New rules proposed around blood, eliminations and whips in showjumping

Blood eliminations in international showjumping continue to be a major focus – and padded batons are proposed as a replacement for traditional whips.

The FEI jumping rules are undergoing a full revision, and the first draft of proposed changes has been published by the FEI.

The International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC) has continued its calls for proportionality around sanctions for micro cases of blood, particularly when riders are eliminated at championships, as was the case with Brazilian rider Pedro Veniss at Paris.

The IJRC has proposed that when blood is found on a horse’s flank, if it has occurred by an “inappropriate act”, or “remains bleeding after wiping”, the combination is immediately disqualified. But in the case of a “micro lesion or mark”, deemed accidental by a vet, the combination instead gets a “not classified” result. For first-time micro cases the IJRC suggested riders be given a warning, second warnings result in yellow cards and third warnings “heavier” sanctions.

“One of the fundamental principles of law establishes the proportionality between sanctions and violations of the norm, something which is not currently contemplated by our regulations,” said an IJRC spokesperson.

“For this reason, micro lesions which do not cause suffering to the horse cannot be considered in the same way as lesions caused by excessive use of spurs or horse abuse.”

The Swedish federation called for horse abuse and blood rules to be “harmonised” across disciplines – and the Irish federation suggested the blood rule be amended to specifically state “blood on the horse caused by spur or whip”, as the federation has had cases of horses “cut by hitting wings, flags etc, which is nothing to do with the rider”.

In response, the FEI proposed that if blood on a horse is considered to be “minor and a result of natural causes”, for example biting the lip or an insect bite, this may be wiped and riders may continue. But if bleeding persists, or there are welfare concerns, officials may eliminate the rider.

The FEI proposal states that the rider would not receive a recorded warning, if this applies – but goes on to state that “any minor blood cases” will result in a recorded warning for first and second offences – and should a rider receive two or more warnings in 12 months, they will be fined CHF1,000 (£933) and suspended for a month.

Blood not considered to be minor will result in elimination or disqualification, and maybe separate disciplinary proceedings. H&H asked for further clarification on this and was told by the FEI it is a “first draft”.

Fairness and horse welfare

Discussing the FEI’s proposal, IJRC director Eleonora Ottaviani told H&H that the club “acknowledges the difficulty of drafting rules that fairly distinguish between intentional and accident violations”.

“It is essential to balance three key factors; public perception, the respect and welfare of the horse as an athlete and partner, and the proportionality of the sanction,” she said.

Ms Ottaviani added that the IJRC welcomes a “revised approach” to the blood rules but would prefer that a vet rather than an official assess whether a case of blood should be considered minor or not.

“This is the most crucial aspect of ensuring both fairness and horse welfare,” she said.

“The IJRC agrees with the implementation of a one-month suspension in case of repeated warnings, as it provides a clearer distinction between isolated accidents and repeated negligence.”

The IJRC has called for an amendment to provide clarification on when a ground jury president can ring the bell to eliminate a rider mid-round and suggested that in “doubtful or unclear situations”, the president should allow the rider to complete the course.

“This ensures that official footage or other available technology can be reviewed to determine whether the rider should be eliminated or not. The president may notify the rider at the end that the result is under review before confirming the final outcome,” said the IJRC spokesperson.

The FEI rejected this owing to “subjectivity” around the wording “doubtful and unclear”, and that elimination decisions were for the ground jury president to decide.

Calls for change to whip rules

British Equestrian (BEF) proposed that whips allowed in FEI competitions be changed to padded batons, as was introduced in British national competitions in 2022.

“Prior to this we regularly had horses which had been marked (or blood drawn) by the use of traditional whips and since the introduction of the padded baton we have not had a single horse marked (or blood drawn) in warm-up or competition arenas,” said a BEF spokesperson.

“During this time, we have continued to see horses in FEI competitions marked by excessive use of the whip and sanctioning the rider after the event while a deterrent still means that a horse has been hit excessively.”

The FEI responded that current tack and equipment rules will remain in force in 2026, and proposed to remove tack and equipment requirements from sport rules to separate standalone documents for each discipline to allow changes to be made outside the rule revision process, when needed.

Stakeholders have until 26 August to give feedback. A final draft of proposals will be published in October, before voting at the FEI General Assembly on 7 November.

What do you think about the new rule proposals? Write to us at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

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