The Future Starts with Youth: Key Takeaways from the FEI Sports Forum 2026

FROM PONY TO PODIUM

The opening session of the first day in Lausanne, focused on the importance of youth development for the future of the sport, reviewing progress since 2018 and highlighting key challenges such as funding, access to horses, education and welfare standards. Discussions explored how to better engage young athletes, strengthen training systems and ensure a clear pathway from youth level to elite sport, while addressing regional disparities and the balance between education and high performance.

As part of the session, Joe Stockdale, who was selected onto the Riders Academy squad for 2022, reflecting on the importance of support systems and mentorship in the early stages of a career, said:

When my father passed away, I had to run the business myself. I was very lucky to have people around me who stepped in and helped me. Particularly William Funnel for me was a massive help. I had also a lot of help from the program Young Riders Academy and from the British show jumping. There's so much more behind the scenes that when you first start out, you have no idea what to do and it’s almost impossible to manage everything on your own.

Speaking about the role of social media in building a career and attracting opportunities, Joe added:

At the beginning, I didn’t really have results to show, so social media helped me gain visibility and attract owners and sponsors. At the same time, it's very, very dangerous it’s something you have to handle carefully. It can be very powerful, but also risky. Today, it plays a big role, not only for sponsors but also for owners, who like to see their horses and riders highlighted, but you just have to be very careful with it.

And on the mental preparation required in the lead-up to major events such as the Paris Olympic, Joe said:

In the lead-up to the Olympic Games, you don’t always know if you will be on the team. With the new formula, you might be third or fourth, and that uncertainty makes preparation challenging. You have to stay mentally ready, because an opportunity can come at any moment. It’s about staying focused, being prepared, and keeping the mindset that you need to be ready to perform if your chance comes.

The discussion continued with an intervention from IJRC Director Eleonora Ottaviani, who highlighted the importance on supporting young riders who, as previously discussed, face difficulties in entering top level shows:

We would like to thank the FEI for the support they provide. We would also like to thank the organizers of Göteborg, Geneva, Rome, Aachen and many others who have supported young riders, leaving their door open for them. This is important and help to make the success that many young riders have had, like: Joe, Laura Klaphake, Harry Charles and others. So, thank to them, they started to fly.

KEY UPDATES ON OLYMPIC JUMPING FOR LA 2028

During the afternoon session of the first day, the discussion focused on key aspects of Olympic Jumping for Los Angeles 2028, with a series of proposed updates touching on substitutions, pre-competition changes, competition procedures and qualification requirements.

Substitutions remain limited to team competitions and can only be made within a clearly defined timeframe: from the end of the Team Qualifier up to two hours before the start of the Team Final. They are restricted to athlete/horse combinations already included on the nominated entries list and must be supported by appropriate medical/veterinary certification signed by Team Doctor/Team Vet and subject to official approval.

Alongside this, the framework for pre-competition changes provides flexibility before the start of competition. Changes to athlete/horse combinations must be made by the sport entries deadline of 26 June 2028 but can still be implemented up to two hours before the first competition. In Jumping, this includes the periods before both the Team and Individual Qualifiers. While there is no limit to the number of changes and no requirement for medical or veterinary certificate, only combinations already listed among the nominated entries are eligible. In addition, once horses arrive on site at the Venue, no external horses can be introduced and used for Pre-Competition Changes.

The Athletes Horse/Nationality for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games will remain unchanged. Horse and athlete must have the same nationality in the FEI Database by 15 January 2028 (extended to 17 January 2028 due to the weekend).

For horses with multiple owners of different nationalities, they must be registered under the nation they will compete for at the Games by the same deadline.

It was also clarified that this rule does not apply to the Paralympic Games.

Several procedural changes were presented at the FEI Sports Forum ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games:

Simpler process for Olympic nominated entries

Until now, National Federations were required to complete the FEI Certificate of Capability manually via the Olympic and Paralympic Hub. Looking ahead to the Olympic Games, all nominated entries will instead be submitted directly through the FEI Entry System (deadline: 12 June 2028). The Certificate of Capability will be generated automatically from the system, following the same process already in place for FEI Championships.

