The FEI Hybrid General Assembly 2023 took place in Mexico City (MEX) and online on 21 November.

A summary of the main decisions taken by the General Assembly is available here.

An in-person FEI Board meeting took place after the General Assembly.

A summary of the main decisions taken by the Board is available here.

 

Meeting documents

The detailed timetable, agenda, and meeting documents are publicly available in the dedicated hub here.

 

Other news

Other news published in connection with the General Assembly:

FEI Board Meeting I, 18 November – wrap-up report on key decisions

A+ for the FEI World Championships 2026 as Aachen and Al Ula confirmed as hosts

FEI Board takes decision on protective measures regarding Russian and Belarusian Athletes, Horses and Officials

Proposed modifications to FEI Rules including a full rules revision for Endurance, ideas for optimising the existing rules revision process, the FEI’s work in the areas of education, sustainability, accessibility and the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games were the subjects under discussion at the sessions in Mexico City (MEX) today. 

In the FEI Rules Session, FEI Deputy Legal Director Aine Power discussed the existing FEI Rules Revision Policy, which was initiated in 2020. According to the policy, a full revision of discipline rules takes place every four years, while rule changes outside the context of a full rule revision are only permitted when they meet specific criteria (e.g. addressing urgent athlete and horse welfare and safety issues, correcting inconsistencies, implementation of new technologies, mandated changes from organisations such as IOC, IPC, WADA and ASOIF or in other circumstances when approved by the FEI Board).

The FEI Rules Revision Policy was implemented to streamline the rules process, addressing feedback that the annual review of all rules had become excessively burdensome. While the current policy serves to uphold principles of democracy and transparency, the delegates were asked to consider whether the constantly evolving rulebooks and the volume of changes that are put forward every year align with the overall purpose of rules, which is to provide clarity in the sport. The implementation of a new rulebook every year impacts on athletes, officials, National Federations, and Organising Committees who must familiarise themselves with the changes on an annual basis.

In the session, delegates were asked to consider if they were happy to maintain the status quo or if thought should be given to making some changes, for example limiting the number of annual rule changes or if an alternate model needs to be considered. The FEI Deputy Legal Director stressed that the door would remain open for discussion and encouraged delegates to provide their feedback.

The session continued with a discussion of the key changes proposed to the FEI Endurance Rules which are undergoing a full revision. These changes relate to: star level of events; categories of FEI Endurance Events; minimum weights; novice qualifications; CEI qualifications and validity of CEI star level qualification; Championship rules; mandatory out of competition periods; rotation of officials; Technical Delegate and Ground Jury roles; elite athlete status; athlete and trainer penalty points; warning cards; horse inspections, examinations and control of medication; officials required for events; and Endurance awards. 

In the second half of the session led by FEI Legal Director Mikael Rentsch, delegates were taken through various proposed changes to the FEI Statutes, General Regulations as well as other discipline and Veterinary Rules and Regulations.

All proposals and modifications will be put forward to the FEI Hybrid General Assembly for approval on 21 November. Delegates will be required to vote separately on proposals concerning the new FEI Social Media Policy, Integrity and Ethics related provisions, and the transition period on the Appointment of National Officials in Eventing.

In the session – Making the most out of educational and development programmes – FEI Director of Education and Officials Frank Spadinger and FEI Director of Solidarity Jean-Philippe Camboulives showcased the extensive educational tools and solutions that are made available by the FEI – free of cost – to help inform and educate the equestrian community.  

Delegates were informed about the various online materials and videos available through FEI Campus, as well as awareness campaigns like "Beat the Heat" and "Think Outside the Box". The vast catalogue of in-person courses for National Federations, Coaches, Grooms, Farriers, stable managers, biosecurity-related personnel and Veterinarians was outlined for delegates. A common thread through the discussions was the crucial role that National Federations play in informing and distributing educational content.

The session was followed by discussions on the Sustainability and Accessibility activities of the FEI.

In his video address, FEI Sustainability Manager Somesh Dutt took delegates through the FEI's sustainability initiatives, in particular the FEI Sustainability Handbook for Event Organisers, urging organisers to pose critical questions about product sourcing, composition, packaging and end-of-life implications before making key sustainability decisions.

