Department updates in Main Dressage

As many of you know, a meeting with FEI Dressage Stakeholders was held in person at the FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) on 1 October. The main outcomes of the meeting are summarised in the press release below, which will be shared with the media shortly.

As stated in the press release, updates on this important topic will be provided during the session on the FEI’s Equine Welfare Strategy at the FEI General Assembly on 12 November. There will be further opportunities for discussion at the FEI Sports Forum in April 2025.

FEI PRESS RELEASE
Lausanne (SUI), 2 October 2024

FEI Stakeholder meeting sets unified vision for the future of Dressage

At the highly anticipated FEI Dressage Stakeholder meeting, which was held in person at the FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) on 1 October, experts and representatives from across the sport have reaffirmed the core objectives of Dressage and discussed ways of realigning the discipline to reflect these objectives.

The aim is that through balanced and systematic education, horses are trained and ridden to be calm, supple, flexible, confident, and responsive, fostering a deep and positive connection with the rider. The group agreed that these core objectives should be integrated in the FEI Rule book and applied in practice, both while training and competing.

This approach emphasises key qualities such as the freedom and regularity of movement, the ease and lightness of transitions, and the horse’s balance.

A crucial aspect is that Dressage is practised without tension or resistance, ensuring harmony between the horse and rider.

Participants acknowledged the impact of breeding on the evolution of the sport and explored the relationship between judging, training, and riding. They also emphasised the importance of examining the sport holistically by introducing principles of behavioural science and the five domains of animal welfare, focusing on the horse's positive physical and mental well-being.

“The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games showcased the best our sport has to offer in competition, but also brought to light challenges that have prompted us to reflect and reassess in the post-Games period,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said.

“To many, this vision of what Dressage should embody may seem self-evident. But as highlighted during the meeting, over the years the discipline has moved away from its traditional purpose and this realisation requires a necessary realignment to the foundational principles of Dressage.”

FEI Dressage Director Ronan Murphy said, “Establishing a unified vision is the essential first step in fostering a shared purpose. With this foundation in place, we can now focus on restoring public trust and confidence in the sport.

“Our goal is to be aligned and move forward in the same direction. We have clearly defined what we want to see as a sport and the next step is for all parties to assess how we can adapt our practices and approaches to ensure these standards are met. This effort is not the responsibility of any one group; it is a collective mission for the entire Dressage community and we look forward to engaging with the wider community especially our National Federations.”

Key points that were addressed during the meeting:

• Action Points and Next Steps: One of the key proposals put forward is mandatory trainer registration, and potential certification aimed at ensuring accountability and standardisation within the discipline. The group also committed to defining ethical training methods, with an emphasis on increasing transparency and showcasing good practices. Additionally, participants identified the need for a more comprehensive communications plan to better inform and engage with the broader public and stakeholders.
• Rules Revision: Stakeholders expressed support for a thoughtful approach to revising the rules, favouring a comprehensive, strategic evaluation based on available research. This will ensure that all changes are sustainable and beneficial to the sport in the long term.
• Equine Welfare: Participants supported the FEI Equine Welfare Strategy and various actions identified as part of the overall FEI Action Plan.

• Collaboration and Collective Responsibility: The discussions emphasised the importance of collective responsibility and collaboration within the Dressage community. Participants welcomed the opportunity for ongoing and regular dialogue, and expressed their willingness to take part in working groups on key topics.

Updates will be provided during the session on the FEI’s Equine Welfare Strategy at the FEI General Assembly on 12 November. There will be further opportunities for discussion at the FEI Sports Forum in April 2025.

Note to editors
The meeting was attended by a diverse group of key stakeholders, including representatives from the International Dressage Rider's Club (IDRC), the International Dressage Officials Club (IDOC), the International Dressage Trainer's Club (IDTC) and the Dressage Organisers. Also present were the Presidents of the European Equestrian Federation (EEF) and the Pan American Equestrian Confederation (PAEC), the FEI Vice President and the Chair of the FEI Para Equestrian Technical Committee. Additionally, the FEI Dressage Steward General, FEI Dressage Committee representatives, and members from the FEI Athletes, Para Dressage, and Veterinary committees contributed to the discussions.

