Tag Archives: FEI Sports Forum

Community/Charity

FEI Sports Forum Opening Sessions Focus on Event Classification and Arena Footing

Leave a comment

FEI Executive Board member and Technical Committee chair John Madden (USA) was the keynote speaker during the Event Classification System session at the FEI Sports Forum 2014. Photos (c) Germain Arias-Schreiber/FEI.

Lausanne (SUI), 28 April 2014 – FEI President HRH Princess Haya welcomed more than 300 delegates to the third FEI Sports Forum, which opened at the prestigious IMD business school in Lausanne (SUI) today.

Addressing delegates from 70 National Federations, representatives of the FEI Associate members, experts, guests, FEI Bureau and Technical Committee members, and FEI staff, the FEI President stressed the importance of the annual Sports Forum in her opening address.

“This is one of the most important meetings on the FEI calendar, because this is where we hear first-hand from the people who are most directly involved in running our sport,” she said. “We need your help to ensure that decisions made at the General Assembly are grounded in reality.

“This forum comes at an exciting time for our federation. The extremely successful London 2012 Olympic Games showed our sport at its best in an iconic venue before a massive global audience. We are building on that momentum with new sponsors and the excitement provided by a new generation of emerging equestrian superstars. With help from FEI Solidarity, our sport is developing in new regions.

“This is also a challenging time. We can never take our place on the Olympic Programme for granted. We are continuing to seek new commercial partners to strengthen our financial foundation. And we must never rest in the ongoing effort to deter and detect the few who seek unfair advantage. Your work here will help us meet those challenges and make the most of the opportunities before us.”

The Sports Forum’s first session focused on the Jumping Event Classification System (ECS) with FEI Executive Board member and Technical Committee chair John Madden (USA) as the keynote speaker. The panellists were Ludger Beerbaum (GER), four-time Olympic champion; Peter Bollen (BEL), equine nutritionist and President of the International Equestrian Organisers Association (IEOA); Juan-Carlos Capelli (ITA), Vice-President and Head of International Marketing of Longines; Jacky Delapierre (SUI), Founder and CEO of Athletissima, Lausanne’s annual athletics sporting event which is part of the IAAF’s Diamond League; Jon Doney (GBR), FEI Official and course designer; and Carl Spencer (USA), management and market research consultant.

John Madden briefly reviewed the background of the ECS, which was first introduced for Jumping in 2010, with the long-term goal of evaluating all Jumping events according to a standardised template of objective criteria. The concept was discussed at the inaugural Sports Forum in 2012 when delegates agreed that the prize-money-only system currently in place for grading events did not encourage event organisers to improve their facilities, as excellence was not rewarded.

After some fine-tuning of the evaluation template, a new ECS was trialled in spring 2013 at Western European League events of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping series. The system took into account all the factors that contribute to a top event, including the level of the competition and venue facilities.

Madden identified the three essential goals of the newly developed system:

  • The collection of useable feedback for organisers and FEI Headquarters based dupon clear, concise standards;
  • a streamlined cost- and time-effective evaluation system which engages all enthusiasts;
  • gathering information through systems already in place for ease of implementation.

He then presented the proposed ECS strategy, including the collection of the existing officials’ reports, draft schedules, and host agreements which will be incorporated into a manageable FEI reporting data base. A scorecard for the event would then be produced and sent to the event organisers for feedback.

The appointment of account executives for FEI series to be involved in the data collection process, and the implementation of an early warning system, open to all data collectors, through which the relevant FEI HQ departments could be speedily alerted if serious problems were encountered at an event, were also presented, and the actions to be implemented before, during, and after the event were outlined.

Carl Spencer of market research provider KS&R, presented the current status of the ECS, based on information extracted from existing documents. He stressed that data collection would not be transformed into an independent activity but would be conducted through existing channels, and highlighted the importance of automation and the use of online facilities.

Next steps in the ECS development were identified as the review of the implementation protocol and timetable, the automation of the officials’ reports, and the finalisation of the scoring system.

During the following open debate, Jacky Delapierre highlighted the importance of television production, particularly for top events. Ludger Beerbaum, commenting on behalf of the International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC), encouraged the FEI to implement the ECS and emphasised the importance of strategic forward thinking. “We need to think where our sport wants to be in 20 or 30 years,” he said. “We should consider a long-term vision and never let our connection with the Olympic Games out of sight.”

