Pony Show Jumping European Championships 2015 Selection System

The purpose of the pony selection competition is to assist Horse Sport Ireland’s Pony Show Jumping High Performance Team Manager Tom Slattery to select the best team to represent Ireland at the European Pony Show Jumping Championships in Malmo, Sweden from the 5^th – 9^th August 2015.

While the Team Manager is endeavouring to be as fair as possible, the purpose of the programme is to achieve success at the European championships in Malmo. Therefore, the overriding concern of the Team Manager will be to get the best team to represent Ireland at the European Championships. The Team Manager therefore reserves the right to alter, adjust, amend or disregard any of the underlined arrangements at any time in the best interest of selecting the best team. If any of the selection competitions or elements are cancelled or declared void then adjustments will be made and put on the Horse Sport Ireland website as soon as practical. The Team Manager reserves the right to cancel or disregard any element of the process if he sees fit. Ultimately the final team will be selected by the Team Manager based on his expertise and knowledge of the combinations involved.

Expressions of interest will be sought from combinations by the 27^th February to give an indication of combinations likely to go forward for Euro Squad consideration in 2015.

A list of ten will be formed after the Spring Tour from the top ten CSIOP 1.30m rankings. These ten riders will be required to go for training with the Team Manager on the 29^th March 2015 in Barnadown. The entire Fontainebleau squad will train on grass in Barnadown on the 28^th March 2015. This long list is subject to change after the International Trials.

The selection competition will take place over two legs in Ard Chuain from May 8^th – 10^th 2015 and Barnadown from May 22^nd – 24^th 2015.

There will be three counting rounds at each of the legs at Ard Chuain and Barnadown consisting of two Nations Cup style rounds on Saturday (1.30m – 1.35m) and the first round of the Pony Premier Grand Prix on Sunday. The best five scores from these six rounds will count towards the riders overall ranking in the selection competition i.e. one discard score.

For these selection competitions strict FEI style rules will apply. Ponies must present for veterinary inspection before the appointed time on Friday at Barnadown. Passports must be made available for inspection. The team vet will be in attendance at Barnadown. Ponies will be required to be presented for measuring and trot up at Barnadown.

For the two rounds of the Pony Premier Series, which form part of the six round selection, SJI competition rules will apply. Please note that the Pony premier series elements of the selection competition on the Sunday must be entered separately with the SJI in line with normal rules.

The selection competition will begin at Ard Chuain Friday May 10^th with a FEI “Table A” competition (1.25m – 1.30m) where all combinations will be required to jump and their placing will determine their starting order on Saturday. Should any combinations finish tied on faults after counting the best five of the six rounds outlined above, their final ranking will be determined by their finishing position in this Friday class at Ard Chuain.

On Friday the 22^nd May at Barnadown there will be a warm up/ring familiarisation style opportunity similar to that at the European Championships where combinations will need to spend time in the ring and jump a full track or part of the track. This warm up will not count towards the final ranking but is compulsory.

Starting positions in the Nations Cup style competition on the Saturday at Barnadown will be determined by the placings of combinations after Ard Chuain, counting their two best rounds there i.e. one discard score. If combinations are tied, their placing in the Friday class at Ard Chuain will decide their ranking against those who they are tied with.

The Top 5 ranked pony and rider combinations after the two legs of the selection competition will win places on the squad for Hagen (16^th – 21^st June 2015) and on the short list of up to 10 riders for the European Pony Championships. The short list of up to 10 riders will also be used by the Team Manager to select, at his discretion, the squad of 5 riders for the European Championships in Malmo, Sweden 5^th – 9^th August.

HSI as the National Federation reserves the right to withdraw any combination from selection, where in the opinion of the Team Vet a pony is deemed unlikely to pass the official FEI pony measurement regulations. The opinion of the Team Vet is final on such matters.

Any disputes over the outcome of the selection competition must be received in the offices of Horse Sport Ireland within 24 hours of the finish of the competition in Barnadown.

The decision of the Team Manager will be final on such matters.

Hagan

The Team Manger has, at his discretion, the right to nominate up to two of his own selections to also travel to Hagen and to be part of the squad of up to 10 combinations for the European Championships. However the team for Hagen will be selected from the top 5 who qualified from the trials.

The short list of 10 combinations will be in contention for the 5 pony rider combinations to travel to the European Championships. For the avoidance of any doubt the short list of 10 shall include the top 8 ranked combinations after the two legs of the selection trials at Ard Chuain and Barnadown (ie. the 5 combinations that are automatically given places to travel to Hagen) plus up to 2 selections at the discretion of the team manager. The Team Manager may take account of form of combinations at National and International competitions and any other factors as he deems appropriate.

These 10 combinations will be invited to a final trial on the 6^th & 7^th of July at the National Sports Campus in Abbottstown.

Following this trial the Team Manager will select from the short list the 5 combinations to travel to the European Championships before the deadline for the definite entries (date TBC).

The five pony and rider combinations that travel to the European Championships will be in contention for the team. The Team Manager will decide on which four to jump on the team based on form.

Important

Only the top five pony and rider combinations from the selection trials competitions will be assured of a place in Hagan. The pony and rider combinations that finish 6^th and 7^th in the trials have no entitlement when it comes to deciding on the Team Manager’s selections. These are entirely at the discretion of the Team Manager.

Eligibility for the European Pony selection competition.

All pony combinations that are eligible to jump in the 148cm class at the pony premier series in Ard Chuain and Barnadown are eligible to enter the selection competition. However the committee reserve the right to exclude any combination from the competition, at any stage, on health and safety grounds and pony welfare grounds if they consider that any combination is being over faced.

Entry to the selection competition

Entries for the Selection Competition (HSI Trials) should be made with Aileen Cartwright acartwright@horsesportireland.ie  (045854530) in Horse Sport Ireland before 12pm 1^st May 2015. A global entry fee of €200 is payable in advance. This covers stabling for the Friday and Saturday night at both legs and entry to the Friday and Saturday classes.

*Please note that the Pony premier series elements of the selection competition on the Sunday must be entered separately with the SJI in line with normal rules.

Competition format

It is compulsory for ponies, who are competing in the selection competition, to go into secure stabling for the Friday and Saturday night of Barnadown. 24 hour Stable security will be provided. Entry to the stables will be restricted to those wearing wristbands and there will only be three wristbands issued per pony.

Ard Chuain

• Speed class (Table A) on Friday. 1.25m 6pm start approx.
• Two round Nations Cup style class on Saturday. This will be a two round class regardless of Faults. 1.30m
• The first round of the Pony Premier 148cm class on Sunday. 1.30m/1.35m

Barnadown

•  Registration @ 4pm followed by Trot Up
• Warm up class Friday (not counting) 6pm start approx.
• Two round Nations Cup style class on Saturday. This will be a two round class regardless of Faults. 1.30m
• The first round of the Pony premier 148cm class on Sunday. 1.30m/1.35m

Abbottstown

• One round and a jump off on the 6^th July
• Two different courses on the 7^th July
• Futher details TBC

Ponies who are involved in the selection competition are not permitted to compete in any other classes at the shows at which these legs are run.

All competitions will run on all weather surface.

ENDS