Michael Jung and the horse formerly known as La Biosthetique Sam FBW. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
It’s no secret that the IOC is a bit fussy when it comes to brand restrictions during the Olympic Games.
The reasoning is sound enough — they’re trying to protect sponsors who are ponying up the big bucks to partner up with the Games — but their enforcement efforts seem to get increasingly insane with each new go-round. At London in 2012, brand police actually went around to every bathroom in the Olympic venue to remove or tape over manufacturers’ logos on soap dispensers, sinks and toilets. Little bit micromanage-y, no?
The restrictions have implications for athletes as well, including Olympic equestrians most if not all of whom are sponsored riders. Athlete sponsors must follow a stringent set of guidelines as outlined in Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter, which essentially prevents them from using the athlete’s name or image in any advertising material during a blackout period around the games (July 27 – August 24).
See all the ads on Eventing Nation that feature photos of Team USA riders? Those all have to come down during the Games period. And, more annoyingly, there are social media restrictions as well that prevent sponsors from sharing team or individual rider posts during the Games, or even referencing their rider’s participation in the Games by way of congratulatory messaging. OK IOC, you want them all to yourself, we get it!
(Update: It has since been brought to our attention that, thanks to a new set of guidelines approved by the IOC last year, sponsors can continue partnering with Olympic athletes during the Games if they go through an formal notice and application process as longs as the ads do not create “the impression of a commercial connection” between the sponsor and the Olympics.)
Of course in our sport riders aren’t the only sponsored athletes. From farm names like Kyle Carter’s Five Ring Stable (“FR’s Trust Fund”) to commercial prefixes (“Horseware Lukeswell”), it’s all gotta go during the Games.
Here are 15 horses on the FEI’s Olympic eventing nominated entries list that will be competing under an abridged name if selected the Games — the list has parts of their name crossed out already as noted below. Disclaimer: there may be more to come, as one astute reader pointed out that “Fernhill” got the cut as well for London.
The biggest loser: La Biosthetique Sam FBW, who’ll be shedding 17 out of 20 characters of his name.
Karin Donckers and Lamicell Unique (Belgium)
Kyle Carter and FR’s Trust Fund (Canada)
Karim Florent Laghouag and Entebbe de Hus (France)
Michael Jung and fischerTakinou, fischerRocana FST and La Biosthetique Sam FBW (Germany)
Ingrid Klimke and Horseware Hale-Bob OLD (Germany)
Sam Watson and Horseware Lukeswell (Ireland)
Merel Blom and Rumour has It N.O.P. (Netherlands)
Andrew Hefferman and Boleybawn Ace N.O.P. (Netherlands)
Tim Lips and Bayro N.O.P. (Netherlands)
Alice Naber-Lozeman and ACSI Peter Parker (Netherlands)
Albert Hermoso Farras and Hito CP, Nereo CP and Junco CP (Spain)
Matt Brown and Super Socks BCF (United States)
Oh, and p.s. it’s not the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team anymore — just U.S. Eventing Team, capisce?
Ah well, a gold medal by any other name tastes just as sweet. Go Eventing!
