Equestrian: A jump back to old ways

WELLINGTON - A controversial new points scoring system for the cross-country component of international three-day equestrian competitions is likely to be scrapped in December, Eventing New Zealand vice-chairman Kevin Bowden said.

The system, which gives riders bigger penalties for being over the time limit in the cross-country stage, has been linked to four deaths in Europe this year, most recently at Burghley in England last weekend.

Bowden said the new points system was likely to be ruled out by December, after the International Equestrian Federation meets in the Netherlands on October 6.

"The whole sport will be back to the old system," he predicted.

Organisers of the Puhinui three-day event in December have asked for their competition to be held under the old rules, and organisers of the Bokelo horse trials in Holland have also asked that the new rules be scrapped before their October event.

Bowden said just one event in New Zealand had come under the new points system as only international events must follow the new rules.

"Eventing New Zealand decided they wouldn't change their national points system, so therefore the New Zealand three-day at Taupo is the only event in New Zealand that has [so far] come under the system," he said.

While Bowden said there were no more injuries than normal at Taupo, there were concerns the system could be a problem in the future.

He said: "The main concern of using the new points system was that the riders were being pressured into going faster than they might have wanted to because of the higher penalties given for time." - NZPA