Classic Eventing Nation

Allison Springer and Fairvoya S competing in the Modified division at The Fork at TIEC, one of seven event venues in the U.S. and Canada offering the CCI1* level in 2020. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

The CCI1*-Intro level is a great introduction to FEI competition at the Modified height, an excellent stepping stone to Prelim, and a worthwhile goal to aim for in and of itself. It made its debut last year, when all the FEI levels got bumped up by a notch to accommodate the new five-star system.

Foshay International in New Brunswick, Canada was the first North American event to offer what we now call the CCI1* level (then called CCI-Intro) in 2018 — that year, there were only 12 CCI-Intro events in the world. In 2019, Virginia Horse Trials and the Maryland Horse Trials offered CCI1*s, and for 2020 several more U.S. events have climbed on board. A total of eight U.S. and one Canadian event will host CCI1*s in 2020. Seventy-five CCI1*s will be held worldwide. 

For many riders, the CCI1* will be their first international competition. But with various rulebooks to juggle (rulebook links: FEI, USEF) and qualification/registration hoops to jump through before you even trot up the centerline, making the leap can be intimidating. We don’t want anyone to feel put off from circling a CCI1* on their 2020 calendar just because of paperwork, so we’ll try to answer some of your most commonly asked questions. Be sure to also thoroughly familiarize yourself with the rulebooks, which outline the topics below in greater detail.

Where will CCI1* events be held in the U.S. and Canada in 2020? 

• Designer Builders Stable View Spring CCI-S (Aiken, SC) – CCI1*-S – March 27-28, 2020 [Website] [USEA] [FEI]
• The Fork at TIEC (Tryon, NC) – CCI1*-S – April 2-5, 2020 [Website] [USEA] [FEI]
• Ocala International 3-Day Festival of Eventing (Ocala, FL) – CCI1*-L -April 9-12, 2020 [Website] [USEA] [FEI]
• VHT International & H.T. (Lexington, VA) – CCI1*-L – May 21-24, 2020 [Website] [USEA] [FEI]
• The Maryland International & H.T. (Adamstown, MD) – CCI1*-S – July 3-5, 2020 [Website] [USEA] [FEI]
• Foshay International (Jemseg, New Brunswick, Canada) – Sept. 3-6, 2020 [Website] [FEI]
• Stable View Oktoberfest 1/2/3/4* and H.T. (Aiken, SC) – CCI1-S* – Sept. 24-27, 2020 [Website] [USEA] [FEI]
• The Virginia International & H.T. (Lexington, VA) –  CCI1*-L – Oct. 29-Nov. 1, 2020 [Website] [USEA] [FEI]
• Grand Oaks Horse Trials (Weirsdale, FL) – CCI1*-S – Nov. 21-22, 2020 [Website] [USEA] [FEI]

The FEI Schedule is your official resource for all information regarding FEI eventing competitions. FEI Schedules can be found by utilizing the FEI Calendar Search. The USEF also recently launched a 2020 U.S. FEI Competition Quick Links page.

How do I qualify? 

Qualification requirements for the CCI1* level are determined by each country’s national federations. The USEF qualification is as follows: Both the competitor and the horse, though not necessarily as a combination, must have achieved 1 MER at the Modified level or higher. Note that this is a change from the 2019 requirement, which required a MER at Preliminary. The new rule goes into effect Feb. 1, 2020, at which time the USEF rulebook will be updated to reflect the new qualification requirements. 

The MER must be obtained in the 12-month period prior to the competition. Qualifications must be fulfilled at least 10 days before the cross country test of the competition for which it is needed.

For Canadian competitors the qualification is 3 MERs at Training level, though not necessarily as a combination.

What is a MER?

For the Modified level and above, an MER is achieved by completing the entire horse trial and scoring:

• Not more than 50 penalty points in dressage; and
• No jumping penalties on cross country, and not more than 90 seconds (36 penalty points) exceeding the optimum time; and
• Not more than 16 penalties at obstacles in show jumping
• 25 penalty points received for Dangerous Riding will not achieve a National Qualifying result.

Can qualification be lost? 

As with any FEI level, loss of qualification may occur when a certain number of cumulative cross country penalties have been assessed. This, and the protocol for requalification, is explained in “EV105: Loss of Qualifications” of the 2020 USEF Rulebook. 

Are there age restrictions? 

With permission of his National Federation, a rider may compete in a CCI1* competition from the beginning of the calendar year in which he or she turns 12. A horse may compete in CCI1* competition from the beginning of their 5-year-old year.

What color are my cross country numbers? 

Orange on a blue background. If an event is running a Modified horse trials and a CCI1* simultaneously, they must be differentiated.

What is the format?

CCI1* may take place as a Short or Long format as to the order of tests and inspection requirements.

What’s my dressage test?

The 2020 1* Test, which takes place in a standard size arena and includes 10 meter trot circles, leg yield, lengthening of stride at trot/canter, and a stretchy circle at the trot. All trot work must be done sitting unless specified. Only a snaffle bridle is allowed for the CCI1* level (no double bridle). Check the rulebook for saddlery/attire specs for CCI1* and all FEI levels.

What are the jumping specs? 

Cross Country
Maximum jump dimensions are …
Fixed: 1.05 m
Brush: 1.25m
Top spread: 1.20m
Base spread: 1.80m
Without height: 2.40m
Drop: 1.40m
Distance: minimum of 2,000, maximum of 3,000
Jumping efforts: minimum of 20, maximum of 25
Speed: 500 mpm
Time: Minimum of 4’00’,’ maximum of 6’00’’

Show Jumping
Maximum jump dimensions are …
Height: 1.10
Oxer spread: 1.25
Triple bar spread: 1.45
Distance: 600m
Speed: 350m
Number of obstacles: 10-11
Max Efforts: 12

How do I enter a CCI1*?

