The British team who won the third leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2013 Europe Division 1 series at St Gallen, Switzerland. Photo: FEI/Katja Stuppia.

The FEI Jumping Committee has ruled that the German team, which was withdrawn from the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ leg in St Gallen (SUI) on 31 May, will be allowed to participate in its remaining three Nations Cup qualifying competitions and earn points towards the 2013 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Final. The German team will not be awarded any points from St Gallen and a further request from the German National Federation for a wild card for the Final in Barcelona has been turned down.

Prior to the start of the season, and in line with the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ rules, the German National Federation had nominated St Gallen, Rotterdam (NED) on 21 June Aachen (GER) on 27 June and Hickstead (GBR) on 2 August as the four events where it would aim to earn qualifying points for the series final.

Under the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ rules, any National Federation that does not respect its written commitment to take part in the specified qualifying competitions will lose its points for the entire season. However, according to a preamble to the series rules, “In any unforeseen or exceptional circumstance which is not addressed by these Rules, it is the duty of the FEI Jumping Committee to interpret them and render a Decision in a manner compatible to the fullest extent possible with the other provisions of these Rules, the GRs and any other applicable rules of the FEI, as well as sporting spirit.”

German Secretary General Soenke Lauterbach contacted the FEI on 3 June asking the FEI to consider allowing Germany to collect points during the 2013 Europe Division 1 season. The FEI Jumping Committee met via conference call the following day to review the events at St Gallen and voiced its full support for the decisions taken on the ground during the event, which had all been taken based on the conditions at the time and in full consultation with all Chefs d’Equipe, the Ground Jury, the Organising Committee and the FEI.

In a follow-up call, the decision to allow the German team to receive qualifying points at its three remaining qualifying competitions was made by FEI Jumping Committee Chair John Madden (USA) and two of the Committee members, Ian Allison (CAN) and Vladimir Platov (RUS). Stephan Ellenbruch (GER), athletes’ representative Max Kϋhner (GER) and Deputy Chair Marco Fusté (ESP) were not involved in the decision making process due to a potential conflict of interest.

The three-man panel of John Madden, Ian Allison and Vladimir Platov clarified that the intention of the rules was to prevent teams from not showing up at a given event. They then signed off on the final decision, ruling that the German team had met its commitment according to the rules by bringing a full team to the Swiss event with the clear intention of participating. German Chef d’Equipe Otto Becker attended the Chefs d’Equipe meetings, declared the German team for the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Competition and took part in the draw, at which the German team was selected to jump second.

Less than an hour before the start of the Nations Cup, Otto Becker informed the Organising Committee that the German team had no choice but to withdraw from the competition as the owners would not allow their horses to jump due to the weather conditions.

“The German National Federation respected its commitment by sending a team to take part in St-Gallen and acted in good faith with respect to that obligation,” John Madden said, “but the horse owners did not want their horses to jump due to the conditions. Neither the German National Federation nor the FEI has the right or the authority to instruct owners on what they must do with their horses at an event.

“It would not be in the spirit of fair play to sanction the German National Federation because of a decision beyond its control, so the Jumping Committee has ruled that Germany will be eligible to collect points at its three remaining qualifying competitions at Rotterdam, Aachen and Hickstead in an effort to try to qualify for the 2013 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Final.”

Torrential rain and deteriorating ground conditions forced the show organisers to abandon a second team round in the Nations’ Cup, but in the subsequent single rider jump-off Shane Breen and Balloon had four faults, to finish in fourth place.

Ireland tied for first place with Switzerland, Belgium and Great Britain after round one, with Cian O’Connor and his bronze medal Olympic mount Blue Loyd going clear, Capt. Michael Kelly and the Irish Sport Horse Annestown taking one fence down, Shane Carey and Ballymore Eustace incurring the team discard score of 12, and Breen with Balloon having just the last fence down to leave Ireland on eight faults.

However, under the 2013 Furusiyya Division One rules, just four teams at St. Gallen today could earn league points, and so when the jump off was complete, only the point-scoring team from Switzerland came out ahead of the Irish quartet.

Afterwards, Ireland’s show jumping manager Robert Splaine said: “This was a great result, giving us second place league points for the series. All the riders went very well, and it was great to see Cian O’Connor, reunited with his Olympic horse Blue Loyd, going clear. I thought Shane Breen was superb in the jump off, and extremely unlucky to rub a rail.”

The German team at St. Gallen, who were also one of the four point-scoring nations, withdrew before the competition due to the weather conditions.

Ireland’s next Nations’ Cup in Europe Division One will be at Aachen in Germany at the end of June, with Dublin’s Aga Khan competition in August their last opportunity to add to their points total.

Colin McClelland, Horse Sport Ireland