Top-class young talent confirmed for Youth Equestrian Games 2022

A total of 30 young athletes from six continents have earned their ticket to the FEI Youth Equestrian Games 2022 that will be held in Aachen (GER) from 28 June to 3 July 2022.

The athletes, all aged between 15 and 18 years, will compete in Individual and Team Jumping competitions in Aachen, with each qualified Nation competing as part of a five-member Continental Team.

The full list of qualified FEI Youth Equestrian Games 2022 athletes and their nations can be found here.

Created to replace the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), which were postponed to 2026, and which have featured Equestrian every four years since the inaugural edition in 2010, the Youth Equestrian Games 2022 are being held under the very same principles and format. For Costa Rica, France, Germany, Greece, Palestine and Tunisia, this will be their first experience in the special Youth Games format.

The qualification process for the Youth Equestrian Games 2022 also mirrored previous YOG editions, with various options available to the different nations in order to earn a qualification slot. And, in keeping with previous formats, all athletes will participate in Aachen on borrowed horses that have been carefully selected by a team of experts for their jumping ability as well as their temperament and a variety of other criteria to ensure they have what it takes to compete in this important competition and iconic venue.

The athletes will individually draw their horses, as done in previous editions of the YOG, with the same combinations required to compete in both the Team and Individual rounds. There are several training days and a ‘Welcome Competition’ outside of the official programme, giving the young athletes the time to get to know their mounts prior to the start of the Youth Equestrian Games. The team competition will kick-off on 29 June and will be followed by the Individual competition which will take place on 2 July.

The youth event will also host a Culture and Education Programme inspired by the International Olympic Committee YOG Education Programme, you can read all about the workshops and dedicated sessions here. 

“The Youth Equestrian Games are not just a fantastic opportunity for young athletes to showcase their sporting talent and horsemanship skills, but also to celebrate the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect,” FEI President Ingmar de Vos said.

“The youth are our future and their involvement is essential for the long term future and development of equestrian sport.

“This unique event deserves a distinctive venue and I am confident that the Organisers in Aachen will provide top class facilities that will give our future stars of the sport an experience to remember. I wish each athlete taking part the very best and I look forward to witnessing the excitement of this competition in a few weeks’ time.”

All the information you need to know about the Youth Equestrian Games 2022 can be viewed here.
For more information on the history of equestrian at the Youth Olympic Games from 2010 to 2018, visit the FEI's History Hub.

Giacomo Casadei (ITA) with his mount Darna Z celebrate their impressive individual gold medal victory at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires (ARG) in 2018. Photo Credit: FEI / Liz Gregg