“Trot Ups” – Horse Inspections

By Chrisitian Landolt, Switzerland

The Horse Inspection is, for the majority of riders, the most “nerve wrecking” part of an event, and I must confess it is the worst for me too, as an official. Things can swing so quickly form one way you another: a stone, a slippery surface, a slight slope or camber….all small points that can cause a horse to trot up badly, and make our decision really difficult, having only seconds to assess whether the horse s in pain or not. As a spectator. I have witnessed inexperienced judges, or judges who are not involved enough with horses on a regular basis, struggling to make these assessments. Consequently I think the horse inspection should have its full place in our FEI courses!

The horse inspection is there for us to assess the horse’s fitness and soundness to compete. At this point in time we can prevent a horse from running, and potentially put him and his career at risk. We must therefore be very aware that the following facts are not clouding our judgment:

1. Riders hanging on to the horse’s mouth, or twisting their necks.
2. Public clapping or cheering
3. A horse coming with just one large stud in – yes indeed, I have seen that!
4. A rider presenting the horse from the right hand side – although nothing is specified in the rules….
5. Rider’s outfits…Remember that the more outrageous the outfit, the shorter the skirts, the greater the need to look at the horse!
6. A national vet, who could have links to some horses competing!

With points 1 & 2 we must ask for the horse to be represented in the correct manner, and I believe that a horse should not be accepted while the public is obviously interfering. If after a couple of attempts the public is not settled, the horse should be taken to a quieter area and inspected there. I am sure we all remember only too well, Burghely 1987…. The horse was accepted having trotted very little due to the public’s interference, got placed, and was never seen again! We are here for the welfare of the horses this must be our one and only concern.

We now have a debate as to whether horse inspections should be pen to the public or not. The discussion can go on and on. I believe it is good for the sport to be as transparent as possible, and for the public to be involved. Consequently in some occasions we must be more open. Let me explain:

If a horse is not quite right, an goes to the holding box, I believe we ought to somehow let the public know what the finding are, if he comes back for re-inspection. Especially if the horse is passed/accepted whilst not trotting 100% because of small injuries – over reach, bruised foot…. – these ought to be disclosed. At the same time we can have a sound horse with a nicely bowed tendon. We can see it, but the public may not. So in an uncompromising way, we ought to let the public know – through a set phrase said by the announcer – that there are strong reasons to believe that this horse ahs sustained a bad injury and therefore, with his interest in mind, cannot go on. We must in no way be specific, but it would make the public a lot more aware, and so they and the press would hopefully leave the inspection with greater respect for us, rather than being totally dumbfounded by some of our decisions.

Finally, I feel that the inspections at CICs are in most cases far too slack! We must make sure that a proper inspection takes place, regardless of what some organizers – or in some cases TDs – may think. Although the large majority of riders do care about their horses, sadly some don’t and so it is our duty to objectively and fairly prevent abuse!

New 2005 FEI Eventing Tests

By Chris Bartle, Great Britain

The essence of “Eventing” is the interrelationship between the three elements – Dressage, Cross-country and Show Jumping. The dressage training should prepare the horse for the special demands of the Cross-country and the Show Jumping, as well as the Dressage test itself. It must be borne in mind both by the judges and riders/trainers, that both the rider and the horse have their own responsibilities.
The training should not lead to the horse’s reliance on the rider. The horse – whilst remaining obedient - must also look after himself. This is the true meaning of self-carriage. Some people have argued that too much dressage training makes a horse less safe on the cross-country course. I would argue that incorrect dressage training, rather then too much dressage training, could be a problem.

The test gives the judges a chance to assess:

· The correctness of the training leading to self-carriage.
· The correctness of the riding
· The accuracy of the riding
· The horse’s physical and mental development

The judge’s task is to measure the performance of each movement against these four elements. Their task is not easy, as they have to make a judgment without benefit of being able to ride the horse. In making that judgment the marks awarded for each movement are intended to be abbreviations for the words that would otherwise have to be used. (I have often thought that it would be a good idea if judges marked by “remarks” rather than marks.)

