Tag Archives: endurance

Endurance Riding, USEF, World Equestrian Games

Reformatted 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Endurance Team Selection Trial Deemed a Success

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Part of Group 1 finishing the revised format of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Endurance Team Selection Trial (Becky Pearlman Photography)

Lexington, Ky. – The top U.S. athletes in endurance headed to Broxton Bridge Planation in Ehrhardt, S.C., to take part in the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Endurance Team Selection Trial CEI2* 120km. The race was scheduled to take place April 19 but heavy downpours caused the race to be rescheduled to April 20 and run under a new format.

Under the guidance of Chef d’Equipe Emmett Ross, 14 applicants for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and an additional three proxy riders were divided into two groups, riding three loops equaling 69.44km. Riders had to ride at certain speeds, use their GPS units, and work in groups, allowing the selectors to assess how each rider followed instructions. On April 21, all horses completed a post-event veterinary inspection.

“Our team trials achieved the goals that the selectors and I set out to accomplish, which included principally significant veterinarian criteria established by Team Veterinarian, Dr. Dwight Hooton,” Ross said. “Our goal was not to crown a winner or loser but to assess each rider’s fitness and each horse’s fitness and soundness, especially soundness. A great job was done by all riders, staff, volunteers, crew, and hosts, especially considering the immense weather deluge that caused a huge shift in plans.”

While the Selection Trial was not run as originally anticipated,  the selectors gained valuable insight into the preparedness of the horses and riders who hope to claim a spot on the team that will compete in the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Follow the U.S. Endurance Team here: http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/USEnduranceTeam/.

Endurance Riding, FEI

Far-reaching Initiatives Announced at Endurance Round Table

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FEI Director of Endurance Ian Williams addresses the session dedicated to the discipline during the FEI Sports Forum 2014. (c) Germain Arias Schreiber/FEI.

Lausanne (SUI), 29 April 2014 – The FEI today announced bold steps that will ensure improved protection of the welfare of horses in Endurance events, proposing unprecedented athlete penalties for equine injuries, extended rest periods and increased accountability. The moves were fully supported by delegates attending today’s Endurance round table on the second day of the FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne (SUI).

“The welfare of the horse is not just a veterinary issue; it’s an issue for all those who work in the sport,” FEI 1st Vice President John McEwen and chair of the FEI Veterinary Committee said.

Proposed rule changes relating to officials’ accountability and responsibility, increased protection of horses through athlete penalty points and extended rest periods, appointment of Independent Governance Advisors (IGA) and improved conflict of interest regulations received wide support from attendees.

There was also wide support for the new FEI Endurance Codex, which the Endurance Committee has produced to cover Endurance officials, and separately Endurance athletes and registered trainers. The Codex, which defines responsibility, accountability and sanctions for those in breach of the Codex, already exists for FEI Veterinarians.

The rules changes will be circulated to National Federations for final review prior to going before the FEI Bureau at its in-person meeting on 9-10 June for approval and immediate implementation.

During the debate session that followed, there was a call for information about injuries at national events to be included in the Global Endurance Injuries Study (GEIS), which was backed by Dr Tim Parkin of Glasgow University, who was commissioned by the FEI to set up the study.

“The FEI has done a great job of demonstrating what can be done with data that is currently available from FEI events and it is clearly going in the right direction,” he said. “Adding in data from national events is only going to improve that situation. The new regulations have an impact that is really beneficial to the welfare of the horse.”

Roly Owers, Chief Executive of World Horse Welfare, also voiced his support for the GEIS and improved monitoring. “The need to make evidence based decisions is so important for equine welfare and I fully support the FEI’s injury surveillance programme,” he said. “Notwithstanding the limitations on data from national competitions, I would urge National Federations to provide data to the GEIS and for the FEI to use all its influence to make that happen.”

Andrew Finding, chair of the Endurance Strategic Planning Group (ESPG) which was tasked with producing a long-term plan for the discipline, expressed his appreciation for the support of the Group’s recommendations. “I would like to express on behalf of myself and my colleagues on the ESPG our gratitude for the support and the determined effort made by the FEI to put in place our recommendations,” he said. “You should be applauded for that work, and we are grateful for the diligence you have applied.”

