‘Patting rule’ comes under debate
A controversial FEI rule is has come under fire after a rider was eliminated for patting his horse during his dressage test. Australia’s Tristan Tucker was riding an intermediate test at Uggerhalne CDI3* in Denmark this year when he was eliminated. The decision to eliminate Tristan was based on one of the FEI’s rules, which states that riders should keep a hand on each rein at all times during a test. The decision led to a public outcry on social media, with calls for the FEI to review the rule and make it clearer. The FEI hasn’t confirmed if the rule will be up for review, but a spokesperson said: “The FEI Dressage Department is reviewing and finalising the amendments to the rules that will be voted on at the FEI General Assembly in November.”