Within the training and therefore within the judging there is an order of priorities. At every level the training must build on, and develop, what has been achieved already. As the demands of the tests increase, the quality of the basics should not diminish rather it is to be expected that it will be enhanced. Hence what may be considered “fairly good” (7) at a 1 star level may be insufficient (4) at a 3 Star level.

The order of priorities has been set out in many good books over the years but is frequently ignored in the haste for success in order to move up the levels. It is also encapsulated in the “collective” marks at the end of the test. The order is as follows:

Regularity & Rhythm
Relaxation & Connection over/through the back
Acceptance of the contact
Elasticity and energy of the steps/paces
Straightness
Collection

No matter how experienced a horse may be, nor how many “movements” or “tricks” the horse may have been taught, the highest marks can only be obtained when all the elements are in place, as well as the movements being ridden accurately. The design of the dressage tests from 1* up to 4* is intended to reflect the logical training which is based on this order of priorities.

The “basics” are introduced at the 1* level and then developed as the horse moves up he levels. Exercises or movements are introduced at each level that are essentially training exercises but in the context of the competition are in fact “tests”. Each movement provides an opportunity for the judge to mark several aspects of the training and performance. The directives that are published in the FEI tests allude to these aspects.

The principle changes to the existing tests, have been made in order to correct obvious errors – as in the 2* test B – to make the tests slightly shorter, to make the judge’s task easier, in judging the movements e.g. the flying changes in the 3 star tests, and to get the right balance between the tests. At 4* star level the half-pass in canter is introduced for the first time in eventing tests, but with the requirement to ride a straight centre line after the half-pass. There in lies the challenge!

At the time of the last revision of the tests, which came into use in 2002, the collected canter was introduced. It has now been generally accepted that the ability to collect the canter in self-carriage is an essential part of the training for the cross-country and show jumping. In this latest revision, collected trot is introduced from2* upwards. The question may well be asked whether collection is a necessary requirement for the event horse. My belief, shared with many “top” trainers and riders with whom I have spoken, is that the degree of collection required is nothing like that required of the advanced dressage horse, but that in effect to perform the previous tests well, some degree of collection, even in trot, was required.

So, in effect nothing has really changed except the wording in the tests. The introduction of the collected trot reflects the increased understanding and appreciation by the majority of riders and trainers of the essence of correct dressage training. The Shoulder-in, Travers and Half-Pass can only be ridden with some degree of collection, and are in effect collecting exercises.

Designing test for a committee is a definite challenge! Everyone has their own ideas as to what is a good movement either for training, to ride or to judge. The limitations imposed by the requirement to make the tests ever shorter can also be frustrating, but in the end I am happy with what we have produced, and since I will still be “having a go” next season, I’ll be able to fin out just how rideable they are!

2005 FEI Eventing Officials Seminars

DATE	LOCATION	NF	CATEGORY	LEVEL	Course Directors
April 29-May 1	Targu Mures	ROM	Judges, TDs, CDs.	TBC	TBC
May 12-15	Taupo	NZL	Judges, TDs, CDs, Stewards	TBC	TBC
May 12-15	Allentown	USA	Judges, TDs, CDs	2	Jennifer Miller Cara Whitham
June 24-26	Jardy	FRA	Judges, TDs, CDs	TBC	TBC
Sept 8-11	Blenheim	GBR	Judges, TDs, CDs	2	TBC
Sept 15-18	Necarne Castle	IRL	Judges, TDs, CDs	1	TBC
Oct 18-20	TBC	BRA	Judges, TDs, CDs	2 + 3	TBC
TBC	TBC	GER	TBC	TBC	TBC

* The Level 1 course at Necaren Castle, N. Ireland, will be taken by 2 FEI Directors, and is open to all National Judges, TDs and CDs who wish to upgrade to FEI Candidate status

MODIFICATIONS TO THE 2003 FEI EVENTING RULES

“Jumping Judge” at the 3 & 4 Star Levels
Training of Officials
Rider Relarionships
Guidelines for the Trial use of the “Yellow” flag.

See the FEI website under Eventing Rules

The Atlantic Dressage Development Centre to be featured in the next issue of Dressage Today!

