control, significant changes were made to the Veterinary Regulations to bring them in line with the new Equine Anti-Doping and Medication Control rules.

The Workshop organised jointly by the Dressage and Veterinary Committees on the issue of overbending (Rollkur) will include presentations from experts. Reports on any possible side-effects of this training technique and review of the need for applied research will be part of the workshop.

The work of the Medication Advisory Group was acknowledged, in particular the establishment of the Medicine Box, harmonisation of laboratories, a system for elective testing and the current work on detection times. The Bureau decided to allocate funding to establish detection time for three Medicine Box substances. In addition the FEI is pleased to have access to research data carried out by the Racing Authorities in this respect.

As from 1 January 2006, sanctions will apply to horses not meeting the FEI requirements for influenza vaccination (bi-annual flu vaccination).

DEVELOPMENT
The 2005 Development report was presented by the 1st Vice President and the new Head of the Development department Jacqueline Braissant. Development activities were numerous and very successful, with 12 FEI courses for coaches organised which saw the participation of 25 nations. Six of those courses were financed by Olympic Solidarity.

The Bureau noted with satisfaction the increase of NFs involved in the FEI Jumping and Dressage Challenge. The Africa Cup is proving a success and a tremendous incentive for the development equestrian sport in Group IX.

Information on FEI Development programmes and Olympic Solidarity are available on the FEI website Development section. A complete report on FEI Development activities will be published shortly.

CODE OF CONDUCT TOWARDS ENVIRONMENT
The new FEI Code of Conduct towards Environment and Sustainable Development was approved.

FINANCE
The Bureau discussed in detail the revised 2006 budget and the 2007 budget that will be presented to the FEI General Assembly in April 2006.

2008 OLYMPIC GAMES
The report of the visit of the Veterinary Delegate Prof Jeffcott to Hong Kong was discussed. During the visit, a proposed seven-day pre-export quarantine and a 10-day post-arrival isolation was discussed. Final decision by the Hong Kong Government has not being made yet.

Until the import requirements are finalised neither the Masterplan or the timetable of competition can be finalized.

The Equestrian Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong has been set up and the liaison person with the FEI is Mr Thomas Tso.

The qualification procedures were discussed in detail and are being finalised with the IOC. Some changes are still under review for Dressage. The quota of 75 riders and 75 horses for Jumping, 50 riders and 50 horses for Dressage, 75 riders and 75 horses for Eventing remains the same as for the Athens Olympic Games.

ASIAN GAMES
The Asian Games to be organised in Doha in December 2006 will include competitions in Jumping, Dressage, Eventing and Endurance.

PAN AMERICAN GAMES
The 2007 Pan Am Games to be organised in Rio de Janeiro (BRA) will include all three Olympic disciplines. The quota is currently being discussed with Pan American Sports Organisation (PASO)

CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Bureau allocated the following Championships:

2006 New Championships:
World Para Equestrian Championship - Driving: Hedlerse Voerluu (NED), 13-17 September
South American Para Equestrian Championship - Dressage: Sao Paolo (BRA), 25-30 November
FEI Open for Future Masters Jumping (Young Riders 18-24 years old): Lanaken (BEL) 7-10 September
European Open Vaulting Championship for Juniors (up to 16 years old): München-Riem (GER) 20-23 July
European Jumping Championship for Children: Istanbul (TUR), date tbc World Breeding Endurance Championship for Young Horses: Compiègne (FRA), 26 August

2006 Championships
North American Junior and Young Riders Championships in Jumping, Dressage and Eventing to Lexington (USA), 1-6 August
South America Young Riders and Americas Juniors, Pre-Juniors and Children Championship: Buenos Aires (ARG), 23-26 October
World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Eventing: Le Lion d'Angers (FRA) 19-22 October
The change of location of the FEI World Reining Master Final from Las Vegas to Denver, COL (USA) was approved, 17-24 October

2007 Championships
The concept of a North American Dressage Championship was referred to the Dressage Committee for review.
World Driving Pairs Championship: Warka (POL), date tbc
World Pony Driving Championship: Dorthealyst (DEN), 18-22 July
World Young Riders Endurance Championship: Eizeiza/Buenos Aires (ARG), 17 March
European Open Endurance Championship: Barroca d'Alva (POR), 7 September
European Jumping Championship for Young Riders and Juniors: Auvers (FRA), 25-30 July
European Dressage Championship for Young Riders and Juniors: Nussloch (GER), 10-15 July
European Eventing Championship for Young Riders: Blair Castle (GBR), 22-31 August
European Ponies Championship in Jumping, Dressage and Eventing: Freundenberg (GER), 19-22 July
North American Junior and Young Riders Championships in Jumping, Dressage and Eventing to Lexington (USA), 31 July to 5 August
South American Young Riders & Americas Juniors, Pre-Juniors and Children Championship: Caracas (VEN), date tbc
Pan American Endurance Championship: Woods Park, Manitoba (CAN), 7 July
World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Eventing: Le Lion D'Angers (FRA) 18-21 October

2008
Allocation of the World Driving Four-in-Hand Championship was postponed to next FEI Bureau Meeting in April 2006.
World Driving Singles: Jarantow (POL), date tbc
World Endurance Championship to Malaysia at a venue and date to be confirmed
World Vaulting Championship was postponed to next FEI Bureau Meeting in April 2006
World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Eventing: Le Lion D'Angers (FRA) 16-19 October

The 2007 European Senior Championship in Reining and Vaulting are open for candidature.
The 2008 World Reining Championship is open for candidature.

GEOGRAPHICAL GROUP REPORTS
The Chairmen of FEI Geographical Groups presented their respective region's activities during 2005.

JUMPING
The revision of the Jumping Rules to come into effect on 1 January 2006 was approved.

