I thought we were only sending one Canadian, not two?
right. like, yes, we provide less government support for our top folks than other countries, but also, listen go interviews with people like boyd talking about how glad they are to be here because overall, the financial security theyâre able to build in america is so much greater than it would have been. soâŠpros and cons.
If I had to guess, itâs more and more about the pipeline, access to high quality, consistent competition, and too much focus on dressage over cross country. but, mercifully, nobodyâs actually asking me.
2 Likes
2 Likes
If I were an owner, I wouldnât put my horse through that travel schedule for what amounts to a 2* (old rating system) event. Why the hell are they going from Achen to Dubai in order to get to tokyo? Itâs a 13 hour flight to go direct from Germany to Tokyo. Going through Dubai adds four hours of flight time and god knows how much ground time. Thatâs after flying from the US to Germany (approximately 7.5 hours).
Why not stage in the US and fly from either SF or LA which reduces the flying time to 11.5 hours?
That travel schedule pretty much guarantees the horses will arrive in Japan dead on their feet. Iâm not a fan of the Olympic Games but I will say again, I wouldnât put my horse through that.
7 Likes
I also wondered if that was correct. Itâs a 3* level now??? I thought it was at least 4*??
According to the article, xc is 3*, but dressage and sj are 4*. I thought they were just shortening the course a little bit, but leaving it a 4*, but apparently not.
Yeah, wow. So an Intermediate level CCI basically? Thatâs crazy.
I think the article is incorrect. Guessing the author read the changes made in 2016 and used the star system in effect in 2016 rather than converting it to todayâs star system.
However, an 8 minute XC is basically a CCI4*-S. So finally the Olympic committee has managed it, converting this sport from a galloping endurance contest with attendant considerations of fitness and fitness for purpose (SJ after XC) to a sprinting show jumping contest. 
/sarcasm
7 Likes
I did some digging and it looks like the shipping/logistics company that the FEI is working with to handle quarantine, shipping to/from, and stabling in Tokyo operates their own quarantine facility in Aachen, and each nation had the option of booking stalls there or setting up a private quarantine.
Iâm sure someone with actual experience quarantining and shipping to FEI events overseas can weigh in, but this seems⊠elaborate⊠and I see the appeal of linking up ASAP with Peden and letting them handle some of these details. I guess it was determined that outweighed the additional travel time.
Still not sure why theyâre going EU > Dubai > Tokyo except for a mention that water buckets will be refilled in Dubai?
1 Like
This is super cool. Thanks for finding and sharing!
1 Like
1 Like
Why did the olympics due this? Why isnât it a 5*?
So more countries are able to qualify. Easier to qualify enough members for a team for a 4* rather than 5*. Similar to the reason they went down to a 3 person team. Leaves more spots open for additional countries to participate.
Iâm also pretty sure article is wrong. There were numerous comments during Kentucky that Olympics would âbe at the level belowâ. I think the cross country will basically be a 4S. The only reason itâs exciting is because of the pressure to finish a team. 4S happen every weekend in the US and Europe and nobody gets particularly excited. I know Olympic involvement is a factor in funding for certain countries but I personally would not be heartbroken to see eventing out of the Olympics.
5 Likes
Re the real/actual level of the Olympic course - there is a big âyabbutâ here.
The Olympic course is always built with options that allow riders to ride the 2*, or the 3*, version of the course. This allows many more countries to send riders, countries that do not have anyone at the 4*/5* level. But the fastest/direct routes may ride like a full-on 4*/5*.
As we saw at Rio, the direct route can be a whole other story. You can significantly toughen a course that uses lower height/spread fences by using the approaches and the positioning of the obstacles. Or, put in a big wide nasty Weldon, with an easy timeburner option route with big turns in it, way out over there somewhere. At Rio, the steep downhill hairpin-ish turn to a skinny caught out WFP and several other veteran 5* riders who slipped right by the skinny. Something about a spread in the middle of a water bit the butts of Ingrid KIimke and others who probably havenât had a 5* jumping penalty in years.
Rio was carnage among the elite riders who took the toughest line through the course, to get close to the time. But there were many clear rounds among the riders who were there for the experience and the beer and who took the long routes around.
So, I wouldnât get too wrapped up in level labels. What level it will be like to ride will depend on how the course is designed throughout - are the tough combinations one after the other? are the option routes generous? - and how each rider and team chooses to attack it.
11 Likes
I knew they were 4* but 3*??? Pan Ams yes, Olympics⊠I didnât think so, but now Iâm confused lol
From the Tokyo Olympic rules, the cross country specs are:
3.2. Cross Country Test: Distance: approx. 4500- metres; time: 8 minutes; speed: 570
metres/minute; maximum number of efforts: 38.
I looked up the FEI specs for eventing, and the specs above are 3* level in terms of total distance and time (shortened specifically for expected Tokyo conditions) and 4/5* level in terms of mpm and number of jumping efforts.
Reference here: https://inside.fei.org/system/files/18.3_ANNEX_GA19_EVENTING%20RULES.pdf
The dressage test is the 5* test, and the show jumping specs are 5* as well.
1 Like
Option routes.
The Olympic course always rides as different levels, depending on the riderâs chosen route.
2 Likes
Iâm not talking about different levels. Iâm specifically talking about whether it is a 3* now, because it was understood for as long as I remember it was a 4*
From how I understand it, the course is set at 4* difficulty for the straight routes, with the longer alternates bringing the difficulty down to that of a 3*. I think the idea is that everyone can get around even if their country has less access to eventing, but if you take the alternates, the goal is completion rather than being competitive, which for some countries is an accomplishment in and of itself.
3 Likes
In related news, Eric Lamaze has withdrawn himself from consideration for Canadaâs sole show jumping place, citing his own health concerns, as well as the COVID crisis as reasons.
