http://useventing.com/news/what-new-fei-star-system-explained
Thoughts?
Besides some confusion in the transition, it doesn’t seem like anything is changing except nomenclature and making FEI events accessible to those at training/modified level.
More $
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Making the pocketbooks of those at training/modified level accessible to the FEI.
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No one would expect the standard required for international participation to drop in other sports, e.g. gymnastics or diving, yet for eventing the standards are lowered so that more nations can join in. This seems to contradict the stated FEI aim of “safer sport”.
(In the 2012 Olympics I counted more nations competing in eventing than in diving.)
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“The real catalyst for changing it to the five-star system is basically the same idea [as it was in 2004] – we want to stay in the Olympics,”
This quote reminds of the old joke - “Now that we have established what you are, let’s talk price.”
Haha this. I don’t get it myself. I have no desire to do an FEI event. I would rather aim for a training 3 day.
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What’s the point of this other than as a cash grab?
I can see people doing the old style 1* if they are thinking of moving up and eventually doing a 2* and above at some of the big name venues.
But fei going for training/modified?
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Oh I agree and with you and SnicklefritzG, I think it’s absurd. As a training/preliminary level rider myself, I do not feel the urge to do a modified/new CCI*. Maybe after a successful season of prelim, a current CCI*/new CCI**-L.
See the naming is already confusing 
Could you elaborate a bit on why you think this? Because the most important part to me is this:
And fortunately, you don’t have to. No one is going to have to do anything differently than what they are currently doing, if they don’t want to. The new 1* is not compulsory to compete in the new 2* (or the old 1*). If you don’t like it, don’t enter it. Easy.
This system brings our naming convention into line with the other major equestrian disciplines. It does feel weird to explain to non-horse people that 4*, not 5*, is the top of our sport. I know lower level riders who still get confused between CCI and CIC - “long” and “short” make things clearer and easier. Sure, it’s not the real long-format, but since this is the world we live in, we may as well call the long one long and the short one short.
There are so many ridiculous things happening right now that are changing the fundamentals of our sport, or are making it more confusing (cough no drop score, “substitutions” onto teams, etc). Why does anyone care about this at all? It changes nothing in practicality and it makes things easier to explain to the laypeople. Seems like a win, or at worst a nothing, to me.
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I wish they would have just called it a 1/2*. I think the requirements for 5* are most worrysome.
I will be aiming for the new 1* but more because I won’t likely aim much higher, so it would be fun to do an FEI some day. I agree though, its a total cash grab. $1000 entry fees…
Eventers in the US need to make up their minds. Do they want a safe sport that encourages participation by more entries? Or do they want a sport so elite that not only does it not get much air time at the highest levels but is – according to them – under threat of being discontinued altogether at those levels?
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Some clarification then - I don’t think renaming the current levels is absurd. Making the top level of everything as 5* is consistent and easy to understand across the different disciplines. What I personally think is a bit absurd is the addition of the new CCI* which would be at training/modified height. If people want to do it and set it as their new goal, awesome! For me, and I think I’m not alone in this, that goal event/harder accomplishment is the T3D. I would hate to see the T3D die off in favor of the new CCI*, when it feels more like a money grab than anything else.
Again, MY opinion, but we’re all here to discuss, aren’t we?
There is only one T3D in my area, so while I would love to support it doesn’t always fall on a date that is doable.
I’ll be interested to see if the new 1* is even offered anywhere - it has been in existence for a year, called “Introductory” and I could only find events in Italy that offered it in 2018. I agree, I don’t have much interest in doing the new 1*, I hope to do my first 1* - now 2* - next season. I don’t mind the re-naming, while it is cumbersome now during the transition, I think it will be more in line with the other disciplines and easier to understand. The issue in the mid-west is very few FEI opportunities are available at all, I don’t see this changing that 
The Introductory division was offered at Foshay International this year (New Brunswick, Canada) - it was their first year hosting events. They offered Intro and CCI* this year. I think their plan is to eventually host up to 3 * (I guess using the old system?)
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Nice to see new events!! (even in locations I will never get to :)) Do you know if they had a good response to it? a decent # of entries?
They did not have a lot of entries, I think because Bromont was the weekend before and then the other Pros in Ontario all gearing up for WEG.
I did hear very good feedback from riders and officials about the event though - excellent footing and jumps. I’m hoping to head out to volunteer next year 
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Im hoping to ride the 1* next year at Foshay!!
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