Delegates from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Poland, and Saudi Arabia discussed the pivotal role of the NFs and their involvement in the evaluation system, the need to avoid duplication of tasks, the weighting of the scores attributed to the facilities for the horses, the involvement of grooms, the use for developing nations, the need for simplicity and feedback.

“A lot of work still remains to be done, especially where IT developments are concerned, but let’s not have paralysis over perfection,” John Madden said at the conclusion of the session. “Our objective is to launch the system later this year to evaluate events wishing to be part of the Longines FEI World Cup and the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup. I am grateful for the very valuable comments we got from the Forum today and given the positive feedback and everyone’s willingness to take part, I am looking forward to a great step forward for our sport.”

Equine Surfaces

The second morning session focused on the Equine Surfaces White Paper, an extensive study into the effect of arena surfaces on the orthopaedic health of sport horses, published earlier this month by the FEI.

The white paper is the result of a four-year collaboration between eight equine experts from six universities, three equine and racing-specific research and testing centres and two horse charities in Sweden, the UK and United States.

Highlights of the white paper were presented by Lars Roepstorff (SWE), professor of functional anatomy of domestic animals at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. A layman’s version of the white paper, Equestrian Surfaces – A Guide, was presented to delegates, and is available to download here.

Footing formula

Brand new rider-focused research was detailed by Professor Roepstorff, based on views from more than 350 riders in warm-up and competition arenas at 10 4- and 5-star events in 2013, resulting in over 600 “footing feedbacks”.

Ludger Beerbaum, who also featured on the Footing panel, took part in the research. “Footing is our primary daily concern,” he said. “It’s vital that we have the best possible ground for our horses when we’re training at home and when we travel for competitions. When the footing is good, our horses are healthy. Getting the footing right is already complex, and we’re also training and competing in different climates outdoors and indoors throughout the year.

“Ongoing research into footing is key to prolonging the careers of our horses. I and the other riders who have taken part in this research all feel that major advances have been made in understanding footing, and we’ll continue to be part of further studies.”

“Now, thanks to extensive scientific knowledge and data collected on footing by our global experts, and this latest valuable rider research, the FEI is able to provide clear guidance on the specifications and maintenance of footing for working areas and competition arenas to the entire equestrian community,” said John McEwen (GBR), FEI 1st Vice-President and Chair of the FEI Veterinary Committee.

“This will have an extensive impact on horse health and performance, and represents a major step forward for riders and stable owners. Organisers will also benefit from having very specific details on the best formula for footing at major events.”

Frank Kemperman (NED), Chair of the FEI Dressage Committee and organiser of the CHIO Aachen (GER), was joined on the panel by Oliver Hoberg (GER), who has been responsible for footing at numerous major equestrian events around the world since the 1990s, including the FEI World Cup™ Final 2003 in Las Vegas, the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the London 2012 Olympic Games. He is now in charge of the footing for the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, which take place this August.

The importance of footing maintenance was underlined in the following open discussion. “The footing is only as good as the maintenance, and good maintenance requires dedication,” underlined Hoberg. “It is all about carefully studying a horse’s response to footing in varying situations and having a focused and consistent maintenance approach.”

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/.

The Equine Surfaces White Paper has been funded by the FEI, World Horse Welfare, the Swedish Foundation for Equine Research and the British Equestrian Federation, working with lead author Dr Sarah Jane Hobbs – research lead in equine biomechanics at the University of Central Lancashire (GBR) and member of Research and Consultancy in Equine Surfaces (RACES) – and seven equine scientists and researchers in the UK, USA and Sweden.

The panellists for the FEI Footing Forum were Ludger Beerbaum (GER), four-time Olympic champion; Oliver Hoberg (GER), footing consultant; and Frank Kemperman (NED), FEI Dressage Committee chair.

Athletes like Australia’s Boyd Exell (pictured), the world and four-time FEI World Cup™ Driving champion and athlete representative on the FEI Driving Committee, will be using the newly-launched FEI SportApp to plan their busy competition schedules.
Athletes like Australia’s Boyd Exell (pictured), the world and four-time FEI World Cup™ Driving champion and athlete representative on the FEI Driving Committee, will be using the newly-launched FEI SportApp to plan their busy competition schedules.

FEI launches new SportApp

The FEI launched its free FEI SportApp on the first day of the FEI Sports Forum.

