FEI Sports ForumShaping the future – Page 08

FEI InsightLondon 2012 – Page 46

July 2012

Leaving a legacy

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Note from theFEIPresidentHRH Princess Haya

To all our athletes and support personnel takingpart in the Olympic and Paralympic Games,I wish the very best of luck. We are all aware of the years of hard work that were necessary to take you to the top of our sport and areimmensely proud of you.

Dear Focus readers,

Surreal and beautiful were words that many people used to describe photos of the equestrian test event in Greenwich Park in July 2011. Seeing our sport staged in London against the backdrop of such an iconic cityscape was indeed an emotional and aes-thetic experience.

This month, millions of people will have the chance to see equestrian sport at its very best at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Over the past years, the British Equestrian Federation (which is profiled in our Postcard from feature) has invested a great deal of energy into its grassroots initia-tive Hoof, which aims to ensure that London 2012 leaves a lasting legacy. If, in addition, media cover-age of the Games inspires some people to take up riding and heightens the ambitions of our existing

young athletes, our legacy will be great. As Winston Churchill said, “No hour is wasted that is spent in the saddle.”

Time was certainly not wasted at the inaugural FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne. Participation exceeded our expectations and discussions were lively and constructive. In this edition of Focus, we devote sev-eral pages to the event, which was a huge step for-ward for the FEI. We are confident that its outcome will be beneficial to everybody involved in our sport.

I would like to thank all the FEI Sports Forum par-ticipants for their time and input and encourage anyone who was unable to be with us to share their comments and suggestions on the online forum at www.fei.org.

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Editorial

Contact / Advertising FEI - Fédération Equestre Internationalerichard.johnson@fei.org HM King Hussein I Building Chemin de la Joliette 8 1006 Lausanne T. +41 21 310 47 47 F. +41 21 310 47 60 www.fei.org

38 Postcard from Great Britain

42 FEI Solidarity Jean-Philippe Camboulives

44 FEI Solidarity Hiroshi Hoketsu

46 FEI Insight London 2012

30 Why the long face? Stefanie Powers

32 Marketing Multiplying Euros

34 A life in a day Janica Hiipakka

36 Exhibition

06 Globetrotter

08 FEI Sports Forum Shaping the future

24 The other side of... Patric Looser

26 FEI Nations Cup TM

Signature courses

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Impressum - Focus N° 10 - July 2012

Circulation 2,800Frequency 3 editions per yearEditor in Chief Marianne BurkhardtDesign / Art Equestrio SAPrinting Grafiche SIZ - ItalyCover Apaloosa Equine Creative Agency

48 FEI Insight The Venue

50 FEI Insight Veterinary Services

52 FEI Insight Media Services

54 FEI TV

04 05FOCUS

Table of ContentsFollow us on

ESToNIAN EquESTrIAN FEDErATIoN CElEbrATES 90th ANNIvErSArySome 90 horses and riders from all over Estonia took to the streets of Tallin in May as part of year-long celebrations for the 90th anniversary of the Estonian Equestrian Federation. The festive parade, cheered on by residents of the Estonian capital, started at Veskimetsa Riding Centre, wended its way around the Estonian capital’s old town, before returning to the point of departure. Celebrations will continue at the 10th Tallinn International Horse Show in October.

AuSTrIA To hoST FIrSTFEI ChIlDrEN’S DrIvINg ChAmPIoNShIPSThe FEI European Driving Championships for Children, Juniors and Young Drivers single ponies, will take place in Wiener Neustadt (AUT) from 11 to 15 July 2012 under new rules approved by the Bureau and General Assembly 2011. Gold, silver and bronze med-als will be awarded for Children Single Pony, Junior Single Pony, Young Driver Single Pony, and a Combined Youth Pony Team. For the Combined Youth Pony Championships, a National Team will be composed of at least one Child Single Pony, one Junior Single Pony and one Young Driver Single Pony. Each nation is entitled to send up to a maximum of six athletes, consisting of up to two Children Single Pony, two Juniors Single Pony and Two Young Drivers Single Pony. The Team classification will be determined by adding together the scores of the best Team Competitor in each Competition for Children, Juniors and Young Drivers. Only those scores of the Team Members who have completed all three Competitions without Eliminaton can count towards the final Team scores.

mAurITIAN vAulTEr CoNTINuESoN PATh To SuCCESSLambert Leclezio, who was last year the first Mauritian athlete to compete at the FEI Open European Vaulting Championships for Juniors, has earned his place at the same Championships in Slovakia in August.Leclezio’s performance at the FEI CVI2* in Ermelo (NED) in April saw him finish in third place, behind Johannes Kay (GER) and Andrew McLachlan (GBR). The FEI initiated Vaulting in Africa eight years ago and supports through its foundation the Vaulting Inter Africa Cup, which was hosted by Mauritius last year. “Lambert is a very gifted vaulter,“ said Clotilde Jauffret, President of the Mauritian Equestrian Sports Federation. “However, being the only vaulter at his level on the island, he has had to work very hard to achieve these results. We are very proud of Lambert’s participation in the international arena. He is a role model to our youngsters both within the equestrian and sport-ing worlds in Mauritius.”

rEmINDINg All vETErINArIANS...From 1 June 2012, all veterinarians are required to have the “Permitted Treating” (Treating, Team and Private Veterinarians) or the “FEI Official” Veterinarian ID Card to obtain accreditation from the Organising Committees for all FEI events. For further information, please refer to www.fei.org/new-vet-id-card or email the FEI Veterinary Department directly at veterinaryeducation@fei.org

FEI ANNuAl rEPorT 2011oNlINE AND oN IPADWant to know about all the facts and stats from 2011? Check out the online FEI Annual Report or delve into the interactive iPad version with its added videos and functionality.

EquESTrIAN SPorT AT ThE olymPIC gAmES, 1912-2008by Max E. Ammann

Everything you ever wanted to know about the equestrian

events of the Olympic Games from 1912-2008, with hundreds of photos and detailed descrip-tions of the sport, the athletes and organisation of each edition of the Games including statistics and results. Written and compiled by Max E. Ammann, the equestrian world's most prolific historian, this extensive 444 page historical excursion also reviews the equestrian events of the Paralympic Games since 1996. To order a copy, go towww.fei.org/media/publications

ThAIlAND hoNourS rISINg STArSMore than three hundred people attended the Thailand Equestrian Federation’s Rising Star Awards night in April to celebrate riders in three categories Shown here, winners of the SEA Games 2011 Riders awards©Thailand Equestrian Federation

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globetrotter

Follow us on

globetr

otter

webinfo@feiThe FEI Corporate Communications

department has prepared an online platform

to showcase the wonderful history of eques-

trian events at the Olympic and Paralympic

Games. This overview of the who, when and

where of the equestrian world’s Olympic

history since 1912 is available at

history.fei.org

“Now let’s get to work,” said FEI President HRH Princess Haya at the end of her opening speech at the inaugural FEI Sports Forum. The event, held in Lausanne (SUI) from 30 April to 2 May and attended by 280 athletes, National Federation representatives, event organisers and officials, riders’ clubs, sponsors and media, marked a new beginning for the FEI. For the first time, everybody involved in horse sport had the opportunity to play a direct role in its governance. During lively debates, participants voiced their opinions on the Jumping, Endurance, Eventing and veterinary matters that will be voted at the FEI General Assembly 2012. Discussions continue via the FEI’s online forum at www.fei.org/sportsforum.

All photos: © FEI/Edouard Curchod

Shaping the future

FEI SportS Forum

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John Madden then explained the concept of the Event Classification System (ECS). The ECS categorises events and their quality on the basis of a set of crite-ria, predominantly objective but with certain subjec-tive aspects. It was agreed that with the current sys-tem of classification, based solely on prize money, events are not necessarily encouraged to improve and excellence isn’t rewarded.

The ECS consists of two major information resources: a ‘Technical Check’ (compliance with FEI Rules and standards) and a ‘Group Survey’ (quality information for all other criteria). It was explained that the sys-tem had already been piloted in the USA with posi-tive results. The envisioned timeline was shown to the participants with tests initially being run and an even-tual roll out of the ECS in full capacity by 2015/2016.

John Madden said the introduction of the ECS would also aid in the compilation of the FEI Calendar, which many stakeholders agree is currently too congested. He explained the concept of a free market system where all events have the opportunity to host top level events. Certain implications would also be inev-itable for events not reaching the minimum require-ments, whose levels could be reduced by one star or more. However, John Madden confirmed that the ECS will include a provision to determine whether a par-ticular issue was beyond an OC’s control and should be deemed serious enough to warrant relegating the event to a lower star level.

There was strong support for the implementation of such a system but certain delegates raised questions. Ulf Helgstrand (DEN) asked whether there were pro-visions within the ECS to ensure a high level of horse welfare. John Madden confirmed that there were, explaining that certain criteria were weighted more heavily than others. If an event failed to comply with the technical requirements, none of the other crite-ria would be taken into consideration.

The issue of the cost of the ECS and practical imple-mentation was raised by Emile Hendrix (NED). John Madden confirmed that initially, for lower level events, self-regulation and assessment may be used to limit the costs. It was suggested that at a higher level,

Chair: Richard NicollPanellists: John Madden, Chair of FEI Jumping Committee, John Roche, FEI Jumping Director, & FEI Jumping Committee Members: Marco Fusté, Otto Becker, Ian Allison, Jean-Maurice Bonneau and Vladimir Platov.

The FEI Sports Forum started with two sessions on the FEI’s largest discipline, Jumping, attended by more than 250 people. Participants included National Federations (NFs), event organisers, athletes, owners and organ-isers clubs, members of the FEI Technical Committee, veterinarians, sponsors, and media.

Four main topics were discussed: 1. Event Classification System (ECS)2. Invitations and wild cards3. Rankings4. Series

John Madden opened the first session by outlining the long and short-term visions within the disci-pline. He explained that there is currently a “luxury crisis” and everybody involved must work together to create a vision that encompasses the tradition of horsemanship (horse welfare), sport and the Olympic ideals but also allows for growth in new and devel-oping regions while maintaining the growth of the stronger regions. He explained that, due to the very rapid growth of the discipline in recent times, there had been a tendency to "patchwork fix” and it was now time to address the discipline as a whole. While everybody agreed this was not an easy challenge, there was unanimous agreement that the principle goals were to find solutions that were: understanda-ble, inclusive, honest, reliable, transparent horse sport while maintaining tradition and welcoming growth for the FEI, National Federations, riders, organisers, own-ers, enthusiasts, fans, sponsors and media.

