Changes for 2020 Olympics

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Just came across the below article on Horse and Hound regarding changes that have been passed for the equestrian sport in the Olympics.

Some of them are pretty interesting, while others I'm really not convinced by. The biggest is probably that the teams will be reduced from 4 to 3 members, apparently in a bid to create spaces for riders from countries who don't have (m)any competitors at the Olympics at the moment.

Furthermore, (and this, I must admit, I'm not entirely convinced by), riders who don't complete any of the phases will be permitted to partake in the other phases, but will receive a penalty for not doing so. Penalties will vary according to the phase.

In showjumping, the individual event will take place after the team event, and there will be more spaces for individual competitors from nations without teams.

Dressage, with which I'm not as familiar, I must admit, also faces changes, with the overall result being decided on the grand prix special (which will be run to music) rather than the grand prix and the grand prix special. For para dressage, teams of three will be chosen from the four riders who have initially completed their individual test, and the team test, on which the overall result will rely, will also be set to music.

I hope what I've pulled out is accurate, but for those of you who'd like a more detailed read, Here's the article from H&H:h

Olympic teams will consist of three combinations and drop scores will be removed, it has been agreed, as part of major changes to the Games’ format.

National federations today (22 November) voted in favour of the format changes, at the FEI general assembly in Tokyo.

Reserve combinations will still be allowed “but will be even more important and a key element in ensuring horse welfare”, an FEI spokesman said.

“This was a really important vote for the future of our sport if we are to increase universality in accordance with the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020”, said FEI president Ingmar De Vos said after the vote.

“We need to increase the number of participating nations at the Olympic Games but within our existing quota of 200.

“Reducing team members to three per nation was probably the only way to boost the number of flags. Of course this now has to be approved by the IOC, but it opens the door to countries that previously could only see the Olympics as a distant dream.”

Of the 107 national federations represented at the conference, 11 – including France, Germany and New Zealand – voted against the new format.

A number of changes to each discipline were also voted through, including a new heat system involving “lucky losers” to qualify for the dressage grand prix freestyle.

Related articles:

FEI and riders in deadlock over three-member Olympic teams
Olympic champion speaks out over Agenda 2020 jumping proposals
What will the new Olympic eventing format be? Plans to be finalised

These were voted through unanimously, although Britain was the only nation to vote against changes to para dressage, which include allowing each team only to bring four combinations.

“There were some national federations that didn’t agree with the proposal, but that’s all part of the democratic process,” said Mr De Vos. Now we need to work together to make this a success.”

The format change is subject to final approval by the International Olympic Committee next year.
The changes:

Showjumping:

20 teams
15 slots for nations which did not qualify a team, one combination per nation
Individual event will take place before the team competition
The exact cut-off score and resulting penalty, and the penalty for elimination, will be finalised

Dressage:

One individual per nation not qualified as a team (no composite teams)
Team medals will be decided on the grand prix special results only (as opposed to the current combination of grand prix and grand prix special)
A new heat system to qualify for the special: the top two from each of six heats, plus the next six overall best results
Top eight teams from the grand prix to qualify for the special
A new system for starting order in the grand prix
Run the grand prix special to music

Eventing:

If a reserve combination is substituted in, the team will incur a penalty, which is to be finalised
Two individuals allowed per nation not qualified as a team
Order to remain unchanged — dressage, cross-country, showjumping — but dressage to be reduced to one day
Technical level to be defined as “Olympic level”: 4* dressage and showjumping, 3* technical difficulty cross-country, with 45 jumping efforts and 10-minute optimum time
Qualification to be achieved on the same cross-country technical level
For team classification, any combination not completing a phase can progress to the next if accepted as fit to continue
For team classification, penalties for not completing a phase will be 100 for dressage and showjumping, 150 for cross-country
Individual rules are unchanged

Para dressage

Each directly qualified team may bring four combinations, of which three will be declared for the team after the individual test in which all four will compete
Maximum of two individuals per nation not represented as a team (no composite teams)
Team medals to be determined solely through team test, as opposed to the current combination of team and individual scores
Top eight per grade to qualify for the freestyle
The order will be individual championship, team test, freestyle
Team test to be set to music

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/breaking-three-riders-olympic-teams-604830

Ave Sodalis

Is this for the next games or now on? I'm guessing now on, but the restrictions on the cross country phase of eventing seem unnecessarily rigid and aren't going to give course designers much freedom if it has to have a set number of jumps and a set optimum time.
To be honest, I think this will be a trial and error case. They'll run with it for the next games and it'll be changed over the years as they realise what does and doesn't work... essentially making what they have now void.
I see Cian O'Connor has a strongly worded Facebook rant up, as usual. Facebook whinge is probably more accurate. Any point he may have is somewhat lost in the tantrum-y tones of it.