The Delegates? Assembly decided positive upon all proposals from last years? Sport Meeting. The most important change is to rename Tölt T2 (?loose rein?) in Tölt T4 and to introduce a new Tölt T2 where the riders are riding individually. This change will also apply to the World Championships 2011. A document with all changes (valid as of April 1, 2011) is available on the FEIF website.
The Sport Meeting discussed new ideas and proposals. A long and fruitful discussion took place about possible options regarding bits, bridles and other equipment. Since the rules have been changed in the past from a list of permitted equipment into a list of prohibited equipment there is an ongoing discussion about bits and bridles that should be forbidden because of wrong use or wrong pictures/presentations of horses by some riders. The Sport Meeting discussed the option to allow the use of most types of bits and bridles in WorldRanking classes only and to allow only snaffle bits in other classes. This would also open the possibility to allow other equipment (like hoof boots) in the other classes. However the meeting couldn?t come to a final conclusion, as it is a complicated matter.
On a proposal of Germany and Switzerland the Sport Meeting also discussed a prior decision of the Sport Committee (in charge of the list of prohibited equipment) not to follow a request of the Sport Judges Committee to forbid the use of flash nosebands or Mexican nosebands with bits which have a curb chain or leverage mechanism. A lot of arguments were exchanged and a majority decided that the Sport Committee should put the use of flash nosebands or Mexican nosebands with bits which have a curb chain or leverage mechanism on the list of prohibited equipment. This will be valid as of April 1, 2011.
A proposal from 2010 to switch to judging in decimals in stead of half marks was reconsidered. As the sport judges after a year of experiments concluded that this doesn?t comply with the current guidelines it was decided not to go on with this.
A proposal from Austria (and in the past also Germany) to allow more Young Riders at World Championships and to organize separate finals for Young Riders did receive great support. Currently 3 extra Young Riders may be included in a team, when the Delegates? Assembly of 2012 approves of it this will be raised to 5 per team. The finals for Young Riders will be open for those Young Riders that choose to compete in this age class, they still have the option to compete among the adult riders.
A proposal will be prepared to change Pace Test PP2 in such way that each rider is allowed three heats and that the best two will be taken into consideration for the ranking.
The meeting re-elected Florian Schneider (D) and Nicolai Thye (DK) as members of the Sport Committee and elected Einar Ragnarsson (A) as new member of the Sport Committee.
Sport Meeting 2011
