Something doesn't ad up...
The other week there was an international eventing competition some 120km away from my door step. Because of the extreme weather conditions, I ended up not going, but instead followed the whole thing online.
Also following it, both on location and online, was an old friend of mine.
At one point both of us noticed one rider, already eliminated in cross country, still managed to jump the rest of the course till the end, to finish the cross country. By doing so this rider should have been slammed with an "automatic" warning for breaking Article 525 in the FEI eventing rulebook.
However, when the refreshed and updated list of warnings and yellow cards was published, this rider was not on the list! Which was very strange since the results clearly stated the rider had three refusals [equals elimination] along the way, and still jumped additional fences after the third refusal, which had lead to an elimination.
The duo were even given an arrival time for when crossing the finish line.
Erased results that reappeared
So I decided to contact the higher powers and ask them about this. The response is the rider was eliminated, and did not finish, and therefor didn't receive a formal warning.
Even after pointing out to them the results says otherwise, they stick to this story. Which makes one [the curious George's of the world] wonder how this could be.
Cause either the rider did finish the cross country AFTER being eliminated, which would explain the green ticks on the final two fences in the cross country as well as the arrival time.
Or the rider didn't finish which doesn't explain the green ticks on the final two fences nor the arrival time or the missing warning. My point being, something's off in this case. Cause if you don't jump there should be no notes that you did and vice versa
Sadly enough I have first hand experience in how officials and organisations tamper with results.
I've witnessed how a 5* rider was completely erased from the results after breaking the rules of running an equally 5* experienced horse on a level they were disqualified to enter in the first place. The duo did their dressage test, had dressage scores, was then eliminated for being overqualified, and that is when the dressage scores were erased.
At one event, one rider fell off his horse during dressage, which of course led to elimination. The results were erased, then reinstated after someone [not me] contacted the FEI and asked how this could be.
Some years ago I talked to an organiser and show office worker on a national show who told the story how she was threatened [OMG] by the boy friend of a rider, so the refusal the girl friend picked up along the way magically disappeared. Which meant her national federation had no objection in sending her to Lion d'Angers and ride the World Championships for Young Horses.
There's even the very much true story of a member of the Ground Jury who told a rider she might change the non qualifying dressage result for a rider [she knew] if the cross country went well...
There is a difference between people and people
Speaking of which, what also doesn't ad up is the Ground Juror who got away with a simple warning for violating the FEI General Regulations 164.11 a & k.
Click on the photos to zoom in on them
164.11 In addition to breaches of specific provisions of the FEI Rules and Regulations, the following is a list of other offences that the FEI may sanction: (a) Incorrect Behaviour; (k) Breach of the FEI Code on the Manipulation of Competitions;
Why an official gets away with a warning for a violation against any of the two offences listed in 164.11 of the General Regulations while riders on the list picked up both money penalties and suspensions is way and beyond imagination.
Especially when one look at the penalty sheet, where a breach against 164.11 k. is listed on a range of fines in between 1000-1500 CHF fine, which is about the same amount in Euros.
But I guess there is indeed a difference in between people and people. Do you know of stories like this? Please drop a line in the comment section.