JUMPING FORUM30 April – 1 May

where events would certainly reap benefits from the system, financial contribution from the OCs them-selves may be required.

George Dimaras (GRE) expressed concerns that apply-ing uniform rules on a global scale may create prob-lems. John Madden reassured him that this had been taken into consideration and that one of the bene-fits of this system was that it could be applied world-wide. As scores are given on a percentage scale, there is the possibility to compare events on a regional basis when necessary.

Marco Fusté presented invitations and wild cards and put forward two proposals.The first proposal is to cre-ate an invitation system valid for all higher level events (CSI3*/4*/5* inclusive). The second option is to main-tain the difference between the invitations for CSI5* events and CSI3*/4* events.

Many different points of view were expressed. The big-gest area of discussion was wild cards, their number, the criteria for the basis on which they are given and the involvement of NFs. Wiveka Lundh (SWE) said that many smaller NFs with only one or two highly ranked riders could only continue to grow if invitations were returned to the NF when not used by the athlete in question. This received great support from many of

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the developing nations and some said it was essen-tial for the FEI to have a higher number of wild cards enabling access to some of the higher level events for lower ranked athletes.

Some NFs felt that athletes and horses may occa-sionally not have the ability to compete at the higher level Grand Prix competitions. It was agreed that any athletes wishing to participate in the Grand Prix of any CSI5* must be of a certain level. The Jumping Committee will work on a proposal for a Certificate of Capability.

In conclusion, it was agreed that the invitation sys-tem must be fair and transparent. The organising com-mittee’s wild cards must always be limited, equal for all, stated in the event schedule and closely moni-tored by the FEI.

Presentations on the subject of Rankings were made by Marco Fusté and International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC) Committee member François Mathy. All agreed that, overall, the Rolex Rankings are working well. The possibility that the Rankings are too static with little opportunity for up and coming athletes was mentioned. Additionally, it is currently possible for competitions to be held with high prize money but few participants, enabling them to earn a high num-ber of points quite easily. Finally, points are currently given purely on the level of prize money offered and are not necessarily based on the technical difficulty of the competition.

Various new proposals were put forward including limiting the number of Rolex Ranking competitions per event, the possibility of a coefficient-based sys-tem and consideration of a ranking for horse/athlete combinations. John Madden reminded the partici-pants of the understanding that the Rolex Rankings are in general working very well and are a constant work in progress. He explained that the Rolex Rankings

came under the umbrella of the long-term vision and any changes should only be made once the ECS is in place and in conjunction with the IJRC. He also con-firmed that he was confident that the Rolex Rankings could easily be adjusted to the changes in the sport.

The second session on 1 May was dedicated to the subject of Series. FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos presented various series, including the FEI World Cup™, the FEI Nations Cup™ and the Global Champions Tour

The question of crossover points was raised for the FEI World Cup™. François Mathy (BEL) said certain ath-letes competing for the Western European League were gaining all their points within the North American Leagues. It was agreed that this would be looked at by the Jumping Committee to examine if a provision should be added to the rules obliging athletes to earn at least one point from their own League.

The Armenian Federation raised a problem concern-ing the construction of the Leagues. Karen Hakobyan (ARM) explained that they were currently part of the Caucasian League, which is appropriate geographi-cally. Unfortunately, due to current political issues, it is not possible for them to compete in certain coun-tries in their own league.

Most of the day was dedicated to an in-depth discus-sion of the FEI Nations Cup™. It was acknowledged that the series still attracts a good live audience and is one of the rare high-level competitions on the cal-endar where NFs had the possibility to enter the rid-ers of their choice. It is viewed as a good preparation for Olympic Games and major Championships.

However, it has become evident that the current for-mat, which was created in 1964, is outdated and does not meet the needs of the sport developing outside Europe. It needs to be thoroughly reviewed and revi-talised in order to guarantee the future of the series. A possible solution proposed by the Secretary General is a new concept whereby all NFs interested in com-peting would be divided into groups, preferably per region. Teams would compete in regional qualifiers prior to the semi-finals. A maximum of four teams from each semi-final would qualify for the final, pro-ducing either eight or 12 teams, depending on the number of semi-finals.

"All the stakeholders gave their opinions and discussionson important items ,such as the evaluation of shows,and the Ranking list was really interesting"Eleonora ottaviani, Secretary General, International Jumping Riders Club

"Everybody is very involved in the discussions.I think this forum is a really, really good thingfor our sport"

Kevin Staut, rider and FEI Executive Board Member

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Chair: Giuseppe Della Chiesa, Chair FEI Eventing CommitteePanellists: Catrin Norinder, FEI Director Eventing and Olympic, and Gillian Rolton, FEI Eventing Committee member.

Some eighty participants attended the Eventing Round Table where the main topics debated were proposals for qualifications, riders licences and the difference between CCI and CIC competition formats.

These proposals incorporated feedback on an initial consultation document discussed by NFs, riders, offi-cials, organising committees, media and other inter-ested parties at four Eventing open forums held last year in Germany, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.

Short and long competition formatsThe Eventing Committee suggested two options for changing the required speed and distances on the cross

country to respond to the need to make a clear differ-ence between CCI and CIC competitions and better define a short and long competition format .

Participants at the FEI Sports Forum discussed the pos-sibility of considering the short Eventing format (CIC) as part of the preparatory training for the CCI. The speed could be reduced, the order for tests optional and a simplified version of the horse inspection could be offered. The long format (CCI) would continue to

Evaluation of the competition format and potential improvements that would make it easier to under-stand for a larger audience will be actively explored. Additionally, individual rankings could be established with extra prize money and ranking points as a fur-ther incentive for riders.

The proposed changes to the FEI Nations Cup™ gener-ated lively discussions. The concept was deemed rev-olutionary and welcomed as an opportunity to move the sport forward. Roger Haller (USA) welcomed com-ments on universality and suggested that the semi-finals should be held close together in order to help build-up towards the final. Andrew Finding (GBR) sug-gested the integration of the Nations Cup in the qual-ification system for the Olympic Games. Eleonora Ottaviani, IJRC secretary general, expressed the Club’s full support of the Nations Cup concept, regardless of the finalised concept. Special thanks were expressed to the Saudi Equestrian Fund for becoming an FEI partner and supporting the EVENTING ROUND TABLE

2 May 2012

series throughout the transition period. The Fund’s managing director, Ziyad Abduljawad, who joined the panel for this discussion, reiterated how keen the Saudi Equestrian Fund was to facilitate the change and become the series’ title sponsor for a five-year period, commencing in 2013 once the remodelling process has been finalised.

Read the Jumping presentations from the FEI Sports Forum and contribute to the online debate atwww.fei.org/sportsforum

be the basis for championships and Olympic Games with the current order of tests (dressage, cross coun-try, show jumping).

A table of speeds and intensities was presented as a proposal with the explanation that the reduced speed for the short format would put less pressure on the horses. Roger Haller (USA) observed that horses and riders would gain more from operating at the same speed they would have to adopt at CCIs. Ruediger Schwarz (GER) agreed, saying that reducing speed would make the transition to the long format more difficult. Gillian Rolton (AUS Eventing Committee) argued that slower speeds would give riders more time to prepare their horses for fences, allowing horses to gallop in a better rhythm and promote safer riding. She said that many riders were “very much in sup-port” of the changes.

Mike Etherington-Smith (GBR) expressed the opinion of the British-based rider association ERA that reduc-ing the speed would make it difficult to maintain the significance of the cross country phase.

FEI Director of Eventing and Olympic Catrin Norinder stressed the importance of maintaining the CIC from a development perspective, saying that although it may be seen as a training and preparatory competi-tion for the bigger Eventing countries, in the smaller nations it was the sport.

The Eventing Committee will take into account com-ments made at the FEI Sports Forum when it evalu-ates the suggested changes for the final proposal.

Rider licences, Minimum Eligibility Requirements and reverse qualificationsA proposal to develop the current permanent rider qualification into the broader concept of an FEI rider licence was discussed. The rider licence would be based on the number of qualifying results at a certain level obtained, thereby demonstrating the consistent com-petency of the rider. Riders would lose their licences after a period with no qualifying results at the level or following a series of significant discipline infringe-ments such as dangerous riding.

The proposal was that the minimum eligibility require-ments (MER) would not automatically upgrade a horse or rider. This decision, said Giuseppe della Chiesa, needed to remain with the rider, trainer and owner under the control of the National Federation. Reverse qualifications for horses could be triggered by two cross-country eliminations in a 12-month period, dan-gerous riding or fall of horse or rider. The horse would need to obtain a new Minimum Eligibility Requirement (MER) at the lower level before being eligible to com-pete again at the higher level.

Cross Country scoring, frangible pins, and ponies were also discussed. The idea of introducing a 5* level of competition for CCIs, starting from 2* instead of 1* was proposed by Damian McDonald (IRL NF) and equestrian journalist Alban Poudret (SUI). Natasha Tarlato from Vision Marketing Pty Ltd (AUS) agreed that this would be an advantage from a commercial and communication point of view.

The constructive and informative debates brought the inaugural FEI Sports Forum to a positive finish.

Read the Eventing presentations from the FEI Sports Forum and contribute to the online debate atwww.fei.org/sportsforum

Chair: Ian Williams, FEI Director of Non-Olympic Sports Panellists: Ruth Carlson, Chair FEI Endurance Committee, Elizabeth Van Scheller, Deputy Chair, FEI Endurance Committee and FEI Endurance Committee members Brian Sheehan, Jaume Punti Dachs and Pierre Arnould.

The Endurance Round Table session attracted represent-atives of National Federations (NFs) and veterinarians to discuss 23 proposed rule changes that will be pre-sented to the FEI General Assembly 2012. Delegates asked for clarification of some of the changes proposed and amendments were made when required. The meet-ing then opened up for general discussion.

The FEI Technical Committee had undertaken a full review of the present rules for Endurance Riding in the context of the rapid expansion of the discipline worldwide. The major rules changes, which concerned

qualification, entries and the composition of cham-pionship teams, received unanimous support from participants.

The changes involved the introduction of an Elite status for Junior, Young and Senior Athletes, the possibility of bringing spare horses to competitions, and adopting a format that would allow all six members of a squad to contribute to the final team result with the best three scores counting.

