Next week, the FEI General Assembly takes place in Montevideo (URG) and among the many important topics on the agenda is the Olympic qualification system for the 2020 Games in Tokyo. The FEI writes in its memo to the draft on the Olympic qualification system that it expects 35 jumping nations at the 2020 Games, compared to the 27 in Rio. 

The number of quota places for Tokyo is set to 75, with 72 qualification places and three for the host nation. New for 2020 is of course that there will be only three riders per team for each NOC. 20 NOCs will qualify for a team quota place with a team consisting of three riders/horses, and there will be fifteen individual spots up for grabs. 

The FEI Olympic Groups as referred to through the qualification procedure are based on the following seven geographical regions:

A - North Western Europe;

B - South Western Europe;

C - Central & Eastern Europe; Central Asia;

D - North America;

E - Central & South America;

F - Africa & Middle East;

G - South East Asia, Oceania 

Only NOCs that have not accepted a team quota place will be eligible to obtain individual quota places. The point system that will be used for establishing the FEI Olympic Ranking (jumping), will be published by 15 December 2018.

FEI Olympic Ranking (jumping)

The FEI Olympic Ranking is limited to the best fifteen results per rider/horse-combination in ranking competitions within the period from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019 (inclusive).

Fifteen individual quota places of one rider and one horse will be reserved for NOCs with a maximum of one ride with one horse each per NOC (unless specified otherwise), as follows: 

Each team which has obtained a qualification is entitled to one alternate rider and one alternate horse for a total of 20 alternate riders and 20 alternate horses for jumping. 

In the FEI memo, it is written: "Given the specificities of our sport and the issues that can arise concerning welfare (i.e. weather conditions, transportation, etc.), we are happy to confirm that the IOC agrees that the FEI is to determine in the Olympic equestrian sport competition rules how and when the reserve athletes/combinations may be used, provided they are used for medical/veterinary reasons only. These rules will be discussed with the IOC and be approved by the latter in 2019."

For the full FEI draft on the Olympic qualification system (events, athletes quota, athlete eligibility, qualification pathway, confirmation process for quota places, reallocation of unused quota places, general principles regarding the use of alternate athletes and qualification timeline) as well as comments from stakeholders and the FEI Jumping Committee, click here. 

For the FEI memo that followed the draft, click here.