Category Archives: Conferences

Ben Maher amongst World’s Best Show Jumpers Heading to London International Horse Show

Great Britain’s Olympic individual champion, Ben Maher MBE, heads an illustrious list of international Show Jumping entries for the London International Horse Show 2021. The confirmed line-up will facilitate five days of world-class competition at ExCeL London from 16-20 December, adding to an already stellar schedule of competitive action and spectacular international displays.

Maher, currently ranked No. 8 in the world, will be seeking to crown an exceptional year with success at the London International, but will face stiff competition from the world’s best riders. His London 2012 Olympic gold medal-winning teammate Scott Brash MBE, also part of the GB team in Tokyo, will be hot on his heels, as the World No. 5 seeks to recapture the prestigious London International Horse Show Grand Prix title which he claimed in 2019.

Also representing Team GB in Tokyo were Harry Charles and Holly Smith, who will both head to ExCeL full of confidence following successful autumn campaigns, which included being part of the team to win the Challenge Cup at the FEI Nations Cup Final in Barcelona. Their teammates that day, Emily Moffit and John Whitaker, always a crowd favourite, will also line-up in London.

Guy Williams and Laura Renwick, notorious for their speed against the clock, will be sure to have the home crowd on their feet throughout the five days of action, as will William Funnell who will be looking to recreate the form which lead him to victory at the 2019 Show. Young rider Jack Whitaker, son of multiple London International Horse Show winner Michael, is also amongst the strong British contingent taking part.

Their international counterparts will be mounting a strong challenge, led by World No. 4, Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs, who will be looking to repeat his 2019 success, which saw him crowned champion of the London leg of the FEI Jumping World Cup. Compatriot Steve Guerdat, the current World No. 8, will be returning to the city where he was crowned individual Olympic champion in 2012, following an excellent year, which included being part of the Swiss 2021 European Championship gold medal-winning team alongside Fuchs.

The Irish riders, Denis Lynch, Shane Breen, and Michael Duffy, will be ones to watch and will be hoping the luck of the Irish is with them in London. From Austria will be Max Kühner, who will look to go one better than his second-place finish in the FEI Jumping World Cup at the 2019 Show, with Christian Ahlmann and Marcus Ehning from Germany bringing further quality to the distinguished line-up.

Belgium will be sending a strong team, including Niels Bruynseels, Gregory Wathelet, and Pieter Devos, as will France, led by World No. 11 Kevin Staut. Compatriot Mathieu Billot, fresh from an outstanding Puissance win at CSI4* Rouen, will be looking to make it a double when he takes on the famous Puissance wall on the opening night of The London International Horse Show.

Simon Brooks-Ward, Show Director, said: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming some of the world’s best show jumpers to our new home at ExCeL London. The facilities at the venue are second-to-none, setting the scene for an outstanding five days of competition, and we can’t wait for it to get going.”

More information about The London International Horse Show, including how to buy tickets, can be found here.

For more information, please contact:
Gayle Jenkins / rEvolution / gjenkins@revolutionworld.com

Ex-cep-tio-nal Niels Bruynseels

© Marco Villanti pour HUBSIDE JUMPING.

He is undoubtedly THE rider of the week and perhaps THE rider of the year! Belgium’s Niels Bruynseels dominated Grimaud’s huge ring (again) in the HUBSIDE JUMPING’s fourth CSI 5* Grand Prix. The World number 15 on Gancia de Muze, a mount that commentators consider more and more to be “the best mare in the world currently”, finished ahead of his fellow countryman Jos Verlooy, the two-time Belgian national champion with Igor, and Italy’s Alberto Zorzi, who was third, with Vauban du Trio. The best French performance was achieved by Roger-Yves Bost, the Olympic team gold medallist, who was fifth with Sangria du Coty.

