10 February 2023
New FEI competition format launched
From 1 February 2023, FEI competitions can be driven in a new format: the FEI World Challenge. This format has been developed to stimulate and motivate drivers in countries where little or no international driving competitions are organized.Each country may organize a World Challenge competition once a year. To keep costs and effort low, considerably fewer officials are needed and all competition parts can be driven in a 40x80m arena. World Challenge competitions consist of three different levels and will be driven in one day. Drivers who register for Category C do a combined dressage/cones test. In Category B the marathon part is added (comparable to the Indoor FEI World Cup) and in Category A atletes do a separate dressage test and cones course. After category A you are approximately at the CAI2* level.
Accessibility
The World Challenge format was previously launched for dressage, jumping, eventing vaulting and para dressage. It is the intention that World Challenge competitions make the driving sport more accessible worldwide. In many countries there are hardly any FEI competitions and obtaining carriages, harnesses and other accessories is also difficult. That is why World Challenge competitions allow two drivers to participate with the same horse.
A separate World Challenge classification will be drawn up in which the results of competitions ridden will be recorded. This is comparable to the FEI Ranking.
The FEI Driving World Challenge is being launched in 2023 as a pilot phase, and applications for national federations wising to organise an event are now open
Source: FEI
Photo: Krisztina Horváth