FEI Director of Games Operations Tim Hadaway then took the floor to introduce the recently created FEI Accessibility Handbook for Event Organisers, which aims to provide a systematic approach to enhancing the accessibility of FEI Equestrian Events for para athletes, support staff, spectators, media, volunteers, and stakeholders with disabilities.

The cost-effectiveness of integrating sustainability and accessibility into the Event planning process from the outset, as well as the importance of early engagement and collective involvement, was keenly emphasised. The value of including a dedicated sustainability and accessibility role within event teams, ensuring consideration across all planning aspects, was also put forward to delegates for consideration.

In the last session of the day, Tim Hadaway and FEI Eventing Director Catrin Norinder took delegates through the preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The session covered venue teams, layouts, competition schedules, operational intricacies, and design considerations, including jumping and cross-country obstacles, dressage arenas, and hospitality. Rule clarifications, an explanation of qualification procedures, key dates and deadlines for the Olympic and Paralympic Games were also put forward to delegates.

All presentations from today’s sessions can be found on the FEI General Assembly Hub

The FEI and the Maison de la Recherche en Sciences Humaine MRSH, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique MRSH CNRS (Human Sciences Research Centre, National Centre for Scientific Research) of the University of Caen in France have entered a partnership regarding an exciting new project. La Bibliothèque Mondiale du Cheval (World Horse Library) is an innovative digital library combining the resources of public and private libraries around the world on the subject of the horse.

The Library currently has an inventory of over 15,000 books with over a quarter that have been digitalised  and is constantly being enriched by the addition of new works. It is a highly collaborative initiative open to all existing public and private libraries, who retain their copyright while becoming a part of the Library’s corpus. The books are not only being digitalised but are also cross-referenced and annotated by experts in various fields, which takes the project to a higher scientific and methodological level.

Located in Normandy, the region in the northwest of France, where the highly successful FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 were held, the University of Caen is a national centre of digital publishing and carries the prestigious Biblissima label of excellence.

La Bibliothèque Mondiale du Cheval benefits from exceptionally advanced interdisciplinary research on digital documents and is being supported by the French authorities and especially the Normandy Region.

“The FEI is thrilled to become a partner of La Bibliothèque Mondiale du Cheval, an innovative project dedicated to promoting and encouraging knowledge transfer”, FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “It is the first time that such massive digital resources in the academic world are being dedicated to the subject of the horse and we are very excited to be involved.”

In the framework of the partnership between the FEI and La Bibliothèque Mondiale du Cheval, a conference "Sports Équestres, Jeux et Enjeux” (Equestrian Sports, Games and Stakes) will be organised on 1 August 2024 during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the auditorium of the Chateau de Versailles.

Various speakers, historians, researchers and academics will gather at the Château de Versailles, the iconic venue of the Olympic equestrian competitions.

“We look forward to gathering at Versailles during the world’s greatest sporting event, the Olympic Games,” Xavier Libbrecht (FRA), Project Leader for La Bibliothèque Mondiale du Cheval, said.

“Asking questions about the future of equestrianism, a unique sport in a changing world, through the prism of the values implicit in humankind’s relationship with the horse was a rare opportunity, which we could not pass up. Doing it in the historical setting of Versailles, which has been the centre of what became known as "court equitation" or "academic equitation" since the time on French King Louis XIII in the first part of the 17^th century, makes it truly exceptional.

“This partnership with the FEI is very much based on cooperation and collaboration and we look forward to working together to centralise the resources and information around equestrian sports and their development over time.”

On a day of fabulous sport and wild celebrations, Kevin Staut and Beau de Laubry Z won the fifth leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2023/2024 Western European League series in Stuttgart, Germany.

The home crowd may have been hoping that one of their own would take the top step of the podium, but they roared with delight when the Frenchman set the eight-horse jump-off alight with a sensational round from his 10-year-old gelding that simply couldn’t be beaten.

Young British star, Harry Charles, finished a very close second with Casquo Blue while Staut’s compatriot, Francois Boudant, slotted into third with Brazyl du Mezel, and best of the nine German contenders was Hans-Dieter Dreher who lined up in fourth with Elysium. 

