FEI Changes Minimum Eligibility Requirements for 2020 World Young Horse Championships in Verden

Dressage

FEI

The FEI has published new Guidelines for the 2020 World Championships for Young Dressage Horses with regards to the Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MER) due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The updated Guidelines apply for 2020 only.

MERs to be Achieved at National Shows

Minimum Eligibility Requirement (MER) to be achieved as a combination horseathlete:

5 and 6 year old horses: a total score of minimum 75%
7 year old horses: a total score of minimum 70%

This score must be obtained minimum once at a CDI-YH or at an appropriate Young Horse competition at a CDN or according to National selection criteria in the calendar year of the Championship. The result obtained at a CDN or through National selection has to be confirmed with the nominated entries.

NFs are responsible for ensuring that the level of national tests used at the National selection to obtain the MER is equivalent to the level of the FEI tests for 5, 6 and 7 year old horses. Horses can only participate in the selection procedure of one NF.

The rule that each age category at the WCYH may only have up to a maximum of 40 horses has been scratched. Also the FEI - in close cooperation with the WBFSH, the NF of the OC and the OC - cannot extend invitations for additional horses.

Read the complete rule revisions for the 2020 WCYH here.

Will the Breeders Be Honoured at the 2020 World Breeding Championship?

Last year there was some upheaval over the prize giving ceremony at the World Championships in Ermelo. Riders were no longer winning medals for their achievements (no gold, silver, bronze medal), but the owner of the horse received a small plaque. Furthermore, the breeders of the top placed horses were fully ignored, not even being invited into the area or given a bouquet of flowers.

Read our guest column about it: Lena Sellman: "Hail to the Breeders at the FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Championships for Young Dressage Horses?"

The new rules for the 2020 WCYH include some small alterations. The FEI chooses to celebrate the owner of the horse and the horses, and to a lesser degree the rider and breeder of the hrose.

The FEI motivates this decision by stating, "This Policy is based on the principle that at FEI Young Horses Championships, the horse is the World Champion and not the athletes."

Instead of medals for the riders the FEI suggests that the show organizer provide sashes for the horses, replacing the medals. The FEI states: "Horses must enter the arena wearing the blanket, a sash around the horses’ neck and a big rosette on the sash at the level of the chest (gold, silver bronze) (if applicable as provided by the Organiser)."

For the breeders, "'the WBFSH and/or the organiser shall have the possibility to offer a recognition (to be agreed in conjunction with the FEI) to the breeder and/or studbook of the winning horse(s)."

The 2020 World Young Horse Championships will be in Verden, Germany. Due to the corona pandemic they have been moved from 5 - 9 August to 9 - 13 December 2020 and will take place indoors.