Brian Sheahan, chair of the Endurance Committee, voiced the opinions of everyone attending the session. “To protect the welfare of the horse, we need to know that we’re doing the right thing,” he said. “I would like to see increased completion rates, reduced injuries and illness in the horse, and better course design. To maintain the integrity of our sport, we need a reduction in doping, improved compliance by athletes and trainers and improved rule enforcement by officials. This sport should demonstrate the highest standards of sportsmanship in a fair and equal competition. And may the best combination of horse and athlete win.”

John McEwen complimented the Endurance Committee on its work. “The Endurance Committee has worked tirelessly to produce functional regulatory structure which will take the sport forward and I am pleased that the regulatory changes and the implementation of those changes is working towards achieving the targets set by the ESPG.

“The Task Force will be extremely useful in helping implement the work done by the Endurance Committee and the Department. The processes that we have put in place will create, and do create, an enormous workload upon the departments responsible, but in my opinion the work is absolutely essential and very worthwhile.”

Panellists for the Endurance round table were John McEwen, FEI 1st Vice President and Chair of the Endurance Committee; Brian Sheahan, Chair of the Endurance Committee; Committee members Dr Khalid Ahmed Hasan (BRN), Jaume Punti Dachs (ESP) and John Robertson (GBR); and Ian Williams, FEI Director Endurance.

An online discussion platform to continue the debate on all topics discussed at the FEI Sports Forum 2014 is available here: http://sportsforum.fei.org/.

FEI Media Contacts:

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

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Press Relations
malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 33

Endurance Riding, USEF, World Equestrian Games

2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Endurance Team Selection Trial Rescheduled for April 20

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Ehrhardt, S.C. – After tremendous rainfall caused the postponement of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Endurance Team Selection Trial, the race will take place Sunday April 20th at the Broxton Bridge Planation in Ehrhardt, S.C. in a revised format. Fourteen Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games applicants and an additional three proxy riders will ride three loops equaling 70.4km to determine the top 17 positions.

On Monday, April 21 all horses will complete a post-event veterinary inspection and the Long List will be named within 10 days following the inspections.

On Sunday, riders will set out in two groups. Group 1 will set out at 9am ET and will be followed 15 minutes later by Group 2 at 9:15am.

Group 1
The following 10 combinations will comprise Group 1:

Melody Blittersdorf (Jeffersonville, VT) and her own Synthetic
Lisanne Dorion (Williston, FL) and her own SH Sur Trad
Kelsey Russell (Williston, FL) and Valerie Kanavy’s My Wild Irish Gold
Wendy MacCoubrey (Quebec, Canada) as proxy rider for Valerie Kanavy and Valerie Kanavy’s Raven About Gold
Jeremy Olson (La Motte, IA) and Amy Wallace-Whelan’s Wallace Hill Shade
Gene Limlaw (Springfield, VT) as proxy rider for Dr. Margaret Sleeper and Dr. Margaret Sleeper’s Syrocco Cadence
Dr. Nicki Meuten (Zebulon, NC) and her own Not Tonight
Willemina DeBoer (Hico, TX) and her own Frisia Shaheen
Martha Rattner (Paris, KY) and Indepen (owned by James Hay)
Heather Reynolds (Dunnellon, FL) and her own Chanses

Group 2
The following seven combinations will comprise Group 2:

Barbara Hershberger (Stuart, FL) and her own Kenlyn Irishman
Cody Boysen (Sidney, IA) and Roxi Welling and his own Viktory Banner
Valerie Kanavy (Fort Valley, VA) and her own Just Gold
Ellen Olson (La Motte, IA) and Farzad Faryadi’s Hot Desert Knight
Jeremy Reynolds (Dunnellon, FL) and his own RR Gold Dust Rising
Dr. Margaret Sleeper (Frenchtown, NJ) and her own Syrocco Reveille
Kyle Gibbon (Kingsland, GA) as a proxy rider for Amy Wallace-Whelan and Dr. Nicki Meuten’s FYF Dutch

Follow the U.S. Endurance Team here: http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/USEnduranceTeam/.

Competitions, Endurance Riding, World Equestrian Games

Top Riders Ready to Compete in World Equestrian Games Endurance Team Selection Trial CEI2* 120km

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Heather Reynolds and Chanses (Becky Pearman Photography)

Ehrhardt, S.C. – The top athletes in endurance are set to compete in the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Endurance Team Selection Trail CEI2* 120 at Broxton Bridge Planation in Ehrhardt, S.C., April 18-19. Fifteen individuals will vie for a spot on the team that will compete in Normandy, France, on a course from Sartilly to the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel on Thursday, August 28.

