The problem with the CCI1*-Intro format
Let’s talk about the issues with the CCI1*-Intro eventing format. The main problem is it should never have seen the light of day. At least not in its current format.
You remember 2019 when the new eventing regulations were presented and all the classes were rebranded? Suddenly CIC1* was CIC2-S, CCI1* became CIC2-L and so on.
The long four stars became CCI5*-L, and last but not least, FEI even went full steam ahead an introduced one level lower of international competitions. The infamous CCI1*-Intro.
During the first season of 2019 the CCI1*-Intro level did not pan out that well.
Neither did the other levels since the course builders were confused and stuck in the old regulations. The first year of the new regulations the cross country courses turned out to be either too big or too small.
In all, the season of 2019 did not make much sense to anybody. Neither did the intro-level. So during year one, we didn’t see many organisers go down the road to even organise this level of eventing.
The majority of the 30 CCI1*-Intro events in Europe during the first year were held in France, Italy and Poland.
Then came the pandemic.
Events were cancelled.
Times were tough.
Still in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, no less than 26 CCI1*-Intro classes were held across Europe.
In 2021 the number of CCI1*-Intro classes in Europe had basically doubled, and you could choose from no less than 50 opportunities of event organisers actually hosting this level.
In 2024 85 CCI1-Intro classes made it on to the international calendar. Six of them were cancelled.
For the season of 2025 there are currently 75 CCI*-Intro classes on the European calendar, and a total of 131 world wide.
But that’s good news now isn’t it?
NO!
Not only are the classes I see live, or come across via results a total embarrassment for equestrian sport in general. But even more so, they are like a total disgrace for eventing!
Even on this low level of sport, think of it as an international 1.10m showjumping class, the majority of riders are already in way over their head.
These riders make the Belgian showjumper who forged documents to try to get to the Paris 2024 Olympics seem like a genius.
Cause here we find riders that struggle to even haul in below 45 penalties in dressage. Translated into pure dressage this means they finish their dressage test that is below 55%!
In the next phase of show jumping we've seen some records, that never should have been broken in the first place. Records set in regards to how many poles and penalties one can pick up in this phase.
Final results above 16 penalties per poles dropping down, eliminations due to refusals and or riders departing from their horse seem to be the new normal.
Translating the 16 penalties into normal show jumping is not necessary, the rules are the same, it is just how one choose to use them in eventing that is different.
From time to time I am pretty sure the people working in the show jumping arena during the CCI1*-Intro classes must think they are just part of a very oversized game of Mikado.
Exhibit A 👇
A randomly pulled show jumping CCI1*- Intro fence report
Exhibit B 👇
Final results for a randomly pulled CCI1*-Intro class.
The fence report speaks for itself. So does the final page of the individual result in the class. Here there are two combinations scoring below 55% in dressage, TWO!
There are 4 automatic showjumping eliminations, they each scored 20, 20, 24 and 24.4 penalties jumping. Which on average is a 22.1 penalty per combination, which mean they average on 5.5 poles down per combination!!
There were two additional eliminations in show jumping, both because of two refusals. Three horses, of the total amount of eliminations in this class were 6-years olds.
The scary thing is any other random result from a CCI1*-Intro would show the exact same thing. Riders competing international classes even though they are not even close to have the experience in competing what so ever.
So why do we have this problem?
Well for one, this is the result of an awful lack of demand for qualifications to even enter this level of the sport.
But instead of making the qualifications for international events harder [which they finally are talking about] by fixing the somewhat broken qualification system, the good people running our sport decided it was a better idea to let this type of riders continue to start at these events.
So instead of tightening up the qualifications they kind of embraced the problem and altered the rule book for the short format competitions leading into the season of 2023.
553.1 Faults at Obstacles - For short format competitions (when the Jumping test is before the Cross Country test), an athlete incurring 20 or more Obstacles penalties during the Jumping test will not be authorised to start in the Cross Country test and will be automatically eliminated from the competition.
Wouldn't it be better to not let the riders self eliminate but instead making it harder for them to go international in the first place?
Even worse, when this new generation of riders finally get their MERs [on any level] they for sure enter the next level of competition.
Cause first of all, the system let them, and second of all the system is not helping them understand the difference in between being technically qualified [skills] in opposite of having a qualification [rules] had been a better idea..
Secondly, with the entry of the CCI1*-Intro format in small eventing nations like Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, the national organisers basically have no business anymore.
Cause the eventing logic on the mainland seem to go in the opposite direction as it [to my knowledge] does out on "the Islands", read UK and Ireland.
Which means riders on the mainland rather pay 10 times the money to flunk out in an international class.
Rather than getting the very much needed experience in all three phases for the fraction of the price in a national class before going international. Which means there is no business for national events anymore!
The amount of high level national events that disappeared since the CCI1-Intro [and the pandemic] almost seem endless. The amount of international events on the current CCI2-S and CCI3-S level that also disappeared also ads up to quite a high number.
Where I am situated there's more than half [closing in] of a dozen of events that fit the above description within a 65km radius from my doorstep that disappeared already.
If putting the risk factor of letting "just about anybody" go international aside, I really would want to know where eventing is heading?
I already asked this question and will continue to put it out there, cause I do know like minded people, on all levels of the sport, asking the very same questions as I am, where are we heading?
Link to things that are mentioned in this article 👇🏻
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