[Threedaychick]

The traditional three day event has a four phase speed and endurance day. These phases are ; roads and tracks, steeple chase, another roads and tracks, and then the cross country proper. For the past Eventing competition in Athens the International Olympic Committee and the Federation Equestre International changed the format of the three day event so that the speed and endurance day only includes the cross country proper. They have also have mandated that all championships for eventing will be in the "Short Format" (with out steeplechase.) Format. If this pattern continues eventually the traditional three day event will no longer exist, and all four star events will just become glorified horse trials. This change to the sport of eventing is deemphasizing the importance of the cross country phase, and is no longer challenging horse and rider to learn how to properly condition and prepare for the four phase endurance day. Please read the petition and sign if you believe in helping us save the Traditonal format (with steeplechase) event. PM me if you have any questions.
http://www.petitiononline.com/ABCDCCI/petition.html

[littlecelticpony]

Hey have you looked on the CotH boards?
Or maybe this is the same peitition.
Either way lots of ppl on there are really fighting this, too. We've put together some shirts and stuff...

[yertle]

One of the reasons behind shortening the Three day event is to make it more "spectator" friendly, if we don't have the spectators there the sport may die, I love eventing don't get me wrong but I am all for trying to raise public awareness and sponsorship etc. Another reason is quite simply the cost of running a Three day event and the space needed.

As I said I love the sport and would dearly love it to stay in the format it currently is at but unless the people who hold the events at World Championship or Olympic levels start finding a cheaper way to hold it we are going to lose it - They only allowed Three day eventing in the Athens Olympics due to the shortened format and it was kicked out of the Beijing Olympics but has since been brought back in (i think I had read some where).

As you said the new format will allow some riders to gloss over the conditioning of their horses and there could be more deaths from inexperienced horses going over big tracks.

Fingers crossed we can get it to stay

[Threedaychick]

LCP, this is the same petition from the COTH boards, just trying to make it spread.

[littlecelticpony]

Ahhh I see.
Did you like my cartoon?

[Super_Trooper]

I have mixed feelings. I love eventing, and I have competed three day and horse trials and personally, I think alot of the falls in cross country are because the horses are exhuasted after roads and tracks and the steeplechase then roads and tracks again, its allot of work.

Then again, it does go back to the military when they would challenge the fitness of the horses through work as such. I agree there would probably be more spectators on site for the dressage day, stadium day and cross country day, watching roads and tracks is pretty boring.

[GriffinsGirl]

I know what you mean about mixed feelings...I totally love and support the whole history of the true 3-day and to see a horse who has been properly prepared complete such a grueling task is really amazing. The key is "properly prepared" - meaning fitness training. I saw a horse die on the finish line in Quebec 10 years ago (tied-up/exertional rhabdomyolosis or whatever you want to call it) and that left a real dark impression on me...If only we could fitness test them BEFORE the endurance phase and eliminate the ones who really shouldn't be there.

[Threedaychick]

LCP, I did like the cartoon, I'll have to get one of those shirts they're offering!
Griffins> Now adays there are rules for moving up the levels, 10 years ago if was possible for Joe Schmo and his nag to sign up for Advanced because it'd be fun. No there are specific rules - to go Prelim you must successfully complete four training events and go clear cross country, etc,etc. Also the advances in saftey measures and physiological knowlede of horses has come a lot further (I'm writing my Highschool thesis paper on this.) The roads and tracks times and distances have been lowered, the steeplechase now only has brushing fences, whereas 10-30 years ago there were logs and ditch n' walls, etc. Now adays the cross country is already really easy compared to what came before, we have to remeber that horses wouldn't get to those levels if they hated cross country, and that this is an equine sport, accidents happen and it is impossible to try to "bubble wrap" everyone. The new format might even prove to be more dangerous, the horses don't get to have the warm up roads and tracks and the warm up fences on steeplechase. The steeplechase is there to help set the pace for what is to come later, it also helps clear out a horse's respiratory system so that breathing is easier for the cross country proper. Looking at Athens, I'd say that even with the simple (well at least as far as Olympics go) XC course, it was about just as many falls/accidents as the traditional format. I would just like the FEI to really figure out if this is safer or more beneficial to horses with actual scientific studies before they arbitraraly change the rules for everyone.

[EqUeStRiAn]

I said: 3-day eventing is a cherishes pastime. Change the game and you change who plays it.

[GriffinsGirl]

Thanks for the update - I am a bit out of the loop having just got back into the sport last year at the low levels. It's nice to hear so much has changed for the better and I agree that not having a proper warm-up for cross country (especially at Intermediate and higher) is a total negative factor. Equestrian is totally correct in that those who play the game have already changed...look at the proportion of warmbloods to thoroughbreds competing in 3-day and compare that to even a couple of years ago.