Applications for accreditation for the 2015 FEI European Championships (August 11-23) in Aachen, Germany are now being accepted. The famed show grounds in the Soers will host European Championships in Jumping, Dressage, Reining and Vaulting.

Applications can be found in the Media section under the Info tab at aachen2015.de. Organisers are requesting applicants to upload a copy of their press card, evidence of current journalistic activities or, where applicable, a letter confirming editorial assignment. Should you have any questions please email: press-accreditation@aachen2015.de.

Hotel reservation applications are also being taken at this time. Please note that the rooms in the official hotels are only blocked until January 31st, 2015. The shuttle service will only operate between the show grounds and the official press hotels.

Baku. Azerbaijan. December 14, 2014–FEI Secretary General Ingmar de Vos has been elected president of the FEI to succeed HRH Princess Haya. De Vos, who has been FEI Secretary General since 2011, captured 98 votes in the first round of the election at the FEI General Assembly in Baku, Azerbaijan, easily defeating his three rivals for the required 2/3rds majority. Former Olympian, Frenchman Pierre Durand received 21 votes while British veterinarian and FEI vice-president, John McEwen, and Swiss businessman, Pierre Genecand, received six votes apiece. A further candidate, Denmark’s Ulf Helgstrand withdrew from the contest hours before the General Assembly.

The 51-year-old De Vos told delegates that he was â??overwhelmed and honoredâ? by the support and confidence shown him by  those representing the worldâ??s  national equestrian federations and that he would work hard to â??keep unityâ? and â??preserve Princess Hayaâ??s legacy.â? He paid tribute to her and to his mentor, fellow Belgian Jacky Buchmann.

â??I had hoped Princess Haya would have stayed,” said De Vos. “ I cannot explain what she has done for us â?? she has led, innovated, modernized and guided us. She has left us a great legacy which is our responsibility to preserve.â?

Before joining the FEI, De Vos  served as Chef de Mission for the Belgian team at all World Equestrian Games from 1990 to 2010. He joined the Belgian Equestrian Federation as managing director in 1990, serving as secretary general from 1997 to 2011. He was also inaugural secretary general of the European Equestrian Federation from 2010 to 2011.

OLYMPIC AGENDA

The presidential election wasnâ??t the only item on the agenda in Baku. Before the election, outgoing president and  IOC member Princess Haya tried her best to explain the 40 recommendations that made up the International Olympic Committeeâ??s Agenda 2020, and the possible implications for equestrian sport. The series of reforms were adopted by IOC members at Decemberâ??s Extraordinary Session in Monte Carlo.

Haya called the 2020 Agenda a strategic roadmap that was â??excitingâ? and would impact all international federations. As such, she suggested the FEI would need to embrace the big picture going forward and â??play our part in safeguarding the future of the most valuable single event in sports.â? The recommendations demanded a â??change in mindsetâ? and a renewed effort and acceptance that equestrian sport would need constant updating to remain relevant.

The most pertinent reforms for equestrian sport were the most highly debated, she told the representatives of 131 national federations.

Changes to the Olympic bidding process in order to make the Games more affordable to candidate cities were significant for equestrian sports. Temporary venues, like Greenwich in 2012 would become the norm in future she said. Attempting to forge a permanent equestrian legacy where none had existed was no longer part of the Olympic parcel. Instead the IOC will promote the maximum use of existing facilities or the use of temporary and demountable venues.

For reasons of sustainability, the IOC also endorsed the idea of organizing preliminary competitions or even entire sports or disciplines outside host cities, and in extreme cases, in different countries. â??This is very good news for us,â? said the princess. â??Transport and quarantine have been a problem for us in the past but now the IOC has introduced some flexibility and alternatives.â?

While the maximum use of existing facilities will reduce costs for the organizers, it was important that equestrian sports â??adapt our requirements to what is necessary and practical.â? She suggested the necessity of keeping the â??specificityâ? of the sport â??in-house.

â??We donâ??t want to be the sport that needs the most requirements,â? she said. â??We have the ability to manage all the details ourselves.â?

The IOCâ??s move away from a sports based programme to an events based programme would also have consequences for equestrian sport, according to the princess. In the future the IOC will be looking for â??performancesâ? which end with a medal ceremony. At the moment Haya said equestrian sport has less â??performancesâ? per event than is desirable.