Currently, three competitors in this weekend’s competition are tied for first place on US Endurance Rider Ranking List. Cody Boysen, Ellen Olson, and Heather Reynolds all have 500 points as of October 20, 2013.

Boysen (Sidney, Iowa,) will ride Viktory Banner, a 13-year-old Arabian gelding he co-owns with Roxi Welling. The pair won the Zone Team Endurance Challenge (ZTEC) 160km CEI3* senior division in June of last year.

Olson (Lamotte, Iowa) will compete with Farzad Faryadi’s 13-year-old Arabian gelding Hot Desert Knight, with whom she won the FITS 100-mile Ride in March.

Reynolds (Dunnellon, Fla.), who represented the U.S. at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian games and the 2012 Longines FEI World Endurance Championship, entered 2013 with a win at the ZTEC 120-km CEI2* in June 2012, riding her own eight-year-old Arabian gelding Bound for Honor. This weekend she’ll compete with her own Chanses, a nine-year-old Arabian gelding.

Sitting just behind them on the Ranking List are Jeremy Reynolds, husband of Heather, in fourth place with 490 points, and Meg Sleeper in fifth with 450 points. Reynolds (Dunnellon, Fla.) joined his wife in representing the U.S. at the 2012 Longines FEI World Endurance Championship. This weekend he’ll ride his own RR Gold Dust Rising, an eight-year-old Arabian Gelding, in the 120km competition.

Sleeper (Frenchtown, N.J.), who also competed for the U.S. at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and finished 11th at the 2012 Longines FEI World Endurance Championship, will ride her own 14-year-old Arabian Mare, Syrocco Reveille. Gene Limlaw will ride Sleeper’s second horse entered in the competition, Syrocco Cadence, a 10-year-old Arabian mare.

Kelsey Russell (Williston, Fla.), an up-and-comer in endurance, will compete with My Wild Irish Gold, a 10-year-old Anglo Arab mare owned by Valerie Kanavy. The pair rode to an impressive fifth-place finish at the 2013 FEI World Endurance Championship for Juniors and Young Riders in July of last year.

Kanavy (Fort Valley, Va.) will bring two horses to Broxton Bridge Plantation. She will compete with Just Gold, a nine-year-old Arabian gelding, while Wendy MacCoubrey will ride Raven About Gold, a seven-year-old Arabian mare. Kanavy helped the U.S. to a fourth-place finish at the 2012 Longines FEI World Endurance Championship as the first member of the team to finish.

This weekend’s event will begin at 7 a.m. ET on Saturday, April 19.

Follow the U.S. Endurance Team here: http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/USEnduranceTeam/.

Endurance Riding, FEI

FEI Bureau to Review Composition of Endurance Task Force

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Lausanne (SUI), 15 April 2014 – During its monthly teleconference meeting today the FEI Bureau decided to review the composition of the Endurance Task Force following comments received from a number of National Federations.

The two UAE representatives Mohammed Essa Al Adhab and Andrew Holmes will be removed from the Task Force. They will be replaced by Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa (BRN), Chair of FEI Regional Group VII who has a full understanding of the situation in the Middle East, and Frank Kemperman (NED), a hugely experienced event organiser, including Endurance, who will be able to assist in the understanding of how new technology and procedures can be deployed in the field of play.

The revised composition of the Endurance Task Force is as follows: FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos will chair the Task Force, and its members are Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa (BRN); Brian Sheahan, FEI Endurance Committee chair; Frank Kemperman (NED); Jim Ellis, Equestrian Sports New Zealand Chief Executive; Frank Kemperman (NED); and Alain Storme (BEL), racing and equestrian sports expert.

Experts from IMG will also be included amongst the core members of the Task Force. IMG is a global leader in sports management with extensive experience in reviewing and modernising competition structures in other sports. Additionally, the Task Force will work closely with FEI 1st Vice President John McEwen and members of the FEI Veterinary Committee in an advisory capacity and the Task Force will also have the option of calling in, on an ad hoc basis, any other experts that may be required to facilitate its work.

“Throughout the process of seeking a solution to the issues we are facing in Endurance we have worked very closely with our National Federations, and when any of them have flagged up something we have taken that on board,” FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos said today. “We have received comments from some NFs that they do not agree with the composition of the Task Force and the Bureau has today agreed to review that following this feedback. Self-policing is a sign of good governance and feedback from our National Federations is important to us.”