The Board approved the proposed modifications to the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses Rules.

A key amendment is that the FEI and WBFSH will have the opportunity to review each National Selection Procedure prior to the applicable qualification period.

The updated rules will be published here.

The FEI Board held a teleconference on 24 September. The main Dressage resolutions taken on this occasion are listed below.

Dressage
WBFSH Dressage Young Horse Championships Rules
The Board approved the proposed modifications to the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses Rules.
A key amendment is that the FEI and WBFSH will have the opportunity to review each National Selection Procedure prior to the applicable qualification period.
The updated rules will be published here.

We wish to remind you that in accordance with Art. 112 of the FEI General Regulations, the dates for all 2025 International Events must be entered into the FEI online Calendar through FEI Database before Tuesday 01 October 2024 midnight CEST, with the exception of CSI5* and CSIO5* Events for 2025 which had to be entered before 1 May 2024 and have already been approved as previously indicated in our newsletter dated 22 August 2024.

At 23:59 CEST on 01 October 2024, the 2025 online Calendar will be blocked. Any modification requested after the deadline will need to be addressed to the FEI by email (calendar@fei.org) using the Calendar Form available on FEI Documents.

The full Memo can be accessed via the FEI Calendar page (click here).

The FEI Board held a teleconference on 27 August. 

Allocation of FEI Championships and Finals

FEI Dressage European Championship 2025 Update
The Board took the decision to withdraw the organisation of the FEI Dressage European Championship 2025 from Šamorín (SVK) at the request of the Organiser. The Board further directed FEI Headquarters to reopen the bidding process for the FEI Dressage European Championship 2025. Further information on the bidding process will be provided shortly.

The FEI will launch the "Be a Guardian" initiative today, calling on community members to embrace their roles as guardians of FEI horses. A full press release will be issued shortly and can be found here.

The ‘Be a Guardian’ initiative represents a significant shift in the FEI's approach to equine care, emphasising the importance of horse welfare.

Based on the concept of guardianship, the Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission created a comprehensive document highlighting six priority areas and 30 recommendations to improve the welfare of sport horses.

The FEI has since developed an Equine Welfare Strategy Action Plan to address the priorities identified by the Commission.

Supported by a CHF 1 million allocation approved by the FEI Board in June 2024, this plan aims to enhance the wellbeing of FEI horses through robust rules, guidelines, educational programmes, and various initiatives.

The goal is to respect the natural needs of horses in international equestrian sports, fostering a global commitment to equine welfare and ensuring that horses receive the care and respect they deserve.

We urge our National Federations to embrace this call to action, actively promote this shift in perspective, and recognise the responsibility we all share in being the guardians of our beloved horses. 

The Rules Revision Process 2024 is well underway with the first draft of the proposed changes now available to National Federations and Stakeholders for review and feedback by 21 August 2024 prior to being submitted to the FEI General Assembly for approval in November as per the timeline below: 
1 March 2024
National Federations and Stakeholders with whom the FEI has signed an MOU have the opportunity to propose Rules changes as per the FEI Periodical Rules Revision Policy.
26 June 2024
The FEI provides National Federations and Stakeholders with the first Draft of proposed Rules changes.

IMPORTANT
The 1st Draft of proposed Rules changes Memos as well as the Templates to provide feedback by 21 August 2024 can be found here. ONLY proposals submitted online on the Rules Revision Platform using the respective Templates will be accepted.
21 August 2024
National Federations and Stakeholders are given eight weeks to review the first Draft and the proposed amendments in this first Draft and make comments and/or propose any changes in relation to the first Draft.
16 October 2024
Final Draft of the proposed Rules changes is provided to National Federations and Stakeholders.                                                                                  
12 November 2024
Rules Session at FEI General Assembly.
13 November 2024
Voting of Rules at the FEI General Assembly.

