I hope it’s for every competition.
I would have to think the horses probably get the best care at the Olympics, since that’s the most public event in the sport. And we saw what that horse treatment looked like.
Who knows what goes on at the smaller, less visible events?
I don’t think the International Governing Body has ever been transparent, responsive, or interested in anyone’s opinion. Apparently, it has flatly refused to work with the FEI to improve horse welfare over the past three Olympic cycle.
I recall JER saying it is possible to qualify for the Olympics without ever needing to ride.
They’ve basically gutted MP … it seems like many of the people at the top got their start in the sport through their involvement in riding (though there seem to be plenty for whom the riding is an afterthought as well), but equestrian sports won’t serve as a recruitment pool anymore. The one person I know in real life that has been involved in pentathlon got started by doing the Pony Club tetrathlon.
It was necessary, though… while some of them are actually quite good riders, the majority don’t have the skill set needed to catch ride a course of 4’ fences. And regular equestrian sports get enough flak from the horse-illiterate general public without having to take the heat for that disaster.
I wonder if it’ll be a regular road cycling race or some sort of cyclocross-type deal?
I do think it’s too bad to lose an equestrian sport, but without MP being willing to do more for horse welfare, there aren’t many other options.
Agreed. It sounds like UIPM had years to deal with the issue of dangerous riding and horsemanship, and they turned a blind eye. They could have made changes to prevent it from getting to this point - whether it be implementing riding standards, changing the course height, more focus on horse welfare and safety, but they kept ignoring it. It was only until it hit the mainstream news that they were forced to react, and by then it had reached a boiling point and was too late.
Plot twist: Eventing develops a “side sport”. After the SJ phase, riders have to run a 5k marathon with en-route target shooting. Riders run in order of placing, with timing between runners depending on penalties, missing a target means a “wait” on course. Final placing is who crosses the finish line first.
Four-day eventing. Participants must qualify through normal channels.
Apparently the UIPM is seeking a fifth sport not under another Olympic Sport Governing body. Perhaps the FEI has really been bugging the committee for the past several years? But then cycling also is an existing Olympic sport.
I do like the multi-discipline Olympic sports as I find it interesting to see athletes move up and done as they work through their stronger and weaker disciplines. The mixed teams with women and men working together are even better. So I think it would be a pity if the Modern Pentathlon disappeared but as it has already been cut from 5 days to a single day and in Paris the whole competition is supposed to be done in 90 minutes, maybe it is already destined to disappear, regardless of horses staying or going.
I’m really interested in what @JER has to say here. She’s so knowledgeable and her posts are always so informative.
More evidence for the pile that suggests that the Olympics have outlived their charter and are no longer about athletes or good for sport. This is a decision that should be made by the athletes balancing all the needs of the sport, both in terms of making a proposal to the Olympic Committee as well as considering if the IOC’s demands are even worth meeting.
I mean, lol, why not sub in BMX bike racing or synchronized swimming? Maybe golf, a skill apparently essential to military officers. Heck, archery might make more sense in terms of being a skill that would be harmonious with the rest of the event.
There is a reason the NRHA, reining association, after trying to deal with them for many years, finally gave up, no reining now.
Reining tried, is having a tremendous explosion of interest here and all over the world, doubling entries for many classes, more shows, more money added to prices.
I think the governing body for Modern Pentathlon could have safely kept the equestrian phase in by making some of the many modifications suggested earlier in the thread IF they had really cared to do so. The fact that they just dumped it instead shows how very little the high mucky-mucks governing Modern Pentathlon actually cared about the equestrian part of their sport. It makes me feel bad for those pentathletes who originally found their way into the sport via riding, like JER.
There seem to be more chances upcoming for the sport to embarass itself;
No, no change for Paris.
I am on the fence with this. I think MP could have found a way to keep equestrian in, with modifications. I always thought that cross country jumping / racing would have made more sense than SJ but yes, access to facilities and all that. Then again, the welfare of the “rented” horses is at stake, so…
As for replacement - why not cycling or (better) mountain biking?
I also like the idea of “4 day eventing”, since eventing is a military discipline originally, why not add swimming/ archery or target shooting / running to the mix? hehehe as long as the athletes are primarily equestrians…
I get the impression that the powers that be in the pentathlon organization liked having the equestrian phase not because of any great appreciation for horses or horsemanship, but because it was a great way to shake up the leaderboard.
Someone who’s a good runner could have a slightly off day, but overall the running results are going to be pretty predictable. Ditto swimming … shooting and fencing maybe a little more variation, but you can probably still predict the top performers pretty well. Equestrian depends a lot on the horse, so it’s a way to make the competitions “anybody’s game” … maybe someone who’s not the fastest or the best fencer is fortunate enough to draw a horse that’s a true heart-of-gold packer and will schlep them around a 4’ course in one piece come hell or high water. Maybe the person who’s a shoe-in to be leading after the other phases draws a horse that needs a bit more help and their riding skills aren’t up to that challenge. And so on…
Edit to finish my thought: keeping riding, but making it easier on the the horses (i.e. lower jumps) would necessarily make it “easier” for the riders in the sense that the vast majority would at least get around the course. So it would no longer be the scoreboard-shaker-upper it currently is. Sure, it could be turned into a judged equitation round to keep everyone from getting through with no effect on the leaderboard, but it would likely still be less of an “equalizer” and adding subjective scoring would change things pretty drastically.
Gymkhana games would be more appropriate. Maybe tent pegging.
I’m trying to think of a sport that meets all of these criteria:
Here is the list of criteria that will form the basis of the selection of a new discipline. It must:
Certainly riding did not meet these. LOL “low-cost”, “minimal injury rates” “easy to learn and train”…
What Olympic appropriate sport wouldn’t fall under the governance of another IOC-recognized International Federation? Or, maybe I don’t understand the term.
Anytime you lose an equestrian sport, it is not good news for horses. The more they are marginalized from sports, the less recognition they have as valued animals among the general population. Sure we know all about horses and horses sports here but we should be concerned about the bigger audience. I agree with the sentiments that trying to find a way to keep the horse competition element would have been preferable. But it is easy and cheap to toss out the horses, right? And it stops any animal welfare complaints about the horrid riding. It is a sad day.
I suspect that we’re all reading this as “the sport cannot already have an IOC-recognized International Federation” when what is meant is that the sport cannot, when included in pentathlon, be governed by another International Federation besides UIPM.
Pentathlon show-jumping was not governed by the FEI, and I’m pretty sure that the swimming part of pentathlon is not governed by FINA. I read this as meaning that if they decide to shift to cycling, that phase has to also have its own set of UIPM rules, and not be governed by UCI.
the rules for a new discipline certainly narrows down the available choices. It really feels like a bike ending fits all the needs. I personally thought a mountain bike, would be a great show of strength and risk/daring. Not urban stadium friendly, however.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
