Clarke Johnstone and Balmoral Sensation on their way to winning the 2017 Aus3DE. This CCI4* event - along with the other 4* FEI Classic events - will be renamed as 5* Majors from 2019.

© Julie Wilson Equestrian Photography

By Equestrian Life

Main changes voted in at the FEI General Assembly include…

Eventing

A new star rating system will be in place from 2019, which will see 4* events become 5* Majors (called 5* Long events for the Olympics and WEG). All other levels will “move up”, meaning 3* will become 4* etc.

CCI long format events will be renamed CCI L (long), while CIC short format events will be renamed CCI S (short). There will be a new Introductory level from 2018, which will be renamed 1* in 2019 in line with the other level name changes; it won’t be compulsory for qualifications.

The dressage co-efficient will also be removed from 2018, placing greater emphasis on cross country.

Tokyo 2020 qualifications

The deadline for riders (in all disciplines) to achieve minimum eligibility requirements has been changed from May 18, 2020, to “five weeks before the sports entry deadline for Tokyo2020.”

The sport entry deadline will be determined by the IOC and Tokyo2020 in 2018.

Showjumping

A change to bring the show jumping “blood rule” in line with the other disciplines was approved. “Horses bleeding in the mouth (in minor cases of blood in the mouth, such as where a horse appears to have bitten its tongue or lip) officials may authorise the rinsing or wiping of the mouth and allow the athlete to continue; any further evidence of blood in the mouth will result in elimination.”

Hind boots in showjumping, used for any purpose other than protection, will be phased out over a few years, with the rule applying to all FEI competitions by 2021.

The General Assembly approved testing of new invitation rules for CSI** and above events, with a decreased percentage of entries based on organiser invitation.

Dressage

The controversial HiLo drop scoring system proposal was withdrawn before the General Assembly.  Instead, it will be tested over a trial period and the results analysed.

Collective marks in FEI tests (i.e. Paces, Impulsion and Submission) will be removed and replaced by one score for the rider’s position and seat, and their correctness and effect of the aids.

A Medium Tour Freestyle test will also be introduced.

Endurance

Minimum weight requirements at CEI 3*/4*/5* championships will be reduced from 75kg to 70kg, while the competition age of horses will be raised from 8 to 9 years for championships and team events.

There will also be an increase in mandatory rest periods following competitions — horses that reach average speeds of 20km/hr (12.43m/hr), even if they fail to complete, will require an additional rest period of seven days.

Read the full details from the FEI General Assembly here.

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