30 March 2015

Interview with Károly Fugli (HUN)

Károly Fugli (HUN) is the Chairman of the FEI Technical Committee Driving. We spoke with Károly at the recent FEI World Cup™ Driving Final in Bordeaux (FRA) about the growth and future of the sport.

“The format for the FEI World Equestrian Games will be discussed at the FEI Sports Forum in April. This not only concerns Driving, but all disciplines. The formula will be generally reviewed but I would like to stress that I am very much in favour of keeping the Four-in-Hand format at the Games.”

One of the main concerns of the FEI is the education system. To maintain the high standard of Driving events, to allow the athletes to perform well, and to be able to supply the driving event organisers with well-trained FEI officials, the education system will be renewed.

“We want to create a system where new candidates can enter at level 1 and move up to level 4 in a clean and transparent way. We also have to update the course materials.

“We will look at which officials we already have and improve their skills and knowledge through the new system. In the future it will be obligatory to take courses in order refresh your knowledge, and to maintain your status, with the same applying to the highest level 4 officials. An important part of the new education system will be the conflict-of-interest and legal matters, horse welfare issues and FEI values.”

“First of all I would like to express my thanks to all the Driving Athletes at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy. The FEI Driving produced clean sport, and I am very proud of that.”

The FEI has recently introduced a new online entry system, which will be used for the first time for the CAI Ocala, Florida (USA) at the end of March.

Károly Fugli would like to stress that the FEI does not have any preference in the allocation of Championships. “We need to select the best event and we would like to spread the Championships over as many countries as possible. In order to do that, we need bidders, so we welcome bids from all organisers who are interested in hosting an FEI Driving Championship.”

“The European Youth Driving Championships will be held every other year, in the year where there is no World Combined Pony Driving Championship to allow athletes to compete at both Championships. We notice that the interest in the Youth Championship is growing, and we support this very much since the future of the Driving sport lies in the hands of the YOUNG GENERATION!”

Photo: Krisztina Horváth

One of Károly Fugli’s main goals when he was elected in 2011 was to improve the number of international driving events and to globalise the Driving sport. The introduction of the star rating in 2014, and the relevant qualification system, has encouraged many national organisers to step up to the international stage, which has been very beneficial for the sport. The number of international events (CAIs) has grown significantly since 2013 as follows: 2013 – 136 CAIs; 2014 – 188; 2015 – 344 in the calendar so far (the number has more than doubled in the last two years).

“From 2008 to 2012 the number of competitions gradually went down, and Driving was the only FEI discipline with descending figures. My goal was to modernise the sport but to keep the traditional part intact as well. From 2012-2013, we already saw a growth in the numbers and with the introduction of the new rules in 2014 the numbers have massively increased. We see a growth in the number of venues and also in the continents that host international driving competitions. The forecast for 2015 is that we will achieve an additional 20% growth on the numbers of 2014, which is huge.”

“I am very happy and proud of the team I work with – we have achieved so much in the last years.”

One of Károly Fugli’s main goals when he was elected in 2011 was to improve the number of international driving events and to globalise the Driving sport. The introduction of the star rating in 2014, and the relevant qualification system, has encouraged many national organisers to step up to the international stage, which has been very beneficial for the sport. The number of international events (CAIs) has grown significantly since 2013 as follows: 2013 – 136 CAIs; 2014 – 188; 2015 – 344 in the calendar so far (the number has more than doubled in the last two years).

“From 2008 to 2012 the number of competitions gradually went down, and Driving was the only FEI discipline with descending figures. My goal was to modernise the sport but to keep the traditional part intact as well. From 2012-2013, we already saw a growth in the numbers and with the introduction of the new rules in 2014 the numbers have massively increased. We see a growth in the number of venues and also in the continents that host international driving competitions. The forecast for 2015 is that we will achieve an additional 20% growth on the numbers of 2014, which is huge.”

“I am very happy and proud of the team I work with – we have achieved so much in the last years.”

One of the main concerns of the FEI is the education system. To maintain the high standard of Driving events, to allow the athletes to perform well, and to be able to supply the driving event organisers with well-trained FEI officials, the education system will be renewed.

“We want to create a system where new candidates can enter at level 1 and move up to level 4 in a clean and transparent way. We also have to update the course materials.

“We will look at which officials we already have and improve their skills and knowledge through the new system. In the future it will be obligatory to take courses in order refresh your knowledge, and to maintain your status, with the same applying to the highest level 4 officials. An important part of the new education system will be the conflict-of-interest and legal matters, horse welfare issues and FEI values.”

“First of all I would like to express my thanks to all the Driving Athletes at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy. The FEI Driving produced clean sport, and I am very proud of that.”

The FEI has recently introduced a new online entry system, which will be used for the first time for the CAI Ocala, Florida (USA) at the end of March.

Károly Fugli would like to stress that the FEI does not have any preference in the allocation of Championships. “We need to select the best event and we would like to spread the Championships over as many countries as possible. In order to do that, we need bidders, so we welcome bids from all organisers who are interested in hosting an FEI Driving Championship.”

“The European Youth Driving Championships will be held every other year, in the year where there is no World Combined Pony Driving Championship to allow athletes to compete at both Championships. We notice that the interest in the Youth Championship is growing, and we support this very much since the future of the Driving sport lies in the hands of the YOUNG GENERATION!”

“The format for the FEI World Equestrian Games will be discussed at the FEI Sports Forum in April. This not only concerns Driving, but all disciplines. The formula will be generally reviewed but I would like to stress that I am very much in favour of keeping the Four-in-Hand format at the Games.”

Photo: Krisztina Horváth

The FEI not only introduced the European Championships for Children, Juniors and Young Drivers in 2012, this year the World Championships for Young Driving Horses will be launched too. The Championships for 5, 6 and 7-year old horses will be held in Mezöhegyes, Hungary.

“We needed to discover new directions and we wanted to involve a young generation of driving horses in international sport,” Fugli said. “These Championships have proven to be successful in Dressage, Eventing, and Jumping for many years and we feel this will be a very valuable and interesting addition to the further development of Driving.”

The FEI not only introduced the European Championships for Children, Juniors and Young Drivers in 2012, this year the World Championships for Young Driving Horses will be launched too. The Championships for 5, 6 and 7-year old horses will be held in Mezöhegyes, Hungary.

“We needed to discover new directions and we wanted to involve a young generation of driving horses in international sport,” Fugli said. “These Championships have proven to be successful in Dressage, Eventing, and Jumping for many years and we feel this will be a very valuable and interesting addition to the further development of Driving.”