During today’s teleconference meeting the Bureau also expressed its thanks to Meydan for its offer to fund the work of the Endurance Task Force, but stated that it was preferable that Meydan was not involved in this process.

The Bureau understood and respected the decision by Meydan to withdraw its sponsorship of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games due to its position as a regulator in Dubai for equestrian sports, and welcomed the news that a replacement sponsor had been found. Sponsorship by the SOBHA Group, a multinational, multiproduct group headquartered in Bangalore, India, will be considered for formal approval by the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Board on Thursday 17 April.

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

Competitions, Dressage, Driving, Endurance Riding, Show Jumping

Record Number of Entries for Royal Windsor Horse Show

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11 April 2014 – A record number of entries have been received for this year’s Royal Windsor Horse Show which takes place on Wednesday 14 – Sunday 18 May 2014, in the private grounds of Windsor Castle.

As the first major outdoor equine show of the season and the largest of its kind in the UK, it has once again seen exceptional support with a record breaking 2,300 entries in total for the National Show Jumping and Showing classes. This new record comes in the same year that the Show becomes a CHI (Concours Hippique International) for the first time, when it introduces new international 3 star Show Jumping and Dressage competitions.

Nominated entries for the CSI3* Jumping, CDI3* Dressage and CAI3* Driving competitions will be made available on 18th April.

Simon Brooks-Ward, Managing Director of HPower and Event Director, said: “We have had really encouraging entries this year, breaking all records. The competitors have given the thumbs up to Windsor and we will do our utmost to make them all welcome.”

He continued: “If you add the international Dressage, Driving, Jumping and Endurance entries, the show this year will have a new competitive feel to it. With three evening performances and over 2,300 horses visiting the showground, it should be a bumper year for the 71 year old show.”

The show will be hosting 130 National Showing classes, which comprise of the majority of entries for this year. Within these entries, five of Her Majesty The Queen’s own horses will be competing, two of which will be ridden by top show producer, Katie Jerram, including ex-racehorse ‘Barber’s Shop,’ who will be competing in the popular Tattersalls and RoR Thoroughbred Ridden Show Horse class.

Amongst the National Show Jumping entries is the former Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing Winner Pippa Funnell. She will be battling it out alongside husband William Funnell in The Horse & Hound Foxhunter class, held on the first day of the show.

The exciting competitions as well as other dazzling scenes, can all be watched free of charge on the opening day of the show, dubbed ‘Windsor Wednesday’. For the first time in the history of the show, the organisers will allow all spectators free entry to the show ground, a great and inexpensive day out for the family.

Over 40,000 spectators are expected to attend the 71st year of the Royal Windsor Horse Show which offers its audience astounding displays in the main Castle Arena, such as The Musical Ride from the Household Calvary and The King’s Troop Musical Drive, the DAKS Pony Club Mounted Games and The Shetland Pony Grand National. As well as the equestrian competitions and activities, there are over 200 shops in the Shopping Village, with a wide range of goods for sale, from jewellery and fashion, to food and drink found in the Food Festival, all unseen on the High Street.

For more information or image requests, please contact Hannah Grissell at Revolution Sports + Entertainment – E: hannah@revolutionsports.co.uk, T: 0207 592 1207.

Ticket Pricing
Royal Windsor Horse Show is offering free admission to all visitors on Wednesday 14th May. Children also go free of charge on Thursday and Friday. Admission for adults on Thursday is just £16 and on Friday, £19. For weekend visitors, showground entry will be £25 for adults and £10 for children on both days. There are discounts for group bookings, and family value tickets of two adults and three children for £60 are available on either Saturday or Sunday. Tickets can be purchased on the door, online or by telephone. For pre-purchase, visitors should go to www.rwhs.co.uk or telephone the box office on 0844 581 4960 from the UK and +44 (0) 121 767 4660 internationally.  Royal Windsor Horse Show is organised by HPower Group, also organisers of Olympia, The London International Horse Show – www.hpower.co.uk.

Endurance Riding, FEI, World Equestrian Games

FEI Announces Further Concrete Steps to Implement ESPG Recommendations

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Lausanne (SUI), 11 April 2014 – During the meeting on 30 March held between the FEI and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, where the FEI was represented by its two Vice Presidents, John McEwen and Pablo Mayorga, and FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos, some additional but significant points were discussed to create a more equitable field of play and enhance the integrity of the Endurance discipline.

