The FEI Task Force Chairmen met for four days, February 21-24, to agree on the final recommendations for the new FEI Endurance Rules for 2009 and onwards.

Far reaching changes are recommended by the task force that has consulted widely with all those involved in the discipline over the last year following their creation immediately after the FEI World Endurance Forum held in Paris in February 2007.

FEI Technical Committee members will now have an opportunity to review the task force proposals ahead of their annual meeting scheduled for early April in Switzerland. At this meeting, the committee will add their own comments and input to the proposed new format. The detailed proposals from the task force, together with the full input of the Technical Committee, will then be circulated to all FEI Federations. Full details will also be published on the FEI website at that time.

Feedback from National Federations (NF) will then be requested and such feedback, where appropriate, will be incorporated into the final proposed FEI Endurance Rules for 2009. This final proposal will then be circulated to all FEI NFs for last review.

Formal approval of the new rules will be carried out at the FEI General Assembly in Argentina in November and, if so approved, will come into force in January 2009.

The task force meeting, to which all divisional chairs from around the world attended, was kindly hosted and supported by the Dubai Equestrian Club. Additionally the ongoing work of the task force over the last 12 months has been supported by the Royal Jordanian Equestrian Federation.

One of the task force chairmen commented, "This truly is the very best and most full-playing field attempt to update our rules since this all started...I am left feeling very proud of work like this."

The FEI would like to express gratitude to all of those who have contributed to the process so far and have given so much of their time and effort to this review. The review is an opportunity for those directly involved with the discipline to create a sound foundation upon which FEI endurance can continue to grow in the years to come.

Recommendations and Proposed Rule Changes
Throughout the period of review the Task Force has operated as an independent body and has been in touch with a wide cross section of people involved within the discipline.

The document, which is in the form of a new Endurance Rule Book, contains proposals for change in the following areas:

—Phase distances, hold times, rest periods and number of vet gates
—Course design
—Abandonment of Events
—Time and record keeping
—Forbidden Assistance
—Dress Code
—Weights
—Retirements
—Competition Distances related to *Rating
—Horse and Rider eligibility to FEI events
—Mandatory Rest Periods for Horses
—Horse Log Books
—Championship Qualification
—Team numbers
—Veterinary Examinations

The proposed changes have resulted in amendments being suggested to every page of the existing FEI Rules for Endurance Riding (2005 edition).

Ruth Carlson, Acting Chair of the FEI Endurance Technical Committee, commented, "I am very happy that the work of the task force has been a success, and I look forward to reading their proposals. On behalf of my committee, I would like to thank the task force members for all their hard work and thought put into the project."