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The FEI will work with riders to ease teething issues with its new tack app, which was designed to make life less complicated however has as a substitute resulted in confusion and “chaos”.
The FEI TackApp launched in Could with the purpose of being a one-stop store for riders, grooms and officers in any self-discipline to verify what tools is, and isn’t, allowed. However month-to-month updates have resulted in frustration.
Sure riders have discovered themselves having to vary a bit on the final minute, owing to beforehand allowed tools being outlawed. Questions have additionally been raised as as to whether or not info on the app was really a binding FEI rule this 12 months – it was being handled as such, but it has solely lately been authorised to interchange the FEI tack tips from 1 January 2024.
Discussions got here to a head on the Worldwide Leaping Riders Membership (IJRC) annual assembly (8 December).
“The truth is that this app confuses the complete state of affairs,” mentioned former Olympic champion Ludger Beerbaum. “I’ve been twice confronted this 12 months with a foolish rule, the place a leather-based bit was not allowed any extra – nothing to search out within the guidelines – and we needed to change it 10 horses earlier than we went within the ring within the grand prix, in order that’s actually unusual and it mustn’t occur.
“We’ve got to vary this for the higher. With all the opposite guidelines, we now have been informed that we will solely change them annually on the subsequent common meeting. However this, which actually issues, you will have made such chaos, so we now have to vary it to be very clear.”
European staff bronze medallist Max Kühner additionally voiced concern over notion and urged the FEI to consider carefully about how adjustments are communicated, including that riders are made to really feel like “criminals” for having ever used tools that’s subsequently not permitted.
“Issues being modified from weekend to weekend, and once you come to a championship and within the warm-up they take out your bit, as a result of [the app has] modified two days in the past – I believe that’s not the best way a federation ought to act in any respect,” he mentioned.
“We have to have belief within the guidelines, and we have to have the likelihood to regulate in the event you change issues.”
German rider Richard Vogel mentioned bringing in new guidelines every month complicates issues, and {that a} sudden change of kit with no time to adapt just isn’t essentially helpful to horse welfare.
London 2012 staff gold medallist Peter Charles mentioned: “I’ve been round a very long time, and if you wish to make issues work nicely, preserve it easy. My God, you make it difficult.
“The tack app is completely complicated the job. You need to have a gelling-in interval. You shouldn’t have this [changing] each month, annually can be loads. If you happen to’re going to do it, then do it each three months. Promote [changes on] your app a month earlier than, so the riders have an opportunity to regulate – whether or not it’s a bit, whether or not it’s a little bit of tack. You’re making issues so difficult for folks.”
An FEI spokesman informed H&H the purpose of the app was to have details about tools, tack and gown “simply accessible in a user-friendly and constant method” for everybody in “one place”.
“A lot of the objects designated as ‘not permitted’ within the FEI TackApp had been both already not permitted based on the beforehand talked about tips and/or relevant self-discipline guidelines,” mentioned the spokesman, including that updates are finished on the primary Monday of the month.
“Previous to the FEI TackApp, there was no readability, transparency and consistency in allowing or not allowing a number of the objects given the truth that they weren’t essentially described within the self-discipline guidelines or tips.
“Some stewards would permit using such tools at an FEI occasion and different stewards wouldn’t allow its use, thus having contradicting selections.”
The spokesman added that the app permits the FEI tools professional group to assessment tack for all disciplines concurrently, and that after the majority of the work is finished within the coming months, the variety of new objects uploaded will “diminish considerably”.
“We perceive that since its launch, frequent adjustments to the objects within the app and their standing, have been felt as overwhelming and abrupt by leaping athletes,” mentioned the spokesman.
“We’ve got determined to create an advisory group particular for leaping along with the already present tools professional group and invited the IJRC to pick out sure of its members to be part of this advisory group.”
He added the app is a “work in progress”, each new merchandise will seem within the “lately up to date” part, and that the FEI is engaged on creating notification alerts in future.
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