The Bureau accepted specifications for the approval of timing equipment which will come into effect for championships and Finals from 2007 and for all other events in 2008.

In addition to the requirements already approved for CSI events at the 2005 General Assembly, the Bureau approved further regulations relating to entry fees, stabling fee and maximum number of riders in Grand Prix competitions. Details will be published in the Bulletin 6/05. These will come into effect for all CSI events in Europe from the 1 January 2006.
A few clarifications and modifications to the Samsung Super League with FEI were approved. The point system for the Nations Cup Series was modified for the 2006 season, in order to allow a greater distribution of points to teams lower placed in the standings.

EVENTING
The Bureau agreed to a new set of organising requirements for 4 Star events. The revision of the Rules for Eventing to come into effect on 1 January 2006 was approved. The Bureau acknowledged the report on the FEI Eventing World Cup 2005 and approved the calendar for 2006. A strategic plan for Eventing for the next 10 years is being discussed by
the Committee to be presented at the next meeting.

DRESSAGE
The revision of the Dressage Rules to come into effect on 1 January 2006 was approved.

The Bureau approved the implementation of fees for all FEI World Cup Dressage event (CDI-W) as from 1 Jan 2007

The FEI World Dressage Riders Ranking List is has been revised by the Committee and the new ranking rules will come into effect as from 1 January 2006.

DRIVING & ENDURANCE
Minor changes to the rules were accepted in DRIVING AND ENDURANCE

VAULTING
The Bureau agreed to the modifications to the Vaulting Rules to become effective on 1 January 2006.

PONY RIDERS
The Bureau agreed to the modifications to the Pony Riders Rules to become effective on 1 January 2006.

REINING
A FEI Reining World Ranking List based on the results of rider/horse combinations will be introduced as from 2006. There should also be Continental ranking lists for Reining (Europe/USA).

The Bureau agreed to the modifications to the Reining Rules to becomeneffective on 1 January 2006

CHILDREN
The Bureau approved the introduction of a 'Category C' in 2006 with the arena reduced in size for this category to a minimum of 65m x 45m, speed 300 m/min, height 90cm - 1.00cm.

PARA EQUESTRIAN
A temporary subcommittee was established to provide technical assistance during the period of selection of the permanent members onto the FEI Para Equestrian Technical Committee, to be appointed at the Bureau Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in April 2006.

National Federations can send applications for candidates to the Para Equestrian Committee until 28 February 2006.

CALENDAR
The 2006 calendar of FEI International Events was approved

AFFILIATION
The Bureau approved the re-affiliation of Iraq (IRQ) as full Member (Geographical Group VII).
The affiliation of Madagascar (MAD) as full member was approved (Geographical Group IX)
The request of the National Federation of Bulgaria (BUL) to change from Group III to Group I was accepted.

The FEI President HRH The Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón and the FEI Bureau would like to express their sincere gratitude to His Majesty the King of Bahrain, the President of the Bahrain Equestrian and Endurance Federation, Sheik Fawaz Bin Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and his team for their hospitality and support in the preparation of the meetings. The Bureau and FEI staff wish great success to the forthcoming FEI World Endurance
Championship for Juniors and Young Riders which will take place next week in Bahrain

FEI Children's Committee meeting

Annual meeting was held on 26 November 2003 The FEI Children's Committee held its annual Committee meeting in Simi Valley (USA) on the occasion of the Final of the 2005 FEI Children's Jumping Competition.

Among the items on the agenda for discussion were the following: 2006 competition calendar;
Introduction of a category C in 2006 with the arena reduced in size for this category to (minimum) 65m x 45m, speed 300 m/min, height 90cm - 1.00cm, (pending FEI Bureau approval);
. Group VII Jumping Championship for Young Riders, Juniors and Children in Saudi Arabia;
. Championships organized with borrowed horses and the problems associated with such events;
. Appointment of the course designer for the 2007 Children's Championship, Mr Xavier Fernandez (MEX) category A and B competitions;

Appointment of officials:
2006 Final of the FEI Children's International Jumping Competitions:
President of the Ground Jury: Yolanda Matallana (COL)
President of the Appeal Committee: Elaine Zander (BRA)
Course Designer: Guilherme Jorge Nogueira (BRA)
Technical Delegate: Steve Stephens (USA)

2006 CH-EU-S-Ch Istanbul (TUR): (pending Bureau approval)
President of the Ground Jury: Yolanda Matallana (COL)
Technical Delegate: Werner Deeg (GER)
President of the Appeal Committee: Lena Levidis (GRE)

FEI Top Ten Final supported by Rolex Nick Skelton is not travelling to Geneva

Further to the withdrawal of Nick Skelton (GBR), Christian Ahlman (GER) will participate in in the FEI Top Ten Final to be held in Geneva this week-end. The German rider is placed 12 of the FEI Gandini World Riders Rankings.

The FEI creates an FEI Development Department

Jacqueline Braissant, FEI Development Manager
The FEI Executive Board have taken the decision to strengthen the FEI development activities, to establish a proper FEI Development Department, and to promote Jacqueline Braissant, the current FEI Development Project Officer, as Head of the newly created Department.

This is a significant change, which goes beyond the mere administrative modification. The FEI development activities have grown tremendously over the last few years and it has become evident that they must be considered a permanent aspect of world equestrianism. The new Department led by Mrs Braissant will be in charge of not only continuing the programmes already in place but, based on the experiences gained, of bringing on new emphasis on quality, effectiveness and professionalism.

In order to accomplish this challenging task, an appropriate structure will be put in place inside the new Development. The existing bodies and networks outside the FEI will be put to full use and a long term development strategic plan will be created.

about us I competitions I events I clinics I services I schedule I employment I sponsors I news I links I contact

© 2005 Mad Molly Marketing