For more information on the FEI Rules Revision processes and timelines, click here.

If you have any questions please contact the FEI Director Governance & Institutional Affairs at Francisco.lima@fei.org.

We would like to kindly remind everyone that all FEI Officials must have “passed” their annual CES Online Assessment to officiate at FEI Events.

The CES Online Assessment not only ensures integrity at all FEI Events, as well as the validity of the results, it is also testimony to FEI’s commitment in providing services of the highest standard to the athletes, the public and the sport.

In order to ensure that all FEI Events take place according the FEI Rules and Regulations, and to proactively prevent potential issues from arising during competitions, we have updated the FEI Event Schedule Policy.

As of 1 August 2024, the following FEI Event Schedule Policy will apply:

Officials must have “passed” their CES Online Assessment of the current year to be added to schedules of events taking place after the 31 March.

For information, the officiating/maintenance year runs from the 15 December of each year and until the 15 December of the following year.

• Every year, from 16 December to 31 March (transition period), Officials with an open function can still officiate without having passed the annual CES Online Assessment of the current year.
• Every year, from 31 March to 14 December (regulated period), Officials must have passed the CES Online Assessment of the current year to officiate, and to keep their function open.

You can find all information here on Inside.FEI.org.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Olympic Games - Jumping, Dressage, Eventing Jumping, Dressage, Eventing Important Deadlines Certificates of Capability - Deadline reminder Horse owners Information - FEI Certificate of Capability - Nominated Entries Prefix and suffix for commercial names Pre-competition Changes (LAR) Dressage Music rights clearance - Deadline reminder Individualised Floorplans Paris 2024 - NOCs Uniform submission - Authorised Identifications Prevention on the Manipulation of Competitions Paralympic Games - Para Dressage Important Deadlines Nominated Entries - Certificates of Capability Horse Owners Information General Information Physiotherapy for horses Latest documents published on the FEI Paris 2024 Hub Summary of useful Paris 2024 links FEI History Hub
OLYMPIC GAMES - JUMPING, DRESSAGE, EVENTING
Jumping - Dressage - Eventing - Important Deadlines
2024
24 June	FEI Deadline for achieving Olympic MERs for all Athlete/Horse combinations.
25 June	FEI Deadline for NFs to send Certificates of Capability to FEI.
08 July	Paris 2024 Sport Entry deadline – NOCs submit final entries.
Jumping - Dressage - Eventing - Certificate of Capabilities - Deadline reminder
The deadline for all NFs qualified to take part in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, to send an FEI Certificate of Capability for all Athletes and Horses nominated to the FEI is 25 June 2024 23:59 CEST (Swiss time). Athletes and Horses for which FEI Certificates of Capability have not been received by the FEI within the requested deadline, will not be accepted and not allowed to participate in the Olympic Games. The FEI Certificate of Capability must include the record of the results obtained in Competitions, satisfying the requirements as laid down for the respective discipline in the FEI Regulations for Equestrian Events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, confirming that the Athletes and the Horses have obtained the necessary experience and ability to participate at the required standard.
Jumping - Dressage - Eventing - Horse Owners Information - FEI Certificate of Capability - Nominated Entries
The FEI Nominated /Certificate of Capability Entry forms include the space to enter the Horse Owners, this is in relation to the counter-check for the Sport entry deadline (8 July 2024). The Paris2024 Sport entry system (8 July 2024 – Sport entry deadline) will require that NOCs/NFs declare - ‘Horse Owner 1’ and ‘Horse Owner 2’ – in the fields that are set up as drop-down lists, with names from the accreditation system that are registered in the Horse Owner category. The Horse Owner 1 must be validated against the Horse Passport. In case an NOC/NF decides to make a Pre-competition Change (LAR) before the first Horse Inspection of the respective discipline with a Horse from the FEI Nominated Entries different from the Horse entered by 8 July 2024, the Horse Owner information must be available and entered in the system accordingly. We invite NOCs/NFs to submit the information of Horse Owner 1 for any Horse not included in the Paris2024 Sport entry system separately to the FEI by 8 July 2024 to ensure that the FEI can confirm the information and allow a potential transfer if needed.
Jumping - Dressage - Eventing - Prefix and suffix for commercial names
No commercial prefix or suffix will be included with the name of a Horse on any Olympic participation/entry, start or result list. The FEI reserves the right to amend any Horse’s name accordingly (see Olympic Regs Art. 606.2.5). It is the responsibility of the NF/NOC to remove (indicated as strikethrough text or in quotation marks) any commercial prefix or suffix from the names of the Horses listed in the Certificate of Capability. FEI Headquarters will review the list and confirm any additional changes when confirming the Nominated entries (Certificates of Capability).
Jumping - Dressage - Eventing - Pre-competition Changes (LAR)