For Staut, who turned 43 last week, this was one very special victory. He arrived in Stuttgart on a Wild Card and it worked out like a dream.

“I’m really happy - can you believe it’s 11 years since I won here last! This is a really fantastic show, the organisers are thinking about the sport first and that’s what makes it so special! You can feel the atmosphere in that arena - it’s totally crazy, the crowd are really, really nice with everyone, and of course they are hoping for a German victory but they also are all horsemen and horsewomen and what they want is to see great sport!”

That’s exactly what they got today.

Course

Top Dutch course designer, Louis Konickx, created the 13-fence first-round track that included five fences standing at a full 1.60m with a time-allowed of 69 seconds, and it took some riding. There was a tricky turn to the triple combination at fence four and absolute accuracy required to negotiate the pink-topped vertical at eight to the following oxer at nine and a sharp right bend to a narrow vertical at fence 10. For several however the game was already up when the oxer at fence two hit the floor.

“It was difficult, just eight clears and the time-allowed was tight so it motivated the riders to run a little bit against the clock already in the first round”, Staut explained.

Boudant set the pace in the jump-off when clear in 42.08 seconds and neither Dreher nor fellow-German Kendra Brinkop threatened that despite great clears. Staut’s round flowed seamlessly however, the 2009 individual European champion and 2016 Olympic team gold medallist never losing momentum and racing through the timers in 41.78 seconds to really put it up to the remaining three. 

Sweden’s Amanda Landeblad and For Killy returned a nine-fault result but reigning European champions, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat and Dynamix de Belheme, looked set to oust the French leader as they wound their way around the snaking eight-fence challenge. However the penultimate oxer and the final vertical didn’t come up quite right, and time in the air over the last cost valuable fractions of seconds that saw them cross the line in 42.99 which would only be good enough for fifth place in the final analysis.

Real threat

The real threat to Staut came from Britain’s Charles and his 13-year-old gelding who set off like they were on fire when last to go. 

“I didn’t quite think I could catch Kevin, Casquo isn’t the fastest horse but when you have a crowd like this behind you then you give it everything and the horse gave it everything as well. It was so close, but honestly it feels like a win anyway!”, said the popular 24-year-old after breaking the beam in 41.92, just 0.14 seconds off Staut’s winning time, to secure runner-up spot.

The spectators loved every moment of it, and all the riders were talking about the tremendous atmosphere in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer Halle this weekend. “This is the best crowd I’ve ever jumped in front of!”, Charles said this evening.

He enjoyed a really successful show over the last few days. “I came here last year for the first time and didn’t have the luckiest week and I made a promise to myself I’d come back next year. This is a show I always wanted to perform well at, and on Friday to become the German Master was a pretty cool title! I would have loved to have won the World Cup today but maybe I’ll come back next year and try again!”, the British rider added.

Turn

Staut said it was his turn to the last fence that clinched it for him today. 

“I had a good left turn at the wall (fence 3) and then Henk (Nooren, French Chef d’Equipe) told me I had to turn inside if possible to the vertical (last fence) - but let’s see how you jump the oxer (second-last). If you jump that well then you are in the trajectory to take the last because the other horses are really fast and mine would not be the fastest - but he was so great today!”, the winning rider said.

He talked about where he is in his career right now. 

“It’s difficult at the moment, I’m trying to rebuild the horses I can have and I can ride, it’s take a long time but for sure when you have this kind of victory it gives an extra boost for everyone!”, he pointed out.

He has only been partnered with Beau de Laubry Z for the last year.

“He was supposed to be a dealing horse but Henk took him in his view next year for the Olympics so he’s really motivated that we are doing a great job on him. He’s got him at home sometimes to do flatwork, he is at every practice I am doing to try to help me. The horse is really sensitive and a bit stiff, but we are working a lot and this is a horse with such a big, big heart and he is such a clever one. I’m really lucky the owners decided to keep him until the end of next year, they secured him for me to ride so it’s a great, great pleasure!”, he explained.

