During 2016, World of Showjumping will bring our readers regular news from the International Jumping Riders Club. Below is the latest newsletter from the IJRC.

Equestrian sport is in full activity with several high-level competitions, and alongside these events the International Jumping Riders Club continues to work on a lot of different issues.

An important subject the IJRC is working on, is the anti-doping issue regarding the violation caused by food and contamination. One of the most important news in this regard is that immediate provisional suspension of the athlete it is no longer required in order to avoid mistakes that can affect the image and career of a rider.

This change allows the FEI Tribunal more flexibility when prosecuting a case or when imposing sanctions in contamination cases, but the IJRC is still working on this subject as there are other important issues to be discussed.

Furthermore, the IJRC is working also on:

• The aspect connected with doping cases, when the athlete involved is a minor
• Analyzing the “extra fee” and changes in the CSI requirement agreement.
• Contact with the Judges Club and FEI Jumping Committee member Mr. Stephan Ellenbruch, in order to analyze if it will be suitable, in cases of involuntary or minor violations, to introduce a preliminary step before giving a yellow card and the introduction of a panel to decide about the immediate disqualification.
• Consider if shaving below the horse knee should be banned, but accept normal clipping.
• Relationship Steward-Athlete and Officials-Athlete with special attention to the procedure in case of disqualification during an event.
• Consequences, interpretation and application of the rules (the weighing of any sanction on the basis of the principle of proportionality. Difference between voluntary or accidental rule violation).

The IJRC is trusting and sure that with so many aspects, it will be always possible to reach some valid solutions when the priority is given to the interest of our sport and welfare of the horses.

If one of our members has any input regarding these aspects we will welcome her or his opinion at [email protected].

Regarding the Young Riders Academy, the new program conceived for talented young show jumpers, with the cooperation of the International Jumping Riders Club, the young athletes have recently been in Lausanne at the EPFL University Campus (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne). Several of members of the IJRC like Jos Lansink, Rolf Göran Bengtsson, Ludger Beerbaum, the Schröde-brothers and Franke Sloothaak) are directly involved to train the students and will also take care of some of the next group of athletes.

In late spring the new talents will be selected by the panel, composed by former IJRC board members like Emile Hendrix, Otto Becker, together with Jean Maurice Bonneau and Dirk Demeersman.

Eleonora Ottaviani

IJRC Director

Text © IJRC