FEI Eventing Forum: Shaping the Future of the Sport

Discussions included horse welfare, format changes, risk management, safety mechanisms, flag rules and more.

Chair of the FEI Eventing Committee David O'Connor leading the proceedings. (FEI/Germain Arias-Schreiber photo)

By: FEI Communications | January 21, 2025

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you're listening to an article from horse sport.com. fei eventing forum: shaping the future of the sport by: fei communications |. the fei eventing forum 2025, held for the first time in lausanne on january 17-18, united 128 participants — including elite athletes, eventing officials, national safety officers, organisers, and national federation representatives from 27 nations — to address key topics of importance to the development of the sport. “our sport is at an important juncture, and we must continue working together as a community to develop a strong plan for the future of eventing,” said fei eventing committee chair david o’connor (usa) who led the proceedings over the two days. “but this gathering was also an opportunity to reflect on our recent successes. the olympic games paris 2024 showcased the very best of eventing, with cross-country day in versailles delivering an unforgettable experience. those who were there witnessed the incredible power and athleticism of our horse and athlete combinations up close — an experience few sports can match. advertisement scroll to continue with content “at the same time, we recognise the need for improvement to ensure our sport remains sustainable and continues to engage future audiences. the past few days have provided an important space for the community to address key issues and have face-to-face discussions about the future of the sport, and the insights from athletes who travelled to lausanne were invaluable to these conversations.”. the first day of discussions focused on shaping the future of eventing, with actionable goals prioritising horse welfare as the cornerstone of progress. participants were also asked to consider the potential impact of the possible format changes for the los angeles 2028 olympic games, including their effects on event management, veterinary requirements, and medal ceremonies. additionally, the fei eventing rules revision process was discussed, with the revision schedule moved forward to 2025 to ensure new rules are implemented ahead of the 2026 world championships and aligned with preparations for the 2028 los angeles olympics. sam watson of equiratings delivered an insightful presentation on risk management and course standards, highlighting the value of approaches to enhance safety while maintaining the sport’s competitive integrity. he emphasised the importance of measurable benchmarks to guide decisions and ensure the sport remains both challenging and safe for all participants. the second day of the forum began with a session which featured a distinguished panel of athletes and coaches, each with multiple olympic and world championship medals to their name, including andrew nicholson (nzl), phillip dutton (usa), andrew hoy (aut), and ros canter (gbr). the session was moderated by one of germany’s most accomplished eventing athletes in history, bettina hoy and france’s pierre le goupil, the cross country course designer for the olympic games paris 2024. key discussions during the session focused on ways to enhance sporting performance while prioritising horse welfare, exploring strategies for better results without compromising horse care, managing fatigue, and the role of senior athletes in mentoring less experienced riders. this was followed by a discussion on recent updates to the fei eventing officials’ education system, the course designers mentoring programme led by fei level 4 eventing judge anne-mette binder (den), event manager alec lochore (gbr), and technical delegate neil mackenzie-hall (nzl). the fast-track system was also discussed as a way to support athletes nearing the end of their careers in transitioning into officiating roles, offering mentorship opportunities to help them. the afternoon’s discussions, led by david o’connor, geoff sinclair (aus), and stuart buntine (gbr) focused on critical areas of risk management data, including a comprehensive review of international and national statistics on falls and injuries collected between 2015 and 2024. this was followed by a discussion on the effectiveness of mim safety mechanisms, which highlighted the implications of soft activations and strategies to optimise their application. rosie williams from british eventing also provided participants with an overview of a study on the flag rule which was done to better inform the rule change process. the national safety officers seminar which took place the day after the forum, focused on risk management programmes within national federations and helmet safety, with contributions from fei medical committee chair dr mark hart (usa) and representatives from the national federations of germany, great britain, spain and austria. key documents and information. summaries of the fei eventing forum discussions, as well as videos and presentations can be found on the eventing seminars 2025-2026 section of the risk management hub here.

The FEI Eventing Forum 2025, held for the first time in Lausanne on January 17-18, united 128 participants — including elite athletes, eventing officials, national safety officers, organisers, and national federation representatives from 27 nations — to address key topics of importance to the development of the sport.

“Our sport is at an important juncture, and we must continue working together as a community to develop a strong plan for the future of Eventing,” said FEI Eventing Committee Chair David O’Connor (USA) who led the proceedings over the two days.

“But this gathering was also an opportunity to reflect on our recent successes. The Olympic Games Paris 2024 showcased the very best of Eventing, with cross-country day in Versailles delivering an unforgettable experience. Those who were there witnessed the incredible power and athleticism of our horse and athlete combinations up close — an experience few sports can match.

Scroll to continue with content

“At the same time, we recognise the need for improvement to ensure our sport remains sustainable and continues to engage future audiences. The past few days have provided an important space for the community to address key issues and have face-to-face discussions about the future of the sport, and the insights from athletes who travelled to Lausanne were invaluable to these conversations.”

The first day of discussions focused on shaping the future of Eventing, with actionable goals prioritising horse welfare as the cornerstone of progress.

Participants were also asked to consider the potential impact of the possible format changes for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, including their effects on event management, veterinary requirements, and medal ceremonies. Additionally, the FEI Eventing Rules Revision process was discussed, with the revision schedule moved forward to 2025 to ensure new rules are implemented ahead of the 2026 World Championships and aligned with preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Sam Watson of EquiRatings delivered an insightful presentation on risk management and course standards, highlighting the value of data-driven approaches to enhance safety while maintaining the sport’s competitive integrity. He emphasised the importance of measurable benchmarks to guide decisions and ensure the sport remains both challenging and safe for all participants.

The second day of the Forum began with a session which featured a distinguished panel of athletes and coaches, each with multiple Olympic and World Championship medals to their name, including Andrew Nicholson (NZL), Phillip Dutton (USA), Andrew Hoy (AUT), and Ros Canter (GBR). The session was moderated by one of Germany’s most accomplished Eventing athletes in history, Bettina Hoy and France’s Pierre Le Goupil, the Cross Country Course designer for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Key discussions during the session focused on ways to enhance sporting performance while prioritising horse welfare, exploring strategies for better results without compromising horse care, managing fatigue, and the role of senior athletes in mentoring less experienced riders.

This was followed by a discussion on recent updates to the FEI Eventing Officials’ Education System, the Course Designers Mentoring Programme led by FEI Level 4 Eventing Judge Anne-Mette Binder (DEN), Event Manager Alec Lochore (GBR), and Technical Delegate Neil Mackenzie-Hall (NZL). The fast-track system was also discussed as a way to support athletes nearing the end of their careers in transitioning into officiating roles, offering mentorship opportunities to help them.

The afternoon’s discussions, led by David O’Connor, Geoff Sinclair (AUS), and Stuart Buntine (GBR) focused on critical areas of risk management data, including a comprehensive review of international and national statistics on falls and injuries collected between 2015 and 2024. This was followed by a discussion on the effectiveness of MIM safety mechanisms, which highlighted the implications of soft activations and strategies to optimise their application.

Rosie Williams from British Eventing also provided participants with an overview of a study on the flag rule which was done to better inform the rule change process.

The National Safety Officers Seminar which took place the day after the Forum, focused on risk management programmes within National Federations and helmet safety, with contributions from FEI Medical Committee Chair Dr Mark Hart (USA) and representatives from the National Federations of Germany, Great Britain, Spain and Austria.

Key documents and information

Summaries of the FEI Eventing Forum discussions, as well as videos and presentations can be found on the Eventing Seminars 2025-2026 section of the Risk Management Hub HERE.