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Last week, two sessions of the 2024 FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland, were dedicated to a FEI championship review. The stakeholders present in person and online were invited to discuss the importance of FEI championships, the challenges and opportunities involved in organising them, as well as the current reluctance among organisers to place bids. 

“Keep up the curiosity, the questions, the comments – even if they are critical; that’s fine. Our critical friends, they are very important in helping us do better,” FEI Deputy Legal Director Áine Power said in her opening remarks.

After an introduction from FEI Deputy Legal Director Áine Power, FEI Games Operations Director Tim Hadaway led a panel discussion between FEI Commercial Director Ralph Straus, Simone Perillo – Secretary General of the Italian Equestrian Federation and EEF Board member, Michael Stone – President of Wellington International, Casper Cassøe Krüth – Chief Operating Officer of the Global Equestrian Group, and Nayla Stössel – President of Longines CSIO St Gallen and EEF Board member, with focus on five main subjects: Why are championships important, what drives the interest to host a championships, the additional requirements and costs involved, the commercial aspects and income opportunities, as well as the pros and cons of the current bid process. 

Major FEI championships – such as the FEI Jumping European Championship, the FEI Jumping World Championship as well as the FEI Jumping World Cup Final – are allocated by the FEI Board after a bidding process. The events run according to a detailed host agreement, with extensive involvement from the FEI headquarters. The discipline of jumping has the highest hosting fees and prize money requirements, with the FEI Jumping World Cup Final’s €1,3 million minimum prize money requirement topping the list. According to the FEI, Longines offers a “significant financial contribution” to the FEI Jumping World Cup Final and the FEI Jumping World Championship, while for the FEI Jumping European Championship this contribution is not automatic. The FEI Jumping European Championship and FEI Jumping World Championship have the highest hosting fees of all the FEI championships. 

There is a real possibility that these championships won’t be organised in 2025

- FEI President Ingmar De Vos - 

Currently, the 2025 FEI Jumping European Championship is one of three major FEI championships to be hosted next year that is without a single bid. “There is a real possibility that these championships won’t be organised in 2025,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos confirmed in a media briefing following the FEI Sports Forum. 

However, the reluctancy to place bids is nothing new: In 2013 there were three bids for the FEI Jumping European Championship, in 2015 only one, two in 2017 and 2019, as well as one in 2021 and 2023.   

“Drastic change is needed,” Simone Perillo from the Italian Equestrian Federation said. “Championships are fundamental.” 

Highlighting the aspect of team competition and the role of national federations at championships, Perillo continued to express his concerns – pointing out how the sport will risk becoming an individual sport where prize money will be the main driver if the current issues with FEI championships are not resolved. 

The problem is the conditions for bidding

- Simone Perillo, Secretary General of the Italian Equestrian Federation and EEF Board member - 

While the current bidding process was criticized for being old-fashioned, and the FEI was encouraged to move towards a direct dialogue instead, Perillo pointed out the pros of the current system. “I think the bid process per se is a good thing because it guarantees transparency and good governance,” he said. “The problem is the conditions for bidding, so that is where I think we have to focus.”  

This year, 28 FEI championships are organised. In her introduction, FEI Deputy Legal Director Áine Power questioned whether the current championship cycle – that varies from championships taking place either annually, every second year or every four years – is still relevant. She also mentioned how one option of reducing the costs from the organisers point of view could be to look at the number of officials required. 

“Regarding the cycle, I think the Europeans – even when it's not a qualifier for the Olympics – is also very, very important for national federations and for the Chef d’Equipes, because otherwise how do you gain experience for the bigger championships; for a world championship, for the Olympics? That's a place where maybe new young riders will get their chance. I think this is also very, very important,” Francois Mathy Jr. – IJRC President – pointed out. “Championships are vital for sport,” he said. “This is where the real sport happens. Nobody can buy their way in, it's the best of the best. That's where real sport people want to be.”

Championships are vital for sport

- Francois Mathy Jr., President of the IJRC - 

“One more thought why championships are important,” Sönke Lauterbach from the German Equestrian Federation said. “If we want to attract the general public, they basically only understand championships. So that's our opportunity to become more well known to the general public. That's why they are important. One final sentence on the format. Again, as sports people, we understand why championships are the way they are. I think one key challenge for organisers is that for the Europeans and world championships, everyone can come and you only know a few months before how many you have to expect. So, we may have to look into this – even though I know it will hurt some,” he said, referring to the big number of starters on the first and second day of championships. 

“I think it's about the risks,” Nayla Stössel reflected on the low number of organisers willing to take on a FEI championship. “Who is really standing there in the end and paying the bill? And if it's only the organiser, it's not that attractive because the risks have changed throughout the years and nobody wants to cover pandemics or weather risks. And these are already two major factors that we have seen in the last few years. We are all winning together or losing together. The EEF I think is ready and willing to be more active in this and support the FEI, or do the job together with the FEI, but also together with all the stakeholders.” 

