The World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH), in close cooperation with the FEI, has announced a series of significant updates to the Jumping World Breeding Championships for Young Horses. "These developments, which affect riders, owners, and studbooks, are focused on horse welfare and a more streamlined pathway to the championships," the organization stated.
For the first time, Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERs) will be introduced for participation in the Jumping Championships. While this system has long been established for the Dressage World Breeding Championships, it is now being implemented for the jumping discipline as well.
The introduction of these MERs serves three primary objectives:
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Optimal Preparation: To ensure that horses arrive at the Championships with an appropriate level of foundation.
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Transparency: To create a consistent and clear qualification pathway.
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Welfare: To contribute to the long-term development and well-being of young jumping horses.
The specific requirements will be communicated to the National Federations (NFs). It is important to note that the final selection of horses remains the responsibility of the NFs, in close cooperation with the respective member studbooks.
New Format for 5-Year-Old Horses: No Against-the-Clock Jump-offs
In addition to the qualification requirements, the competition format for the five-year-old category is also changing. From now on, classes for this age group will no longer be judged against the clock, but will instead be based on an optimum time.