Any Pre-competition Change can only be made with another Athlete/Horse combination that has obtained the Minimum Eligibility Requirement for participation according to the relevant discipline rules and duly entered on the FEI List of Nominated Entry list from 25 June 2024. (Olympic Regs Art 609.1.2). For Jumping, Dressage, a maximum of four Horses from Nations qualified with a Team and one Horse for Nations qualified with an Individual may be stabled at the Olympic venue at the same time. Only four Athlete/Horse combinations can be entered on the Definite Entry list for the teams and only one Athlete/horse combination can be entered for the Individual of each Nation in Jumping. For Eventing, a maximum of four Horses for Nations qualified with a Team and, either one Horse for Nations qualified with one Individual or two Horses for Nations qualified with two Individuals, may be stabled at the Olympic venue at the same time. For administrative purposes, the deadline for the LAR procedure (approved by the Paris2024 OC, IOC and FEI) involving the switch of an Athlete/Horse combination from outside of the Olympic stables, needs to be completed at the latest two hours before the first Horse Inspection of the respective discipline.  Eventing LAR: 26 July 07h30 – first Horse Inspection at 9:30am Dressage LAR: 28 July 05h00 – first Horse Inspection at 7:00am Jumping LAR: 31 July 05h30 – first Horse Inspection at 7:30am (first possibility for Pre-competition Changes) Jumping second possibility for Pre-competition Changes - between the first Horse Inspection and the start of Jumping Team Qualifier & Individual Qualifier For NOCs qualified with a team, Pre-competition Changes can be made two hours before the starting time of the Team qualifier or between the Team Final and the Individual qualifier but no later than two hours before the Individual qualifier with a horse at the Olympic stables. To be eligible to take part in the Horse Inspection (Individual) on Saturday 3 August 2024, all Horses must have been presented at the first Horse Inspection on Wednesday 31 July.
Dressage - Music rights clearance - Deadline reminder
We would like to remind you that NFs, intending to enter Dressage Athletes for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, are required to provide the details of all music to be used in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle test at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and to ensure that the music is correctly licensed for use. To facilitate this, the platform ClicknClear has been made available specifically for this purpose. All information on completing the process via the ClicknClear’s system is available here on the FEI Paris 2024 hub. As this process could take some time, we encourage all NFs to directly inform their Dressage Athletes about this requirement, so that they keep this in mind when preparing their Olympic Dressage routines. All official licensing for music must be fully completed via ClicknClear by 8 July 2024 at 23:59 local Paris time.
Dressage - Individualised Floorplans
The submission deadline for the individualised floorplans via the FEI Freestyle Creator has been set to the start of the Grand Prix Special. Submitting the floorplan in time is mandatory for all athletes who qualified either for the Grand Prix Special (Team Athletes) or directly for the Grand Prix Freestyle (Individual Athletes). This submission deadline was selected not only to give athletes as much time as possible to decide which floorplan they want to use, but also to enable storytelling around the specific difficulties of these floorplans and to facilitate the Olympic Broadcasting Service capture combinations in the best way possible. Please note that athletes can contact the FEI through dressagefreestyle@fei.org should they wish to check that their floorplans are correctly entered.
Paris 2024 - NOCs uniform submissioni - Authorised Identifications
Further to discussions with the IOC, we encourage all NOCs/NFs to review the guidelines regarding Authorised Identification for Equestrian at the Olympic Games 2024 are available under the following links and on the FEI Paris 2024 hub: Identifications-NOC-Team-Apparel-Guidelines-Paris-2024.pdf (olympics.com) FEI.pdf (olympics.com) The FEI has been informed by the IOC that the IOC submission tool has been  deactivated. We urge all NOCs/NFs to consult these guidelines to ensure that all Athlete and Horse uniforms as well as all equipment is within the limitations described. The FEI will not approve any specific equipment and/or uniforms.
Prevention on the manipulation of competitions
In the lead up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Paris 2024) the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recently launched the campaign “Believe in Sport” to raise awareness about competition manipulation and most importantly about what is permitted and what is not permitted during Paris 2024 by any accredited person to the Games. Keeping sport fair is a top priority for the IOC and for the FEI. As the manipulation of sports competitions has become an area of great concern in recent years within the sports world, the FEI remains committed to fighting all forms of cheating that threaten both the integrity and the essence of sport. It is important to note that this information concerns not only Athletes and Officials, but any person accredited to the Games as the Athletes' Support Personnel, such as trainers, owners, grooms, veterinarians, etc… Furthermore, Executive Board and Board members, as well as their guests are also concerned. It is the personal responsibility of everyone involved in the Games, to be aware of the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of Manipulation of Competitions including, without limitation, what conduct constitutes a violation of the Code and to comply with the Code's requirements. Always remember these four basic Rules: Rule #1: Don’t fix the competition and always do your best Rule #2: Don’t bet on your own sport or any event at the Olympic Games Rule #3: Don’t share information about health issues and sport tactics Rule #4: Speak up! If you witness or suspect competition manipulation, you must report it. For more information on the prevention of competition manipulation (such as definitions, what is permitted and what is not permitted at Paris 2024, the Code on the Prevention of Manipulation of Competitions, the e-learning course or the Reporting Mechanism) click here. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the FEI Director Governance & Institutional Affairs, Francisco Lima at Francisco.lima@fei.org.
PARALYMPIC GAMES - PARA DRESSAG
Important Deadlines National Federations (NFs) are reminded of the upcoming deadlines concerning the Paralympic Games:
2024
19 June	End of the FEI period for Athlete/Horse combinations to attain a minimum eligibility score. Nominated Entries date – NFs deadline to send in Certificate of Capabilities to the FEI.
05 August	Deadline for Paris 2024 Organising Committee to receive sport entry forms submitted by NPCs.
Nominated Entries - Certificates of Capability
As a reminder, the FEI Certificate of Capability for the Paralympic Games is available for download on the FEI Paris 2024 hub. All NFs qualified to take part at the Paralympic Games must send an FEI Certificate of Capability for all Athletes and Horses nominated, to FEI no later than 19 June 2024 23:59 CEST (Swiss time). NPCs qualified to take part in the Paralympic Games must send a Certificate of Capability for each Athlete/Horse combination nominated, on a form provided by the FEI, to the FEI no later than 19 June 2024 23:59 CEST (Swiss time). Athletes for which Certificates of Capability have not been received within the requested deadline will not be accepted and not allowed to participate. The Certificate of Capability (which can be obtained by Athlete/Horse combinations until 18 June 2024), must include a record of the results obtained in Competitions, satisfying the Minimum Eligibility Requirement as laid down in the Qualification Procedure confirming that the Athlete/Horse combinations have the necessary experience and ability to participate at the required standard.
Horse Owners Information
Kindly note that the NF of a Horse belonging to a partnership, company or a syndicate of owners must inform the FEI by the date of the OCOG/IPC Nominated Entries for NPCs: 19 June 2024 of the name of one owner to ensure that it is entered in the Paralympic Accreditation System.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Physiotherapy for horses
Equine physiotherapy is regulated in France and can normally only be carried out by licensed veterinarians. The competent authority French Ministry of Agriculture (MASA) - Direction Générale de l'Alimentation (DGAL) has kindly agreed to a derogation during the Paris 2024 Games. The following conditions apply: Only one non-veterinary physiotherapist per NOC/NPC and discipline will be allowed. Non-veterinary physiotherapists must work under the supervision of the Team Veterinarian who in turn must have physiotherapy skills. Restricted Supportive Therapies as per FEI Veterinary Regulations Article 1063 must be recorded by the non-veterinary physiotherapist and shared with the Organising Committee. (Forms will be distributed by the VSM organisation) NOCs/NPCs must register their non-veterinary physiotherapists with the Organising Committee (VSM) for the Olympic Games no later than 30 June 2024 and for the Paralympic Games no later than 31 July 2024. Please consult the Veterinary and Farrier Services Guide for details. The Organising Committee will send the list of non-veterinary physiotherapists to MASA-DGAL for their authorisation of the non-veterinary physiotherapists to carry out Restricted Supportive Therapies at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.   For the physiotherapists working for the Olympic Games, please send information to the following address: vetnocregistration@paris2024.org or; For physiotherapists working for the Paralympic Games, please send information to the following address: vetnpcregistration@paris2024.org.
Latest documents published on the FEI Olympic & Paralympic Hub
The following documents are now also available on the FEI Paris 2024 hub: OLYMPIC GAMES: Timetable update: in light of the very compact timetable, changes have been made to timings for horse inspections to allow for familiarization on FoP for the respective disciplines. NOC Medical Guide IOC Late Athlete replacement policy NOC P Accreditation Access Policy - NFs should be liaising with their NOCs on any matters regarding accreditation, including P accreditations. OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES: Equestrian Freight Manual - Informative note for NOCs/NPCs Use of radio emitting devices
Summary of useful Paris 2024 links
FEI Paris 2024 Hub Disciplines – Qualification Systems & Certificates of Capability FEI Regulations for Equestrian Events at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games
FEI History Hub
Who was the first woman to take part in equestrian at Olympic Games? When did equestrian enter the Paralympic programme?  Visit the FEI History Hub and read up on all the fun facts of past editions of Olympic and Paralympic Games since the inclusion of equestrian sports.