“Gancia always knows what to do and she likes winning. All I have to do is ride well! She jumped really well again today and I really felt that she jumped this course and this jump-off very easily and enthusiastically. Gancia is naturally very quick and she’s very experienced. She knows that it’s the Grand Prix and she tries to do everything possible to be the best. We go back a long way together. We have a really special bond. Additionally, in the first round, I didn’t really look at the other riders. I don’t really base myself on the others when I am riding, Garcia as she isn’t like any other horse. I know how I need to ride my round as soon as I walk the course.

“She’s a mare with a lot of character. When she’s at home, she likes to stay on her own, quietly. She’s not very keen on working on the flat, so we take her outside a lot. My team and I try to do everything for her on a daily basis. We do everything possible to make sure she’s in the best conditions. She’s a princess, the star of the stables and she knows it!”

Full results here.

Daniel Koroloff – E-mail: daniel@blizko-communication.com

Dressage Calendar Task Force Agrees Proposals via Videoconference

The Dressage Calendar Task Force, one of the eight discipline-specific task forces created by the FEI to evaluate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the FEI Calendar and propose ways of mitigating its effects, held its first meeting via videoconference 16 April 2020.

The meeting was chaired by FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez, who has overall responsibility for the FEI Calendar and who is chairing each of the discipline Task Forces. Jumping was the first of the Calendar Task Forces to meet online on 2 April.

The members who joined the Dressage teleconference call were FEI Vice Presidents Mark Samuel (CAN) and Jack Huang (TPE), Chair of the FEI Dressage Committee Frank Kemperman (NED), European Equestrian Federation Vice President Ulf Helgstrand (DEN), Dressage Athletes’ Representative Beatriz Ferrer-Salat (ESP), and Thomas Baur (GER), representative of the International Equestrian Organisers Association. The FEI Dressage Director, FEI Calendar Administrator, and representatives of the FEI IT, Legal, and Governance departments were also on the call.

The main topics discussed by the group included:

  • Deadlines for National Federations to come back to the FEI with proposed alternative dates for Events looking to reschedule in 2020
  • Rules relating to date clashes and late-date/date change applications
  • Prioritising all CDIOs
  • Dressage Championships in 2020 and 2021
  • FEI Dressage Nations Cup™ series 2020 and the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2021
  • Initiatives to help Organisers

The proposals from the Dressage Calendar Task Force will now go to the FEI Board for consideration. The Board has already tasked each of the Calendar Task Forces to look into the impact of the requested date changes on the existing Events in the Calendar and to provide proposed solutions to the FEI Secretary General and the Board.

The FEI President is being kept fully updated on the work of each of the Task Forces and, where required, will assist in finalising proposals to be put forward to the FEI Board for approval.

The principles agreed by the Board after the first Jumping Calendar Task Force meeting at the beginning of the month have been shared with the other seven Task Forces that will evaluate the impact of the virus on the FEI Calendar for their discipline. Each of these Task Forces consists of the core group plus the Chair of the relevant Technical Committee, a representative of the Athletes, and the FEI Sports Director of the specific discipline.

Meeting dates for each of the Calendar Task Forces are now confirmed:

20 April – Joint Task Force meeting for Driving, Vaulting, and Reining, specifically to discuss FEI European Championships for Youth and Seniors in 2020 and 2021, which is the most pressing calendar issue. Following this, separate meetings will be held with each discipline Task Force to review potential date clash issues.

22 April – Jumping (2nd Task Force meeting)

24 April – Eventing

28 April – Dressage (2nd meeting)

29 April – Endurance

30 April – Para Dressage

Media contacts:

Grania Willis
Director, Communications
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

Vanessa Martin Randin
Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications
vanessa.randin@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 73

FEI Joins Other Stakeholders in Concussion Conference

Charting a safer course

The FEI will join some of the world’s top international sports organisations in Berlin (GER) Germany next October for the Fifth International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport.

