145 athletes and 155 horses are gearing up to participate in the FEI Endurance World Championship 2024, which will take place in Monpazier, France, on September 7, 2024. The challengers will be competing in a 160-kilometre endurance ride.
A total of 39 countries are participating in the event. Out of these, 21 countries will be in Monpazier with three or more combinations. The remaining 18 countries will be able to field one or two combinations.
Athletes participating in the tournament will win individual and team medals. The individual medals will be given to the top three performers. For a country to win team medals, three combinations of athletes should finish the race within the allowed time. This means the 18 countries with one or two combinations won’t be eligible to win team medals.
The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) organizes the FEI Endurance World Championship for Seniors. The tournament’s opening ceremony will occur on September 5 at the Place de Monpazier, followed by a veterinary inspection on September 6. The key officials and Chefs d’Equipe’s meetings will occur on September 5 at the Marsalès Castle. On September 6, the pre-ride briefing will be given to the athletes at the Marsalès Castle at noon local time and it is a mandatory event for all athletes. After the briefing, a press conference is scheduled at the Marsalès Castle at 1:00 pm local time.
The main event is scheduled for September 7, starting at 5:30 a.m. local time. The championship awards will be presented on September 8 at 10:30 a.m. local time. The prize-giving and closing ceremonies will take place at the Hippodrome of Marsalès in front of the Hippodrome Tribune.
FEI Endurance World Championship 2024 Details
The championship will be held in six stages, each represented by a different color and distance:
- The Blue Loop at 38.65 km
- The Red Loop at 20.22 km (repeated twice)
- The Orange Loop at 31.72 km
- The Black Loop at 23.12 km
- The Green Loop at 26.07 km
Each horse will be supported by a maximum of four assistants – two on the course and two at the vet gate – along with one car per horse, one Team Leader, one veterinarian, and one marshal per team.
The Association of Equestrian Endurance Raid Organizers in Dordogne (ADOREED) has been selected as the organizer of the world championship. The association has been organizing events since 1998. Jean-Noel Lafaure is the President of the organizing committee and the event director. Lafaure represented France in the Young Horses World Championship in 2006.
Participating Nations in FEI Endurance World Championship 2024
The full roster of countries that will participate in the FEI Endurance World Championship 2024 is: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, and Uruguay.
FEI Endurance World Championship 2022 Overview
The FEI Endurance World Championship 2022 was supposed to take place in Verona, Italy. However, the FEI canceled the hosting rights for Verona due to concerns over the track readiness. The tournament was moved to the UAE and played between February 20 and 26, 2023, but it was still called the FEI Endurance World Championship 2022. The FEI appointed Boudheib International Endurance Village (BIEV) in the UAE to host the world championship.
Bahrain won the gold medal in the team event, while France and Portugal won the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
In June, Team Bahrain was stripped of their gold medal due to an equine anti-doping violation involving the mare Hera Durances, ridden by Abdulrahman Mohammed Alzayed, who tested positive for banned anabolic steroids. Testing revealed the presence of banned anabolic steroids, stanozolol, and 16-beta-hydroxystanozolol, in the horse. Alzayed received an 18-month ineligibility period and a fine for the violation.
After this, Bahrain lacked the necessary three combinations of athletes. Hence, France was awarded the gold medal, while Portugal and Italy received silver and bronze, respectively. For the FEI Endurance World Championship 2024, all three previous winners have named seven combinations. The decision to select teams of five combinations will depend on the Chefs d’Equipes of these countries.
In the individual events, Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa aka Prince Nasser of Bahrain won the gold medal with his horse Darco la Majorie. Salem Hamad Saeed Malhoof Al Kitbi of the United Arab Emirates finished in second place and won the silver medal. Jaume Punti Dachs of Spain won the bronze medal.
What is Chefs d’Equipes?
Chefs d’Equipes are the team managers and their primary responsibilities include coordinating team representation and communication at international equestrian competitions. They need to ensure the welfare and fitness of horses in compliance with FEI Veterinary Regulations.
Who are the Youngest and Oldest Participants at the FEI Endurance World Championship?
Jiahe Sui of China is the youngest participant in this year’s World Championship. The 16-year-old endurance athlete made her debut in April last year. She will bring her French-bred horse, Eiwa de Bozouls to the tournament. Sui has used this horse twice in her short career so far. China debuted at the World Championship in Butheeb in 2022 and Sui is part of the seven-person Chinese team.
73-year-old Tom MacGuinness is the oldest participant at the FEI Endurance World Championship 2024. MacGuinness first competed at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Caen in 2014. He has had a podium finish in 14 out of his 42 finished races so far in his career. The Irish endurance rider will be with his thirteen-year-old mare Horseware HLM Fontana in Monpazier.
Current FEI Endurance Riders World Rankings
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Points |
| 1 | THEOLISSAT, Melody | France | 1088 |
| 2 | AL KITBI, Salem Hamad Saeed Malhoof | UAE | 1062 |
| 3 | MONTAGNE, Julia | France | 1038 |
| 4 | AL SHAMSI, Saeed Ahmad Rashed Abdulla | UAE | 1006 |
| 5 | CHAUD, Clementine | France | 1000 |
| 6 | VANDEKERCKHOVE, Lea | France | 993 |
| 7 | ATGER, Virginie | France | 974 |
| 8 | SCHUITEN, Louna | Belgium | 921 |
| 9 | LAFAURE, Julien | France | 847 |
| 10 | ALVAREZ PONTON, Maria | Spain | 845 |
FEI Dressage World Ranking
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Points |
| 1 | Isabell Werth | Germany | 2149 |
| 2 | Jessica Von Bredow-Werndl | Germany | 2146 |
| 3 | Charlotte Fry | Great Britain | 2013 |
| 4 | Dinja Van Liere | Netherlands | 1897 |
| 5 | Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour | Denmark | 1861 |
| 6 | Nanna Skodborg Merrald | Denmark | 1849 |
| 7 | Patrik Kittel | Sweden | 1813 |
| 8 | Carl Hester | Great Britain | 1806 |
| 9 | Emmelie Scholtens | Netherlands | 1798 |
| 10 | Frederic Wandres | Germany | 1775 |
Schedule
- September 5: Opening ceremony
- September 7: Start of the FEI Endurance World Championship
- September 8: Awards ceremony
- September 9: FEI CEI3* 160km, CEN 160km, and CEI1* 100km races
- September 10: FEI CEI2* 120km, CEIYJ2* 120km, and CEN 120km races, and prize distribution.
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