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Endurance is a long-distance competition against the clocktesting the speed and endurance of a horse and challenging the rider over their effective use of pace, thorough knowledge of their horse’s capabilities and ability to cross all kinds of terrain. Although the rides are timed, the emphasis is on finishing in good condition rather than coming in first.
Endurance started as a sport in the United States, where the US cavalry tested its horses on a five-day, 300-mile (483km) ride, with each horse carrying over 200lbs (91kg). It did not become a competitive sport until the 1950s, when Wendell Robie traced the Pony Express route from Nevada to California in under 24 hours.
Each rider must safely manage the stamina and fitness of their horse and each course is divided into phases – in principle at least every 40km – with a compulsory halt for a veterinary inspection, or ‘vet gate’, after each. Each horse must be presented for inspection within a set time of reaching each ‘vet gate’, which determines whether it is fit to continue.
Arabian horses dominate the Endurance discipline though the most successful rider to date is Spain’s Maria Alvarez Ponton on her French-born gelding Nobby.
The premier Endurance rides are the FEI World Equestrian Games™, staged every four years in the middle of the Olympic cycle; the FEI World Endurance Championships, held in every Olympic year; and the biannual FEI European Endurance Championships.
Emergency Board Resolution*
The Board approved the temporary relaxation of Article 836.1.2 of the Endurance Rules for the Elite Young Riders and Juniors category only, giving the Athletes in this category the opportunity to qualify for the FEI Endurance European Championships for Young Riders and Juniors 2022 with one ride in combination instead of the two required originally.
As this is an Emergency Board Resolution, National Federations have until 18 March 2022 to signify their disapproval by sending an email to Francisco P. Lima, Director Governance & Institutional Affairs.
A similar amendment had been accepted in 2021 as well. The amended Rules, which are effective immediately, are notified in the Endurance Department Updates and will be updated in the Covid-19 and Endurance Rules hubs shortly.
The FEI has created a stakeholders survey to ensure the maintenance and continued improvement, of an already existing high standard, at FEI Events. This survey will help the FEI better understand the expectations of its key stakeholders, and the information collected will help guide the future approach of the FEI to ensuring that these are met.
The survey launches today and will be open until Monday 14 February 2022. We encourage everyone to take part in this survey, which should take no more than 10 minutes, and thank you in advance for your time.
Take the FEI Events Standards Stakeholder Survey - https://inside.fei.org/hub/fei-events-standards-stakeholders-survey
Please note that the definite entries deadline is now set to 4 September instead of 1 September 2021 for
If you have already validated your definite entries and wish to make changes, kindly contact us on entries@fei.org prior to the deadline.
Following a two-week extension, please note that 3 August 2021 is the final deadline for the nominated entries for the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses Arborea (ITA) 15-19 September.
If you have already validated your nominated entries and wish to make changes, kindly contact us on endurance@fei.org and entries@fei.org prior to the deadline.
Once you have validated your nominated entry list, please download the certificates of capability and email them to endurance@fei.org.
For questions regarding how to make entries for a Championship on the FEI Entry System please click here.
The schedule for the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses 15-19 September 2021 Arborea (ITA) is also now online.
The deadline for the definite entries is 1 September 2021.
The qualification period for the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses, Arborea (ITA) will be: 20 July 2018 to 20 July 2021.
The nominated entries deadline has been extended to 3 August 2021.
If you have already validated your nominated entries list and wish to make changes please contact entries@fei.org.
Please note that tomorrow (22 July 2021) is the deadline for the nominated entries of the FEI Endurance World Championships for Young Horses Arborea (ITA) 15-19 September.
Once you have validated your nominated entry list, please download the certificates of capability and email them to endurance@fei.org.
The deadline for the definite entries is 1 September 2021.
For questions regarding how to make entries for a Championship on the FEI Entry System please click here.
The schedule for the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses 15-19 September 2021 Arborea (ITA) is also now online on Inside.FEI.org.
Please note that today (13 July 2021) is the deadline for the nominated entries of the:
Once you have validated your nominated entry list, please download the certificates of capability and email them to endurance@fei.org today.
For questions regarding how to make entries for a Championship on the FEI Entry System please click here.
Following stakeholder consultation and a recommendation from the FEI Endurance Calendar Task Force, the FEI Board has approved the following resolutions with regards to the FEI Endurance World Championship scheduled for 22 May 2021 in Pisa (ITA), having been postponed from its original date of 6 September 2020 due to Covid-19.
These resolutions are based on a decision to maintain the Championship on 22 May 2021 following a request by the Italian National Federation and the Organiser to postpone the Championship due to the uncertain evolution of Covid-19 and the impact of EHV-1 in Europe particularly. Although two alternative dates were proposed - 10 July 2021 and 25 September 2021 - the FEI Endurance Calendar Task Force unanimously agreed to recommend to the Board to maintain the initial date of 22 May 2021 for the Championship subject to the conditions above that would provide National Federations more opportunities to select their best and most fit combinations.
The Endurance Calendar Task Force also highlighted to the FEI Board that the new proposed dates would have an impact on the FEI Endurance Pan American Championship for Seniors & Young Riders from 28 – 29 July 2021; the FEI Endurance European Championship from 6 to 11 September; and the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses from 15 to 19 September.
In addition, they noted there were a total of 44 qualified NFs, with 584 qualified combinations from all FEI Regional Groups for the Championship and moving the Championship to July or September 2021 would require National Federations to adapt their planned selection process and adjust their training programmes, as well as repercussions on available horsepower for the different Championships mentioned above.
As is customary, these resolutions will be included on the FEI Covid-19 Resolutions & Decisions hub for Endurance.
The FEI Education & Officials Department have recently published explainer videos for the major FEI Endurance 2021 Rules Changes.
These videos are mainly aimed at Officials and Athletes who are required to be up-to-date with the different rules. For the wider audience these videos will serve a rather informative purpose, providing a deeper understanding of our sport. The goal of these short videos is to highlight the most impactful rule changes and their rationale in each discipline, as well as more general regulations including the Equine Anti-Doping Controlled Medication Regulations and the Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes which underwent a full review in 2020.
Here are the direct links to the below listed videos on FEI Campus by clicking on the relevant name:
The schedule for the 2021 Longines FEI Endurance World Championship to be held in Pisa San Rossore (ITA) next 21-21 May 2021 is now published.
please click here.
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