Under the proposed new rule, to achieve Junior/Young Rider Elite Athlete Status, athletes must have success-fully completed a minimum of 10 CEI 2* 120km events or higher. To maintain this status, they must success-fully complete at least one CEI 120km or higher event within every successive 24 months.

Senior Elite Athlete status would be awarded to riders who successfully complete a minimum of 10 CEI 3* 160km events or higher. To maintain Senior Elite

ENDURANCE ROUND TABLE 2 May 2012

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Athlete status, Athletes must successfully complete at least one CEI 160 km within every successive 24 months.

FEI Veterinary Delegate Frederic Barrelet (SUI) sug-gested that, apart from these qualification criteria, any disciplinary action within the 24-month status-main-taining period should be taken into account. The sug-gestion was taken on board by the Committee.

There was also strong support for changes in the rules relating to establishing the field of play and the crea-tion of the role of course designer. This new role will have a direct bearing on the level of safety and chal-lenge of the courses.

The FEI Technical Committee also sought feedback on the final horse inspection and whether to change it to make it more spectator friendly.

FEI Endurance Committee Brian Sheehan (AUS) was adamant that horse welfare was not negotiable. “We

can’t put public adulation before horse welfare or we can throw our rule book away,” he said. “We should think of ways to make the inspection easier for specta-tors to understand but we will never compromise our welfare standards.”

The welfare perspective also arose when former Endurance Committee member Jean-Louis Leclerc (FRA) asked for information about what was being done to address the incident of fractures in competition

Fred Barrelet, one of the FEI’s most senior and expe-rienced 4* vets and head of Veterinary Services for the upcoming FEI World Endurance Championships in Euston Park (GBR), said it was necessary to have assess-ment and understanding of when and where injuries occur to define the problems and address them. He added: “If the rules as they stand are implemented correctly, I am confident that incidents of career-lim-iting and career-ending injuries can be reduced back to a low level.”

Ian Williams confirmed that the FEI has been looking into both the causes and prevention of these types of injuries “to ensure that the welfare of the horse is abso-lutely the central pillar of Endurance in the future”. He said FEI Headquarters was in the process of compiling facts and figures to create the safest possible environ-ment for Endurance horses.

Mr Barrelet also reported that Annamaria Nagy (HUN), based at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket (GBR), is currently doing a PhD on orthopaedic injury rates in Endurance horses globally. This data will also play an important role in the FEI study.

In his wrap-up of the key discussion points, Ian Williams said: “The FEI is absolutely aware of the issues that this discipline faces and the rule changes have addressed what issues we can, but we are looking for more infor-mation to create a safe environment for our horses to perform in Endurance.”

Delegates were told that suggestions made during the open session would be considered by the Committee

and further changes would be made to the proposed 2013 rules.

Endurance Committee Chair Ruth Carlson brought the meeting to a close. “Please know that it’s not just in a forum like this that we welcome input,” she said. “If you have a concern, a suggestion, a problem, we want to hear about it. Please get in touch with us. We will take everything seriously and get back to everyone.”

Read the Endurance presentations from the FEI Sports Forum and contribute to the online debate atwww.fei.org/sportsforum

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Chair: John McEwen, Chair FEI Veterinary CommitteePanellists: FEI Veterinary Committee members Yves Rossier, Jennifer Hall, Ray Randall, Sergio Salinas, Philippe Benoit, Stephen Schumacher, FEI Veterinary Director Graeme Cooke

Changes to the FEI Veterinary Regulations in 2013, blood during competition, the international move-ment of horses and cloning and progeny of clones were the key issues discussed by more than 180 delegates during the Veterinary Session at the FEI Sports Forum.

Changes to 2013 Veterinary RegulationsFEI Veterinary Director Graeme Cooke presented this year’s major review of the FEI Veterinary Regulations, explaining that the intention was to “completely re-format the regulations in view of comments received by the end-users”. The need for more consistency and simplicity, clarification of roles and responsibilities, a review of medication forms and the reduction of

annexes were highlighted. Other concerns raised were the need for a clear description of the FEI horse and a greater understanding of biosecurity at FEI events.

The Committee presented the introduction of two categories of veterinarians: the current Official Veterinarian and the new Permitted Treating Veterinarian. The new category aims to recognise treating veterinarians, ensure they have a clear under-standing of the rules through an online test and pro-vide them with an identification document. The deliv-ery of this process will be completed by the end of the year, it was announced.

A proposal was made to name a Veterinary Services Manager for all events. Through this role, the neces-sity to ensure minimum standards would be assured, notably, a minimum response time in access to vet-erinary care within an adequate framework, as well as preparations for emergencies Delegates expressed concerns that this would add to the costs of the

VETERINARy sEssION 1 May 2012

Organising Committee but FEI Veterinary Committee Chair John McEwen explained that the Veterinary Services Manager’s role could be filled by the exist-ing Organising Committee’s Treating Veterinarian.

The suggestion to withdraw the essentially European term Medication Control Programme and establish a globally standardised programme under the title Equine Anti-Doping raised concerns that the change of terminology would be problematic when educat-ing people outside equestrian sports. The question was raised of a possible WADA “over influence” on FEI activities as opposed to maintaining autonomy in this area when dealing with horses. John McEwen emphasised the importance of using the same ter-minology to establish a universal and a harmonised system worldwide that is adapted to the regulations under which it is run. This will be discussed further by the Committee.

Committee Member Yves Rossier, outlined his research project on finding a pragmatic means of monitoring all injuries occurring in any FEI disciplines at any event. His research aims to establish a confidential injuries database based on the IOC model and provide valu-able feedback on injuries. “The objective is to iden-tify acute competition-related injuries, as opposed to chronic ongoing problems affecting high performance horses in order to indentify risk factors,” he explained.

Approach to EliminationJohn McEwen addressed the need for a specific rule within the Veterinary Regulations on horses bleeding during competition referred by the FEI bureau. The Committee emphasised that incidents involving bleed-ing of horses were very rare and well handled. When blood is seen, it does not necessarily indicate abuse or a welfare incident but must always be assessed. The Committee presented the following extract of the text it will submit to the FEI Bureau meeting in June: “According to the current approach, in the case of a horse exhibiting signs indicating that it is no longer fit to compete, it is the responsibility of the Ground Jury to stop the horse from competing. After an assess-ment by the Ground Jury and Veterinary Delegate, if bleeding has stopped and the horse deemed fit to continue to compete, then it may be permitted to do

so. However, within the structure and regulations of the individual discipline, it might not be possible to continue to compete. If a restart was permitted, then consideration must also be given to the fairness of the sport within the discipline in question.”

The Veterinary Committee considered that this issue was adequately and clearly covered under the General Regulations and the FEI Code of Conduct for Welfare of the Horse and that no specific regulation within the Veterinary Regulations was necessary.

FEI Sports Forum delegates requested a harmonisa-tion of the rules across the different FEI disciplines. The Committee explained that the principles were the same but implementation had to take into account the differences within the disciplines. The Committee con-cluded by stating that the welfare of the horse must be considered paramount and that a horse was not to be allowed to compete in any discipline, if its wel-fare was at risk from any of the symptoms observed. Finally, the Committee recommended that, where a structural need exists within discipline regulations, such a regulation should be reviewed and harmonised for clarity, if necessary.

International Movement of Horses Rapid growth in equestrian sport has resulted in an important increase in cross-border movements of

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horses. Graeme Cooke explained during his presen-tation that there was “a clear necessity to recog-nise that the FEI high performance horse needs to be moved in a careful manner in order to compete to its best capability, which implies an inherent desire not to risk exposure to infectious disease”.

The regulatory body for the movement of animals, the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE), with its 178 signatory countries, produces the principles and framework to moving horses internationally through the Animal Health Code. Its member governments are expected to apply those principles when deciding on quarantine and health certification requirements.

Cross-border movement of FEI horses is often highly problematic and confusing. This is due to govern-ments lacking an understanding of the high stand-ards applied within equestrian sport, low awareness of the high performance horse and its care, a lack of application of OIE principles when examining risk and the absence of harmonised intergovernmental reg-ulations. The FEI and the OIE are working together to promote a better understanding of the FEI sys-tem to address the global approach to international

movement and quarantine issues. They aim to create a recognised standard for elite, high performance and high health status horses to facilitate increased cross-border movements. The delegates requested the help of the FEI to facilitate contact with government offi-cials on this subject.

The Committee highlighted the need for clear guide-lines on infectious disease control – including the necessity to update influenza vaccines in response to the influenza types in circulation – the need to estab-lish protocols in case of disease outbreaks and the per-manent need to reduce the risk of disease to horses. The introduction of microchipping in all horses was presented as a basis for allowing the possible cre-ation of a sub-population of healthy high perfor-mance horses.

The Committee‘s proposal to introduce compulsory FEI passports for all horses competing in all disciplines and levels of FEI events provoked a lively discussion on its financial implications and feasibility. The del-egates considered that in the lower levels of events, where horses did not leave the country, unnecessary costs should be avoided. The Veterinary Committee

said passports costs would be reviewed as a general policy matter. Finally, delegates called for a review of the standardisation of the level of national passports.

Cloning and Progeny of ClonesFEI Veterinary Advisor Victoria Unt presented the topic Cloning and the Progeny of Clones and opened a dis-cussion on the review of the FEI’s current position against the use of cloned horses for sport.

“There are hundreds of cloned horses in the world and the business model is seen as a means of preserving animals no longer able to reproduce,” she explained. The technique is considered fairly simple and would involve harvesting the cells from the original ani-mal in life or after, taking a donor egg, removing the genetic material from the donor egg and implant-ing the genetic material from the original horse into that donor egg. The clone would not be exactly the same as its original model and it would be impossi-ble to test if a horse was a clone without knowing the original horse.

No studies on the long-term effects of cloning exist, so the welfare implications of the technique are unknown. Victoria Unt also suggested the consideration of eth-ical fairness from the point of view of the sport and pointed out that ongoing studies on welfare in other animals might suggest a precautionary stand.

The delegates suggested cloning could be a means of correcting genetic defects; ridding certain bloodlines and breeds of faulty traits. Other questions raised for further debate related to whether cloning should be seen as a natural progression from other forms of assisted reproduction and whether the issue should be left to breed societies alone to discuss.

The Committee will take the comments on cloning to the FEI Bureau for consideration in order to re-eval-uate the FEI’s current position. The FEI will continue to monitor development in this area.

