The great Nations Cup conundrum
Can the FEI theater unit of measurement detect mutual footing over the hereafter of the iconic Jumping Nations Cup? It is shaping upward as the most contentious number at the FEI’s General Assembly inward November. Neil Clarkson reports.
The rich history of eastern Europe is peppered alongside tales of marauding horsemen.
The horse-sport officials bearing downwards on Istanbul, Turkey, for the FEI General Assembly side yesteryear side calendar month are unlikely to lay siege to the city, but create no mistake: the footing of Equus caballus politics generates its ain form of cutting together with thrust.
Once pleasantries are exchanged over a few drinks together with canapes, officials from the fellow member nations who create upward the footing governing trunk of equestrian sport have got some serious, together with contentious, issues to bargain with.
Last year’s gathering inward Rio de Janiero was a welcome recess from political storms that have got marked recent full general assemblies.
There was the debacle of the so-called progressive drugs lists inward Copenhagen inward 2009, which threatened to split the equestrian footing over a somewhat unexpected force to ease the zero-tolerance rules for some drugs.
The number was poorly handled. It was sprung on nations also belatedly together with in that place were suggestions that some smaller non-English-speaking nations did non really empathise the nature of the vote. The fuss that unfolded inward subsequent days had the FEI furiously backtracking together with agreeing to total together with frank consultation before the thing was progressed.
The precise root of the progressive listing remains a mystery, although in that place is a perception that FEI president Princess Haya had a mitt inward getting it on the agenda.
That is forthwith history, together with the Clean Sport programme, largely overshadowed for a fourth dimension yesteryear the drugs listing furore, is locked inward together with widely supported.
The Chinese Taipei General Assembly the next twelvemonth brought alongside it the much-anticipated challenge to Princess Haya’s presidency from ii European contenders, Swede Sven Holmberg together with Dutchman Henk Rottinghuis.
Haya won handsomely, but the challenge set bare the dissatisfaction some powerful western European powerhouses of equestrian sport had over Haya’s start term as president.
The challenges came as the winds of discontent were silent blowing strong over the drugs listing issue, together with dissatisfaction over what many major nations saw as a lost chance inward Copenhagen to streamline FEI governance.
Three months after Copenhagen came the proclamation of the formation of the novel European Equestrian Federation (EEF), alongside 27 fellow member nations. Its membership forthwith stands at 45 countries.
It has to live stressed that the EEF was non born from misgivings over the Copenhagen assembly. The procedure to shape a European matrimony had started inward March 2009 inward France. That said, if timing is everything, the EEF certainly nailed it.
“The EEF volition stand upward for the interests of European Equus caballus sport inside the FEI,” a unloose announcing its formation said.
Those interests are forthwith real much to the fore on the Istanbul agenda, as the hereafter of the Jumping Nations Cup comes nether intense scrutiny.
It is shaping as the unmarried biggest number to live dealt alongside yesteryear tending nations, alongside questions or hence financing of the event, its structure, together with its potential as a qualifying lawsuit for the 2016 Olympics inward Rio de Janiero.
The Jumping Nations Cup (hereafter referred to as the Nations Cup) is a showcase lawsuit for the FEI, alongside its ‘Top League’ comprising 8 events inward 8 European countries. It has a long together with proud history that dates dorsum to a greater extent than than a century.
The 8 countries that compete inward the Top League tend to live the same – the top-tier European jumping nations – alongside other nations having the chance to compete inward the lesser Promotional League.
While technically a global event, the electrical flow construction of the Nations Cup makes the entry of nations from exterior Europe extremely difficult.
The lawsuit has enjoyed substantial sponsorship from Rolex inward the past, together with to a greater extent than of late from Meydan Group, which is developing a huge horse-racing complex inward the United Arab Emirates.
That substantial sponsorship was used yesteryear the FEI to aid fund each of the Nations Cup jumping events at sanctioned five-star competitions across Europe.
The withdrawal of Meydan left the in conclusion Nations Cup without a sponsor.
The FEI stepped into the breach, shelling out closed to an estimated 2 1000000 euros from its ain coffers to back upward the event. That amounts to a real substantial striking on its books, together with perchance gives some thought as to the scale of sponsorship the likes of Meydan together with Rolex provided inward the past.