The app allows users access to the FEI’s entire sports calendar, including detailed programmes and schedules.

FEI athletes can also use the app to see clearly which events they are entered for with their horses, get live information on their upcoming entries and sign up to push notifications for every accepted entry.

The app, available now on the Apple Store and Google Play (for Android), will be further developed to include specific functionalities for grooms, officials and event organisers.

“We have thousands of events in our 2014 calendar, and we will have more next year as our sport continues to grow globally,” said Gaspard Dufour, FEI IT Manager at today’s launch to more than 300 delegates at the FEI Sports Forum.

“The FEI SportApp is a must-have for those who want to follow key events, and is essential for athletes planning their campaigns and organising their lives around their busy competition schedules,” explained Dufour.

Sustainability and IT initiatives feature at FEI Sports Forum

The FEI Sustainability Programme and the proactive sustainable steps that can be taken at equestrian events around the world were detailed by Dr Harald Müller (GER), FEI Director Education and Standards, to open the afternoon session of the FEI Sports Forum 2014.

The new FEI Sustainability Handbook for Event Organisers, circulated during the session and also available online, encourages organisers to implement sustainability initiatives based on their own set priorities to help reduce negative environmental impact and create positive legacies.

“Sustainable sporting events are a major priority for organisers and the network of organisations who help make these happen – governments, sponsors and the communities in which the events takes place to name just a few,” Dr Müller said.

“Equestrian events are unique in many ways, and are also very different to each other based on geography, existing infrastructure and financing, but they do have one thing in common: sustainable action can be taken at every event. The FEI Sustainability Handbook is designed to highlight how, and also what proactive measures can be taken in the future.”

Dr Harald Müller (GER), FEI Director Education and Standards, opened the afternoon session of the FEI Sports Forum 2014 focussing on the FEI Sustainability Programme and proactive sustainable steps to be taken at equestrian events around the world.
Dr Harald Müller (GER), FEI Director Education and Standards, opened the afternoon session of the FEI Sports Forum 2014 focussing on the FEI Sustainability Programme and proactive sustainable steps to be taken at equestrian events around the world.

The FEI will introduce several sustainability initiatives, including an interactive web platform, which will include a knowledge database and diverse sustainability benchmarking tools to enable event organisers to work together with the FEI and with each other on development.

“Respect for nature has always been integral to equestrian sport through its connection to horses and the outdoors,” FEI President HRH Princess Haya said today. “The Sustainability Handbook for Event Organisers gives us a solid framework to improve and expand our efforts to protect the environment and ensure that equestrian events create a lasting positive legacy.”

Jeremy Edwards (AUS), Venue General Manager of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games and Equestrian Site Manager for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and now General Manager of the Baku 2015 European Games Operation Committee, underlined the importance of having an established sustainability policy for equestrian events.

“The sooner we have clear sustainability guidance for organisers to follow the better,” he said. “In reality, we have a very short period of time to consider sustainability at events, and to include it at every stage of the build-up. We need considered sustainability targets for equestrian events, timeframes and strong monitoring throughout the event preparation, and also full feedback post-event for clear learning and implementation next time. That would be an ideal sustainable approach in my view.”

The four-strong panel on the FEI Sustainability Programme session also included Steve Aeschlimann (SUI/ITA), Executive Director of Operations, Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM); Denis Bochatay (SUI), Project Manager at environmental life cycle assessment consultancy Quantis; and Simon Lewis (GBR), Founder of Team Planet, a specialist consultancy providing sport sustainability advice.

Online Entry System

The FEI Online Entry System, the single platform that enables Organising Committees and National Federations to process the entries of athletes and horses to manage results more efficiently, was reviewed in the second afternoon session.

Gaspard Dufour, FEI IT Manager, highlighted the key system developments and outlined areas for further improvement with the National Federations.

FEI Sports Forum delegates were invited to give feedback on how the system has facilitated their work and discuss ways in which it could be further improved.

Justin Provost (USA), Director of Information Technology at the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and panelist for the session, highlighted the benefits of the FEI Online Entry System and underlined its importance against the backdrop of increasingly busy competition schedules. “The system gives us important athlete information at our finger tips, and is very easy to use, which is vital for our busy athlete services team who, on a yearly basis, are dealing with the needs of thousands of athletes,” he said.