While Haya did say the IOC was â??not asking any international federations to rushâ? into making format changes, it was obvious that the FEIâ??s technical committees needed to do everything they can to comply with the IOCâ??s reforms.

â??Iâ??m convinced weâ??ll stay in the Olympic Programme but there is no room for complacency,â? Haya warned. There may be some traditions and hard held beliefs that may need to be sacrificed. â??We will need to see whatâ??s best and our place in the Olympic Games must be top, top priority.â?

Written and photographic press wishing to apply for accreditation for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games should have been contacted by their respective organizations by now.  The International Olympic Committee has established a quota of E* (Journalist) accreditations for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games which have been distributed by National Olympic Committees (NOC) to press organizations in their country.

The total quota has been set at 5,800, the same figure as for Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

The IOC has made its allocation of E category accreditation to each National Olympic Committee.

This process is open to print, internet and photographic media organizations. All organizations/freelance media are required to request, in writing, the number of representatives from their respective organizations that they wish to send to Rio 2016.

Basically all media â?? or rather media outlets â?? must have their applications to their NOC by January 2015. The Press by Name procedure begins in November 2015. The IOC media accreditation procedure and timelines are outlined here http://www.olympic.org/accred2016.

Please let IAEJ president Pamela Young know immediately if you have been included in an application to your respective NOC and/or of your intention to cover Rio. The IAEJ can then write to NOCs in support of membersâ?? applications.

Media who are on a genuine media assignment but who have failed to secure accreditation though their NOC may be able to gain Es (Sport Specific Journalist) or EPs (Sport Specific Photographer) accreditation for Rio through the FEI. The FEI will step in in June 2015 during the Accreditation by Name process. At that point IAEJ members should send their accreditation applications to the FEI. Each of these applications will be studied by the FEI and the IOC who will decide together on the allocations. This process must be completed by the end of 2015 as the deadline to return the Press by Name accreditation form to Rio 2016 is February 5 2016.

The IOC is responsible for accrediting all non-rights-holding television and radio broadcasters (ENR).  Applications for ENR accreditation to cover the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016 will be available on the IOC website www.olympic.org/accred2016 between February 5 and April 1 2015.

*E: Journalist, editor, photographic editor, employed or contracted by an international or national news agency, a general daily newspaper, a sports newspaper, magazine or internet site, a digital journalist, or independent or freelance journalist under contract.

The FEI World Cup Finals return to Las Vegas, April 15-19, 2015, marking the Finals’ first time in the U.S. since 2009. The Thomas & Mack Center will host both the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final and the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final. This marks the sixth time that Las Vegas has had the honor of hosting one of the world’s most prestigious equestrian events.

The 2015 FEI World Cup Finals will make every effort to grant media credentials to as many journalists as possible; however, the number of applicants is expected to exceed to the number of credentials available.

Because of space limitations, and to ensure good working conditions for working media, those wishing media credentials must have assignments from recognized media outlets and must submit letters of assignment on the assigning company’s letterhead. No more than two credentials will be granted to any media outlet.

All media wishing credentials to cover the 2015 FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas must apply in writing in advance. Walk-in credentials at the Finals will not be available.

Eligibility for Media Credentials
In order to be eligible to receive Media Credentials for the 2015 FEI World Cup Finals, you MUST:
1. Be on assignment for a specific publication, news service, website, radio or television station;
2. Submit a letter of assignment, on the assigning company’s letterhead, with the request for media credentials.

Please use THIS form to request media credentials.

An initial round of acceptance letters will be sent in January. A second round will be sent in February. The letter will include information regarding official host hotels. You will also be asked to mail or email a passport size headshot photo to be used on your credential. This will save you time in receiving your credential when you get to Las Vegas.

Please mail your application for media credentials to:
2015 FEI World Cup Finals
c/o Classic Communications
38 Mechanic Street–Suite 101
Foxboro, MA, USA 02035-2042

Host hotel information and shuttle bus information will be included in letters of acceptance.
Full information about The 2015 FEI World Cup Finals is available online at www.worldcuplasvegas.com.

The accreditation process will close January 31, 2015 or as soon as all available spaces have been filled.

Two journalists have won their protest against the FEI for failing to apply an appropriate sanction in a case of horse abuse.

