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Horses were driven long before they were ridden and, as such, Driving is the oldest competitive equestrian sport yet it continues to thrive in the 21st century. Drivers sit on a vehicle drawn by a single horse or pony, a pair or a team of four and they face three trials – dressage, marathon and obstacle driving.
Dressage involves performing a sequence of compulsory figures within a 100 x 40 metre rectangle. Movements – which must be executed from memory – include speed and gait transitions, circles of different sizes and halts.
The marathon is a spectacular time trial run over a course including natural hazards such as sharp turns, water and steep hills, and artificial ones such as labyrinths. It tests the horses’ fitness and stamina and the driver’s judgment of pace and horse control.
Obstacle driving – or cones – tests the fitness, obedience and suppleness of the horses after the marathon, as well as the skill and competence of the driver who must weave cleanly through a narrow track outlined by cones with balls balanced on top.
Driving came under the FEI umbrella in 1970 thanks to the efforts of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, then the FEI President, who organised the meeting in 1969 which produced the first rule book. One notable alteration to the rules followed a competition in Windsor, Great Britain, where a back wheel collapsed on a vehicle and the watching Queen Elizabeth allowed for a small tree to be tied to the axle to keep it off the ground. The rules stated subsequently that a "vehicle must have four wheels crossing the finishing line".
In 2006 Para Driving joined the ranks of the other 7 FEI disciplines with national and international competitions in Driving for individuals with a disability.
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Discussions, debates and consultations were at the heart of the first FEI Driving Forum held on 11 and 12 April, as the community came together in person and online to discuss the status quo as well as the future of the Discipline. The Forum, which attracted 88 participants from 24 nations was open to all members of the Driving community, including Officials, Athletes, Trainers, Course Designers, Organisers and National Federations with the hybrid set-up allowing remote all participants to watch live and interact directly whenever needed. |
Registration for the FEI Hybrid Driving Forum 2023 is open now until 31 March 2023. The cost for attending the Forum in-person is CHF 80 and includes the dinner on 11 April, online participation is CHF 40.
The aim of this Forum is to have discussions and exchange ideas with members from all aspects of the driving discipline, regardless of their class, and competition or officiating level. The FEI would like to emphasise the importance of attendance for all Athletes, Driving Officials, Organisers, Trainers, and National Federations.
The event will be held at the Equestrian Center de Peelbergen in Kronenberg (NED), on 11 and 12 April 2023. Participants joining online will be sent the meeting link via email and be able to view the live Forum and participate in the discussions with questions or remarks via the chat function in real time.
The Agenda of the subjects being tackled during the forum is available in the attached document.
Registration for either in-person or online Forum attendance is compulsory and is done by clicking the registration link here: FEI Hybrid Driving Forum 2023 Registration.
The deadline to register is 31 March 2023.
For more information, please consult the FEI Driving Forum 2023 Hub at this FEI Driving Forum 2023 Hub.
Should you have any questions please reach out the FEI Driving Department.
We look forward to sharing fruitful discussions with you at this first edition of the FEI Driving Forum and to building the future of our discipline together.
The FEI Driving Committee, together with the FEI Solidarity and the FEI Driving Department, are pleased to inform you of the introduction of the FEI Driving World Challenge effective as of 1 February 2023.
The aim of the FEI World Challenge series is to offer athletes who, under normal circumstances, cannot take part in international competitions due to various factors (such as travel cost and distances for example), the opportunity to compete internationally without having to leave their own country. These "hybrid" competitions are meant as a bridge between the National and the first International level of competition, and aim to help NFs develop the various disciplines in their country. FEI World Challenges already exist in Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Vaulting and Para Dressage and we are pleased to now introduce them for Driving.
The FEI Driving World Challenge is launched in 2023 as a pilot phase, and applications for NFs wishing to organise an event are now open.
The Rules can be found under the FEI Driving Rules and the supporting documents are available on the FEI Driving World Challenge hub.
The FEI Driving Committee, together with the FEI Solidarity and the FEI Driving Department, are pleased to inform you of the introduction of the FEI Driving World Challenge effective as of 1 February 2023.
The aim of the FEI World Challenge series is to offer athletes who, under normal circumstances, cannot take part in international competitions due to various factors (such as travel cost and distances for example), the opportunity to compete internationally without having to leave their own country. These "hybrid" competitions are meant as a bridge between the National and the first International level of competition, and aim to help NFs develop the various disciplines in their country. FEI World Challenges already exist in Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Vaulting and Para Dressage and we are pleased to now introduce them for Driving.
The FEI Driving World Challenge is launched in 2023 as a pilot phase, and applications for NFs wishing to organise an event are now open.
The Rules can be found under the FEI Driving Rules and the supporting documents are available on the FEI Driving World Challenge hub.
The FEI is organising an FEI Driving Forum 2023, to provide stakeholders with a platform to discuss the status of the discipline as well as its development and strategies for the future. The FEI Driving Forum will take place in Kronenberg (NED) at the Equestrian Centre de Peelbergen from 11-12 April 2023 and is open to all members of the Driving community, including Officials, Athletes, Trainers, Organisers and National Federation representatives. All logistical details are provided in the PDF attached and registration will open in March, a notification to register will be sent in due course.
Should you have any questions please reach out the FEI Driving Department.
We look forward to sharing fruitful discussions with you at this first edition of the FEI Driving Forum and to building the future of our discipline together.
The FEI conducted its yearly review of the Driving Guidelines on Tack, Equipment and Dress and has published an updated version, with modifications marked in red.