Read the Veterinary presentations from the FEI Sports Forum and contribute to the online debate atwww.fei.org/sportsforum

VOx pops

"The outcome of this conference will be shared decisions and we will all feel ownership of them. With more and more involvement in horse sport all over the world, I think this forum comes at the right time"

Ali Tweissi, Veterinarian, Emirates Equestrian Federation

"I think the whole equestrian family will benefit [from the FEI Sports Forum] because it will prevent rules being made that are not applicable or not realistic or not driven by a large part of our community"

Ingmar De vos, FEI Secretary General and CEO

"Even if we don’t share the same views, we can all speak together and take everything into considera-tion so we can find the best solution for the sport, the media and the riders"

Jean-maurice bonneau, FEI Jumping Committee member

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Switzerland’s Patric Looser (27) retired in February of this year after winning the Male title at the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting Final in Bordeaux (FRA) with Record RS vonder Wlintermuhle. Thisdazzling exit from the sport followed victories at the Final of the same series in Leipzig last year and the AlltechFEI World Equestrian Games™ 2010. Looser will continue to juggle his managerialposition at a recyclingcompany with the sport in which he will remain active as a coach.

Patric Looser

Family is... relaxing, sitting down and talking. Since I left Switzerland, it has become even more impor-tant to have my parents, sister and brother at home.

Home is… Cologne, Germany for the past few years. I enjoy living in this big city with my girlfriend (who is from here) and the people are nice. But I still like going back to my first home in Switzerland and seeing my family.

To me, Switzerland represents... smallness, smart behaviour and excellent quality in almost every aspect of life.

The first time I rode a horse was... almost when I was born. My parents had horses, so I sat on their backs as a baby and started to ride almost before I could walk.

When I was growing up... horses were my best friends and they still are. I really like to work or just have fun with them. I have deep relationships with my horses and losing one has always been hard. You get to know each other so well. They can sense if you feel down and react in a way that makes you feel better.

I chose Vaulting as my discipline because... when I was a child, acrobatics were the only way for me to get on a horse’s back without a mounting block. I used to do acrobatics on the horses’ backs in the box. I wasn’t allowed to but the door was too heavy to open by myself!

If I had not chosen to compete in Vaulting, I would have been involved in... another sport. I liked almost all sports and I was goalkeeper for a football club. When I was a child, my ambitions were quite open. I felt free to do what I liked and had the support of my parents in every part of my life.

What makes me laugh the most is... my 20-year-old stallion Record. At the moment, he enjoys neighing at every mare and gelding he sees.

The first people I used to send a textmessage to after a competition were...my parents. During the first 16 years of my Vaulting career, they were at almost every competition with me. In the last years, it wasn’t always possible.

I get angry when... I’m a quiet person and really don’t like to be angry. So I just communicate.

My most embarrassing moment was when... I landed after a dismount under the table of a judge at the FEI World Championships. It was also very funny.

My happiest moment was... when I won in Kentucky (at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™). It was hard getting there and not easy to take my team (horse, trainer, sister and girlfriend) along. It’s a great feeling when you achieve some-thing you didn’t think was possible.

My biggest source of pride is... I left Switzerland with my bicycle and two big suitcases. I have attained everything possible in my sport, have a good job, have lived with my girlfriend for several years in a nice bungalow and I’m really happy. Without the support of my parents, none of it would have been possible. The best holiday I ever had was... a few weeks ago in Milan with my girlfriend. We have been together for four and a half years but it was our first holiday alone, without any Vaulting or appointments.

The equestrian athlete I admire the most is... Markus Ehning. I really like his style of riding and the way he treats horses. He is quiet too and very focused on what he is doing.

In ten years’ time I would like to... still be enjoying the equestrian world. This year, I will have to decide many things. After 20 years of Vaulting, this will be my first year without – it’s exciting and I’m looking forward to starting a new part of my life. I’ve had many ideas over the past few years but never the time to concentrate on anything specific. I’d really like to have my own business. I’ve been thinking about three possible projects but my favourite at the moment is related to a food supplement for horses that would be combined with a customised diet plan.

During London 2012... I will be working, I will have livestreams open and, for sure, I will spend sev-eral hours in front of the TV.

25FOCUS

The other side of...

lA bAulE (FrA)10-13 may 2012Course Designer: Frédéric Cottier (FrA)

The fact that my courses can be different to those of other course designers is because I am a former international rider. I want to “ride” the courses I design and I try to make them technical for the

rider and comfortable for the horse. The spirit of an FEI Nations Cup™ must be a fluent course that is eas-ier than a Grand Prix and gives the possibility of an open result for the majority of the nations involved. There is not really a particularly challenging obsta-cle on my Nation Cup course. Course designers have to use fences that exist for a specific show. I like to use obstacles that are specific to certain shows and I sometimes regret that so many are the same from one competition to another.

romE (ITA)24-27 may 2012Course Designer: uliano vezzani (ITA)

What makes my courses different? That is a ques-tion that should be answered by the horses...ooops...riders! My phi-losophy is a maximum respect for the horse, therefore I try to build

the courses in a way that requires a minor effort from the horse, especially in the combinations and oxers. For example, I do not like to put the triple combination as the last obstacle in the FEI Nations Cup™ because the horses have to do two important rounds. I also do not like to see horses making many mistakes at the water jump, so I try to be careful to build it so that the horses can jump it with ease. I pre-fer technical courses to “strong” courses and try to

distribute the difficulties all along the course to enable the horses and riders to demonstrate their qualities. Each FEI Nations Cup™ has its own story... In Rome I have different types of obstacles (technical, sceno-graphic, characteristic, typical, etc) but each can be challenging because each has its own identity. Their difficulty depends on the horse and rider. Whatever type of competition I have to build, my priorities are to familiarise myself with the location of the show and see who the participants are so that I can build equil-ibrated courses with a correct progression through-out the days of the event.

ST-gAllEN (SuI)31 may – 3 June 2012Course Designer:rolf luedi (SuI)

The work of a course designer basically con-sists of applying the given regulations and of creativity in designing the courses, while con-sidering layout, construc-tion of obstacles, or col-

our composition. These factors should appear in all courses – they reflect the signature of the course designer responsible. For me, it is important, to the give the public an understanding of the fascinating harmony between the rider and horse, which is only possible when a smooth and soft alignment is designed. Each obstacle has its own difficulties. It is important that all obstacles have the correct dimensions, that they

vary in construction and visual appearance from start to finish and are fair to the athletes. Each FEI Nations Cup™ competition requires a water jump, which is a typical long jump obstacle that is always spectacular for the public, the rider and the horse. Also, the “time allowed” factor is of major importance and should be, along with the clearing of obstacles, a criterion for the result. The “time allowed” should not get out of hand and become a harassment or even become a joker within the final result.

roTTErDAm (NED) 20-24 June 2012Course Designer: louis Konickx (NED)

I see myself as an expo-nent of all the top course designers with whom I have had the honour to work. My personal style is characterised by the search for a logical com-position of lines in which

tasks of two or even three following distances are included. I love a certain degree of compactness and I prefer the use of delicate obstacles over massively built obstacles. What is the most challenging obsta-cle on my FEI Nations Cup™ course? For the best rid-ers a line of three through distances related obsta-cles with a combination integrated is challenging; but sometimes only one simple obstacle – perhaps the last one – makes the difference between glory and loss. I am not sure yet what it will be this year.

"The spirit of a Nations Cup must be a fluent course that is easier than a Grand Prix"

F. Cottier

"Each obstacle has its own difficulties.It is important thatall obstacles have thecorrect dimensions"R. Luedi

"...a maximum respect for the horse, there-fore I try to build the courses in a way that requires a minor effort from the horse" U. Vezzani

© www.stefanograsso.com© sv J. Morel

© Valeria Streun

© Jacob Melissen

Signature courses We asked the course designers of this season’s FEI Nations Cup™ to explain what makes their courses different to those of other designers and what the most challengingobstacle on their courses for this season’s series is.

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FEI Nations Cup™

European Broadcasting Union

Union Européenne de Radio-Télévision

+41 (0)22 717 2111 www.eurovision.net

We bring the event to your home

Eurovision

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European Broadcasting Union

Union Européenne de Radio-Télévision

+41 (0)22 717 2111 www.eurovision.net

We bring the event to your home

Eurovision

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AAChEN (gEr)3-8 July 2012& FAlSTErbo (SWE)12-15 July 2012Course Designer:Frank rothenberger (gEr)

I cannot say what makes my courses different from those of other designers – you should ask the riders! I like to see the riders control-

ling their horse at all times with balance and in a nice rhythm.. This you ask with distances where the riders must be able to lengthen or to shorten their horses’ strides and still keep balance and rhythm.

The FEI Nations Cup™ course itself is the challenge, with many different questions creating one complete test. What is the most challenging obstacle on my Nations Cup course? What you’re asking is exactly what we don’t want: one single challenging jump where all the faults occur.

hICKSTEAD (gbr)19-22 July 2012Course Designer:bob Ellis (gbr) (Bob is Jumping course designer for London 2012)

I like to think my courses are always fair and pro-duce good sport for the riders and the public. I think they are flowing although I do tend to put

in an occasional roll back. I really don`t know at this stage what will be my most challenging obstacle will

be at Hickstead, although I would think there will be a few at the Olympics. Hickstead tends to pro-duce its own challenge as the fences are tradition-ally “Hickstead” – unique to that arena.

DublIN (Irl)15-19 August 2012Course Designer:Alan Wade (Irl)

I endeavour to design my courses so that the top athlete and their abil-ity to ride their horse correctly is rewarded. I believe that most inter-national course design-ers are trying to achieve

the same thing so that the best athlete/horse com-bination on the day wins the class. In Dublin, there will be 12 numbers / 15 obstacles including combinations on my course and I expect all obstacles to ask different questions of the horse and athlete.

"For the best riders a line of three throughdistances related obstacles with acombination integrated is challenging" Louis Konickx

Watch lIvE on

Watch all legs of the FEI Nations Cup™ atwww.feitv.org

© Pauline von Hardenberg

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What is it about the horse that makes you a horse lover?They are just gentle giants. For me it the wonderful col-laboration between a human and a horse. It is one of the most endearing and rewarding relationships one can have. You either feel it or you don’t - and I do! The chemistry is breathtaking when it occurs. When you are riding in competition, working together it is unlike any-thing in life. We are better people for that collaboration.

your first riding experience – was it bliss or terror?I don’t recall my first actual riding experience as I was just a toddler – but I have a photograph taken of me and I am beaming from ear to ear. I have never been afraid of the horses so I guess the answer is pure bliss!