Attention Breeders and Eventers:
Equivents Inc. is pleased to announce the introduction of the Young Event Horse classes to Canada.
These classes will be offered at all three 2005 CDI/EC competitions held by Equivents. The Canadian Young Event Horse Finals and class details with a list of qualifiers to be posted on Equivents website in the near future.

CANADA MAKING ITS MARK INTERNATIONALLY
"Leslie Reid currently 29th in the world on the FEI/BCM Dressage Rider Rankings, ahead of world class riders Ulla Salzgeber (GER), Lisa Wilcox (USA),and Louise Nathorst (SWE). Other Canadians in the top 75 of 440 world wide listed riders are Cindy Ishoy (48), Evi Strasser (52), Shannon Dueck (54), Belinda Trussell (57), Christilot Boylen (60), Ashley Holzer (62) and Jackie Brooks (70)."

NEW REGULATIONS - US IMPORT OF HORSES (CANADIAN TO US EXPORTS). NEW E-FILING REQUIREMENTS --"PAPS" (PRE-ARRIVAL PROCESSING SYSTEM) (Excerpt from the February 7, 2005 Press Release from EC Breeds & Industry Division)

All owners, trainers, competitors and riders intending to take horses to the United states should be aware there are now two sets of revised U.S. import requirements that may impact the ease with which horses cross the border from Canada to the United States. New regulations are now in effect, implementing the US Trade Act of 2002, and the Public Health Security and Bio-terrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002. These regulations require pre-filling customs documents in advance of border crossing at a U.S. port-of-entry.

"For horses entering the United states for exhibition or other temporary purposes, entering the U.S. on a temporary Importation Bond (the "30-day-import" requirements), there has been no change of policy. Such temporary importation of horses would not require filing of PAPS (or BRASS) pre-arrival notifications."

This does not eliminate any existing requirements for temporary import for horses into the U.S. You will still be required to provide all veterinarian health certificates, manifest, etc. that are currently required for temporary entry of horses.

Additional information on U.S. Customs requirements,can be found on the U.S. Customs & Border Protection site at: www.cpb.gov
For information on how to get a SCAC and bar-code stickers, contact the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) Tel: 703-838-1868 or www.NMFTA.org
For horses traveling to U.S. on temporary export permits - Call ahead to the Customs Office at your intended port of crossing. Contact information for Customs Offices are available on the U.S. Customs & Border Protection site at: http://www.cbp.gpv/xp/cgov/toolbox/ports/

For further information and updates see the Equine Canada website: www.equinecanada.ca under Breeds & Industry.

For more information on the 2005 FEI World Cup Jumping and Dressage Finals, please call Las Vegas Events, Inc. at (702) 260-8605 or visit the official website at www.worldcuplasvegas.com.
Media Contact: Marty Bauman, (508) 698-6810, classic.pr@verizon.net

To subscribe to the newsletter of the FEI European Jumping Championship in San Patrignano, contact Roberta Lazzaretto - San Patrignano Press office at rlazzaretto@sanpatrignano.org

To subscribe to the FEI DRESSAGE WORLD CUP NEWS, send a message to fei.wcdressage-on@horsesport.org

AUDIT FOR IMPLEMENATION OF THE FEI COACHING SYSTEM
The implementation of the FEI Coaching System in developing NFs will be the main task of the FEI Development Department in the coming years. In this respect and in order to take the appropriate actions, the Development Department has seen the necessity of establishing a detailed assessment of the situation in each developing NF. This will take the form of an "Audit" that will help better identify the existing means and the needs of each NF. The analysis of the "Audit" will
determine the actions to be undertaken. An "Audit Grid" will be sent to all NFs part of the FEI Development Programme in the coming days. NFs will be requested to complete it and send
it back to the FEI Development Department by 1 March 2005 at the latest.

2005 FEI REGISTERED TESTING POOL FOR INTERNATIONAL LEVEL RIDERS
As for 2004, the FEI has again agreed with the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, to limit the number of riders included in the FEI's "Registered Testing Pool" (RTP). We have chosen the top riders from the Olympic disciplines using the ranking lists as follows:

40 riders from Jumping
30 riders from Dressage
30 riders from Eventing

We have accessed the ranking lists on 1 January 2005 for Jumping, Dressage and Eventing. The 2005 RTP riders will remain the same throughout the year. A new RTP list will be determined at the end of 2005 for the list for 2006.

