Insider
There has been confusion over whether or not a certain bit is permitted in competition
Edited by Eleanor Jones Share your news story Call 0330 390 6386 Email eleanor.jones@futurenet.com @ jones_eleanor_
STEWARDS’ contradictory decisions about a bit at events have highlighted grey areas and inconsistencies in FEI rules.
At the Kentucky Three-Day Event in April, Katie Malensek was eliminated from the four-star for her horse Landjaeger’s Myler combination. A month later, in Belgium, British showjumper Charlotte Penny was pulled up over the same bit, on Landown Cruise On Air.
Katie told H&H she was eliminated as one steward judged the bit to have been modified – Charlotte told H&H she was only allowed to jump once the bit had been modified.
Katie appealed but the FEI Tribunal ruled that her appeal was inadmissible.
She told H&H she had asked an FEI steward the previous week to check the bit at an event and it was approved, and no issues were raised at the cross-country tack check at Kentucky. But after showjumping, Katie was pulled up by a steward, who said she thought the bit was illegal.
“She was holding a book of pictures from the FEI tack app,” Katie said. “There were pictures showing Myler combinations with things modified and she was comparing one to mine saying, ‘That’s why it’s illegal.’”
Katie said her bit was as manufactured, and though other stewards disagreed it had been modified, the one objecting was adamant and called the president of the ground jury from the top-20 showjumping to show him the pictures, after which he agreed to the elimination. An on-site appeal was rejected.
“It felt like no one knew what they were doing,” Katie said, adding that other riders that day used the same bit.
“Other stewards approve it. It’s luck of the draw and that’s not how it should be.”
Charlotte told H&H that she had heard what happened to Katie, so checked with an FEI steward in Belgium and was told her bit was legal.
“But when I was in the chute a steward said, ‘I can’t let you in as someone’s come over to say the bit’s illegal’, and the rope was the issue,” she said.
“The rules said it was fine but the steward said if I wanted to use it, I had to adapt it.”
Charlotte cut off the