The panelists on the FEI Online Entry System session included Stephan Ellenbruch (GER), FEI Official, FEI Jumping Committee member and President of the International Show Jumping Officials Club; Peter Bollen (BEL), President of the International Equestrian Organisers Association and equine nutritionist; Andreas Steidle (GER), Founder of Equinis and creator of the Hippobase online entry system, and Aurélien Jost (SUI) and Pascal Rossier (SUI) of Swiss Timing.

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/

The FEI Sustainability Handbook for Event Organisers is available online here. The FEI encourages sustainable viewing of the handbook, however the FEI does have a limited supply of the handbook in hard copy. Please contact Somesh Dutt somesh.dutt@fei.org.

FEI Media Contacts:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

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

FEI

FEI Sports Forum Examines Ways to Help Athletes Prepare for the Post-Competition Workplace

Leave a comment

Maury Peiperl (USA), Professor of Leadership and Strategic Change at IMD business school, makes a presentation to the FEI Sports Forum. (FEI/Edouard Curchod)

Lausanne (SUI), 8 April 2013 – Dual career: preparing athletes for the workplace after their competitive career was the second topic on the agenda of the FEI Sports Forum 2013. Experts from the sports, business and academic worlds, as well as elite international athletes, spoke about their experiences and gave interesting examples of best practice in this area.

“Is there life after sport?” FEI President HRH Princess Haya asked in her opening address.

“The increasing professionalisation of sport requires athletes to dedicate most of their time to training and competition. Often at an age where others are starting their professional education, athletes face the problem of combining intense training and competition with professional education,” she commented. “Society, as well as any responsible sports organisation, should enable its athletes to safeguard their future during their sports careers by providing them with opportunities to qualify for the job market.”

Although equestrian sport is more privileged than some other sports, as there is a whole industry offering employment, there are persistent challenges.

Princess Haya described some of the actions the FEI can undertake to help its athletes make the transition from the competitive world to a successful professional career.

“We can cooperate closely with the IOC within its IOC Athlete Career Programme, which includes Olympic Movement, National Olympic Committees, International Federations and National Federations,” she explained.

“We can generate awareness among our own athletes of the need for a professional education. We can stimulate cooperation between the sport and the horse sector. We can provide our athletes with extensive information on professional education opportunities worldwide. We can – in cooperation with national entities – provide guidance and information for athletes on employment opportunities. We can provide advice to National Federations on creating a national network of sport organisations, education institutions, employment representatives, health and financial authorities. And finally, we can offer our athletes flexible tools, such as online education, for accessing educational training.

“We, as the FEI, really hope that, one day, former equestrian athletes will serve us or the wider sport. It is therefore in our interest to create a ‘home-grown’ future generation of world-class FEI leaders and administrators who know our sport,” Princess Haya concluded.

Dr Harald Müller, FEI Executive Director Education and Standards, presented a new FEI online education project which will be providing the equestrian community with exciting online training opportunities. This new platform – FEI Campus – will make the FEI the first Olympic sports organisation introducing professional online education for its stakeholders. This flexible tool will also provide support to the FEI Solidarity programmes.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board member and chair of the IOC Athletes Commission Claudia Bokel (GER) presented the IOC Athlete Career Programme (ACP), launched in 2005 and renewed in 2012 through to 2020. The programme is offered by the IOC and the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in co-operation with Adecco, the world’s largest provider of solutions in human resources.

The IOC Athlete Career Programme assists Olympic athletes in making the transition from the field of play to the labour market, as well as companies looking to hire employees that will make a difference in their workforce. The ACP offers an integrated approach of combining sport and education, life skills and employment opportunities.

Since the creation of the programme, 32 National Olympic Committees on five continents have joined with the IOC and Adecco. By the end of 2012, outreach programmes had supported more than 10,000 athletes from over 100 countries with training opportunities and job placements.

Maury Peiperl (USA), Professor of Leadership and Strategic Change at IMD business school, made a lively presentation on the subject of managing career transitions. He identified different career paths and outlined their specific characteristics. He highlighted the fact that linear career development is no longer the norm and that radical professional changes are more frequent. The business world is gradually becoming receptive to individuals such as athletes who come from non-traditional backgrounds and have been able to make bold career decisions.

Thomas Batliner (LIE), former Olympic Jumping rider and investment consultant, and Sergei Aschwanden (SUI), judo bronze medallist in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, spoke of their experiences as elite athletes who have successfully transitioned into the business and academic worlds. The key roles of preparing the transition and the athletes’ entourage were emphasised.