Some FEI fellow member nations mightiness have got viewed the FEI’s conclusion to fund the Nations Cup from its ain reserves as a noble gesture, alongside the footing governing trunk prepared to measuring upward to back upward a pop lawsuit when sponsors were inward brusk supply.
Others, however, may convey a less charitable view. Why, they mightiness ask, should the FEI have got used some of its collective pot of cash, funded yesteryear all fellow member nations, to run an lawsuit inward the wealthiest of the FEI disciplines – jumping – for 8 of the wealthiest nations?
Hence, ane tin imagine the smiles all circular at FEI headquarters inward Lausanne, Switzerland, when the Saudi Equestrian Fund, created yesteryear Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, stepped inward together with offered the sweetest of sponsorship deals.
Late inward April, at the FEI Sports Forum inward Lausanne, Haya announced the sponsorship, drawing spontaneous applause from the 250 delegates.
The fund, she said, would non only provide total fiscal back upward for the 2012 Nations Cup Series, but had also agreed to a five-year championship sponsorship commencing inward 2013, ane time a “remodelling” processwas finalised.
Organisers of the 8 FEI Nations Cup Top League had been told at a coming together inward Geneva in conclusion Dec that a funding solution had been constitute for the series, but no details of the bargain were released.
Haya confirmed at the Sport Forum that the FEI had been inward ongoing talks alongside the Saudi fund to formalise the understanding since then, resulting inward the proclamation to delegates.
The novel sponsor would live business office of discussions alongside the FEI on prize money, branding together with revitalisation of the series, delegates were told.
The grade of the fund’s sponsorship is unclear, but ane thing is certain: it is sure to live a real substantial sum, almost certainly outstripping the grade of back upward from Meydan inward lodge to back upward the wider puddle of qualifying events.
So what of the “remodelling” together with “revitalisation”?
One thing must have got been abundantly clear ane time delegates had fourth dimension to digest the news. The Saudi fund would for certain non have got been prepared to stump upward a pile of cash to run the Nations Cup unless the rival was structured inward such a means which realistically allowed its ain Saudi equestrian team, a rising forcefulness on the footing stage, to convey part.
The Saudis would understandably want a genuine global competition.
The FEI said inward its tilt announcing the sponsorship: “The Saudi Equestrian Fund is keen to facilitate the modify together with has expressed the wishing that the outcome of the renovation procedure is a concept that is supported yesteryear all parties.
“The fund volition provide fiscal back upward inward lodge to ensure the continuity of the 2012 serial during the transition to the novel concept which volition live launched inward 2013.”
FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos gave a presentation at the forum on plans as they stood at that time. All countries interested inward competing would live divided into regional groups.
In lodge to ensure fair competition, the strongest countries would live every bit spread over the different Groups as grouping leaders. Countries inward the regional grouping events would qualify for semifinals. Teams from each semifinal would hence qualify for the final.
The semifinals together with finals would almost certainly live staged inward Europe.
For the Europeans, that effectively reduces the Jumping Nations Cup inward Europe to 3 major events, plus whatever regional qualifying events are organised.
So what practice the Europeans recollect of all this?
Not much, it seems.
The European Equestrian Federation website released a tilt on September 3 inward which it set out its seat on the minute version of the draft rules. That draft was sent to fellow member nations on August 17.
First, the expert news: “The representatives of the European national federations, organisers together with associated organisations are completely opened upward for whatever global concept for the Nations Cup Series, which constitutes the most of import production for our sport, at to the lowest degree inward jumping,” federation president Hanfried Haring said.
Now, the bad news: “However, they are deeply disappointed that the articulation proposals of national federations, chefs d’equipe together with organisers already made some fourth dimension agone were non at all considered inward the electrical flow draft, together with as a resultant all the stakeholders experience disenfranchised alongside the electrical flow FEI process.
“The introduction of the novel concept inward 2013 is completely unrealistic together with is rejected without restriction of whatever kind. The fourth dimension pressure level forthwith arisen cannot live accepted, neither yesteryear national federations nor yesteryear OCs [organising committees].”