Would you encourage young people to get involved in riding both at the amateur and professional level? Yes, yes yes! I have lots of Godchildren and nieces and I have made a point of very deliberately introducing them to riding from a young age and in some cases buying them their first horse – much to their parents horror! (joke). I cannot think of a better way to instil in young people the values of work equals reward. I truly believe that if a young person develops a genuine,

loving, equitable relationship with a horse it helps pre-vent - in part - premature entry to sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. It centres them by providing both balance and perspective.

If horses could talk, what would they be saying?They would complain (a lot) that we’re not doing any-thing right! I used to have this incredible horse that I played polo on. Every time I missed the chuck I am sure I heard him actually let out a withering sigh!

Is there a unique trait you look for in a horse that you can’t find in people?It is that willingness to collaborate. The stretch horses make to understand us is so much greater than the stretch we make to understand them. There is willing-ness you simply do not find in humans.

What would you miss most if you could no longer go riding? I have no intention of ever not riding. I know people in their 90s who ride. The former Mayor of Palm Springs rode aged 98 two days before he passed away. So I have some incredible role models to live up too!

When did you first develop the bond with the horse?When I was a very young child. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t surrounded by horses. It has naturally evolved over time. In fact I have only ever been with-out a horse in my life once and it coincided with a very unhappy period. I vowed then never again.

have you ever competed in an equestrian event (at any level) or thought about how you could get involved? In my early 20s I used to ride and compete at a high level in show jumping before it all got very professional.

Will you be watching any of the horse sport com-petitions at the forthcoming london 2012 olympic games?Well I will be Mongolia for the horse element of the Naadan Festival so sadly I will be unlikely to see much of it. However, this is something I have wanted to attend for many years and finally I have an opportunity to do so. I will be having my own mini equine Olympics.

What do you think young people gain from riding?A greater understanding that work equals pleasure. Pleasure is worth the work. I do not believe that there are any role models in popular culture to learn that from. Horses help you to feel and to understand loy-alty. Caring for a horse teaches you all that, not hand-held devices!

Did all your friends ride? If you weren’t riding when you were young what would you be doing?If I wasn’t riding I was dancing. Ballet classes. I was a member of a small ballet company. I split my time between riding and dancing spending part of the week with my feet turned and the other with my feet turned out!

Do you think the sport needs to adapt to the young people today?No – I feel they have to adapt to the sport. It was around long before them. They haven’t earned it, they are not the criteria of anything. Rewards are great but you have to learn your craft. There is no instant grat-ification with riding; it is a relationship you build over time that needs valuing.

Where in the world would you most like to ride?At this moment Mongolia which I am lucky enough to be doing this summer. I will be riding Tahki horses that date back to the time of Genghis Khan.

If you could spend one afternoon riding with a famous person (past or present) who would it be and why?Alexander the Great. His horse and his oneness with that animal were remarkable. They were one and the same. To ride with him through some of those terri-tories he conquered and see it from his perspective – a man besotted with victory, a daunting opponent – would be an amazing experience.

All-time favourite horse film?The 1949 film The Red Pony based on the John Steinbeck novel of the same name. It is a classic and naturally I cried my eyes out. I can’t bring myself to watch the film adaptation of War Horse but I have seen the extraordi-nary stage production twice. To think 2 million horses went to war for us. They were warriors one and all.

"I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t surrounded by horses. It has naturallyevolved over time"Stefanie Powers

American film and TV actress Stefanie Powers is best known for her co-star role with Robert Wagner in the long-running TV series Hart to Hart, for which she was nominated for two Emmy and five Golden Globe Best Television Actress nominations.Her 50-year career earned her Germany’s Steiger Award in 2011 for accomplishment in the arts. A polo player and international speaker on wild-life conservation, she is president of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation and director of the Mount Kenya Game Ranch in Kenya.

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Why the long face ?

Since 2008, the Austrian Equestrian Federation has spectacularly increased its sponsorship revenue, thanksto a former intern whoharnessed his studies in marketing and sales to his passion for horses.

Never underestimate the potential of an intern is no doubt advice that the Austrian Equestrian Federation (OEPS) would happily give to other organisations. In 2008, it took on Christoph Mechtler, a 22-year-old university stu-dent in marketing and sales, for a six-month internship. In

three years, this intern-turned-employee expanded the federation’s portfolio of sponsors from one to 35 and boosted its approximate annual sponsorship revenue from 40,000 to 230,000 euros.

Mechtler had been riding since the age of eight and was keen to link his studies to the equestrian world. During his internship, he focused on encouraging young people to take up the sport. A related safety campaign he set up led to an agreement with a tack shop, which gave young riders discount in exchange for the appearance of its logo on the campaign’s pro-motional material. Further partnerships and a full-time position for Mechtler followed.

A huge part of his job involves finding new ideas for advertising. He has sold space on the back of the federation’s membership and licence cards, on its website and on national Dressage tests and rule books. Dressage tests alone, particularly in amateur classes, are downloaded from the federation’s web-site between 80,000 and 100,000 times a year and offer an appealing medium for potential partners.

Website advertising generated 20,000 euros in 2011, with 15 partners on annual contracts. Mechtler is reluctant to exceed this number. “If there are more than a certain number of advertisers using the same medium, they benefit less, as people don’t remember their names," he says. “ I try to balance what we earn with the sponsors’ benefits.” Mechtler wants the fed-eration’s members to gain something from its part-nerships and has negotiated discount for them on products ranging from tack to mobile phone sub-scriptions. A third of the federation’s commercial revenue is provided in the form of goods. For exam-ple, athletes competing at world or European cham-pionships, who previously had no team equipment, are now supplied with clothing and tack.

Austrian riding schools obtain national certification by fulfilling certain quality criteria (for example, having boxes of a certain size and at least one quali-fied trainer). Mechtler has broadened an agreement with one sponsor, which now supplies the OEPS with packs of grooming products worth 100 euros to dis-tribute to newly certified schools. “We believe that more good riding schools means more young riders,” says Mechtler. “We told our sponsor that we wanted to do something for these schools because they are important to us.”

multiplying Euros

The company Casinos Austria has been a loyal part-ner of the Austrian national Jumping series for the past 25 years and Mechtler works hard at maintain-ing the federation’s relationship with what was its sole sponsor in 2008. “Before I arrived, there was not really anybody they could speak to if they wanted something or had a problem,” he says. “Now there is a more personal relationship: they call me and invite me for coffee to talk things over.”

Until 2009, the Jumping series had attracted one or two companies but their contracts only lasted one or two years. He points out with satisfaction that there it currently counts six sponsors, most of them with longer-term contracts. “I don’t want more sponsors for the series because it would mean less exposure for them. I think the number is right,” he says.

Mechtler knows that sponsorship possibilities for horse sport in Austria are limited because of low media coverage of events. “Media coverage is an important part of a sponsorship package and we can’t compare with the main sports events," he says. “In countries that are more successful in equestrian sport – for example, Germany – there is more media cover-age so maybe it’s easier to obtain sponsorship deals. It is something I have to live with. I’m probably not going to strike a deal with Coca-Cola.”

That said, two years ago, he approached McDonald’s. The company was not interested in providing finan-cial support but offered a solution for promoting the sport. Thirty Austrian riding schools had free adver-tising space in a brochure that was distributed to the 130,000 members of McDonald’s club for five

to 12-year-olds. “Kids got one free riding lesson at the stables promoted in the brochure,” enthuses Mechtler, who is unable to give a figure for how many children took up the offer but says the participating stables reported that they were “very satisfied”.

Mechtler believes the OEPS now has a good com-mercial foundation, which must be built on gradu-ally. “If our sponsorship develops too fast, it will not be a good thing,” he says. “I would like to concentrate on improving existing collaborations and reaching fur-ther into areas where there is a huge potential, such as expanding possibilities for discount for our members.” Membership of the OEPS has stagnated at 50,000, but Mechtler sees this as a further motivation for him to stay in his job. “I think we have the potential to get new members,” he says. “Increasing member-ship means increasing income and the way to increase membership is through young people. We have to think of ways of getting them interested in the sport.”

"I would like to con-centrate on improvingexisting collaborations and reaching further into areas where there is a huge potential"

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I never made a conscious decision to be a groom, it just happened. I wouldn’t want to work with any-one except Mikaela because she knows what she wants and how to ask for it and is really fair in eve-rything she does. In all, I’ve worked for her for five years in all but I spent four studying jewellery design

I’ve never worked at the Olympic Games and I’m very excited that we’re going. I’ve heard so much about how special they are.Over the years, I’ve made friends with other grooms at competitions and I’m really looking forward to see-ing them in London. There will be Mikaela, her part-ner Paul, her trainer, me and, of course, Mas.

I have no plans to find another job. We work hard but we are looked after really well and Mikaela and Paul always remember to thank us at the end of each day. I’ve worked with other people who don’t say thanks and I think it’s so important. Mikaela always tells us how much she values us and that’s motivat-ing. She’s a good boss,

At the Olympics, I will be somewhere close to Mikaela and Mas, waiting for them to finish. Mikaela knows how to control her nerves and turn them into some-thing positive. She is so focussed and I know she will really enjoy the Games.

I get nervous at events but I will keep it to myself in London so that Mas doesn’t sense it. I don’t know what to expect but it will be a fantastic experience.

Janica hiipakka Thirty-year-old Janica Hiipakka is a trained jewellery designer whose love for horses has taken from her native Finland to Avderød in Denmark. She grooms for her compatriot, the Dressage rider Mikaela Lindh, who is competing at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

in between. During that time, I didn’t have much con-tact with horses and I missed them. Mikaela gives me and the other two other Finnish grooms, Saara and Julia, a lot of responsibility. We’re not only grooms, we are the grooms who are helping to make her dream come true.

She rides seven or eight horses and gives lessons every day except Thursdays and Sundays when she only rides one or two. Those are my easy days when I just clean the paddocks and stables. I work six days a week.

Saara, Julia and I live in a big apartment 20m away from the stables. We each have our own room, which means we have some privacy. The girls are both very sweet and we get on really well but on our days off, we make sure we go somewhere else to see other people so that we don’t spend all our time together.

We get up at 6am and feed the horses at 6.30. At 7am, we have breakfast then take the horses into the paddock and muck out. We tack up the first horses then bring in the next ones from the paddock - there is always something to do!