The panellists agreed that one of the biggest challenges facing athletes today was the lack of information about the tools facilitating career change. They stressed the importance of sports organisations getting closer to their athletes – in-person at events and seminars or through social media – to understand their needs and create interest and motivation.

Delegates raised questions on different challenges such as the lack of motivation, the prospect of having a lengthy career as an equestrian athlete, or the possibility of failing at both sport and studies if neither were a priority.

Claudia Bokel summarised the answers in one. “It is important to secure a basis for a new career even if it takes many years,” she said. “And of course you have to be realistic about what you want to achieve. But don’t contemplate failure, don’t take away the dreams!”

An in-depth article on dual career for athletes was published in the March 2013 edition of FEI Focus which is available as an online flipbook here (see “FEI Insights” on page 44).

Additional information on the IOC Adecco Athletes Career Programme is available on the dedicated website here.

The biographies of speakers can be found here and here.

Media contacts:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

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

Uncategorized

FEI Sports Forum: Improving Movement of “Frequent-Flyer” Horses

Leave a comment

Susanne Münstermann, Chargée de Mission at the OIE, addressed delegates on improving the international movement of top-level sport horses at the FEI Sports Forum. Photo: Edouard Curchod/FEI.

Lausanne (SUI), 8 April 2013 – The FEI, World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) and the European Commission addressed delegates on improving the international movement of top-level sport horses at the afternoon session of today’s FEI Sports Forum.

The session was opened by John McEwen, FEI Vice President and Chair of the Veterinary Committee, who introduced a specially commissioned video focusing on the rapid growth of equestrian sport and the progress being made in improving the regulatory approach to the international movement of horses.

Graeme Cooke, FEI Veterinary Director, highlighted the significant socio-economic effects of the sport’s growth, and the major changes in the approach of many government authorities that need to occur in order to sustain these effects. “The number of FEI events around the world has risen by almost 30 per cent during the last five years, and in 2013 we expect to see the busiest event calendar in the history of equestrian sport,” he said.

“Our sport is opening up to new athletes and mass audiences like never before, and with this expansion comes jobs and revenues across continents. In order to maintain this, competition horses need to be moved across many borders more easily, and we are working closely with the OIE and governments to establish a commonly-recognised biosecurity approach to these ‘high-health’, ‘high-performance’ horses.

“We have also taken the opportunity today at the FEI Sports Forum to outline a roadmap for our National Federations, to enable them to take concrete steps to help bring about that change.”

Susanne Münstermann, Chargée de Mission at the OIE, explained the need to introduce a special official category for equine athletes. “Many competition horses are now ‘frequent-flyers’, just like their human counterparts,” she explained.

“From a regulatory point of view, these competition horses enter countries as temporary imports to compete. The OIE and FEI are seeking to establish a global protocol for the movement of these horses, categorising them separately from other horses and other animals, to make this temporary importation procedure much easier.

“We are also proposing a unique system of identification for these horses that governments can trust – a system that clearly shows they are dealing with a lower risk competition horse.”

Dr Alf-Eckbert Füssel, Deputy Head of Unit of the European Commission Health and Consumers Directorate-General, spoke about the regulations for the movement of horses within the European Union, where FEI competition horses are already effectively categorised.

“Over the last 10 years, the FEI and OIE have been working together to pinpoint how best to move sport horses, against the backdrop of international Veterinary Services requirements and biosecurity measures that must be applied,” concluded Graeme Cooke.

“In February, we embarked on a three-year plan, which sees the FEI commit resources in the spirit of a public-private partnership with the OIE, to bring about fundamental changes as quickly as possible.”

The FEI Sports Forum is taking place 8-9 April at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland. The discussions will continue online following the FEI Sports Forum here.

FEI Sports Forum – Veterinary session panellists

John McEwen, FEI Vice President and Chair of the Veterinary Committee
Graeme Cooke, FEI Veterinary Director
Susanne Münstermann, Chargée de Mission at the OIE
Dr Alf-Eckbert Füssel, Deputy Head of Unit of the European Commission Health and Consumers Directorate-General
Dr Sergio Salinas (MEX), Member, FEI Veterinary Committee

Moderator: Richard Nicoll

OIE

With the mandate to improve animal health and welfare worldwide, the OIE is recognised as the reference standard-setting organisation for the international movement of animals, including horses, by the World Trade Organisation.

