Ridecamp: [RC] IntNewsGroup: FEI PRESS NEWS 29/02 : FEI DELEGATION MEETS WITH THE IOC

FEDERATION EQUESTRE INTERNATIONALE
FEI PRESS NEWS 29/02
23 October 2002

FEI DELEGATION MEETS WITH THE IOC

On 23 October 2002, an FEI delegation met with the IOC President Jacques
Rogge and the IOC Sports Director Gilbert Felli and two members of the
sports department to present FEI?s counterproposal to respond to the
Olympic Programme Commission?s recommendation to exclude Eventing from
the Olympic programme. The FEI delegation was composed of HRH The
Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón (ESP), President, Freddy Serpieri (GRE),
1st Vice President, Wayne Roycroft (AUS), President of the Eventing
Committee, Dr Bo Helander, Secretary General and Catrin Norinder,
Manager of the Eventing & Olympic Department.

The meeting was held in a very open and constructive atmosphere.

The FEI delegation presented in detail the counterproposal to address
the concerns of the IOC Commission in terms of costs, global
participation and safety. The proposal consisted of:

- A shorter Olympic format along the lines of the existing CIC format
including only one of the four phases of the cross country test
(exclusion of steeple chase and road and tracks)
- Team and Individual competitions run concurrently for the 3
traditional tests (Dressage, Cross Country and Jumping) and an
additional Jumping test to determine the individual winner

The proposed formula allows the FEI to respond to the IOC Commission
report, in particular with regard to the costs to the organiser to stage
Eventing.

- Land and cost requirements reduced by half
- Number of officials and volunteers required reduced by 75%
- Reduced TV production costs
- Reduced time of the cross country

The FEI delegation emphasised the additional benefits of the proposal
such as an increased in global participation and universality of the
sport through reduction of the endurance component of the event.

Negotiations to use this format already at the 2004 Olympic Games are
currently taking place between the IOC, ATHOC and the FEI.

The efforts made by the FEI during the last two years in the field of
safety were underlined. The FEI has conducted a thorough study on the
discipline of Eventing, consulting with a number of specialists from
inside and outside the sport. Important changes were made in the
discipline format to improve safety both of the riders and horses,
including changes to the qualification system, reduction of the cross
country speed, and elimination after the first fall of horse.
Furthermore, a global safety programme was put in place including
monitoring of the sport and creation of a results and qualification
database.

The document summarising the FEI?s proposal to the IOC to retain
Eventing in the Olympic Programme was circulated among the 130 National
Federation members at the end of September. The NFs offered their
unconditional support to the plan and conveyed additional arguments in
favour of Eventing to be included in the final report, which was
presented today to the IOC.

-------------------------------------
Muriel Faienza, FEI Communications
FEDERATION EQUESTRE INTERNATIONALE
1005 Lausanne Switzerland
T 41 21 310 47 47 F 310 47 60
m.faienza@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.horsesport.org




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