Concussions are in the spotlight more than ever, and have become the predominant safety issue for athletes competing in equestrian and other sports. For this reason, organisations like the IOC, FEI, FIFA and World Rugby have taken a lead role in organising this conference and developing it into the world’s most influential process for policy makers on concussions in sport.

The purpose of the conference is two-fold. The first objective is to present a summary of new evidence-based research that covers all aspects of concussions including definition, management, investigations, treatment, return-to play protocol, prevention and knowledge transfer.

An expert panel group, which includes FEI Medical Committee member Allen Sills, reviews the research presented at the Conference and develops the consensus from the information presented at the meeting.

With the facts presented by the world’s experts and researchers in concussion in sport, the second objective is to reach an agreement amongst the conference participants in developing a Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sports: a protocol document for physicians and healthcare professionals involved in the care of injured athletes at the recreational, elite or professional level.

Since its inception in 2001, the conference has become the main forum for concussion awareness and prevention. It led to the publication of the first Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) in 2005, which is in use by many sports leagues and federations today. The Consensus and the SCAT has formed the foundation by which the majority of sporting organisations have developed protocols with respect to concussions. The SCAT ranks as one of the most significant efforts by the sports medicine field to address concussion treatment and prevention.

The most recent conferences (the last in 2012 in Zurich) have developed and adjusted the SCAT, currently in its 3rd version (SCAT3), in order to fit better the treatment and prevention needs of both pro athletes and children (Child SCAT3). A pocket concussion recognition tool (Pocket CRT) has also been developed for parents, coaches and others to help with concussion detection.

The forthcoming Berlin Consensus will address a broad range of topics including concussion detection, evaluation and that would then be published in leading medical journals.

The Fifth International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport (ICCCS) will run from 27-28 October, 2016 in Berlin, Germany.

Registration and Submission Information:

NOTE: General Registration for the Fifth International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport will open in June. Invited attendees (expert group, observers, authors and Organisations will have the opportunity to register for the conference via early submission.

Click here to access the ICCCS website.

FEI Media Contacts:

Grania Willis
Director Press Relations
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 787 506 142

Shannon Gibbons
Manager Press Relations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Conference Delegates Give Positive Response to Endurance Strategic Plan

Andrew Finding (GBR), Chair of the Endurance Strategic Planning Group, addresses today’s Endurance conference in Lausanne (SUI), where broad consensus was reached on the way forward for the sport. Photo: Germain Arias-Schreiber/FEI.

Lausanne (SUI), 9 February 2014 – Delegates from 23 countries reached a broad consensus on the strategic plan for Endurance sport at the one-day Endurance conference in Lausanne (SUI) today.

The conference was attended by more 70 delegates, with a total of 20 National Federations represented. Other bodies attending the conference were the European Equestrian Federation, World Horse Welfare, American Endurance Ride Conference and the Equine Community Integrity Unit (ECIU), as well as members of the media. FEI President HRH Princess Haya attended as an observer, along with members of the FEI Executive Board.

The morning session focused on feedback from the National Federations on the proposals outlined at the 2013 General Assembly in November 2013 by the Endurance Strategic Planning Group (ESPG).

Of the 47 National Federations involved in the sport, of which 33 run elite Endurance events, 20 Federations returned responses via the electronic survey, a further six sent additional comments. A team of veterinary surgeons also held its own scientifically based review and shared its views with the ESPG.

ESPG Chair Andrew Finding summarised the results from the survey, in which 32 of the Group’s 37 recommendations received an approval rating of over 80%.

“The consultation was never intended to be a referendum, it was designed to add value to the work we have been doing and vitally to give every National Federation an opportunity to comment,” he said. “Some decided to comment, many did not but every National Federation had an opportunity to do so.”

Andrew Finding pledged that every comment received would be addressed by the Group and, where appropriate, covered at the operational planning level. He also stated that the Group had recommended that members of the Endurance Committee should be tasked with a specific area of responsibility to cover each of the critical success factors outlined by the ESPG – culture and behaviour; structure and governance; foundation for growth, and communications and marketing.