 

The FEI Sports and Veterinary Departments would like to draw your attention to the application deadline to host FEI Transfer Up or CES (FEI Competency-based Evaluation System) Maintenance Courses in 2025.

We kindly ask you to download the relevant application and budget forms, which can be accessed via the links provided below, and to send them to the FEI via the corresponding email address also provided below, no later than 31 July 2024.

Discipline/Department	Email	Documents
Jumping	jumpingofficials@fei.org	https://inside.fei.org/fei/your-role/officials/jumping/forms
Dressage	anna.milne@fei.org	https://inside.fei.org/fei/your-role/officials/dressage/organise-course
Para Dressage	thya.moritz@fei.org	/fei/your-role/officials/para-dressage/ped-organise-course
Eventing	eventingofficials@fei.org	https://inside.fei.org/fei/your-role/officials/eventing/forms
Driving & Para	driving@fei.org	https://inside.fei.org/fei/your-role/officials/driving/course-organisation
Endurance	endurance@fei.org	https://inside.fei.org/fei/your-role/officials/endurance/organise-a-course
Vaulting	vaultingofficials@fei.org	https://inside.fei.org/fei/your-role/officials/vaulting/organise-course
Veterinary	veterinary@fei.org	https://inside.fei.org/fei/your-role/veterinarians/education/organise-a-course

Should you have any questions regarding the administration of our courses, please contact the relevant FEI Discipline or Veterinary Department who will be able to assist you.