IAEJ Bureau Award winner Pippa Cuckson, and former Horse & Hound editor Lucy Higginson sought harsher penalties for an endurance rider who was seen kicking and hitting his horse in the closing stages of a 120km ride and encouraging his groom to strike the horse from the ground. The protesters cited all manner of rule infringements, including a horn-blasting vehicular entourage, and provided video evidence in their case against Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa.

Cuckson and Higginson, who were joined in their protest by Pamela Young, president of the International Alliance of Equestrian Journalists and Horse Canadaâ??s Jennifer Anstey, felt the FEIâ??s issuing of a yellow warning card was not sufficient punishment for the crimes committed during Februaryâ??s event in Sakhir, Bahrain.

In its decision on September 15, the FEI Tribunal found in favor of the protestersâ?? argument that the Ground Jury should have penalized the abuse with disqualification, a wrong they have now put right.   The FEI has 30 days to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“We brought the protest because, apart from the obvious leniency of the yellow card, FEI rules are quite clear about what the penalty for horse abuse has to be, and the FEI needed to be seen to apply its existing rules before introducing any more,â? commented Cuckson.

“Of course, we canâ??t be sure the FEI won’t appeal the decision. But I hope our experience will encourage others to make bona fide protests when they see clear evidence of rule-breaking in any equestrian sport.

“I also hope this ruling also means video evidence can be used more readily, and in hindsight, in future. When the field of play is 100-miles long, the ground jury can hardly expect to be on the scene of an offence at the moment it is committed. Existing rules about what can be protested are fine for arena sports, but hardly for endurance,” Cuckson concluded.

To read the case in its entirety please click here.

August 12, 2014- Las Vegas Events, Inc., producer of the 2015 FEI World Cup Finals, has announced it will be honoring long time IAEJ member John Quirk by establishing a trophy in his memory. The John Quirk Cup will be presented to the winner of the $75,000 Grand Prix of Las Vegas at next April’s event.

John was a member of the IAEJ for 22 years, from 1986 to 2008. The equestrian journalist, novelist and publisher, passed away on

April 12, 2012. John and his photographer wife Tish, were constants on the West Coast show circuit. Apart from running their magazine, Horses, the couple were fanatical horse owners and breeders. They were good at it too, breeding lots of winners, among them Olympic gold medallists Calypso and The Freak).

During the 1980s, John worked tirelessly to bring high profile Jumping events to Californiaâ??s Del Mar National and in 1992 he succeeded with the FEI World Cup Jumping Final. He parlayed that achievement into a leading role in the arrival of the FEI World Cup Jumping Final in Las Vegas in 2000. Certain that hosting the World Cup Final in the “Entertainment Capital of the World” would help promote the equestrian sport like never before, John convinced all of the appropriate people in Las Vegas and the FEI and created a legacy for himself and Las Vegas. The first Final in Las Vegas was such an overwhelming success that the FEI returned it there in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009. Las Vegas was first to hold a dual final, adding the dressage Final in 2005. Jumping and Dressage Finals then became the norm in 2007 and 2009.

In 2015, the Thomas & Mack Center will host both the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final and the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final, April 15-19.

“Anyone who has ever enjoyed one of our World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, or who is a fan of show jumping and dressage in general, owes a lot to John Quirk,” said Pat Christenson, President of Las Vegas Events, Inc. “Without his insistence and persuasion, the World Cup Finals never would have come to Las Vegas and we are honored to pay tribute to him with the establishment of the John Quirk Cup.”

You will be able to pick up your accreditation in the Main Accreditation Centre in Caen with the presentation of the ID/passport provided in your accreditation application.

Please do bring your ID/passport you provided in your joined accreditation application form.

The Main Accreditation Centre in Caen
Congress Centre
13 Avenue Albert Sorel
14000 Caen

Opening dates & hours:

• From 11 to 14 August: 9:00 â?? 17:00
• From 15 to 20 August: 8:00 â?? 20:00
• From 21 August to 7 September: 6:00 â?? 20:00
• 8 September: 6:00 â?? 12:00

A media accreditation is discipline/venue specific. E.g. You will have the access to Reining discipline, as per your request.

The media accreditation for the Games allows access to the International Media Centre and the Games Village during the entire event, as well as the different media areas at the event venues, if a media representative requests an access to a specific venue or discipline. All accredited media are also granted free access to the demonstration disciplines: Horse-Ball in Saint-Lo and Polo in Deauville.