In September 2012, FEI President HRH Princess Haya was appointed to serve as the OIE’s first Goodwill Ambassador to help raise worldwide awareness of its missions and activities.

FEI & OIE – Movements of International Competition Horses

In 2002, the FEI signed an Official Agreement with the OIE, joining the likes of the World Health Organisation, World Trade Organisation, World Veterinary Association and the International Federation for Animal Health, which have similar OIE agreements.

The FEI and the OIE have since co-hosted joint summits on the international movement of sport horses, which have been attended by over 70 international government representatives and veterinary and horse sport experts from 25 countries.

FEI Media contacts:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

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

OIE Media contact:

Glaïeul Mamaghani
Acting Head, Communications Unit
g.mamaghani@oie.int
+ 33 1 44 15 19 72

Community/Charity

FEI Sports Forum Opens with Debate on Olympic and Paralympic Qualification

Leave a comment

FEI President HRH Princess Haya addresses delegates at the second FEI Sports Forum at the International Management Development Institute in Lausanne. (FEI/Edouard Curchod)

Lausanne (SUI), 8 April 2013 – FEI President HRH Princess Haya welcomed close to 300 delegates to the second FEI Sports Forum, which opened at the International Management Development Institute in Lausanne (SUI) today.

Addressing the delegates, the FEI President commented on the broad cross-section of representatives from the equestrian community attending the Forum, which included the International Olympic Committee (IOC), National Federations, riders and trainers clubs, event organisers, sponsors, welfare organisations and media. “This diversity means that we will all benefit from different viewpoints and insights during our discussions over the next two days and that is exactly what we sought to achieve when we created the FEI Sports Forum,” Princess Haya said.

Following the opening address by the FEI President, the first session of the Forum was devoted to Olympic and Paralympic Games, with National Federations and stakeholders invited to review and participate in open discussions on the quota shift and qualification system for the three Olympic equestrian disciplines – Jumping, Dressage and Eventing – and for Paralympic Dressage for the 2016 Rio Games, as well as harmonisation of the rules across the three Olympic disciplines.

FEI Secretary General, Ingmar De Vos opened the session with a debrief on the London 2012 Olympic Games. He spoke of the importance of having equestrian sport back at the heart of the Olympics, complimenting LOCOG on the success of the Games and highlighting the close team work between LOCOG and the FEI. The Secretary General commented on the new global dimension of the first truly social media Games. And a completely clean Games was the best possible endorsement of the FEI’s Clean Sport Campaign, he said.

The FEI, together with LOCOG and the IOC, has conducted an extensive post-Games internal debrief, which will be shared with future organisers, and the Federation is now in the final phase of appointing a Games coordinator, who will work on future Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as FEI World Equestrian Games and major championships.

Christophe Dubi, IOC Sports Director and Deputy Olympic Games Executive Director, also spoke about the success of London 2012, from a media and television perspective and for producing the best spectator figures ever achieved, with ticket sales at 97% overall and more than 99% for the equestrian events at Greenwich. He was full of praise for the passionate and unified equestrian community, and confirmed that equestrian is part of the 25 sports recommended by the IOC Executive Board to be included on the core programme for 2020 that will be voted en bloc at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires (ARG) next September. He also spoke about the importance of harmonisation across the disciplines to make equestrian sport more readily understood.

“Harmonisation is very important from an IOC perspective and for the general public,” he said. “You need to make that effort to make your sport easier to understand. You have to think about how to present your sport in the best way. Sport presentation has become a key asset, and the branding of your competition is as important as the sports presentation. That may be seen as a revolution inside the sport, but from the outside it’s seen as evolution, and it’s central to the development of the sport,” he said.

The importance of reaching agreement on the proposed changes to the quota system and the qualification structure for the Rio 2016 Games was emphasised by the FEI Secretary General. The final decision on both these issues rests with the IOC.

“We have a very clear message from the IOC that no increase on the overall quota for equestrian sport of 200 athletes will be accepted,” De Vos said. “These are the parameters and we need to find the best balance between universality and performance and to give equal chances to all regions. There is no perfect solution, but it is important to have consensus within our community. The credibility of that community and of our sport depends on our ability to put aside national interests and stand together behind a unified proposal for the IOC.”

