WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY 2024!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The International Jumping Riders Club is delighted to welcome its new President, elected at the IJRC Annual Assembly in Geneva, on 8th of December 2023, as well as two new board members.

Our congratulations to newly elected president François Mathy Jr and to Michael Duffy and Richard Vogel replacing Henrik Von Eckermann and Max Kühner, joining Ludger Beerbaum, Emilio Bicocchi, Steve Guerdat, Rodrigo Pessoa, Kevin Staut, and the North American representatives, who are all members of the Board. The Club hopes they all enjoy their time representing the athletes in the name of sport!

The IJRC would like to thank former president Kevin Staut for all his constant work on behalf of the IJRC since 2017. Thank you, too, to Board Members Henrik von Eckermann and Max Kühner for the time and passion they have dedicated to sustaining and assisting the Club over the past years.

Over 2023, the IJRC has worked hard for its athletes, has maintained close relations with institutions such as the FEI and EEF, also attending numerous meetings, at major events as Lausanne, Den Bosh and Geneva. The Club director, Eleonora Ottaviani, and the new President, Francois Mathy Jr, with Beatrice Ottaviani, took part in the FEI General Assembly in Mexico City last November, where many issues were discussed. These included ranking points, the entry fee, Paris 2024, jumping regulations and anti-doping rules.

The Club has maintained close relations with stakeholders such as officials, grooms, representatives from the world of dressage, the owners’ club and Organizing Committees that the IJRC thanks for their commitment to continue to organize wonderful shows.

Here is a list of some meetings attended by IJRC in the course of 2023 focusing on issues of particular importance to the Club:

14/02 Lausanne/FEI/Conversion Rate
11-12/03 Den Bosh/Board Meeting
28/03 Lausanne/FEI NF Task Force
23-24/04 Sport Forum
22/05 Video Call Entry Fee
25/05 Rome Board Meeting
03/06 St. Gallen/Chef d' équipe
8/06 MEP Horse Group in the European Parliament (Horse Welfare)
10-11/06 La Baule Board Meeting
02/09 Milano/LRWG
27/09 Webinar Athletes/NF
10/10 Video Call
14/11 Board Meeting Video Call
20/21-11 FEI GA Mexico City
2023 Welfare Committee (Belgian Federation)
8-12 Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final Geneva
8-12 IJRC GA Geneva

The Club thanks Board members for their availability and for having attended all these meetings.

During the CHI de Genève last December, the IJRC’s General Assembly was held in presence of:

IJRC Director Eleonora Ottaviani and IJRC President Kevin Staut, IJRC board members Henrik von Eckermann, Ludger Beerbaum, Max Kühner and Francois Mathy Jr. Representing the FEI, newly appointed FEI Jumping Director Todd Hinde alongside Paule Gerritsen and Gaspard Dufour, the Chair of the FEI Athletes' Committee Jessica Kürten, Stephan Ellenbruch (Chair of the FEI Jumping Committee, connected remotely) as well as many other members of the Club.

In addition to the elections, among the most sensitive topics expressed by the riders, for whom the IJRC represents a reliable channel of analysis and comparison, the assembly dealt with the problems of minimum prizes at 1-star competitions, entries and extra-fees, the problems of the continuous updates of the TackApp (the FEI application that provides information on allowed and prohibited tack, equipment and dress in FEI Competitions), the elimination rule in the FEI Jumping Rules art.241.1, accessibility to the competitions and many other issues. Also discussed was the criterion for the allocation of ranking points, leading to the emergence of information regarding the quantity of points distributed during the Nations Cup compared to those awarded by the championships.
Feedback was additionally expressed by the riders regarding the last European Championship and the World Cup Final.

Max Kühner, François Mathy, Stephan Ellenbruch and Ludger Beerbaum – in a relaxed but very firm discussion, talked about the FEI TackApp.

In order to improve it, in agreement with FEI Jumping Director Hindle, it was suggested that an “Expert Working Group” should be established to assist the already existing FEI Equipment Expert Group.

Another subject that arose loud and clear during the Assembly is the need for riders to become more proactive in their contacts with their federations, so that their concerns are received more forcefully and become an instrument, within the institutions, for change. This is especially important with regard to the criteria for the awarding of points, which up to now has been based on an ever-changing sport that is very different in its organization from the one that exists today and will exist tomorrow.

For those who wish to review the entire IJRC Assembly with all the items discussed, click here.

2023 has certainly been an interesting year and one filled with thrills as well as various problems to be solved. It was a European Championship year, and it is worthy of note that European champion Steve Guerdat also won the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final.

Achieving the only double clear, Guerdat completed the Top 10 with a time of 48.13, taking his third victory in this competition and thus setting a new record. In the 22 years of the competition's existence, he is the first rider to have been a triple winner.

The Club, the President, the Director and all the Board, wish you all a Happy New Year filled with successes, exciting goals, and many joyful moments with our horses, in an important year that looks straight towards Paris.