Impression

Staut’s initial impression of Beau de Laubry wasn’t flattering, but the bay gelding has surely turned that around.

“Before I got him he was just jumping 1.40m, 1.45m and honestly when they were showing me the video I didn’t want to try him because he was really special! And then they were telling me they would bring him to my place and I could try him anyway. I wasn’t motivated at all but the feeling when I got on him was really great, so we made the deal. 

“Sometimes the stories come from nowhere - this horse was really not on target to be a superstar, but he’s trying to do his best and now he is there - and he’s amazing!”, the delighted Frenchman said.

So what are his plans for the rest of the season, with a view to the Longines final 2024 in Riyadh (KSA) next April? He has long been an avid supporter of the much-loved and prestigious series.

“At the moment I have a few points, something like 33 - not like I’m counting!!”, he said with a laugh today. He’s currently lying fifth on the Western European League leaderboard. His highest-placed finish at the 11 Jumping World Cup finals in which he has competed was third with the great Silvana HDC in Gothenburg (SWE) ten years ago.

“I’m going to Madrid (ESP) next week and to London (GBR, in December). I really love the World Cup tour, and every time I try my best”, he pointed out. 

So don’t miss a hoofbeat….

Result

Standings

Whilst the sanctions prohibiting international competitions to be held in Russia and Belarus remain in place, the FEI Board has decided to lift protective measures to allow future participation of Russian and Belarusian Athletes, Horses and Officials as neutrals. The conditions and timeline for implementation will be put forward for approval by the FEI Board during a teleconference in December 2023.

The FEI Board discussed the protective measures at length during its in-person meeting on 18 November 2023 in Mexico City, which had been imposed on Russian and Belarusian Athletes, Horses and Officials on 2 March 2022 following the full-scale military invasion of Ukraine.

The Board was updated on the latest position of the International Olympic Committee which had urged International Federations to consider re-admitting Russian and Belarusian Athletes to international competitions under certain conditions and the changed situation among other International Federations. It was noted that since the protective measures had been introduced over 18 months ago, the situation in other sports has changed and Russian and Belarusian individual athletes have gradually resumed participation in international sport as neutrals alongside Ukrainian athletes without significant disruption to the competitions.

The Board noted that the original protective measures were put in place further to the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee however, it was acknowledged that the measures currently in place may no longer fulfill a protective role and, therefore, had to be reconsidered.

The FEI Headquarters was tasked by the Board with establishing the conditions and timeline allowing individual Russian and Belarusian Athletes, Horses and Officials to resume participation in FEI Events as neutrals. In the meantime, Russian and Belarusian Athletes, Horses and Officials remain ineligible to participate in FEI Events.

The Board took the opportunity to reiterate its full support to the people of Ukraine, who have suffered and continue to suffer tremendously, and pledged its continued solidarity and support to the Ukrainian equestrian community through the FEI Solidarity Relief Fund.

FEI Board Meeting Wrap-Up Report

A summary of all the key decisions taken by the Board on 18 November are available in the wrap-up report here.

The press release on the allocation of the FEI World Championships 2026 to Aachen (GER) and Al Ula (KSA) can be viewed here.

Conor Swail (IRL) spent the last two seasons of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League at the top of the standings. But through the first four legs of the 2023-24 season, he uncharacteristically had yet to make the podium of a World Cup event.

But ahead of the league's fifth leg in Las Vegas (USA), Swail felt that his mount from the 2022 World Cup Finals, Count Me In was feeling primed for a confident effort. His feelings were justified, as he and his longtime partner bested a six-horse jump-off at the unique venue that is the South Point Hotel & Casino. 

The duo crossed the timers of Olaf Petersen, Jr. (GER) jump-off track in 38.28 seconds. Swail's student Vanessa Mannix (CAN) produced the only other double-clear effort to finish second with Lehar (39.49 seconds). Jill Humphrey finished third with Chromatic BF (4/39.18). 

"I'm lucky that 'Crosby' is very quick. Regardless, he is very careful. I thought I would just stick to the plan and have a nice, tidy round, and it worked out very well for me."

