FEI Limits Number of World Cup Qualifiers in Central European Nations
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Dec. 5, 2018
The International Equestrian Federation has limited the number of World Cup qualifiers to three but earn points in two in any single Central European nation for 2019-20 that the FEI says is designed “to ensure fairness across all countries and a level playing field” but at least one country challenged the move as limiting development of dressage.
The rule limiting the number of World Cup events was applied by the FEI only to the Central European League where Russia has staged four competitions for the 2018-19 championship, Poland and Hungary two each with two scheduled for March in Ukraine and one in Estonia, Czech Republic and Belarus. Ukraine had applied for four events.
The North American League, for example, has 12 World Cup events scheduled, all in the United States, with four in each of two venues, the Wellington, Florida Global Dressage Festival and the Temecula, California West Coast Dressage Festival. Riders can qualify for the World Cup Final earning all three required scores at the same venue. The Pacific League has six events all in Australia and including a series final to which combinations who competed in CDI3s and above but no World Cup events can be invited.
Central Europe and North America each can earn two starting places with one from the Pacific League at the World Cup Final. Of the total of 18 invited to the final, nine are from Western Europe.
The FEI, in response to a query from dressage-news.com about the limit in Central Europe, said it was: “To ensure fairness across all countries and a level playing field across the Central European league.”
Julia Parkhomenko, the Ukraine Equestrian Federation Vice President of International Collaboration & Partnership, told dressage-news.com the FEI approved a maximum two CDI-Ws per one country for the season 2018/2019 “without discussing and consultation with the interested” Central European national federations.
Ukraine, she said, opposed that move by the FEI.
“For our countries it is very important to have the possibility to organize events with high status,” she said. “Such events attract more attention of audience, sponsors and athletes. Such status brings more possibilities for developing dressage in our region.
“We have four venues for holding equestrian events and a fifth will be finished soon. For investors it is important to have the status of the event. We have to give the opportunity to promote dressage discipline.”
Julia said, however, that being able to obtain two qualifying results in one country encourages riders to take part in World Cup Events in other Central European League nations.