Haring, whose tilt followed a hastily arranged coming together which drew representatives from 17 European nations, raised several questions, quest whether in that place had been a gamble assessment on the potential effects of the changes.
“Is the FEI aware of the imminent danger that tin arise for the whole sport yesteryear destroying the electrical flow well-proven sporting system?”
It asked nigh the “financial concept” or hence reimbursement, prize coin together with organising costs.
“How tin semifinals together with [a] in conclusion live implemented inward the calendar without destroying traditional move yesteryear events together with clashing alongside Continental together with World Championships or fifty-fifty Olympic Games?” Haring asked.
“How does FEI handgrip the consequences of the sponsorship from Longines for the Grand Prix competitions of the Top League organisers? The Top League organisers are going to human face upward serious problems without it, because they could also lose their Grand Prix sponsor.
“Moreover, no concept tin live agreed to unless it secures that, especially inward the Nations Cup competitions, the best teams together with the best riders of the footing compete against each other.
“Without having received satisfying answers to the opened upward questions, also inward detail, nosotros are non able to give a satisfactory statement, together with nosotros volition reserve the alternative non to participate inward semifinals together with [the] final.”
Haring said the European federations were prepared to create a European Top League, but continued: “It must live emphasised ane time again … that whatever grave changes for the 2013 flavor tin inward no means live agreed to.”
The European Equestrian Federation is a powerful group, together with undoutedly has a total listing of direct-dial numbers into the FEI’s headquarters inward Lausanne, Switzerland.
One tin only imagine the nature of those telephone conversations, given the rather forthright mode inward which it set out its seat inward that September 3 statement.
There are sure to have got been high-level discussions behind the scenes inward recent weeks, together with ane would aspect the parties to live somewhat closer than they were early on inward September.
The FEI cannot afford a European veto, hence some major concessions are likely. Europe volition almost certainly telephone scream upward the shots inward terms of how it organises its ain qualifying process. Expect to consider Nations Cup-style events at all the major CSIOs inward Europe, albeit as European qualifying events.
It would non live surprising if the semifinals as currently proposed were abandoned inward favour of ane much larger final, comprising Europe’s move yesteryear tier nations along alongside other regional qualifiers from or hence the globe.
This is speculation, of course, but European nations volition clearly live worried nigh maintaining the status of electrical flow Nations Cup events, together with this scenario would become some means toward achieving that.
The outlook for the far-flung reaches of the FEI theater unit of measurement are much rosier when it comes to a revamped Nations Cup, of course.
Under the draft rules, such nations forthwith have got the prospect of regional qualifying events together with a shot at making the Nations Cup final.
There is also the prospect of some Saudi sponsorship cash to aid run the regional competitions.
But the European standoff amounts to a bad migraine, together with ane tin only speculate as to how this may play out at the General Assembly if no understanding is forthcoming beforehand.
The whole debate raises some interesting questions. The Saudi want to have got a Nations Cup construction inward house inward which it tin realistically compete is exclusively understandable. The FEI clearly thinks this novel construction tin live inward house for 2013, when the European Equestrian Federation considers this timeframe totally unachievable – or at to the lowest degree it did early on inward September.
The Saudi Equestrian Fund has generously agreed to stump upward for the 2012 Nations Cup, alongside the prospect of a novel rival for 2013. One has to wonder on what terms the 2012 lawsuit was funded, together with whether that was conditional upon the revamped Nations Cup beingness inward house yesteryear 2013.
Interestingly, Secretary General De Vos was reported inward a May 1 press unloose from the FEI as telling delegates at the Sport Forum that the stated destination would live to deliver a revamped production preferably create for implementation inward 2013.
So, is in that place breathing infinite or not?
As it stands, the most powerful equestrian trunk exterior the FEI is seeing red, together with the footing governing trunk volition for certain live desperate to resolve the thing before the General Assembly gets to consider it.
If the parties ultimately stay poles apart, aspect fireworks when number 15.2.2 comes upward before delegates.
The other number probable to teach an airing is the purpose of the Nations Cup inward Olympic qualification.
If the Nations Cup is reborn as a really global competition, hence for certain it has a house inward Olympic qualification.
