British Eventing backs changes to sport

British Eventing (BE) is backing a new name and format to its sport in a bid to “boost popularity and exposure worldwide”.

Olympic Agenda

BE formed a working group, which comprised a range of eventing experts, to address the FEI’s proposed changes to the discipline, based on the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations.

The group agrees with changing eventing’s name to ‘equestrian triathlon’, which it said best describes the sport. It also supports the FEI’s recommendation to hold dressage on one day, rather than over two days.

In addition, BE has suggested running the cross-country in reverse order of dressage results, so broadcasters can show all the medal contenders, making it easier for viewers to follow.

‘Generate excitement’

Other ideas which BE is backing is to have each nation’s team members in the showjumping arena as their teammates jump, and to hold the team competition as the final event. It is hoped both changes will ‘generate more excitement’.

The group did not agree with the proposal to allow a maximum of three horse/rider combinations per nation, with a reserve. Instead BE suggests keeping four riders on the team for each nation, with no reserve.

Complicated scoring

Instead they recommended that four combinations would compete in dressage and cross-country, with just three progressing to the showjumping. Each nation would declare which riders would compete in the final phase, following the second horse inspection.

BE feels this would lower the risk of teams not completing and remove the need for creating a complicated scoring system.