The FEI revealed at a recent stakeholders’ seminar that eventing had not yet been confirmed for LA, despite an announcement last year to the contrary. This week the FEI told Horsesport.com that eventing was confirmed – contingent on a new format being agreed (with cross-country likely to run last) and the horse park being able accommodate the cross-country as well as the arena-based disciplines. The FEI spokesman thereby added that eventing “remains to be confirmed.”
The FEI was told about the new requirements just before Christmas. Asked to comment on the apparent misunderstanding eventing was already confirmed for LA, the FEI told HorseSport.com the information flow had in fact been “exceptionally swift … The FEI held discussions with the IOC and OBS both pre and post-Christmas break, in a bid to agree on potential format changes for eventing which they [IOC] instigated, and as soon as there was consensus on the direction of the proposed format changes, the FEI took the first available opportunity to present them to the community at the Online Eventing Seminar on 20 January.”
Stakeholders are now mobilising to agree a new format by March 1.
There is also still no confirmation where the LA horse park will be. (At the last LA Olympics in 1984, cross-country was at the Fairbanks ranch near San Diego, over 100 miles from the main venue.) The LA organising committee wants to make a big announcement about all sport venues soon after Paris 2024, and thus discussions about locations are currently subject to non-disclosure agreements.
The further change of format was presented to the online eventing seminar as an opportunity rather than a setback. FEI president Ingmar de Vos once again quoted the IOC mantra “change or be changed,” and emphasised the need for open-mindedness and that “failure is not an option.”
The Olympic Broadcasting Service (OBS) is driving the format change for eventing; dressage and jumping are unaffected. OBS favors the cross-country running last, at the usual Olympic distance of 5,700m, with medals awarded soon after.
Two format proposals already under discussion are:
- All eventing jumping prior to cross-country, so that the latter provides both the team and individual final;
or
- Days one and two – dressage and team jumping (both on same day)
- Day three – Cross-country and team medal ceremony
- Day four – Individual jumping and medal ceremony.
Obvious welfare issues – notably whether medals would be presented to horses that had not passed post-cross-country veterinary checks – will be ratified at a later date. However, the FEI is confident its cooperation and proactivity will “secure and provide a concrete presence of eventing in the Olympic program.”
The IOC first announced in February 2022 that equestrian was among the sports “proposed” for the “initial” LA programme. On October 13 last year the FEI issued a press release saying the [three] equestrian sports included at Paris 2024 were re-confirmed for Los Angeles. However, the IOC press release that the FEI cross-referenced was mostly about new or readmitted sports. Equestrian was not expressly mentioned in the IOC press release, and there was an inference rather than a categoric statement that the situation for all others was unchanged from Paris.
FEI eventing committee chair David O’Connor said OBS “really liked” the visual appeal of cross-country. “It’s at a venue that is usually quite iconic, the pictures are always quite exciting, so they are very positive about the cross-country.
“They want to increase the viewing interest and increase the viewing ratings … they want to make it more understandable and a greater appreciation of where we get to compete.”
OBS has also suggested running eventing as the last discipline of all, adding to its kudos. Historically, eventing has been the first discipline of the Olympic fortnight. The individual show jumping final is usually the last competition, often the same day as the closing ceremony. There would hopefully be a boost in ticket sales as well, helping to justify the cost, and increased TV and social media audience, by which the IOC evaluates the success of a sport.
“We have every confidence it [confirmation] will happen in the next couple of months,” said O’Connor.
The deadline of March 1 is very short and does not allow for the normal FEI consultation process, which usually takes place over many months. The FEI has already written to national federations asking for feedback by February 20 and told HorseSport.com: “All other topics such as draw of starting orders, number of participants for the Individual Jumping test, etc. will be included in the revision of the FEI Regulations for Equestrian Events at the Olympic Games, which will take place in 2025 and will undergo a full stakeholder consultation process before being submitted for approval at the FEI General Assembly in November 2025.”
It is only one Olympiad since the FEI general assembly controversially agreed to a reduction to teams of three from Tokyo onwards, in order to remain an Olympic sport. There was an unsuccessful bid in 2021 to reinstate teams of four and the dropscore for Paris 2024.
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