U.S. competitors should start by going to your Athlete dashboard at USEF.org. There, you will find information on FEI registration and the USEF FEI Entry System portal. Be sure to start tackling registration well in advance, as getting all your ducks in a row can be a time-consuming progress especially with regard to your horse’s FEI passport. We highly recommend reviewing the helpful document Horse Passports 101 before applying. A number of additional resources are available via the U.S. FEI Competitions page. 

Pay extra attention to the “Closing Date for Definite Entries,” which can be found under section VII on the FEI Schedule. This Definite Entry Date may be as early as four weeks prior to the competition. For 2020, the USEF FEI Entry Portal will close and no new entries will be accepted after 3 p.m. EST on the Definite Entry Date.

Attentional eventers of all levels! A memo, “Important Update – USEF FEI Entry Process,” was issued earlier this week — be sure to read it here.

Go Eventing.

Image via US Equestrian.

The US Equestrian website has been under under construction lately, with lots of new resources for eventers that can be accessed via the eventing page.

In particular, U.S. eventers planning to enter FEI competitions this year will want to familiarize themselves with updates to the USEF FEI Entry System. These updates, outlined below along with Entry Portal best practices, will help you get your entries submitted correctly, completely and on-time. The FEI Competitions page offers important information on horse and rider registration requirements as well as 2020 U.S. FEI competition quick links and U.S. FEI Schedules.

Earlier this week, Managing Director of Eventing Jenni Autry issued this memo to U.S. eventing athletes:

Dear Eventing Athletes,

It seems like only yesterday the USEF FEI Entry System was implemented; however, 2020 marks the fifth FEI competition season utilizing the system. With our first FEI competition of the 2020 season fast approaching, we would like to take this opportunity to provide you with important updates and procedural changes with the USEF FEI Entry Process, as well as several resources to help you navigate the process.

FEI Schedule – It ALL Starts Here

The FEI Schedule is your official resource for all information regarding U.S. FEI eventing competitions and supersedes any other information found on the internet. FEI Schedules can be found by utilizing the FEI Calendar Search. Click on the event (listed by city and state) and look for the link to the schedule on the far right-hand side of the page.

Work is in progress on a new FEI Competitions page on the USEF website, which will include quick links to these FEI Schedules, as well as resources and information for entering FEI competitions. This page will officially launch at the end of January, so be sure to bookmark it and refer back to it when preparing to enter an FEI competition.

FEI Definite Entry Date – USEF FEI Entry Portal Closes

The “Closing Date for Definite Entries” is the most important date to mark on your calendar and can be found under section VII on the FEI Schedule. This Definite Entry Date may be as early as four weeks prior to the competition but no later than Friday of the week prior to the competition. For 2020, the USEF FEI Entry Portal will close and no new entries will be accepted after 3 p.m. EST on the Definite Entry Date.

Changes to existing entries may be accepted after the Definite Entry Date with the approval of the competition’s Organizing Committee no later than 3 p.m. EST on the “Last date for substitutions” as stated on the FEI Schedule. These changes are limited to substitution of a qualified horse or athlete or a change of division, i.e. switching from CCI4*-S to CCI3*-S.

USEF FEI Entry Portal Best Practices

Enter early: Remember – you can enter through the USEF FEI Entry Portal before the opening date of the competition you wish to enter. Please enter through the USEF FEI Entry Portal FIRST. There are no fees involved when entering through the USEF FEI Entry Portal, and having your entry in the system is a critical piece of a complete entry. You can make changes to or withdraw your entry at any time up until the Definite Entry Date.

It is equally important to remember that if a competition is over-subscribed, only COMPLETE entries – which means all fees are paid and the athlete/horse membership, registration and passports are up to date – will be considered for balloting purposes. Remember that the date of entry in the USEF FEI Entry Portal supersedes the date of entry with the Organizing Committee.

Register first: You will not be able to begin the entry process without a current FEI rider registration. Once you have completed your FEI registration, follow these easy steps to complete your entry:
• Go to www.usef.org and log into your user account.
• Click on My USEF.
• Scroll down and click on the “Athlete Dashboard” (blue) tile.
• You will find two important (blue) tiles: one titled “Commonly Ridden Horses” and another titled “FEI Entry.”
• If you have not already populated information under Commonly Ridden Horses, you must do so before proceeding to the FEI Entry. Once added, information about your horses will always be there for you to select for entries, add/delete information or update as needed.
• Click on FEI Entry, choose U.S. FEI Competitions or Foreign FEI Competition, select discipline, month, and then pick the show you wish to enter.

Should you have any issues during the entry process, please send an e-mail to [email protected].

Check your existing passport(s): Make a habit of checking all existing passports every year prior to the spring competition season. Make sure vaccinations are up to date and recorded as necessary. Check the expiration date on FEI passports, and remember the expiration date format on FEI passports is listed as day/month/year.

New passports and upgrades for breed passports: Review the helpful document Horse Passports 101 before applying for a passport. Once you are ready to apply for a new passport or upgrade for a breed passport, the following scenarios may cause a delay:
• Incomplete vaccination records or insufficient vaccinations.
• Incomplete or incorrect horse description (i.e. whorls, snips, etc. not recorded as required).
• For breed passport upgrades, ensure all information required for a national or FEI passport is complete and up to date or your passport may be delayed.

We hope you find this information helpful in navigating the USEF FEI Entry Portal. Please feel free to contact Shealagh Costello at 859-225-6923 or [email protected] with questions regarding the FEI entry process. We wish you all the best for a successful 2020 eventing season.

Sincerely,

Jenni Autry
Managing Director, Eventing

[Athlete Memo – Important Update on 2020 USEF FEI Entry Portal Process]