The Fédération Equestre Internationale has canceled the in-person FEI Sports Forum, scheduled to take place April 6-7 in Lausanne, Switzerland, amid fears of the spread of the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. Time-sensitive portions of the Sports Forum, including sessions on the FEI Anti-Doping Rules and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, will take place online. Other topics initially scheduled to be discussed at the forum, including events requirements and standards, status of grooms and coaching, will be addressed at a later time.
Right now the FEI World Cup Dressage Finals and the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Finals, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas at the Thomas And Mack Center April 15-19, will continue as scheduled.
Las Vegas Events Inc., producer of the FEI World Cup Finals, has confirmed today that the group does not anticipate canceling the World Cup, and that the only way this could happen is if the U.S. government imposed restrictions forcing its cancelation. They added that in the highly unlikely event that the event does not occur, ticket holders and vendors would receive a full refund.
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Right now the Olympic Games, scheduled for July 25-Aug. 9 in Tokyo, where the virus has a strong foothold, are on track to take place as planned. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach told Japanese press that the IOC is “fully committed” to holding the Games on schedule.
Several events in regions hard hit by the virus have been canceled, including the Longines Masters of Hong Kong CSI5* Feb. 14-16 , a CCI1* in Hong Kong March 14, CEI2*/1* in Kerman, Iran, March 5-6, a CRI3* in Cremona, Italy, March 26-27, and two CDI-Ws in Kiev, Ukraine, May 1-3 and May 8-10.