To ensure that the same number of nations can qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games, it is proposed that all three Olympic disciplines should be aligned, so that teams in each discipline would include a maximum of four riders with the three best scores to count. This would mean a reduction from five riders to four in Eventing; and an increase from three riders to four in Dressage, and allow for the introduction of one reserve horse per team for Eventing to bring it into line with the other two disciplines.

Under the proposed quota shift, Jumping remains at 75 starters, while Eventing drops to 65 (from 75 in 2012) to allow Dressage numbers to increase to 60 (from 50). It was highlighted that the simulation of the new quota distribution for Eventing, based on the 2012 Olympic Games figures, would not have altered the number of qualified nations. The British National Federation expressed its concern about the reduction of team members for Eventing, but understood why the proposal had been made.

Consensus on the quota shift was reached and will now be brought to the IOC. There is more time to finalise the proposal for specific qualification systems before it is submitted to the FEI General Assembly in November, and stakeholders were urged to continue the debate on the dedicated Online Platform.

There were a number of requests from delegates for the quota to be increased, and Christophe Dubi said that every International Federation is seeking an increase. “Let’s be very clear here, the quotas were set in 1996 and have remained roughly the same, and will remain the same,” he said. “The essence of every IF is to grow their sport, but if you added 20 more riders, or there were more athletes in other sports, what’s the added value for the Olympic Games? It’s the same for every sport and the answer from a purely objective standpoint is that it wouldn’t make a difference. It comes down to the balance between universality and performance. The Games represent the pinnacle and the 200 you have represent your sport best on a worldwide basis.”

The FEI Secretary General then opened discussion on qualification criteria for the 2016 Paralympics, the final topic of the opening session, starting with an evaluation of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, including highlighting record ticket sales and the huge media interest generated by the Para-Dressage events at Greenwich Park. The rapid development of the sport has meant that some changes to the format are necessary, and FEI Dressage and Para-Dressage Director Trond Asmyr spoke on the proposals, which include the reduction of maximum participants from one country from five to four and the necessity to include at least one rider from Grade III or IV in the team.

Both the FEI Secretary General and session moderator Richard Nicoll again highlighted the FEI Sports Forum Online Platform and invited delegates and other stakeholders to continue the discussion online on www.fei.org.

Panellists for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Qualification System Forum were IOC Sports Director & Deputy Olympic Games Executive Director, Christophe Dubi, FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos, the Chairs of the FEI Technical Committees – John Madden (USA), Jumping; Giuseppe Della Chiesa (ITA), Eventing; Frank Kemperman (NED), Dressage; and Ulf Wilken (SWE), Para-Dressage; the FEI Olympic and Paralympic discipline Directors – John Roche (Jumping), Trond Asmyr (Dressage and Para-Dressage) and Catrin Norinder (Eventing and Olympic), and FEI Senior Legal Counsel Mikael Rentsch.

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

Uncategorized

FEI Sports Forum 2013 Discussion Documents Available Online

Leave a comment

Lausanne (SUI), 12 March 2013 – The documents which will serve as a basis for the discussions at this year’s FEI Sports Forum are now available online and can be accessed here.

The documents include a proposed qualification system for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, a road map for change regarding the international movement of competition horses, amendments to the FEI Rules for International Combined Driving Events, draft rules for the FEI Nations Cup Dressage, review of the Dressage Freestyle judging format, a report on the pilot project for the FEI Jumping Event Classification System, summaries of the modifications to the FEI Jumping Rules and Invitation System, and an update on matters raised in connection with the Longines Rankings.

The FEI Sports Forum is an annual event open to all FEI stakeholders, offering a unique opportunity to contribute on topics key to the future of the entire sport. This year’s Sports Forum will take place in Lausanne (SUI) on 8 and 9 April at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), a top-ranked business school that develops global leaders through high-impact executive education.

Registration can be done online through the event’s dedicated platform www.fei.org/sportsforum. We encourage all those interested in equestrian sport to attend the FEI’s Sports Forum and take part in these important discussions.

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

Community/Charity, Events, FEI

Registration for FEI Sports Forum 2013 Opens

Leave a comment

Lausanne (SUI), 15 February 2013 – The registration process for the FEI Sports Forum is now open and representatives of National Federations, event organisers, athletes, trainers, officials, the media and all other FEI stakeholders wishing to attend are invited to register using the dedicated online platform http://www.fei.org/sportsforum.