The Guidelines are published on the FEI Driving Rules page. The Guidelines are to be read in conjunction with the FEI Driving Rules. In case of any discrepancies, the FEI Driving Rules will prevail.
For any question, please contact the FEI Driving department.
Following the decisions voted during the FEI Hybrid General Assembly in Cape Town (RSA), and the feedback provided from this competition year, the FEI has published enhancements to the CAI3* HP2-P4 test to provide additional scoring opportunities for judges to award points and increase the level of difficulty using the same figures by making them one handed.
This published revised version of the CAI3* HP2-P4 test will apply from 1 January 2023 for Pair Horses, Pair Ponies and Four-in-Hand Ponies.
This test will be used at the FEI Driving World Championship for Pairs (Horses) and the FEI Driving World Championship for Ponies – Pairs and Four-in-Hand. Please note that any qualifying scores an Athlete earned with the previous version of the test for the World Pair Horses and Ponies and World Four-in-Hand Ponies Championships will remain valid and count toward the qualification parameters.
The World Four-in-Hand Horse Championship will continue to be held in a 100x40m size arena and consequently the Dressage Test 3*B H4 will remain applicable as of 1 January 2023.
Test Directives for the Dressage Test 3*B H4 for both the 100x40m and 80x40m arenas are published on the FEI Driving Dressage Tests webpage.
Additionally, a new CAI1* test and Para Driving Dressage test has been published, and will come into effect on 1 January 2023. This new Para Driving Dressage test will be used at the FEI Para Driving World Championship in 2023.
All FEI Driving Dressage tests are available on the FEI Driving Dressage Tests webpage.
After reviewing the feedback received from various Stakeholders, the FEI Driving Committee has published a new version of the Alternative Scoring System. The new version includes the calculation of the Dressage scores in percentages, while the other competitions retain their current scoring system. The Alternative Scoring System document can be found on the FEI Driving Rules page.
Should you have any questions regarding these items, please do not hesitate to contact the FEI Driving Department.
The qualification criteria for FEI Driving Championships 2023 are published on the FEI Driving Main Events page.
The FEI Board held its monthly teleconference on 6 December. The main resolutions related to Driving taken on this occasion are listed below.
ALLOCATION OF FEI NAMED SERIES, EVENTS AND FINALS
FEI Driving World Cup™ 2023/2024
The Board approved the allocation of the following legs for the FEI Driving World Cup™ 2023/2024:
Lyon (FRA), 1-5 November 2023
Maastricht (NED), 8-10 November 2023
Stuttgart (GER), 15-19 November 2023
Stockholm (SWE), 30 November – 3 December 2023
Geneva (SUI), 9-10 December 2023*
London (GBR), 16-18 December 2023
Mechelen (BEL), 26-30 December 2023
Leipzig (GER), 18-21 January 2024
* Subject to receiving the signed Host Agreement.
RANKING RULES
FEI Medical/Maternity Leave Provisions
The Board approved the modifications of the Jumping, Dressage, and Driving Ranking Rules regarding maternity leave. The minimum period for maternity leave was shortened from six months to three months. The maximum period of 12 months remained unchanged. Athletes will have the possibility to choose the initial length of their maternity period and the possibility to come back earlier or later than originally indicated, provided the minimum and maximum periods are respected.
The Board also approved the incorporation of medical and maternity leave provisions into the FEI Endurance and the FEI Para Dressage Ranking Rules.
Detailed explanations of these modifications is available in a dedicated press release published here.
The updated versions of the respective Ranking Rules have been published.
We are pleased to inform you that the FEI Secretary General has approved the FEI Calendar for 2023 for all disciplines. It can be consulted online in the FEI Database.
In accordance with the FEI General Regulations, Article 112 Official Calendar, National Federations (NFs) had until 1 October 2022 at the latest to send in applications and modifications to CIs taking place in 2023 to the Secretary General. The Secretary General approves the official Calendar for the following year.
Approval of the 5* Jumping Calendar for 2024 is scheduled for late November/early December 2022 but could be postponed should the FEI General Assembly in Cape Town (RSA) approve FEI’s proposal to change the deadline for receipt of applications for 5* to 1 May (the year before the Event takes place).
In addition, the Secretary General has extended the measure taken on 28 February 2022 to remove all international equestrian events in Russia and Belarus from the FEI Calendar. As a consequence, no FEI events will be accepted/entered in either country in the FEI Calendar for 2023.
The other measures approved by the FEI Executive Board in February remain in place, as follows:
Detailed information on the decision taken by the FEI Executive Board on 28 February is available here.
The Secretary General has also confirmed that the FEI Board’s Emergency Board Resolution of 2 March 2022 prohibiting all Russian and Belarusian Athletes, Horses and Officials from participating in FEI Events remains in place until further notice.
Should you have any questions, please send an email to calendar@fei.org.
The new and updated Draft Schedules 2023, to be used for all international events taking place next year, are now available on inside.FEI.org.
Below you will find the direct links to the schedules for each discipline as well as the relevant contact email should you require further information and/or assistance:
Click here for Jumping // Person in charge : jenni.saynajarvi@fei.org and/or kevin.Guttmann@fei.org
Click here for Dressage // Person in charge: philippe.maynier@fei.org
Click here for Para Dressage // Person in charge: laetitia.gillieron@fei.org
Click here for Eventing // Contact email: eventingschedules@fei.org
Click here for Vaulting // Person in charge: laetitia.gillieron@fei.org
Click here for Driving // Contact email: driving@fei.org
Click here for Endurance // Contact email: endurance@fei.org
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