Text © World of Showjumping

As of 1 January 2024, several changes and modifications to the FEI rules have come into force. In November 2023, the FEI Hybrid General Assembly approved all the proposed modifications to the FEI rules and regulations for 2024 and below is a selection of some of the most noteworthy changes. 

New for 2024 are the FEI’s Key Event Requirements (KER), which can be found in Appendix L to the FEI General Regulations. The KER will cover all FEI events, and the initial fourteen requirements that have been identified are: Event biosecurity (VR art. 1027 and 1008.11), veterinary services & facilities (VR art. 1007.2), stable cleanliness and disinfection (VR art. 1008.5), stable security & access control (VR art. 1008.13-1008.16), stable size (VR art. 1008.1), stable ventilation (VR art. 1008.6 b)), drinking water for horses in stables (VR art.  1008.6 e)), fire precautions & safety procedures in stables (VR art. 1008.6 f)), stable area circulation (VR art.  1008.6 h) and i)), horse inspection (VR art. 1011.2), medical services (FEI GR art. 109.10.1 and 109.10.3), Field of Play (FEI JR art. 201.2), adequate availability to training/schooling (FEI JR art.  201.3 and 201.8), as well as footing (FEI JR Annex VI).

The KER have been developed as a response to concerns that have been raised about inconsistent standards across FEI events, in particular in areas such as biosecurity, stabling and security. 

Important for grooms and riders are the obligations show organisers have in regard to cleanliness and disinfection of stables, stable ventilation, as well as stable security and access control – all rules also found in the Veterinary Regulations. 

Furthermore, the FEI General Regulations now include a social media policy – which can be found in Appendix M. Following the various feedback from FEI’s stakeholders prior to the General Assembly, the final proposal from the FEI was to have one social media policy that will apply to anyone – including but not limited to athletes, officials, accredited persons, FEI representatives (FEI board members, FEI committee members, FEI headquarters staff, etc), organisers, support personnel (coaches, trainers, horse owners, grooms, stewards, chefs d’equipe, team staff, etc), and persons responsible.

New for 2024 is also that the FEI now has additional tools in integrity/ethics matters – ref. article 156.4 in the General Regulations. This was a much-debated addition to the General Regulations as it gives the FEI the right to demand any information, record, article, or thing in an applicable person’s possession or control, which the FEI reasonably believes may evidence or lead to the discovery of evidence of a non-doping violation. 

Last but not least, modifications have also been made to the FEI Safeguarding Policy Against Harassment and Abuse in Appendix I. This now states that all forms of harassment and abuse are prohibited and that the FEI will take appropriate action pursuant to the policy where there is a risk of harm “(…) within the context of participation in equestrian sport.”

The following has also been added to the policy’s article 2: “It is not necessary for conduct (or attempted or threatened conduct) to take place in the context of equestrian sport in order for action to be taken pursuant to this Policy, provided that the FEI considers that any such conduct suggests a risk of harm to one or more Protected Person in the context of their participation in equestrian sport.”

The FEI has also limited its own obligations under the policy, adding the following under article 3: “The FEI may update any individual who has filed a safeguarding report with the FEI on the status of (i) their report; and/or (ii) the related safeguarding procedure (if applicable). The FEI’s provision of such updates shall not constitute a violation of the confidentiality provisions of this Article 3.3.”

In the Veterinary Regulations, article 1008 regarding stable areas at FEI events also has several noteworthy additions and modifications when it comes to requirements to lightning, air circulation, bedding, water, movement of horses, storage and fire safety. 

Furthermore, an entire Annex X has been added detailing the requirements for how stables at FEI events must be cleaned, and it also outlines a disinfection protocol – which show organisers must follow. 

FEI has also tightened the organisers obligations under article 1010 which regulates the area for examinations on arrival. The show organisers must now supply the horses with facilities for the examinations on arrival which allows them to be unloaded within one hour of arriving at the venue. Furthermore, the examination on arrival area must include safe non-slip footing for the horses. 

Article 1027 has also been changed. The Veterinary Commission/Veterinary Delegate (VC/VD) may now request that a horse’s temperature is taken at any time during the event on their request and must organise supervised temperature-taking of 5% of horses each day at events where horses are stabled for more than one week. 

A very important addition has also been made to article 1027 nr. 12, which now includes a ban on cross ties at FEI events, and reads: “Horses must not be cross-tied in stable aisles.”

Last but not least, Annex VI on sanctions in case of violations of the FEI Veterinary Regulations now include disqualification and a report to FEI Veterinary Department for those who falsify a temperature record, a report to FEI Veterinary Department for those who record a horse’s temperature using a method that is not FEI approved, as well as a report to FEI Veterinary Department for falsification or suspected falsification of any information relating to the submission of elective testing samples. 

The changes to the FEI Jumping Rules include:

• An addition to article 237 regarding scores under Table A: “Separate Penalties for Faults at the obstacles and the time Penalties, as well as the total Penalties incurred by the Athlete/Horse combination, must be included in the official results.”
• An edit to the wording in article 241.4 regarding eliminations (highlighted in bold by editor): “The President of the Ground Jury (or in the absence of the President of the Ground Jury from the Ground Jury box, the Ground Jury Member designated by the President of the Ground Jury to take over the running of the Competition in their absence) may, in their sole discretion, ring the bell (or instruct another Ground Jury member to ring the bell) to eliminate an Athlete/Horse combination while a round is ongoing if the President of the Ground Jury (or their designee) decides that this would be in the best interest of the wellbeing and/or safety of the Horse and/or Athlete. The decision to eliminate is final and not subject to appeal or protest.”
• Changes to Annex VI nr. 1 and nr. 3 regarding requirements for prize money at CSI/CSIOs worldwide. 
• Changes to Annex VIII regarding the qualification procedure for the World and Continental Championships. 

Changes to the FEI Equine Prohibited Substances List (EPSL) include the delisting of Carbocysteine – a formerly banned substance. 

Meanwhile Canagliflozin, Ertugliflozin and Velagliflozin are now listed as controlled medication. Modifications to the international thresholds on arsenic, cobalt and Dimethyl Sulphoxide (DMSO) have also been made.

When it comes to human athletes, the prohibited substances are listed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and this year – among other changes – tramadol has been added to the prohibited list. 

The WADA Prohibited List 2024 and a summary of the major modifications can be found here.