Foshay International Postponed Until 2021; CCI3*-S Division to be Added

Photo courtesy of Foshay International.

Foshay International, the CCI2*-L/CCI1*event scheduled to be held Sept. 3-6 in Jemseg, New Brunswick, Canada, has been postponed until 2021. Some exciting news, though, to soften the blow — they’ll be adding a CCI3*-S division when it resumes! Here is a letter from the event co-chairs:

Dear Foshay Fans,

This has been quite a year and even our horses must wonder why there have been no road trips? At this point, we now have sufficient information from the FEI, EC the NBEA and the province of New Brunswick to know that we will be postponing the next Foshay International to 2021. Not an easy decision, but the right one nonetheless.

In a year where we have seen sweeping cancellations of sporting events from the Olympic Games to our local schooling shows, the physical, mental & emotional effects have been felt by all of us. Furthermore, the economic impact to the industry from national federations to boarding and training facilities has been significant and unprecedented. And though no one really seems to have seen it coming, the fall-out has been global, painful and sustained.

For all that we have experienced to date, many unknowns remain. What is clear is that any rigid approach that we take to future planning is likely to fail. It means that these times will favour those that are flexible, innovative and resilient; all words that are at the heart of the sport of eventing.

When we consider the latest provincial guidelines for travel and gatherings, common sense tells us that we would be unable to host and international equestrian event in 2020. Beyond the limitations of travel and gatherings we also needed to consider our sponsors, officials, athletes and volunteers as we imagined how to possibly host an event such as Foshay International in these times.

We are well aware of how important sporting events are to the benefit of the human psyche, and though none of us know what “normal” will feel like a year from now, we can only imagine that our lives will be enriched through sporting celebrations. For us, that means our focus is now looking ahead; with a commitment to making the Foshay International stronger in 2021.

Prior to the disruptions of 2020 we had already committed to a CCI3*-S in 2021. This will be an important step for not only this event, but also for the sport of eventing in North America. Most importantly, it will mean that Foshay International will be a qualifying event for horses and riders on the road to the 2023 Pan American Games.

Thank you to the Foshay International Organizing Committee, our sponsors, officials, athletes and the broader community for your continued support. These are difficult times as we face circumstances for which none of us could have possibly foreseen. While there may be some uncertainty as to how this will all play out, it is important that as individuals and eventers we play our part in mitigating risk while staying positive and always planning for the future.

Stay safe, and we will do our best to keep you up to date as it all unfolds towards 2021.

Rob and Suzanne Stevenson

Foshay International Co-Chairs

Learn more at the website here.