Who is really standing there in the end and paying the bill?

- Nayla Stössel, President of Longines CSIO St Gallen and EEF Board member - 

“There's the whole accommodation and feeding – so many extra people – and then there's the host broadcast requirements, but they're serious for a championship, and they're very, very expensive,” Michael Stone said about the difference of costs in hosting a major FEI championship or a regular CSI. “There needs to be more collaboration with the organiser and the national federation who's hosting it as well, because the national federation gets a bonus from doing it too, or should do from their sport and promoting their sport. But the national federations in my experience contribute very little economically to the championships.” 

“These requirements for hotels, for the food and so on, it's not sustainable anymore because it seems the teams anyway do what they want,” Casper Cassøe Krüth said about the other requirements included in organising major FEI championships – such as providing accommodation for the athletes. “I think that the national federations for the world championships or the Europeans can afford to pay themselves for their accommodation and I think it's better to do it in that way because then it's sustainable. Then we know how much is ordered and it will be used. The same with the hotels for the riders doing the first day; we all know that 70% of the riders going the first day, they will take one more night at the hotel and then they leave, so we will stand with hotels for 3-4 days. That's not sustainable and it costs a lot of money for us as organisers. So, we really need to look into this requirement because there's a lot to do and a lot of money to save.”

I mean it's not very popular what I'm going to say, but what about capping the numbers?

- FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez - 

While looking into the number of officials required was offered as a solution to reduce the costs for the organising committees, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez introduced the idea of a stricter qualification system. “I mean it's not very popular what I'm going to say, but what about capping the numbers?” she weighed in. “What about having a qualification system for championships and then this way you reduce the number of teams that actually go to the championships and then the cost for the organisers goes down. What would that number look like?” 

This year, the FEI World Cup Finals in jumping and dressage, two of FEI’s own flagship events, took place in Saudi Arabia – a country that on the 2023 Human Freedom Index was ranked 157 out of the 165 nations listed. The country has an established record for not respecting fundamental human rights, as documented by several international bodies and organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Freedom House. Human rights organisations such as these repeatedly report on how human rights activists and women’s rights defenders are routinely repressed, how women are subject to many discriminatory restrictions across different spheres of life and how people suspected of same-sex relations risk severe sanctions. In their most recent published report on Saudi Arabia, Human Rights Watch wrote the following on the events of 2023: "Authorities laundered their reputation, stained by a deplorable human rights record, by funding lavish sports and entertainment institutions, figures, and events."

FEI President Ingmar De Vos had no concerns though, when talking about the choice of host at a press briefing following the Sports Forum – and made a point of how there are not many places the FEI can go if human rights are to be considered in the allocation process. 

If we talk about human rights, there are, in the end, not that many countries where we can go

- FEI President Ingmar De Vos - 

“Well, I was there and I can only say that there was no issue at all,” De Vos – also an IOC member – said. “No issue was reported to us regarding any kind of discrimination.” 

Under its statues, the FEI has obliged itself to “…encourage and support the promotion of diversity, inclusion and gender equality in sport at all levels and in all structures [Our mark-up] with a view to implementing the principle of equality.”

The statutes are the FEI’s constitution, and reflect FEI’s purposes, objectives, core values and fundamental principles. Together with the rules and regulations enacted further to them, the FEI statutes represent the codification of the principles and norms that govern equestrian sports.

Furthermore, the fundamental principles of Olympism include the educational value of good example, social responsibility, as well as respect for internationally recognised human rights.

However, the FEI President gave no indication that there were any contradictions between these fundamental principles and the FEI’s allocation. “I am aware of the fact that some media thought it was important to boycott but let me say one thing again, we are a sports organisation. In sport we like to bring people together. We have very clear provisions also in our hosting agreements and there has been no issue at all to underline that and that some people want to abuse sports for political purposes, I can only regret that, but we should be realistic. We cannot expect to solve what even the United Nations is not able to solve,” was De Vos’ message to the media outlets at the press briefing.

Do we live in an ideal world? No, of course not

- FEI President Ingmar De Vos - 

“I don't see why Saudi Arabia was perceived as being a problem, whereas we have had many other competitions in the region where it never has been a problem. So, I don't understand why they are specifically targeting [Saudi Arabia],” De Vos said about the host for the 2024 FEI World Cup Finals in jumping and dressage – an FEI-named event. 

“If we talk about human rights, there are, in the end, not that many countries where we can go. Sport opens doors, sport gives us the possibility to promote things. Do we live in an ideal world? No, of course not. But that's in all parts of the world and in all countries,” was the FEI President’s reflection.

7.5.2024 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.