Conor Swail (IRL)

Petersen, Jr.'s first round track proved formidable for the 28-strong field with its many options for striding, blind turns and a most technical final line that consisted of a 1.60m narrow upright and a steadying distance to the widest oxer on course. A clear round did not come until the 18th combination, when Katie Laurie (AUS) and her homebred Django II cracked the code. Five other combinations would join them for the jump-off, all coming from the final eight riders.

"There were options everywhere throughout the course," Swail said, "so basically you had to stick to the plan that suited your horse best and try to execute."

Each of the first three combinations to jump off had rails, including defending champions Lillie Keenan (USA) and Agana van het Gerendal Z. Third in the order, Swail broke things open with "Crosby," setting himself apart with a most expedient track to the combination and a swift gallop up the final line. 

Swail shared his strategy with his student of more than 15 years, Mannix. Mannix gave great chase, but she settled for second after finishing fourth a week ago in Toronto (CAN) with Carmela Z. Mannix has been training with Swail and James Chawke (IRL) since 2007.

"We're very good friends. Vanessa has been riding great [on the North American League] for a number of years now," Swail said. "She's got a nice string of horses at the moment, and it's fantastic to see her on the podium as well."

But Swail gushed most about his equine partner, who has given him some of his career's most memorable milestones, including a top eight finish in Leipzig. Earlier in 2023, Swail felt his partner's confidence wasn't at its strongest, but the 16-year-old gelding is now having an exciting resurgence.

"This year has been a little up-and-down for him...Then we went through a little period where he wasn't comfortable jumping the bigger fences, so we took a step back," Swail said. "[Tonight], he felt as good as he ever has, so I'm really delighted.

"The horse owes me nothing. I think he's the best horse I've ever ridden. He brought me to the World Cup Finals. I won at Dublin (IRL). He's brought me incredible days and basically brought me to the top 10 in the world. If he didn't want to jump anymore, that's totally fine with me. But thankfully he's feeling really good again."

Conor Swail (IRL)

Swail's win catapulted him to second on the North American League standings with 30 points. Daniel Bluman (ISR) leads the standings with 43 points, while Mannix sits third (30 points). 

The North American League continues in Fort Worth (USA) on 16 December 2023.

Full results

Standings

There will be two destinations in 2026 if you are looking to attend an FEI World Championship; Aachen in Germany for the lion’s share with Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage, Eventing, Driving and Vaulting set to take place from 10 to 23 August 2026; and Al Ula in Saudi Arabia for Endurance on 17 October 2026.

Aachen is renowned internationally for its CHIO, which dates back almost a hundred years and offers excellent facilities and flawless organisation to the world’s best riders and thousands of spectators, who flock to the Soers venue evey summer. In 2006 – exactly 20 years prior to the FEI World Championships 2026 – Aachen hosted the fifth edition of the FEI World Equestrian Games™, the major event where from 1990 to 2018 World Championships in all the FEI disciplines were held at the same time at the same venue. The Aachen Games were a remarkable public and sporting success and attracted no less than 576,000 spectators generating unprecedented media coverage.

“We thank the FEI for their trust,” CHIO Aachen General Manager Michael Mronz said. “We feel honoured and pleased to host, together with the German Equestrian Federation, the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026 in six disciplines: Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Vaulting and Para Dressage. Already today we would like to invite the entire world of equestrian sport to Aachen so that we can celebrate an unforgettable event together in 2026.”

Al-Ula is an ancient Arabic oasis city in the Medina Province, located approximately 1000kms northwest from the Saudi capital Riyadh. It is a place of extraordinary beauty as well as rare human and natural heritage going back 200,000 years of largely unexplored human history. Al Ula, which is undergoing spectacular development as a nature, cultural, education and sporting centre, hosts the annual Fursan Endurance Cup, which attracts some 200 horses and riders from over 40 countries to each edition.

“The Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation and the Royal Commission for Al Ula have collaborated to secure this honourable hosting opportunity,” HH Prince Abdullah Bin Fahad Bin Abdullah Al Saud, President of Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation, said.

“This responsibility weighs greatly upon us, and we are confident that Al Ula will deliver an authentic and unprecedented sporting experience within a unique and fascinating context. We are diligently preparing for an event of this calibre, aligning with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030," he concluded. 