Team replacement for Team Final

Under the current system used at Paris 2024, only the top 10 teams from the Team Qualifier can compete in the Team Final. If a qualified team withdraws before the final, it is not replaced.

For LA 2028, a more flexible approach is being proposed. If one or more qualified teams are unable to start, they could be replaced by the 11th placed team from the qualifier, up to two hours before the start of the Team Final. As in the current format, all teams would start the Team Final on zero penalties.

Draw Individual Qualifier

For Paris 2024, the system involved two separate steps: first, a draw to establish individual starting places, followed by a second draw to determine the position of each team. The final running order within teams was then decided by the Chefs équipe.

For Los Angeles 2028, a simplification is proposed. The starting order would be determined through a single computerized draw in one group, conducted in the presence of the Ground Jury, Technical Delegate, and Chefs d’Equipe after the second training session.

Following these considerations, an important intervention was made by IJRC President François Mathy Jr suggested

considering the use of four riders in the first round, following the model of the League of Nations™ format, noting that the presence of a reserve rider would avoid any additional costs. In his view, a “four and three” format would make the competition more interesting and fairer, not only for stronger nations but also for weaker ones, giving them a better chance to remain competitive even after a difficult round. Mathy also raised concerns about the current system used to determine the 30 riders for the individual final, which is based on a single round and, in his opinion, represents a weak selection. Given that many factors can influence results in sport, he suggested that individual riders should take part in the first team competition, using that round to help determine the 30 finalists.

He concluded that, from a sporting perspective, moving in this direction would represent a significant improvement.

Nevertheless, these suggestions must be considered in light of the strict athlete quotas imposed by the IOC. Indeed following proposals from the International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC) and the European Equestrian Federation (EEF) to adopt the Longines League of Nations™ format, featuring four combinations in the first round and three in the second, it was clarified that the athlete quotas allocated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are strictly limited and that at no time can the number of active Athlete/Horse combinations exceed the quota imposed by the IOC. As a result, increasing the number of combinations is not feasible.

The format of three combinations per team will therefore apply across all Olympic disciplines.

Using the team qualifier as a qualifying competition for the Individual competition, as suggested by the IJRC, would run counter to the objective of making the sport more accessible and easier for the public to understand.

Provisions relating to quarantine and competition stables, which remain subject to confirmation by the Organising Committee, were highlighted as being of significant importance to the National Federations.

The issue of aligning substitution deadlines between the Olympic and Paralympic Games was raised by several National Federations. The panel explained that the dates of the Delegation Registration Meeting (DRM) are set by the relevant National Paralympic Committee. Discussions are ongoing regarding the possible introduction of a distinction between substitutions for horses and for athletes.

To conclude the session, Áine Power clarified that the bidding process to host regional qualification events for the LA28 Olympic Games would be launched after the FEI World Championships 2026 in Aachen (GER).

Presentation: LA28 Olympic and Paralimpic Regulations

DAY 2

Day two highlighted the FEI’s future strategy, with a strong focus on data-driven communication, broader content reach, and audience engagement beyond traditional TV. François Vergnol stressed the importance of better understanding and expanding audiences, including through more accessible content.

Horse welfare emerged as a central pillar, while young athletes contributed fresh perspectives to the discussion.

The day also addressed key regulatory updates and concluded with a focus on welfare, safety, and research programmes.

The following session focused on the comprehensive revision of the FEI Veterinary Regulations, which are being undertaken this year in accordance with the FEI Periodical Rules Revision Policy. 

Closing remarks were delivered by FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez, who highlighted the overall quality of the discussions and contributions.

For a more in-depth look at the topics discussed across each session, please refer to the links below, where all related documents and materials are available:

Session 1 - From Pony to Podium: Our Youth, Our Future

Session 2 - Olympic and Paralympic Regulations Los Angeles 2028

Session 3 - FEI Dressage Rules

Session 4 - FEI Marketing & Communication strategy 2026-2030 – Leading the Global Equestrian Conversation with One Voice

Session 5 - Veterinary Matters: Advancing Rules, Research & Responsibility

Session 6 - FEI Para Dressage Rules

Session 7 - FEI Event Stable Manager

Session 8 - Data Driven Welfare and Safety

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