This is an open letter from the French professional riders, regarding the diminishing prize money in eventing and the subsequent damage to the sport.
Prize Money for International Eventing Competitions
An Open Letter
The return of competition after the Covid lockdown and confinement was welcomed by all and for many is already becoming the new normal. Thanks and congratulations are due to all involved, organizers, sponsors, volunteers, governing bodies and their officials for making this happen.
Whilst some of the necessary adjustments made to the running of competitions will be temporary, others, for better or worse, are likely to become permanent.
One aspect which has already raised serious concerns amongst professional event riders and their owners is the reduction and in some cases complete lack of prize money. Focusing on international competition, in fact this is by no means either a new phenomenon or isolated to any particular country. It is not an issue particular to the strictures of Covid but it has certainly been exacerbated by them.
To take just one example amongst many, the CCIO4* at Haras du Pin, France; in 2018 the individual winner received 1800€, in 2019 it was down to 1200€, and this year just 750€. Many of the placed riders received less than the cost of entry and, perhaps most shocking of all, there was no reward whatever for the Eventing Nations Cup teams.
As well as the obvious and immediate loss of income to riders and owners, this widespread trend has other negative effects on the sport: It will lead to further elitism, narrowing the accessibility of participants to the fortunate few and diminish the merits of talent. It will impact the impression and reputation of the sport in the eyes of the general public, the sponsors both actual and potential, TV and media and even the IOC itself.
The blame for this situation cannot be laid at the door of competition organizers, they have seen regulatory constraints and their expenses increase constantly year-on-year putting more pressure on budgets.
Corrective action is needed and it is felt that the first steps must be taken by the FEI. One Olympic equestrian discipline, show jumping, already has clear and established FEI minimum limits for prize money allocations from 5* down to 3*. It is a peculiar anomaly that similar steps were only taken for 5* in eventing. That situation seems to say to the world that only show jumping and 5* events are of any value.
Clearly any future set limits would result in an additional burden on most (but not all) competition organizers. Outside of the UK and pre-Covid, entry for spectators is very often free or at best minimal compared to other professional sports. There is clearly an opportunity to increase revenue for organizers. This will certainly need some local innovation and imagination, but fine examples already exist of how to make events more attractive and in this riders would be willing to play a role.
This letter has been prepared by a consensus of professional event riders in France and also with initial inputs from some riders of other nationalities. It is shared now in order to promote wider discussion and to gather opinion with the intention to then formulate a combined proposal to be made to the FEI.
Your feedback would be welcome, please use cce-horses@hotmail.fr for any response.
Signed: Regroupement of French professional riders.