During these discussions, HH Sheikh Mohammed pointed out to the FEI that Meydan is the regulator in Dubai for various equine related matters and that so long as it remains a regulator it would be prudent for it to withdraw its sponsorship of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Consequently Meydan will withdraw its sponsorship from the 2014 Alltech World Equestrian Games.

Separately, and in order not to disadvantage the Organising Committee of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and ensure all financial obligations are met, the FEI Commercial Department has worked with the office of HH Sheikh Mohammed to secure a new sponsor to replace Meydan at the 2014 Games. SOBHA Group, a multinational, multiproduct group headquartered in Bangalore, India with significant developments and investments in India, UAE, Sultanate of Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Brunei and Tanzania has offered to take over the sponsorship, which matches its global marketing objectives, and assume all of the obligations of Meydan.

The acceptance of SOBHA as a replacement for Meydan will be considered for formal approval by the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Board next week on Thursday 17 April 2014.

Meydan will however sponsor the work of the FEI Endurance Task Force to enable it to create and implement the technical solutions necessary to ensure fairness on the field of play at the 2014 Games in Normandy and beyond. This sponsorship complements its current role as an equine regulator. HH Sheikh Mohammed has also confirmed that he will facilitate through the FEI Commercial Department the provision of onsite hospitality facilities during the Endurance competition day in Normandy so that all athletes can benefit from equal facilities.

On a related matter, during the Endurance Conference in Lausanne in February chaired by FEI 1st Vice President John McEwen, it was also highlighted that commercial activities and sport need to be clearly and formally separated. For this reason, the Technical Committee and the Endurance Sports Department cannot be involved in any commercial activities and transactions and this will now be the sole responsibility of the FEI Commercial Department led by Lisa Lazarus.

With regard to the officials, the FEI Secretary General has already made it clear to the organisers of Endurance Events that the officials need to be informed about the conditions such as accommodation, transport, per diems and reimbursement of costs prior to the competition and that payments can only be made by the Organising Committee. Additionally, the FEI will look at the possibility of centralising these payments made by the Organising Committee of reimbursement of expenses and per diems in order to guarantee equal treatment of officials and to preserve their integrity.

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

Endurance Riding, FEI

FEI Announces Mission and Structure of Endurance Task Force

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Lausanne (SUI), 11 April 2014 – The composition and remit of the FEI Endurance Task Force, announced by the FEI Executive Board on 8 April, have been finalised.

The mission of the Task Force is to develop practical solutions to ensure horse welfare and a level playing field at Endurance events globally, and to look at deploying modern technology to achieve the goals of equality and integrity in all Endurance competitions.

As part of its remit, the Task Force will review a number of initiatives that can offer a workable solution for varying terrains and climatic conditions to ensure that they can be implemented globally.

The Task Force will be chaired by FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos, and its members are Brian Sheahan, FEI Endurance Committee chair; Jim Ellis, Equestrian Sports New Zealand Chief Executive; Mohammed Essa Al Adhab, Deputy General Manager Dubai Equestrian Club; Andrew Holmes, legal advisor; and Alain Storme, racing and equestrian sports expert.

Experts from IMG will also be included amongst the core members of the Task Force. IMG is a global leader in sports management with extensive experience in reviewing and modernising competition structures in other sports.

The Task Force has a wide range of experience in Endurance and racing, as well as operations roll out and technology. In addition, FEI 1st Vice President John McEwen and members of the FEI Veterinary Committee will be on hand in an advisory capacity and the Task Force also has the mandate to call in, on an ad hoc basis, any other experts that may be required to facilitate its work.

“The Endurance Task Force will be looking at systems that will ensure horse welfare and a level playing field, and the use of modern technology is a key component of that,” FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos said.

“While it is of course important that we consider the financial systems of our National Federations, we cannot compromise on quality. We have to find the formula to ensure that this technology is financially available to all our NFs, including the developing nations, but it is vital that we have the best technological solutions available to ensure enforcement of and compliance with our rules.”

It is intended that some of the solutions offered by the Task Force will be ready for implementation in time for the Endurance competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014. The FEI will work closely with the Organising Committee in Normandy, and any new systems used at the Games will have been fully trialled in a test environment prior to the event.

The Endurance Task Force will hold its first meeting in Lausanne (SUI) on 27 April, the day before the start of the two-day FEI Sports Forum on 28-29 April.