The horses are fed at 11.30am, then we have lunch one by one in our apartment or in front of the sta-bles when it’s warm and sunny.

All the horses are beautiful and give me a lot of happiness but Mas is my favourite. I know him so well. The most enjoyable part of my day is the time I spend with him because he is the sweetest horse ever. He’s demanding and needs a lot of love but he gives so much back. He’s hard to hold sometimes, so we grooms need to be strong! He’s 14 now and needs special attention. Since we have known that Mikaela and Mas will be competing at the Olympics, I have doubled the time I spend with him – I walk him for a long time before he is ridden.

My working day ends at 6pm after feeding and walking the horses and preparing the boxes for the night. Saara, Julia and I cook, clean, do our laundry. Sometimes we go out in Copenhagen, which is 20 minutes away. We often go to the movies or to res-taurants. We don’t like partying much because we want to be fresh at the stables the next morning.

I have Fridays off unless there’s a competition. I usu-ally go for coffee, shop, read and draw. I’ve been draw-ing since I was a toddler and I write stories for children.

Photos: ©FEI/Action Images/H.Browne

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A life in a day

André Jousseaume and the French Anglo-Arabian, harpagon, Dressage team gold and individual silver medallists at the 1948 olympic games in london © Popperfoto/Getty Images

The FEI had the pleasure of attending the launch of the british museum’s exhibition The horse: from Arabia to royal Ascot, which recounts the epic story of the horse over a 5,000-year journey that has revolutionised human history.

Exhibits include a unique collection of artefacts, depictions of horses in stone reliefs, gold and clay models, paintings by George Stubbs, trophies and rosettes. This free exhibition focuses on two breeds: Arabians, which were prized in the desert for their spirit and stamina, and the Thoroughbred, which was selectively bred from Arabians for speed. Because of the genetic strength of the desert-bred Arabian horse, Arabian bloodlines have played a part in

the development of the Thoroughbred and nearly every modern light horse breed, including the Orlov Trotter, Morgan, American Saddlebred, American Quarter Horse, and Warmblood breeds such as the Trakehner. Arabian bloodlines have also influenced the development of the Welsh Pony, the Australian Stock Horse, Percheron draft horse, Appaloosa, and the Colorado Ranger Horse.

Equestrian sport as we know it today and, by default, the history of the FEI and its seven disciplines, are very much tied to the exceptional qualities and ori-gins of the Arabian horse explored by this exhibition. Important loans from the British Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum and the Royal Armouries, as well as rare material from Saudi Arabia, can be seen alongside objects from the British Museum’s excep-tional collection, including famous pieces such as the Standard of Ur and Achaemenid Persian reliefs. Supported by the Board of Trustees of the Saudi Equestrian Fund, the Layan Cultural Foundation and Juddmonte Farms and in association with the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities, this is a must-see for all equestrian enthusiasts.

The Horse: from Arabia to Royal Ascotbritish museum24 May – 30 September 2012

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Exhibition

Interview with Keith Taylor, Chairman of the British Equestrian Federation

What have been your main priorities (as a Federation) in the lead-up to London 2012?The focus is twofold – number one is obviously a performance focus to ensure the best preparation of our elite athletes ahead of the Games in 2012 and beyond. The second is the roll out of our Hoof legacy programme, the grassroots initiative we have devel-oped to ensure a lasting legacy from the Games. Through this we aim to capitalise on the excitement of London 2012 and get more people interested in and enjoying equestrian sport.

Hoof is the Equestrian Legacy brand of the British Equestrian Federation that has, by a series of ini-tiatives and activities, been designed to achieve this. Hoof London, rolled out via the London Horse Network, has succeeded in attracting funding for the sector to increase riding opportunities, as well as providing a platform for businesses to share good practice, raise standards and identify opportunities to aid growth in the sector. Its success has led to the launch of a further eight England-wide Hoof regional networks. These networks are an important part of the BEF’s plan to achieve increased participation through attracting new people into riding on a local scale, as well as maintaining opportunities and rais-ing standards for those already enjoying the sport.

Grants and funding have been made available by Sport England to fund accessibility and initiatives such as a new website www.hoofride.co.uk and ‘Take Back the Reins’, an exciting new programme designed to encourage people back to riding. The initiative helps people to rediscover the freedom, fitness and joy of horses that may have lapsed at some point in their lives due to work, family, finance or fear.

To date, the legacy has enabled the Ebony Horse Club to attract sufficient funding to build a new state of the art equestrian facility in Brixton, London, so improv-ing the life skills, education and aspirations of some of the most disadvantaged children and young peo-ple in the area, one among many projects and fund-ing opportunities provided by Hoof.

What do you think has been instrumental in developing Dressage so successfully that, in 2011, Great Britain stood on the top spot of the podium ahead of traditional Dressage nations Germany and the Netherlands? We are very fortunate to have some outstanding horses in Dressage that have gone from strength to strength over recent years. We also have truly world class riders who are demonstrating they can maxim-ise the potential of these horses through sympathetic

President: Keith Taylor

Secretary General/CEO: Andrew Finding

There are 27 permanent members of staff

employed at the central British Equestrian

Federation

The BEF is a federation made up of 18 inde-

pendent member bodies (15 full and 3 associ-

ate), each of which is an equestrian organi-

sation in its own right.

2.1 million people ride regularly

There are 210,000 affiliates through the

Member Bodies.

54 international events held in 2011

Eventing, Dressage, Jumping, Para-Equestrian

Dressage, Driving and Para-Equestrian

Driving, Endurance, Reining & Vaulting are

practiced in Britain – as well as the non

FEI sports of Polo, Horseball, Mounted Games,

Polocrosse, Horse Showing, Para Showjumping,

TREC, Tetrathlon and modern pentathlon.

64 registered stud books

There are approx 975,000 horses and ponies

in Great Britain

39FOCUS38

other governing bodies such as Endurance and Driving also have specific youth offerings within their mem-berships. On an aspirational level, horse riding ranks very highly as a sport, particularly with young girls, but accessibility and finances are a limiting factor that we hope to challenge through the Hoof leg-acy programme.

Great Britain are the all-time title holders in Para-Equestrian Dressage at Paralympic, World and Continental level – do you think you can maintain this level of excellence and what is done on a practical level to ensure that the talent continues to rise through the ranks? We are constantly striving to sustain our Team’s unbeaten record in Para-Equestrian Dressage and standards are rising all the time so it is not a question of maintaining quality but rather of continually push-ing for improvements. Many riders rise though the ranks of the Riding for the Disabled A s s o c i a t i o n ’s ( R D A’s ) v e r y established ther-apeutic riding pro-gramme, (plus the Pony Club or community sport) before graduat-ing to performance based training and competition through British Dressage (BD).

Talented riders aged 12-18 are now benefitting from youth development offered at ‘Regional Training Hubs’, which bring World Class coaches to RDA cen-tres and help to close the gap between this affiliated and unaffiliated competition. These hubs are a joint initiative between the BEF and BD and the first step on the ladder for many into talent identification.

From here, those achieving success in national competition can be considered for the England Excel Talent Programme which aims to produce a pool of up and coming talented riders across the

England Regions. Those showing medal zone prom-ise can then look to selection for the Lottery funded World Class Programme. This provides an estab-lished training pathway to excellence and is struc-tured in such a way to facilitate rider improve-ment that will see them progress from World Class Development and onto the Performance Programme.

Great Britain has teams qualified for the three Olympic disciplines and for the Dressage events at the Paralympic Games – what are your 2012 dreams, hopes and predictions? For all athletes, horses and staff to compete and per-form to their highest possible standard.

Has there been a golden era – or is that now?2011 was certainly a bumper year; Britain joined Germany as the only nation to medal in all four Olympic and Paralympic disciplines at their respec-tive championships. It was not only the seniors who

brought home medals galore; our under 21s dem-onstrated that Britain has an exciting array of young talent when its Pony, Junior and Young Rider teams brought home a total of nine medals across the three main disciplines. Britain also enjoyed success out at the FEI European Vaulting Championships in Le Mans, France, with Joanne Eccles defending her Senior Female European title and taking silver with sister Hannah in the Pas de Deux.

training and riding styles. These riders and horses are supported by loyal and generous owners, with-out whom we would not have the horses we do. The Federation’s World Class Programme underpins our efforts to win more medals now and in the future. The Programme, funded by National Lottery and Exchequer money via UK Sport, supports a no-com-promise approach to Identifying Talent, Maximising Potential and Delivering Success.

The British Equestrian Federation has been a member Federation of the FEI since 1925. How has the sport developed over that time – in terms of participation/diversity and the disciplines practiced in Great Britain? In both Eventing and Jumping the style and nature of the courses – and the riding - have changed dra-matically. Grounding and surfaces have improved too with the sophistication in ground maintenance techniques and artificial surfaces. At the same time dramatic advances have been made especially in the areas of veterinary science, nutrition and horse phys-iotherapy. Research and development in vet schools and management has also seen a great advance. More recently the impact of the FEI’s Clean Sport policies have had a substantial impact on enhancing care and equine welfare in competition.

The advance of breeding in sport horses is consider-ably different too. Rarely do we see the dominance of Irish Sport horses in British teams as we used to in the days of Harvey Smith and David Broome. We now see more refined thoroughbred blood, able to contend with the higher levels of technicality in course design.

Competitive riding used to be an entirely military occupation but is now driven by high levels of full time professionals. Huge change has been seen in the economy surrounding horses; the value and num-ber of international shows across the world and in all disciplines.

The advent of Vaulting, Reining, Driving, Endurance and Para-Equestrian Dressage have been stimulat-ing. In Great Britain the number of horses and the increase in those who ride as a sport and recreational activity has been remarkable to the extent that, in

GB, many former agricultural colleges have seen a rise in the last 25 years of a range of academic qual-ifications in horses from vocational to PhD.

What are the most successful projects you have undertaken in recent years to develop the sport and how does lottery funding assist with this? The World Class Programme has been able to provide structured support across a plethora of areas cover-ing management / coaching / veterinary / farrier sup-port / physiotherapy (equine & human) / nutrition (human & equine) / competition planning / strength & conditioning, etc. We run three Programmes in each discipline; Performance, Development and Equine Pathway (not for Para-Equestrian Dressage). Funding is also provided directly to athletes set against tar-gets. The Programme staff also work very hard to try to develop close links with athletes private coaches, veterinarians, farriers, etc. The Programme pays for and organises the logistics for major Championships and provides significant funding to support the Under 21 teams who are managed by the Member Bodies.