His presentation then focused on the five recommendations that had a lower approval rating, but still in excess of 50%. These were the designation of Persons Responsible, and whether trainers should be included alongside riders, ride qualification standards, a trainers ranking list, awards for completions, and awards for officials. He also covered five other areas that National Federations had raised in their responses to the survey and which the ESPG felt had not been covered fully in its recommendations.

Debate during the day focused on the key areas of horse welfare; clean sport and the rules, which were widely accepted as fit for purpose; support for officials on enforcement of those rules; transparent and consistent reporting; the use of technology; rider competence and horsemanship; cost implications; sponsorship; the technicality of courses to help resolve speed-related issues; technical criteria during competitions; individual and team performance; and ensuring the long-term development of the sport.

There was also considerable discussion on the traditional Endurance rides, which are now being referred to as Classic Endurance riding, and Endurance Racing. There were mixed views on whether a different set of rules should be used, but it was generally agreed that the rules cover both elements.

Part of the afternoon’s session was devoted to establishing the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which will be used to evaluate the success of the strategic plan.

During his summing up of the day’s proceedings, moderator John McEwen thanked Andrew Finding and the ESPG members for all their work. “This conference was to complete the work of the ESPG,” he said. “I want to thank them all individually and personally and Andrew for leading them.”

“Endurance sport has expanded thanks to the expansion in Group VII; we mustn’t lose sight of that expansion,” he continued. “How we handle the expansion of the sport is down to you and it’s important we handle that right for the future of the sport.

“You’ve all said that actually the structure and governance is in place. Yes we need to implement it in slightly different ways in certain aspects. We have the guidelines from the ESPG, which are extremely helpful in helping us to do that. I think the feeling in general is that we want this to remain one sport. I am passionate about this and I believe that we need to stay as one sport and that is only possible if people are open-minded and have wide vision.”

The ESPG will now use the input from today’s conference to finalise its report, which will be presented to the FEI Bureau for further consideration. The FEI Bureau and the Endurance Committee will report at a special session on Endurance at the FEI Sports Forum (28-29 April 2014) about the follow-up on the conclusions of the ESPG.

The 20 National Federations represented at today’s conference were from Belgium, Botswana, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Italy, Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, United States of America.

The FEI Endurance Strategic Planning Group (ESPG), set up last year following the Endurance round table on 24 July, was tasked with creating a long-term plan for the discipline to tackle the issues currently being faced in Endurance. The ESPG is chaired by Andrew Finding, European Equestrian Federation Board Member and CEO of the British Equestrian Federation.

The members of the Group are veterinarian Brian Sheahan (AUS), chair of the FEI Endurance Committee; Joe Mattingley (USA), international Endurance rider; Saeed H Al Tayer (UAE), Vice President of the Dubai Equestrian Club and organiser of FEI World Endurance Championships; and veterinarian Jean-Louis Leclerc (FRA), an internationally respected and very successful chef d’équipe and team manager within the discipline.

FEI Media contacts:

Grania Willis
Director Media Relations
Grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

Press Conference to Address Horse Welfare Issues Will Be Held on Opening Day of International Equine Conference

September 18, 2013 – Lexington, Kentucky (EWA) – The Third Annual International Equine Conference, hosted by the Equine Welfare Alliance, will be held September 27-29 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.

On the opening day of the conference, Friday September 27, horse welfare organizations will come together to hold a special press conference to provide expert information on equine welfare to the media and advocates that cannot attend the full conference.

Michael Blowen, owner and founder of Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Facility, will open the press conference. Participating in the press conference will be key individuals from The Equine Welfare Alliance, Respect4Horses, the Cloud Foundation, Wild Horse Freedom Federation, Wild Horses of the Abacos, and the Humane Society of the United States.

The press conference will cover the potential re-opening of horse slaughter plants in America, BLM’s mismanagement of America’s wild horses and burros, horse tripping, the over breeding of horses and other current issues pertaining to equine welfare.