The Forum will be held on 8 and 9 April in Lausanne (SUI) at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), a top-ranked business school that develops global leaders through high-impact executive education. Recent speakers at the school include former USA President Bill Clinton and Jamaica’s six-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt.

Qualification systems for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, career progression of athletes in the business world, and international movement of horses will be the featured topics for discussion. Round table sessions on Driving, Dressage and Jumping will also be organised within the framework of the Forum. The detailed programme of the event is available on the online platform.

The supporting documents on which the discussions will be based will be published in March.

The FEI Sports Forum was part of the FEI President HRH Princess Haya’s re-election manifesto and is now an annual event.

Media Contacts:

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

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

Community/Charity, Events, FEI

Programme of FEI Sports Forum for 2013 Unveiled

Leave a comment

Lausanne (SUI), 30 November 2012 – Qualification systems for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, career progression of athletes in the business world, and international movement of horses will be the discussion topics at the second FEI Sports Forum, which will take place on 8 and 9 April 2013. Round table sessions on Driving, Dressage, and Jumping will also be organised within the framework of the event.

The Forum will be held in Lausanne (SUI) at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), a top-ranked business school that develops global leaders through high-impact executive education. Recent speakers at the school include former USA President Bill Clinton and Jamaica’s six-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt.

Continue reading Programme of FEI Sports Forum for 2013 Unveiled →

Community/Charity, Events, FEI

Inaugural FEI Sports Forum Debate Continues Online

Leave a comment

Lausanne (SUI), 4 May 2012 – The inaugural FEI Sports Forum, which opened on 30 April in the Olympic capital Lausanne (SUI) for three days of discussion to help shape the future of equestrian sport, has now moved online.

The dedicated online platform, which can be accessed here, is designed to ensure that ideas continue to be shared before proposed rule changes are sent to the National Federations prior to voting at the FEI General Assembly, which will take place in Istanbul (TUR) on 5-8 November 2012.

“The FEI Sports Forum has been invaluable to all members of our community”, said Ingmar de Vos, FEI Secretary General.

“We have had tremendous feedback on the content and the debate it generated during the Forum itself, and we are now looking forward to continuing these constructive discussions online.

Continue reading Inaugural FEI Sports Forum Debate Continues Online →

Community/Charity, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI

Healthy Debate at Eventing Round Table during Sports Forum

Leave a comment
FEI Eventing Committee chair, Giuseppe della Chiesa, led the Eventing Round Table held on the final day of the FEI Sports Forum. (Edouard Curchod/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 2 May 2012 – The difference between CCI and CIC competitions, qualifications and rider licences, were the key topics discussed by more than 80 delegates at the Eventing Round Table, one of two Round Table sessions held today as the final element of the FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne (SUI).

The Eventing Round Table was a follow-up to the four Open Forums that had been held in Luhmühlen (GER), Guadalajara (MEX), Adelaide (AUS) and Kihikihi (NZL), Sports Forum in the past year.

FEI Eventing Committee chair Giuseppe della Chiesa led the meeting, with support from FEI Eventing Committee member Gillian Rolton, who had re-routed from her Ground Jury President role at Badminton, and Catrin Norinder FEI Director Eventing & Olympics.

Continue reading Healthy Debate at Eventing Round Table during Sports Forum →

Community/Charity, FEI

Key Veterinary Issues Covered at FEI Sports Forum

Leave a comment
The veterinary session panellists at the inaugural FEI Sports Forum, which began on 30 April in Lausanne (SUI). © Edouard Curchod/FEI.

Lausanne (SUI), 1 May 2012 – Veterinary issues were the focal point for the afternoon session at the inaugural FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne (SUI) today, which was attended by over 180 delegates from National Federations, the veterinary community, the International Jumping Riders Club and members of the media.

The Forum covered four central themes, delivered by a nine-strong panel headed by John McEwen, Chair of the FEI Veterinary Committee. The key issues covered were:

  • Changes to the 2013 FEI Veterinary Regulations
  • Blood during competition
  • International movement of horses
  • Cloning and Progeny of clones

Changes to 2013 Veterinary Regulations

“This is a significant year, when we have the opportunity to undertake a major review of the FEI Veterinary Regulations,” FEI Veterinary Director Graeme Cooke said.

Continue reading Key Veterinary Issues Covered at FEI Sports Forum →