“We are proud to have been awarded the FEI Endurance World Championship 2026 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, at Al Ula,” Ziad Abdulrahman Al Suhaibani, Head of Sport Sector at the Royal Commission for Al Ula, declared.

“The majestic county of Al Ula has proven to be an ideal destination for endurance rides, boasting a technical track immersed in evocative natural beauty. Sport and equestrianism stand as pivotal elements in Al Ula's socioeconomic development.”

“The allocation by the FEI Board of the FEI World Championships 2026 to Aachen and Al Ula is a significant decision for the future of equestrian sport,” said FEI President Ingmar De Vos.

“We examined every aspect of the bids we received and especially the sporting infrastructures, the conditions for the horses, accessibility and sustainability. The FEI is delighted to have secured such outstanding hosts for our most prestigious Championships three years in advance, which allows plenty of time for preparation and planning.

“I would like to congratulate the winners, who submitted outstanding bids. We are all well aware of Aachen’s unique track record of organising extremely successful large-scale events. We were impressed with Al Ula’s proposal, which not only contains all the components of a successful event but seeks to showcase the heritage and potential of an entire region.

“And last but not least, I would like to thank all the bidders, who took part in this process for their strong bids and commitment to the sport. It was not easy to choose between such strong bids. We hope that those who didn’t get it this time will consider bidding for future events.”

In addition to the FEI World Championships 2026, the FEI Board allocated the FEI European Championships 2025 in Dressage, Driving, Endurance, and Vaulting. Details will be available in the wrap-up report, which will be issued following the meeting.   

Photo caption: From left to right - FEI President Ingmar De Vos, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez, General Manager CHIO Aachen Michael Mronz, President German Equestrian Federation Hans-Joachim Erbel and Secretary General of the German Equestrian Federation Soenke Lauterbach. (FEI/Liz Gregg)

With all the authority that she carries as the most consistently successful athlete in the sport of Dressage, Germany’s Isabell Werth strutted to victory with Emilio at the third leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2023/2024 Western European League in Stuttgart (GER) tonight.

In a competition in which multiple rising stars and established performers produced combination-best results it all came down to Werth’s last-to-go ride, and she aced it with confidence and style. 

Emilio was in the zone from the first beat of their musical score. There was a level of true togetherness about the pair throughout their test, and the 17-year-old gelding gave his all. Werth could feel an extra dimension to him tonight.

“From the minute we started and I said to him, ‘come on, let’s go!’, he was just so cool, and he stayed the same during the whole test! There wasn’t a second when he was tricky or hot, and he was full of power and listening to me. I think he was feeling really proud of himself so he just wanted to do his best!”, said the lady whose record in equestrian sport is second to none.

Fascinating

From the outset tonight’s competition was a fascinating one, and it was Swedish star Patrik Kittel who put it up to the rest of them when eighth to go just before the halfway break with the 13-year-old Bonamour who put a big target score of 81.340 on the board.

This pair have not competed together at top level many times, but they have posted three recent wins including a Grand Prix/Freestyle double in Budapest (HUN) last month.

Next to come close to that target was exciting young German, 24-year-old Raphael Netz, who didn’t hide his delight when posting a personal-best 80.115 with the 12-year-old Great Escape Camelot when fourth-last into the ring. This young man has a formidable record at U25 level and finished seventh with Camelot at the opening leg of the Western European League in Herning (DEN) four weeks ago.

Then the Finnish partnership of Emma Kanerva and her lovely chestnut Greek Air also posted a PB of 80.375 with an exhibition of real partnership before Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald set the new standard at 82.965 with Blue Hors Don Olymbrio.

The handsome stallion showed a charming blend of power and light-footedness, their only error a slight blip in tempi changes, and the horse seemed to eyeball judge at C, Denmark’s Hans-Christian Matthiesen, as he turned from his final halt knowing he had done a really nice job.

Class of his own

But Emilio was in a class of his own today.

“To be honest I think maybe this is the best test we’ve ever done - he was on fire today!”, said Werth after bringing the competition to the perfect conclusion with a score of 86.880 that put the result beyond any doubt.