Where:
Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm
1841 Paynes Depot Road
Georgetown, KY
502.863.1775

When:
Friday, September 27, 2013 from 11:00a to 12:00p

All press, media and public are welcome to attend the Press conference. Refreshments will be served.  Please be seated at 11:00a.

After the Press Conference, the three day International Equine conference will continue with a tour of Three Chimneys farm in Midway, Kentucky, Old Friends Farm and a meet and greet reception at 7:00p at The Kentucky Horse Park. On Saturday, presentations will commence and will end on Sunday. The soon to be released documentary “America’s Wild Horses” will also be previewed at the International Equine Conference.

For the agenda, list of presenters, additional information or to register, please visit www.equinewelfarealliance.org.

The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues free, all volunteer 501(c)(4) umbrella organization representing over 300 member organizations and over 1,000 individual members worldwide in 21 countries. EWA and its members are involved in a grass roots effort dedicated to ending the slaughter of American Horses and the preservation and protection of our Wild Horses & Burros on public lands. www.equinewelfarealliance.org

Respect4Horses is a horse welfare organization whose goals include providing information and documentation to educate the public, the media and legislators in order to promote changes in legislation in regards to current horse welfare issues such as horse slaughter and the roundups of our last remaining wild horses and burros. www.respect4horses.com

Wild Horse Freedom Federation is a registered, Texas non-profit corporation with federal 501(c)(3) status.  WHFF puts people between America’s wild equids and extinction through targeted litigation against governmental agencies whose documented agendas include the eradication of wild horse and burros from public, federal and state lands.  www.wildhorsefreedomfederation.org

The Cloud Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of wild horses and burros on our western public lands with a focus on Cloud’s herd in the Arrowhead Mountains of Montana. www.thecloudfoundation.org

Old Friends is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing a dignified retirement to Thoroughbreds whose racing and breeding careers have come to an end. By promoting these one-time celebrated horses through a campaign of education and tourism, we hope to raise awareness of all equines in need.  www.oldfriendsequine.org

The Wild Horses of Abaco organization is dedicated to saving the Wild Horses of Abaco, the world’s most endangered breed with only one mare, Nunki, remaining. Abaco is the northernmost of the larger Bahama Islands located of the southeast Florida coast of the United States.  http://arkwild.org/blog/

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We’re there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty – on the Web at humanesociety.org.

Contacts:

Simone Netherlands, Respect4Horses
928.925.7212
simone@respect4Horses.com

John Holland
540-268-5693
john@equinewelfarealliance.org

International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot

When: November 1 to 3, 2013

Where: Marriott Convention Center
1001 Okeechobee Boulevard
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 USA

For more information about the Laminitis Conference, go to: http://laminitisconference.com.

About the Laminitis Conference

The Laminitis Conference provides innovative and useful programs for veterinarians, farriers, horse owners, managers, trainers and technicians. Attendees receive the latest, most advanced science and practical information, including the newest research and techniques used in the treatment of laminitis and other diseases of the foot. It is a valuable opportunity to network with colleagues and peers. Plus, new this year- the Horse Owners Program with a focus on the wellness of the horse provides an opportunity for owners, trainers and barn managers to talk to the experts. All the Conference’s events, activities, entertainment and meals are included in registration.

The mission of the Laminitis Conference is to engage veterinarians, farriers, caretakers and the greater equine community in a collaborative effort to advance, expand and disseminate knowledge through research and collective experiences to effectively prevent and treat Equine Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot.