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

Endurance Riding, FEI

FEI Endorses ESPG Recommendations and Pushes Ahead with Implementation

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Lausanne (SUI), 8 April 2014 – The FEI Bureau is taking the conclusions and recommendations of the Endurance Strategic Planning Group (ESPG) extremely seriously and has assumed full responsibility for the delivery of clear measures that will bring about a long term solution to issues within the FEI’s fastest growing discipline.

Following receipt of the ESPG’s final report and recommendations at FEI Headquarters, FEI President HRH Princess Haya has expressed her thanks to the ESPG members and particularly the Group’s chairman Andrew Finding for his outstanding work and leadership throughout the process.

The ESPG conclusions and the outcome of discussions during the General Assembly in Montreux and the Endurance Conference in Lausanne clearly demonstrate the need for further improvement of the rules but also that enforcement of the rules at events is critical. Officials play a crucial role in rules enforcement and the FEI is aware of the need to support officials in fulfilling their duties but also to guarantee their integrity to ensure a level playing field.

The Endurance Committee is currently working on the rules revision that will be presented at the FEI Sports Forum at the end of April.

However, the FEI Executive Board is keen to explore other possible initiatives to ensure that the ESPG recommendations offer a workable solution for all terrains and all climatic conditions. In light of this, the two FEI Vice Presidents, John McEwen and Pablo Mayorga, and FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos met with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed on 30 March to discuss the issues.

HH Sheikh Mohammed, the current world Endurance champion, expressed his appreciation of the work done by the ESPG and offered his full support for all further initiatives that will guarantee a level playing field for the sport. During the meeting it was agreed that the use of modern technology and an overhaul of operations at Endurance events are key to solving the issues that have affected the sport.

Following the meeting, the FEI Executive Board, with the full support of HH Sheikh Mohammed, has agreed to create a Task Force that will work on developing practical solutions to ensure a level playing field at Endurance events globally.

The Task Force will be composed of representatives from the FEI Endurance Committee, the FEI Executive Board and from FEI Headquarters, as well as external experts such as IMG, global leader in sports management with extensive experience in reviewing and modernising competition structures in other sports. The Task Force will start work almost immediately and its remit will include examining the use of modern technology and enhancing operational solutions.

Media contacts:

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

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 33

Dressage, Driving, Endurance Riding, Revolution Sports, Show Jumping

Royal Windsor Horse Show Appoints Revolution Sports + Entertainment

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The UK’s largest outdoor horse show, Royal Windsor Horse Show, has appointed Revolution Sports + Entertainment in the year that it introduces International 3 Star Show Jumping and Dressage to its schedule.

Running from Wednesday 14th to Sunday 18th May, Royal Windsor Horse Show, which has been attended by HM The Queen every year since it started in 1943, will become a CHI (Concours Hippique International) for the first time this year. Revolution Sports + Entertainment have been selected to build the event’s profile in the consumer and lifestyle media, whilst maintaining the close relationship the show has with its core equestrian and sports media.

The prestigious five-day show, which has over 3,500 competitors, is now the only event in the UK which stages international competitions in four different equine disciplines: Show Jumping, Dressage, Driving and Endurance. This year the total prize money has received a welcome boost bringing it to over £250,000 – a substantial increase from 2013 when it was £87,000.

Show Director, Simon Brooks-Ward, said: “Revolution possess the unique combination of in depth knowledge of all equestrian sports as well as having consumer and lifestyle media specialties. We are delighted to have them on board in what will be a very important year for the show.”

Rod Kohler, Managing Director at Revolution, said: “Royal Windsor Horse Show is one of the most prestigious horse events in the British calendar and we are thrilled to be working on it. It’s a particularly exciting time for all British equestrian sports right now and this is the perfect event to showcase sports that would not normally get a lot of media attention to a wider consumer audience.”

The Royal Family has had a long association with the show, with King George VI being Patron for the opening show in 1943, which was started to raise money for the war effort. Today, HM The Queen is Patron of the show and she often has a number of horses and ponies competing at the show. Other members of the Royal Family, including HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH The Princess Royal, have actually taken part in the show’s competitions.

Once again the show receives loyal and important support from The Kingdom of Bahrain and sponsors Land Rover, Laurent Perrier, DAKS, Hermes, Alltech and Coworth Park.

For further information please contact:
Rod Kohler
Revolution Sports + Entertainment
Tel: 0207 592 1207
Email: rod@revolutionsports.co.uk