Quite simply, lottery funding is what makes this all possible and enables us to do all we can to make the best better. We also get generous support from lead-ing companies such as Dodson & Horrell, Nuumed, Thermatex, NAF and Land Rover. However, the most significant factor is that we have a pool of super tal-ented athletes that are supported by generous own-ers and very dedicated staff who are world leaders in their areas of expertise.

How popular is equestrian sport with young people in Great Britain and how do you com-pete with some of the bigger sports for their attention? Equestrian Sport is thriving for young people. The Pony Club is one of the largest youth organisations in the world with around 345 Branches and 600 Centres in the UK alone catering for around 50,000 young people in Great Britain. This very British organisation has been the starting point for many of our eques-trian team members and medal winners. Young peo-ple are also catered for in riding clubs and countless more in commercial riding school centres and unaf-filiated clubs. Our Olympic disciplines and several

"However, the most significant factor

is that we have a pool of super talented

athletes that are supported by generous

owners and very dedicated staff who are

world leaders in their areas of expertise"

40 41FOCUS

Jean-Philippe Camboulives (46) stepped into the newly created position of FEI Solidarity Officer at the beginning of June. The Frenchman is already a familiar face in the equestrian world, thanks to his 20-year-long involvement in development, first for the French Equestrian Federation and, since 2000, for the FEI.

Camboulives sees FEI Solidarity as a necessity, a way of creating a solid foundation on which to build eques-trian sport “Top level sport is the tip of the equestrian iceberg,” he says. “To support this, we need to take care of the other nine-tenths of the iceberg. The health of our sport depends on the quality of the base.”

To enhance that base, Camboulives has brought to his new role what he refers to as his “toolbox”. In addition to his aca-demic qualifications – a Master's in Sport Sciences and Physical activities, for which he special-ised in the maximisation of performance in equestrian sports – he has in-depth knowledge of project development and administrative structures. He was a technical advisor to the French Ministry of Sports, with the responsibility of managing and developing equestrian sport sector nationally. He also worked as a university level sports teacher and garnered experience of the top level of the sport

when he trained the Brazilian team for the Hong Kong Olympics and the South African team for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™. Camboulives considers himself to be a man of action who is efficient when he is working on the ground. His carried out his pre-vious assignments in 35 countries, initially for coop-erative missions offering support, then as a mem-ber of the first International Group for Equestrian Qualifications (IGEQ). For this independent volun-tary organisation of national equestrian federations, he compared and harmonised equestrian instruc-

tor qualifications and helped produce an agreed set of minimum requirements at three international levels.

His missions for the FEI have included creating courses and working as a Senior Tutor. In all, he has trained some 300 people in 20 countries across East

Europe, South America and Asia. He worked with other Senior Tutors on missions related to coaching systems and is keen to highlight the importance of good educational structures. “One coach has an impact on 100 riders,” he says. “In six years, 1,500 FEI coaches have been trained around the world.”

Camboulives summarises his new role at the FEI as putting competencies at the service of FEI Solidarity projects. “The FEI needs to be a professional service

provider and give a new logical order to development through FEI Solidarity,” he says. “It’s not just about money – it’s a human concept that involves showing solidarity.” He points out that there is some “fantas-tic talent” in the FEI community. “My job is to activate a network of talented professional people and encour-age knowledge-sharing,” he says.

Camboulives’ international experience has made him aware of the great potential that needs to be nurtured. He gives the example of South Africa and South America, where, he says, there are many horses and good level riders. “Our job is to hoist them up so they can reach the top. To get there, they need better farriers, bet-ter vets, grooms, knowledge of horse management, good foot-ing. That is the base.”

In May, Director of FEI Solidarity Jacqueline Braissant presented the FEI Solidarity Committee with applications for support, accom-panied by action plans and budgets. The committee has allocated technical, consultancy or direct finan-cial support to 26 projects worldwide. To receive sup-port, the projects had to be linked to one of the four “pillars” of FEI Solidarity: NFs, athletes, coaches and equestrian values.

Camboulives will advise NFs on the development of their national sports structures, and long-term plans. His 2012 agenda will include assignments in the Caribbean, South and Central America.

FEI Solidarity will also support forums in South America in collaboration with the World Animal Health Organisation ((OIE) to find solutions to the transport and quarantine issues that are stunting the development of equestrian sport in the region.

Maria Ines Garcia, a Colombian coach, will receive funding through FEI Solidarity for a coaching scholarship in Germany. This will enable her to return to Colombia with new competencies to develop the national

Introducing

Jean-PhilippeCamboulivesFEI Solidarity Officer

coaching programme and prepare the next genera-tion of Colombian riders to compete at the top end of the sport.

Camboulives believes that over the next four years, FEI Solidarity will help open equestrian sport to other countries so that it is truly universal. “That is really important,” he says. “If, at the 2016 Olympic Games we can see a minimum of between 52 to 57 countries with Olympic potential, we’ll be on the right track. Universality is a fundamental principle of the Olympic Games and we need to push the sport to be more uni-

versal. FEI Solidarity is the tool.”

Over the next four years,FEI Solidarity will helpopen equestrian sport toother countries so that it is truly universal.

Camboulives sees FEI Solidarity as a necessity, a way of creating a solid foundation on which to build equestrian sport

42

“There’s no real secret,” says Hiroshi Hoketsu. It is a statement characteristically humble of the 71-year-old Dressage rider who this summer will become the oldest Olympian to compete at any Games for 92 years. When pressed, the remarkable Japanese rider says maintaining his fitness and motivation are what keeps him going at this level – as well as his love for horses.

London 2012 will be Mr Hoketsu’s third Olympics. He first competed, in jumping, at the 1964 Games in Tokyo. Switching disciplines, Hoketsu qualified in Dressage for the 1988 Seoul Olympics but quaran-tine issues with his horse left him unable to compete. “They offered me a reserve horse, but only 24 hours before the event, which was too late,” he says, ruefully.

Fast-forward 20 years, success at last. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, aged 67, Hoketsu was part of the ninth-placed team for Japan, and finished 35th in the individual competition. His hopes are high for London, and his achievements all the more remarkable given that riding has not been his career.

Nine years ago, Hiroshi moved from his home in Tokyo to the epicentre of Dressage, Aachen in Germany, following his retirement as director of pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson. “If you want to do dressage, Germany and the

“I am definitely weaker now than I was, but I’m not try-ing to develop muscle, just maintain what I have, so it’s generally more stretching,” explains Hoketsu.“My reaction time fortunately remains good – I work on that and my balance by doing some exercises with my eyes closed.” He says that despite his advancing years and Whisper’s spooky nature, his nerve remains unchanged: “I don’t have any more fear than I did – I’m lucky that I haven’t fallen off in about 10 years,” he says. At 5ft 4 in and 9st 6lb, Hoketsu says he is also very lucky that he can eat and drink what he likes, particularly a glass of

Hiroshi HoketsuAbigail butcher spoke tothe Japanese rider who isproving that equestrianexcellence has no age limit.

wine, and the only daily supplement he takes are some vitamins. No wonder this 71-year-old is known as “the hope of old men” in Japan.

Though the nature of equestrianism allows its human athletes to compete at an elite level for longer than sports such as swimming or running, the most impor-tant thing for success, says Hoketsu, is to maintain

motivation. “Mine comes from the fact that every day I feel like I’m improv-ing my riding a little bit, it’s vital to feel that I’m still progressing – ” he explains.“My other big motivation is the commu-nication with the horse –

we can’t of course communi-cate properly, but I try to work out what they think and that’s probably what sets our sport aside from others. It’s probably why I’m still here.”

With three more big competitions before London, Hoketsu says he isn’t feeling too nervous. The media circus that surrounded him after qualification in March has died down, and he is “too far” from his home country to feel too much pressure. Other dres-sage riders, too, treat him with respect – for which he is grateful.“They make me feel that I’m not a fool, that I’m doing the right thing, so I have no one demo-

tivating me,” he says.

In London, Hiroshi Hoketsu will be the oldest Olympic competitor since Oscar

Swahn, a 72-year-old shooter from Sweden, won bronze at Antwerp in 1920. If this Dressage

rider from Japan goes on to compete at the 2016 Rio OIympics, he will make history. “Realistically to com-pete in 2016 will be very difficult. Whisper is 15 now, so she won’t take me to the next Games, and finding another horse of that level is not easy,” he says.

But would this extraordinary man want to go if the opportunity arose? “Of course I would,” he replies, with a chuckle.

Netherlands are the best place to do it, and this is something I always wanted to do,” he explains of his move from Tokyo, his wife of 42 years and his daugh-ter. “My family very understanding – I try to go home every two to three months.”

In Aachen, Hoketsu trains under the watchful eye of Dutchman Ton de Ridder, who has helped him nurse chestnut mare Whisper back to full fitness after nearly a year off through lameness during 2011. “She went lame in February last year and we finally found there was a problem with the ligament beneath her stifle in the middle of November,” says Hoketsu. “We started trot work in mid-December, and did our first competition in January – Whisper responded brilliantly. The pressure was on to qualify for London, which we did on 1 March.”

Mr Hoketsu, who turned 71 in March, has been rid-ing since he was 12. In Tokyo, when not travelling with work, he would try to ride every morning before getting to the office, but says his daily routine has changed little during the past nine years in Aachen. “I get up around 7-7.30am every morning, and do about 20 minutes of stretching. After breakfast I ride two horses,” he explains, adding that lunch is followed by a daily nap of around 30 minutes. Until last year, Hoketsu would spend the afternoon working in front of the computer, but now he is “fully retired”, he heads back to the stables to work with the horses – maybe walk-ing Whisper out in hand. Later in the afternoon, he spends an hour doing fitness work at home to main-tain his strength and elasticity.

...every day I feel like I'm improving my riding alittle bit - it's vital to feel that I'm still progressing.