While all international level riders are subject to both in- and out-of-competition testing, the riders in our RTP will be included on a special list used by the WADA testing services for their unannounced out-of-competition testing program.

The list of riders concerned and detailed information on the Testing Pool are available on the FEI website www.horsesport.org, section MEDICAL

FEI TASK FORCE ON MEDICATION AND DOPING NEWS
The FEI Task Force on Medication and Doping Chaired by Mr Sven Holmberg (SWE) held it second meeting in Paris on 2 February. The Task Force began by reviewing the many meeting that had taken place with members and various interested parties such as the International Jumping
Riders Club, FEI Groups I and II and the Swedish Trotting Association.

The task force heard submissions from Dr Andrew Higgins (GBR) Chairman of the FEI Medication Sub Committee and Dr Yves Bonnaire (FRA) Director of the FEI Central Lab on the current procedures for medication control and future possibilities, including the establishment of withdrawal times for a specific group of Equine Medications.

The task force particularly discussed the possibilities of new definitions of doping and medication control especially the difference between medications used for the welfare of the horse that were still in the horses system during competition and substances that were deliberately used to
enhance performance.

Mr Philip O'Connor (IRL) member of the FEI Judicial Committee explained the current judicial system and the need to ensure fairness and "due process" for all persons regardless of the case. Possibilities to speed up the process were also discussed in detail and will be among a range of proposals which will be brought to the FEI General Assembly in April.

The Task Force will now consider all the information gathered and will begin the process of writing its formal report and proposals. A final meeting will be held in March and the report will be sent to National Federations before presentation at the FEI General Assembly in London.

FEI EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
The Executive Board, accompanied by the Head of the Olympic Department and the Head of the Veterinary Department, met on 21 and 22 January 2005 in Beijing (CHN). On this occasion several meetings with BOCOG representatives were organised to discuss the 2008 Olympic Games.
The main topics discussed and decisions taken by the Executive Board are the following:

The Executive Board reviewed the Independent Footing Committee's report of 17 January 2005 on the Jumping competitions of the Athens Olympic Games. The Board members expressed appreciation to the Committee for their work and the preparation of the report.

The Executive Board concludes that the possible causes for the injuries area combination of factors. Therefore, not one party is to be held responsible or has failed.

The recommendations resulting from the findings are taken very seriously by the Executive Board. The welfare of the horses in the FEI competitions is a leading principle of the FEI. The cost/benefit factors will also be taken into account.

Accordingly, the Executive Board has decided to provide for footing expertise within the organisation in the near future. The Jumping Committee already agreed to organise a seminar for footing specialists early 2005 with a view of establishing specifications for production of outdoor (sand and grass) and indoor footing, following which a list of footing experts will be created.

The recommendations regarding the veterinary measures are to be considered by the Veterinary Committee as to their practicality and effect.

The recommendations regarding the rules of the competition and the course building are to be considered by the Jumping Committee.

Through these measures the FEI hopes to attain the safest conditions possible for all future Championships and Games.

The Report from the Independent Footing Committee will be available shortly from the FEI website.

The President decided to retain Mr Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) in his position as 2nd Vice President for a further year and to propose his election to the Bureau.

International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC) Read the new press release/membership announcement.

The FEI has launched a new logo. The main objective was to create a new FEI corporate identity that would be strong, clear and recognisable relating directly to the business. Therefore, two main elements were introduced: being the symbol of a horse and the purple colour.

The horse is at the very heart of equestrian sport. In an inspirational way this noble, elegant and proud symbol brings together all horsesports. It is facing forward, looking into the future. All together the horse symbol has created a new and unique brand for FEI.

The purple colour was selected because it is distinctive and modern. The colour differentiates itself from competitors and sponsors. The purple can be considered a strong colour, but at the same time open and accessible.

For more information on rights and usage please e-mail branding@horsesport.org attention Marcus Bruger.

 

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