Would, for example, the 2015 Nations Cup regional qualifiers check neatly into the qualifying path for the 2016 Olympics?
These questions are especially of import for smaller nations, given the costs of getting to qualifying events. By means of example, New Zealand had to demeanor the damage of getting its jumping contenders to Kentucky, inward the US, for WEG inward 2010 together with hence to Aachen, inward Germany, a twelvemonth after inward a bid to qualify for the London Olympics.
Other disciplines are non without their issues, but they rather autumn inward the shadows of the Nations Cup.
Eventing is inward the procedure of its four-yearly dominion review, set to come upward into forcefulness on Jan 1. Rule changes are aimed at to a greater extent than clearly defining the differences betwixt a one-day together with a three-day event, recognising inward business office the growing stature of the shorter shape of the lawsuit whilst at the same fourth dimension confirming the pre-eminence of the longer format.
New Zealand, for one, is sure to live watching for whatever changes that would create the cross province less challenging, given that it is traditionally a strong stage for the Kiwis.
Dressage packs a footling to a greater extent than heat, especially for non-European nations, alongside many probable to live dismayed over the halt to an of import judging dispensation given to smaller nations exterior Europe for CDI3* events.
Under FEI rules, the five-strong judging panel for such events must include 3 overseas judges.
For nations exterior Europe, where the damage of flight inward 3 overseas judges, ordinarily inward concern class, tin evidence prohibitive, dispensations were given allowing the events to live run alongside simply ii overseas judges.
This dispensation volition no longer live available from Jan 1.
The conclusion almost certainly stems from a challenge yesteryear the Dominican Republic against Brazil’s application of the judging protocols.
Brazilian passenger Luíza Tavares de Almeida became the sole South American dressage passenger from South America at the London Olympics after she qualified move yesteryear for the portion based on results attained primarily at events where 3 of the v judges were Brazilian.
For a province similar New Zealand, which traditionally runs ii such events annually, that volition evidence to live a costly change. The demand to wing inward an extra international jurist for the ii events is probable to damage the national federation plenty.
I position this to Equestrian Sports New Zealand main executive Jim Ellis. He estimated the additional annual expense for the federation for the ii qualifying dressage events could live as high as $NZ25,000.
It would seem that smaller federations such as New Zealand volition ultimately human face upward a stark choice: either demeanor the additional costs or run fewer CDI3* events.
It is hard to consider how the axing of the dispensation helps grow dressage globally. It seems probable that many national federations exterior Europe volition live lobbying strongly for the FEI to reconsider the move.
That talk, however, is probable to live tame compared to the Nations Cup dialogue.
The ability together with influence of the European Equestrian Federation should non live underestimated. It remains to live seen simply much musculus it volition ultimately flex over the Nations Cup.
One had to wonder, too, how long the cogs of the European grouping volition maintain to meshing alongside those of the FEI as the estrus builds over this iconic competition.
It is of import that equestrian sport continues to demonstrate its global reach, appeal together with arrangement to maintain showjumping, dressage together with three-day eventing inward the Olympic fold.
A monumental bust-up yesteryear the equestrian motion on the footing stage would undo much of kudos gained from the London Olympics, which provided closed together with exciting rival inward a magnificent setting.
It successfully buried the embarrassment of Beijing, where to a greater extent than horses than human athletes across the entire Games failed dope tests.
Only ane thing is certain: much is ultimately at stake.
Finally, ane has to wonder nigh the fate of plans for constitutional reform.
Last year, at the FEI gathering inward Rio de Janiero, the five-member Constitutional Task Force, headed yesteryear Akaash Maharaj, who was hence main executive of Equine Canada, reported its findings.
The business forcefulness proposed a serial of changes aimed at streamlining governance structures, including a proposal to supplant the 19-member FEI Bureau alongside a board of directors comprising ix to 12 individuals.
It recommended that individuals appointed to the board live elected based on skills together with experience, rather than as representatives or delegates from specific regions or sports.
One would have got thought that the FEI Executive Board, which was charged alongside reviewing the study together with relaying recommendations, would have got been inward a seat to study dorsum something to nations at this year’s General Assembly.
Nothing stands out on the agenda. Perhaps the FEI has also many other irons inward the fire.
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