“If you want to doDressage, Germany and the Netherlands are the best place to do it, and this is somethingI always wanted to do

44 45FOCUS

london 2012The 2012 games mark the centenary of equestrian sports on the olympic programme and are the third olympics and first Paralympics to be hosted by great britain. FEI Focus looks at the venue, the media services and the veterinary services.Photos: © FEI/Kit Houghton

47FOCUS46

When the Olympic Games kick off in July, Greenwich Park, a 180-acre public treasure in the south-east of the British capital, will be transformed. A total of 3000 staff will man the 150-160 acres hosting the equestrian and the running and riding modern pentathlon events. They will work in thirty-two functional areas ranging from accreditation, brand protection and catering to cleaning and waste, community relations, client spon-sor services, legal, look-wayfinding and signage, medi-cal, risk, sport presentation, sport, sustainability, torch relay and victory ceremonies.

In all, 300 horses will be stabled during the Games. The 200 competing in the equestrian events will be close to the arena; those participating in the modern pen-tathlon will stay in Circus Field, at the south end of the venue. For the equestrian competitions, a maximum of 150 horses will be stabled at any one time.

Competing horses will arrive at a pre-arranged time at the equestrian staging post at Avery Hill, a 40-min-ute drive from Greenwich Park. Veterinarians will check passports and all equipment will be security checked, put on another lorry with the horse and transported to the venue. On arrival, the vehicle screening area secu-rity staff will check accreditation and inspect the horse-boxes, which will then be escorted to a road next to the stables. The grooms will lead the equine Olympians into their temporary homes, before having their accredita-tion validated and being shown around the venue. All the grooms will stay at Devonport House, a three-min-ute walk away from the stables.

The double-fenced stable area will be under 24-hour surveillance, which includes a closed circuit television system and lighting around the perimeter. Feed and bedding will delivered by London 2012-accredited driv-ers and undergo security checks.

Stable managers and their teams will work hand in hand with FEI Stewards, who will monitor the horses and ensure that the grooms are contacted immedi-ately if there is any sign of a problem. “The horses will be extremely well looked after,” said Jeremy Edwards. Edwards said planning and communication between the venue team have been “first-rate” and everyone has been “giving 150 per cent” to ensure that everything runs smoothly. “This will be a wonderful benchmark for equestrian sport in other city parks,” he enthused. He stressed that the responsibilities that go with organ-ising an event on a loaned World Heritage site have been “built in the psyche” of the more than 80 venue staff who have been preparing the Games for nearly two years, adding: “I see that understanding as a legacy.”

on site during the olympic games: some facts and figures

› 20,000m2 of training areas (14,000 m2 sand, 6000m2 grass)

› Veterinary clinic

› Feed and bedding supply service

› Saddlery repair service

› Equine laundry service

› 40 custom designed and built show jumps

› 36 custom designed and built cross country jumps

› One competition dressage arena

› 7 training dressage arenas

› 7 custom designed and built dressage judge boxes

› 12,000m string/rope lining the cross country course and 1300 posts

› Horses will produce an estimated 200t of manure all of which will be removed from venue

› Estimated 70,000 plus carrots will be consumed by the horses

› Approx 3000 bales of shavings will be used for the horses’ bedding

› Horses will eat approx 20,000 kg of hay

› 44 rakes, 24 wheelbarrows, 55 forks, 40 shovels, 40 brooms, 25 manure scoops, 187 buckets

› 8 mounting blocks

› 8 large misting fans for cooling horses

London 2012 Venue General Manager of Greenwich ParkJeremy Edwards summed up the challenges of the organising team when he said they were “running a horse show in one of the busiestcities in the world in a temporaryvenue that is a World Heritagesite”. The responsibilitiesare huge.

olympic Games paralympic Games27 July – 12 August 29 August – 9 September

www.london2012.com

48 49FOCUS

ThEvENuE

london 2012

FEI Veterinary Committee member Jenny Hall is London 2012 Veterinary Services Manager. She explained the skills and services available to equine athletes at the Games.

How many people will be working in your team during London 2012? In the entire Veterinary Services team, which includes the horse ambulance drivers, veterinary administra-tors, farriers and equine physical therapists in addition to the vets and veterinary technicians, we have 236 people. These are made up of: 144 Olympic Volunteers 74 Paralympic Volunteers , nine National Technical Officers (NTOs) for Olympics, eight NTOs for the Paralympics and two LOCOG paid staff.

How were they selected?The veterinary services team roles were publicised through mail shots distributed by industry profes-sional bodies and equestrian publications. Volunteers applied to LOCOG Workforce where role-specific cri-teria were matched with applicant competencies and experience. Applicants underwent a LOCOG selection interview and a shortlist was produced. All of our roles were oversubscribed so, sadly, there were some great candidates we were not able to offer positions to.

There will be a temporary Veterinary Clinic open 24 hours a day during the Games: what will its main activities be?The Veterinary Clinic will be a meeting point and the focus of all Veterinary Services activity. The Veterinary Clinic is the base for all the veterinary services volun-teers where they start their shifts each day. It will be the point of contact for anyone needing the veteri-nary laboratory, pharmacy, physical therapy service, veterinary field team or veterinary specialists. The Veterinary Clinic space and equipment will be availa-ble on an appointment basis for use by team vets or for the LOCOG veterinary team to undertake veterinary evaluations or interventions on request. The compre-hensive purpose-built Veterinary Clinic at Greenwich Park includes facilities for endoscopy, radiography, ultrasonography and recovery of an anaesthetisedhorse

How many staff will work at the clinic? We have four shifts : an early shift from 06.00 to 14.00, a day shift (09.00 to 18.00), a late shift (14.00 to 22.00) and an overnight shift from 22.00 to 06.00. From these shift patterns, we have specialists rostered to cover these hours.

The clinic will be manned by volunteer experts – what are their specialities?We have specialists in medicine, imaging and surgery on site at all times. Other specialists, such as ophthal-mology, neurology, dermatology and cardiology, will be available on an on-call basis.

What equipment will be available in the clinic? Equipment for endoscopy, radiography, ultrasonog-raphy and anaesthesia. There are stocks in one of the examination areas and a motorised horse ambulance to transport a horse to our partner referral centres should such support be needed.

What routine welfare measures will beimplemented at the Games?The Veterinary Services team will be on site at all times

when horses are at the venue to ensure any horse needing veterinary attention is assisted as quickly as possible.

What tasks will be assigned to veterinarians not working at the Veterinary Services Clinic? Those veterinarians not working in the veterinary clinic are observing the field of play and training areas.

What role will your veterinarians play in the safe movement of horses in and out of the venue?Veterinary Services personnel are on hand at all times when horses arrive and leave the venue, again ensur-ing that there is no waiting time if veterinary support is required and, at all times, promoting safe horse han-dling and movement.

What training will the veterinarians have toprepare them for working at the Olympics?LOCOG is committed to giving each volunteer 16 hours of training. This is divided into four hours of orientation, six hours of role-specific training and six hours of venue-specific training.

The Games provide an excellent opportunity for veterinarians involved in the sport to mingle and discuss issues related to horse welfare. Are you organising anything in particular to encourage this?The FEI Veterinary Commission-led meetings for all team and individual competitor veterinarians held before each discipline begins competition are an ideal opportunity to facilitate these conversations.

50 51FOCUS

vETErINArySErvicES

london 2012

Journalists and photographers covering the equestrianevents at london 2012 will have the privilege of workingat a temporary media centre in a wing of a world-famoushistorical building: the National maritime museum

› 5,800 Press corps will be present at London 2012.

› 3,500 journalists and 100 photographers will cover the equestrian events, including 40 equestrian specialist journalists and photographers.

› No bloggers have been accredited.

› The International Olympic Committee issued accreditation criteria to the National Olympic Committee who nominated the media representatives.

› The capacity of the media centre is 200. In addition, there are 150 tabled and 200 non-tabled press seats in the stands, all with internet access.

› The media conference room and media lounge have wifi connectivity to allow journalists and photographers to keep working.

› The main media agencies will have access to a system to wire pictures almost instantly.

› London 2012 Press Operations have a team of more than 3000 staff: 60 of these will service Greenwich Park.

› Approximately 100 broadcasters (TV and radio) will cover the Games.

53FOCUS52

mEDIASErvicES

london 2012

TV

The offi cial video website of the Fédération Equestre Internationale

www.feitv.org

WATCH LIVE !WATCH ONLINE !

FEI TV is the FEI’s new offi cial video website and your ticket to the world’s most prestigious competitions. Sign-up to FEI TV (www.feitv.org) and get instant access to all the live broadcasts, the extensive video-on-demand library, all the highlights, the behind the scenes reports, the interviews and so much more. Be at the heart of horsesport. Join us !

2823_1FEI_TV_Focus_165x226.indd 1 17.05.10 11:24

5 July FEI Nations Cup™ from Aachen, GER

13 July FEI Nations Cup™ from Falsterbo, SWE

20 July FEI Nations Cup™ from Hickstead, GBR

1–5 August FEI Open European Vaulting Championships for Juniors from Pezinok, SLO (tbc)

17 August FEI Nations Cup™ from Dublin, IRL

19 August FEI World Vaulting Championships from Le Mans, FRA (tbc)

25 August FEI World Endurance Championships from Euston Park, GBR (tbc)

1–2 September HSBC FEI Classics™ from Burghley, GBR (tbc)

14 October Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping from Oslo, NOR

21 October Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage from Odense, DEN

21 October Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping from Helsinki, FIN

27–28 October HSBC FEI Classics™ from Pau, FRA

2 November Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage from Lyon, FRA

4 November Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping from Lyon, FRA

11 November Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping from Verona, ITA

17 November Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage from Stuttgart, GER

18 November FEI World Cup™ Driving from Stuttgart, GER (tbc)

18 November Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping from Stuttgart, GER

24–25 November HSBC FEI Classics™ from Adelaide, AUS

2 December Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage from Stockholm, SWE

30 November – 2 December FEI World Cup™ Driving from Stockholm, SWE (tbc)

30 November – 2 December FEI World Cup™ Driving from Geneva, SUI

9 December Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping from Geneva, SUI

18 December Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage from London Olympia, GBR

23 December Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping from London Olympia, GBR

30 December Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping from Mechelen, BEL

26–30 December FEI World Cup™ Driving from Mechelen, BEL

Live BroadcastSchedule 2012 *

July - DECEmbEr 2012

54

HSBC is a proud sponsor of The Pony Club

In November 2011, HSBC gave the winners & runners up of The Pony Club Eventing Championships an opportunity of a lifetime… …a bespoke training day with the World Number 1 and Number 2 riders, Mary King and William Fox-Pitt.

To view the Elite Training Day video, please visit: www.fei.org/hsbc/grass-roots

HSBC_217 FEI Classic Resize 226x165.indd 1 24/02/2012 16:04:29