The conference will include:

  • The latest research and scientific information on laminitis
  • A clinical focus on moving from the laboratory to the horse
  • Attendee poster session for the “sharing” of new ideas for future innovations by attendees
  • Scholarships and competitive poster program for the next generation of veterinarians from Schools and Colleges of Veterinary Medicine across North America and around the world
  • A dedicated foot segment for farriers, veterinarians and others interested in the current trends and treatment of foot problems
  • An in-depth program for horse owners, managers, trainers and technicians

Abstract Submission

The Conference is now accepting abstract submissions for oral and poster presentations in the scientific and practical sessions of the conference. Abstracts should be submitted electronically as a Word document, no later than April 1, 2013, to Kate Shanaghan at info@laminitisconference.com. For more information about abstract submission, go to: http://laminitisconference.com/rfp.pdf.

Carrie Wirth for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12230 Forest Hill Blvd.
Suite 214
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
www.phelpsmediagroup.com

FEI Co-sponsors Conference on Concussion in Sport

Top international sports experts representing the IOC, FIFA, FEI and several other international sports federations met at the Home of FIFA in Zurich.

Lausanne (SUI), 2 November 2012 – The FEI joined the IOC as one of five co-sponsors of the Fourth International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport in Zurich (SUI) this week. The two-day conference, which was held at the FIFA headquarters on 1 and 2 November, was also sponsored by FIFA, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the International Rugby Board (IRB).

IOC President Jacques Rogge welcomed delegates to the conference via a video message, before the official opening by FIFA Executive Committee member Michel D’Hooghe and IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset.

Delegates attending the conference represented a number of sports, including football, rugby, ice hockey, American football, Australian football and boxing, as well as equestrian sports.

Continue reading FEI Co-sponsors Conference on Concussion in Sport

FEI Addresses Olympic Sports Federations’ Medical Chiefs on Equine Injury Surveillance

Yves Rossier, Vice Chair of the FEI Veterinary Committee, addressed the Olympic Sports Federations’ medical chiefs on equine injury surveillance at their annual conference.

Lausanne (SUI), 19 October 2012 – Yves Rossier, Vice Chair of the FEI Veterinary Committee, delivered a presentation on equine injury surveillance at the annual International Olympic Sports Federations’ Medical Commission Chairpersons conference held at the IOC Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) yesterday.

The Canadian, who was head of the Olympic Veterinary Clinic in Greenwich Park at the London 2012 Olympic Games, took a year’s sabbatical leave from his work as Professor of Equine Sports Medicine at the University of Montreal to complete a study on Injury Surveillance in FEI Horses.

The FEI-funded study on equine injuries also involved analysis of the approaches taken by other sports regulators, including the IOC, International Federations and horseracing authorities. One of the key objectives of the study was to review injury surveillance programmes (human and equine) in order to fine-tune the existing FEI protocol and introduce an improved model for FEI events.

Continue reading FEI Addresses Olympic Sports Federations’ Medical Chiefs on Equine Injury Surveillance

Abigail McArdle Leads Zone Five to USEF Prix de States Team Championship

Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20 won the USEF Prix de States Team Championship and the Individual Junior Jumper Reserve Championship. Photo By: Al Cook

Harrisburg, PA – October 16, 2012 – The best young riders in the country gathered at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show this weekend to compete during the 2012 Randolph College/USEF National Junior Jumper Championships. Leading the way was 18-year-old Abigail McArdle of Barrington, IL, who helped Zone Five capture the USEF Prix de States Team Championship and later went on to earn the Individual Junior Jumper Reserve Championship aboard Cosma 20.

McArdle and Cosma 20 kicked the weekend off right with a clear first round on Thursday night, finishing in second place just shy of the leading time. Friday night highlighted the USEF Prix de States Team Championship. McArdle’s Zone Five Team members included Kalvin Dobbs of Carmel, IN riding Winde; Lillie Ross of Wheaton, IL aboard Pako; and Catherine Tyree of Chicago, IL on Wetter.

After the first round the team had 12 faults to their name, and all of the pressure came down on McArdle. As the anchor rider, she needed to lay down a clear round during the second phase to take the gold.

Continue reading Abigail McArdle Leads Zone Five to USEF Prix de States Team Championship