The World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) has announced new guidelines for the Jumping World Breeding Championships for Young Horses.

According to WBFSH, the guidelines “(...) follow a series of discussions between key stakeholders across the sport, initiated in response to increasing focus on age-appropriate demands, horse welfare, and the need for greater clarity and consistency in young horse competition pathways.”

By introducing MERs to jumping, WBFSH hopes to support a consistent and transparent qualification pathway, and contribute to the long-term welfare and development of young jumping horses.

The new MERs require that the participating horses must have achieved certain results prior to the championship. Five-year-old horses must have jumped three clear rounds on at least 1.15m level, while 6-year-old horses are required to have done the same on at least 1.25m level. For 7-year-old horses, three clear rounds on at least 1.35m level are required.

In addition, the competition format for 5-year-old horses is adjusted; they will no longer be judged against the clock but towards an optimum time.

“These changes reflect a shared commitment by the WBFSH and the FEI to safeguard the future of the sport by aligning competition structures with the needs of young horses, while maintaining the high sporting standards of the Championships,” WBFSH detailed in their announcement. “We encourage riders, owners, breeders, studbooks and National Federations to familiarise themselves with these updates in preparation for the upcoming edition of the Jumping World Breeding Championships.”