Madeleine Winter-Schulze’s gelding simply cruised through his test with incredible ease and as he carried Werth up the final centreline for their one-handed ride to halt the crowd were going wild because they knew they were watching the winners.

The atmosphere in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer Halle was something all the leading riders talked about post-competition. “It was outstanding - something more than ever today, the support of the crowd was incredible!”, Werth said.

For Skodborg Merrald her result today was her third runner-up finish from three starts so far this season, but with 51 points already on the leaderboard she is well on the road to the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2024 which will take place in Riyadh (KSA) next April. 

She too felt the electricity in the fully packed stadium. “It was like a party in there - that was the craziest atmosphere I’ve ever experienced!”, she said.

Agreed

And third-place Kittel agreed. 

“You never know how horses will react with so many people, the music and the special atmosphere, but my horse did a great job and I really enjoyed it!”, he said. 

He has no intention of stepping back from further legs of the league despite his strong lead on the league table with 68 qualifying points already accumulated so far. “My horses are really fit and in great form so I’m happy with today and I intend to keep going!”, he pointed out.

Werth meanwhile will be taking her time in planning her season with a view to the Final. “I need to sit down and work it out, because of course we have to look towards Paris (2024 Olympic Games) too. I will ride some more qualifiers but I’m not sure which ones I will go to just yet”, she explained.

The next of the 11 Western European League qualifiers is just a week away when the action moves to Madrid (ESP), so don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Result

Standings

Backed by one of the best crowds on the circuit, Boyd Exell (AUS) and his slick, super-speedy horses raised the roof at the FEI Driving World Cup™ in Stuttgart to take his third win out of three in this series.  Indoor Driving has been at Stuttgart since 1994 when the great Michael Freund (GER) went on to take thirteen victories in a row.  But that was before the Australian sealed his unwavering dominance of the sport.

“Stuttgart has an amazing, electric atmosphere with an educated Driving public.  It’s where World Cup Driving started so it means a lot to be here.  It was a really high-speed course and today, Michael Brauchle was first out with a very fast time and clear round, so it added to the pressure.  Ijsbrand got ahead of him by just one second and Koos had great speed as it was an open course that suited his horses, so it was a close competition.  But my team can do both – they can do high speed and they can be technical.  They are just such brilliant horses!” – Boyd Exell (AUS)

Using three of his horses from Lyon (FRA) and one from Maastricht (NED), Boyd and his team are so consistent that even when a ball rolls or they are in second place, they put so much pressure on those in front that they force mistakes from their rivals.  In a similar scenario to last weekend, it was an error from a Dutch driver while he was in the lead that helped secure victory for the reigning world champion.

Koos de Ronde (NED) had set blistering times in both first rounds on Friday and Saturday to go ahead and ensure his top three placings.  But balls rolling on Friday then a slip from his leader in the water in the drive-off on Saturday meant that he couldn’t maintain his position. Despite starting so well on his final round he lost his line through the water exit cones and there followed a costly ring of the bell and rebuild of obstacle seven.  Finishing on a total of 226.40, Koos slipped to third.

“Boyd’s score was 151 and I had done the course in 150 seconds, so I knew that my only chance was to go fast again with no mistakes.  At the beginning of my drive-off there were no mistakes but then my left leader tripped in the water and he pulled my team to the left so I ran over cones four and seven.  I was focussing on my horse to make sure he was okay then I lost the track and made some extra loops.  It was a pity but the horses were so good.  Afterwards I was asked by one of the jumpers why I didn’t quit because I was already third, but I said that we drivers don’t quit!”- Koos de Ronde (NED)

Taking second place was Ijsbrand Chardon (NED) who recovered well from mistakes in his drive-off on Friday night when he misjudged entering the water and sent number eight flying.  He pulled up before the judge’s bell rang so the clock ticked on and he accrued more penalties on a technicality.  But he was back on form on Saturday and produced two quick and precise drives to end on 160.38, which was 9.22 behind Boyd’s total of 151.16.

