Storm Straker and Fever Pitch at Thoresby 2025. British rider Storm Straker has been announced as the new winner of the CCI4*-S at Royal Jump (28-31 May), after a “comprehensive review” by FEI headquarters into the issues around the optimum time, as reported by H&H, resulted in a change to the official results for the French event. The optimum time in the class […]
C4TW3D Foot detail strirrup and boot and spur of rider at the Royal Highland Show _ Ingliston Edinburgh 2011, Scotland, UKThe FEI has set up a “task force” to review horse welfare across equestrian sport – including thorough investigation of the blood rules. The group will be led by an independent “facilitator” and include chairs of discipline and regional groups, as well as of the athletes’ and…
Changes have been announced to the jumping World Championships for young horses following concerns about horses “racing against the clock” at last year’s competition. The World Breeding Federation of Sport Horses (WBFSH) and the FEI confirmed an “important update” to the format for five-year-olds at Lanaken; these classes will be judged using an optimum time, […]
Carl Hester riding En Vogue at Carl Hester yard at Oakelbrook Mill near Malswick in Gloucestershire in the UK on the 3rd September 2020
Carl Hester shares his views on the importance of the give-and-retake in dressage and the need for collective marks
Some 18 months ago, I wrote about introducing give-and-retake of the reins at small tour and grand prix level – an idea that came out of a…
Joe Stockdale, pictured at the 2022 World Championships, spoke as part of a panel at the 2026 FEI Sports Forum. How to support and develop young riders to set them up for success in future was debated by top coaches and rising stars at the FEI Sports Forum (30–31 March). Youth athletes accounted for almost half (49.99%, 21,375) all FEI registrations in 2025, of which 74.1% were female. FEI data…
Library image. Top-level dressage tests could be rewritten to include stretching movements and the FEI is crunching the data before making a decision on allowing snaffle bridles for all grand prix tests. FEI dressage director Ronan Murphy told the FEI sports forum (30 to 31 March) that a working group has looked at the dressage tests, with […]
Library image of Santa Anita Park racecourse, where the equestrian events will be held at the LA28 Olympic Games. A little tinkering with the format for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games is expected this year, but there will be no return to four on a team. Proposed updates to the Olympic and Paralympic rules were discussed at the 2026 Sports Forum. These will now be debated over the summer…
Carl HESTER riding FAME for GBR during the Dressage individual Final - Grand Prix Freestyle Competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games held on the Etoile Royal Esplanade in the grounds of the Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles) in Versailles just outside Paris in France between the 25th July and 6th August 2024
**Carl Hester welcomes the news that six international dressage shows will…
Library image. Are concussions being under-reported, should we be looking deeper into falls not at cross-country fences – and how can we make sure that frangible devices are activating correctly? These were the major talking points at the FEI Eventing Seminar (31 January to 1 February), led by FEI eventing committee chairman David O’Connor and FEI risk […]
Are you up to speed on your eventing rule changes for 2026? We’ve looked at both the British Eventing rules, governing national competitions, and the FEI rules, which are in place for international classes, to highlight key changes. Do make sure you look at the full rule book for whatever level of eventing competition you […]