FEI YOUTH JUMPING COMPETITION 2022

FEI Press Release

Further to the decision of the International Olympic Committee to postpone the Youth Olympic Games which were scheduled to be held in Dakar, Senegal in 2022, until 2026, the FEI Board has approved the exploration of the possibility of the organisation of a replacement FEI Youth Jumping Competition in 2022* in order to ensure that young Jumping athletes are not deprived of the opportunity to participate in this unique competition format. Following the FEI’s request to the IOC to recognise this replacement competition, we are happy to announce that the IOC has confirmed that it will offer International Federations the full digital content of the YOG Athlete365 Educational Program in connection with their Youth events in the run up to the 2026 YOG, so the FEI will liaise with the IOC regarding the possibility of leveraging this programme in connection with the FEI Youth Jumping Competition 2022.
 
* The name of this Competition has not yet been finalised. For ease of reference, it is referred to as the FEI Youth Jumping Competition 2022 in this document.

Bid Process
The FEI is opening a bid process to find, if possible, an Organiser to host the FEI Youth Jumping Competition 2022. The FEI’s preference is for this Competition to be combined with an existing Event but the FEI will also accept applications from Organisers/NFs who are interested in hosting the Competition on a standalone basis. The bid process is open to all Organisers/NFs worldwide. Full details on how to bid are set out below. The Board will make the allocation in February 2021.
 
In addition to covering the cost of travel of the participating Athletes (and one accompanying person per Athlete), the FEI will make a financial contribution of the CHF 40,000 to the Organiser/NF.
 
The bid process opens today, 15 October 2020, and interested Organisers/NF have until 8 December 2020 to submit an application. Applications should be submitted via the FEI Bid Platform. A full Bid Guide setting out all the organisational requirements is also available on the FEI Bid Platform.

Competition Format & Eligibility
The Competition will follow the same format of the Equestrian Competition at the Youth Olympic Games with 30 (thirty) Athletes competing in a Continental Team Competition and an Individual Competition, with Athletes competing on  borrowed horses to be provided by the Organiser/Host NF.
 
Eligibility & Qualification Process
To be eligible to participate in the FEI Youth Jumping Competition 2022 athletes must have been born between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2007.
 
The same qualification process as approved for the Youth Olympic Games 2022 will apply to the FEI Youth Jumping Competition 2022, meaning that Athletes will qualify via the FEI Jumping World Challenge or, where applicable, their  Junior Continental Championship. National Federations in Europe, North and South America, can participate in the Junior Continental Championship and participate/organise an FEI Jumping World Challenge Competition but they need to inform the FEI before 1 December 2020 through which competition they want to qualify for the YOG. Further details on the qualification process will be published by the FEI shortly.