The Board of Directors of the German Equestrian Federation (FN) has decided to implement its rule book guidelines as an explicit criterium for team selection.
At a meeting on 9 December 2015, the FN board of directors once more discussed the controversy of the German team selection for the 2015 European Championships, especially relating to the selection of an unsound Totilas. Germany was clear favourites for team gold, but only ended up with bronze at the Europeans which were hosted in their own country.
The board concluded with a recommendation for the board of the German Olympic Equestrian Committee (DOKR) which is responsible for the team selection. It described their recommendation as following:
"With it comes down to team nomination for Championships, not only the potential for success will count, but also the stricht following of the guidelines for riding, driving and vaulting. The FN disapproves of any training methods that goes against the guidelines. This means explicitly any aggressive riding or training methods, which entail a forceful handling of the horse."
Photo © Astrid Appels
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