The remaining qualifying drivers who took on Jeroen Houterman’s (NED) 14-obstacle course with a watersplash in the magnificent Hanns-Martin-Schleyer Halle were Jérôme Voutaz (SUI) and home crowd favourite Mareike Harm (GER), who were joined by Michael Brauchle (GER) as a wild card.

To roars from the audience, Michael opened proceedings and came out on Friday at lightning speed.  But the gamble didn’t pay off and a knock in the obstacle meant a bell ring and rebuild and he ended the night in sixth.  The fans were equally thrilled to see Mareike and she drove with her customary smooth style over her two rounds.  Mareike confesses to knowing she’s unlikely to win against the faster drivers, but she relishes being back in the series after her maternity break last year.  Three of her four horses are used in her outdoor team and as she says, they are “big Dressage horses, which is a bit more difficult for me.  I’m really used to them, and they are used to me so we make a great team because we have been competing been together for long time so we know each other really well”.

Jérôme was another who attacked the course with his bright bay Swiss horses who are so well suited to the format.  He had some great times but wasn’t accurate enough to make a drive-off.  

There’s a weekend off before the 4th leg in Stockholm (SWE) on 1st and 2nd December.  With all the qualified drivers well into their stride now, this halfway event sees Mareike, Boyd and Michael joined by Bram Chardon (NED) and Glenn Geerts (BEL), plus the host nation’s wild card, Fredrik Persson (SWE).

Stuttgart confirmed Boyd’s position at the top of the series ranking and he remains the favourite to take an unprecedented 11th FEI Driving World Cup™ title in Bordeaux (FRA).  Yet despite the results, as he said before the opening event, his fellow drivers are on great form too and are not going to make it easy for him! 

The FEI has today launched a thought-provoking campaign – Think Outside The Box - aimed at raising awareness and educating stakeholders around the risk of contamination in and around the stables, and the potential consequences from a rule’s violation perspective as well as the general threat to the health and wellbeing of their horses emanating from other avoidable hazards.    

What began as a brainstorm between the legal and education departments at the FEI as to how they could best inform and educate stakeholders and in particular FEI Athletes, Grooms, Owners and support personnel around the potential for contamination and subsequent doping cases (violation of the Equine Anti-Doping and Medication Controlled Regulations EADMCR), soon expanded to include general best practice recommendations for the wider equestrian community in a bid to promote safety and wellbeing for horses, regardless of their competition status.

Feauring a campaign video which will astonish viewers, and challenge conventional expectations associated with the FEI, Legal Director Mikael Rentsch explains the rationale behind such a bold move.

“We wanted to create a buzz and get people’s attention.

“For some time, we have seen that there is a real lack of awareness in the community when it comes to the risks for contamination in the stables, and there are a lot of common practices which are contributing to inadvertent positive doping cases. And for all the emailers and official information campaigns we have attempted, we realised we were not getting through to our target audience - the riders, the grooms, the owners and the support personnel.

“And this is a really unfortunate, because athletes are having to learn the hard way, only if they had been aware of a few simple principles to avoid contamination, they might not have had a positive case.

“This is why we set out to do the campaign in this way, and we decided to use this opportunity and expand the scope to look at the general health risks contamination could pose for horses, as well as other avoidable threats to a horse’s safety and wellbeing in and around the stables which can often be addressed with proper planning and organisation, and is relevant to all equestrians, not just the FEI community.”

The campaign is centred around four core themes – Behave, Organise, Maintain and Secure – with each theme broken down into specific actionable points and the risks emanating from these points should they not be addressed. The risk for contamination and consequences for EADCMR violations such as disqualification and suspension, being the core driver of the campaign, feature prominently as does safety messaging in relation to intoxication, injury and potential fire hazards.

The campaign portal www.fei.org/think is available in three languages – English, French and Spanish – in order to reach non-English speaking audiences, and includes downloadable assets for the public to promote and endorse the campaign natively on their own platforms as well as dedicated sections for ambassadors and supporters, including the International Grooms Association and Equestrian Organisers Association among others.   

For more information on the campaign, the supporters, ambassadors and to download digital assets visit www.fei.org/think

#FEIThinkOutsideTheBox