“It’s about the future of Driving – the worldwide Pony Driving community must become active!” An initiative of the German athletes representative of pony drivers,” Steffen Brauchle

The pony driving sport is extremely negatively influenced by the new regulations of the FEI – explicitly the expenses related to the measurement of international sport ponies prescribed by the FEI. A loss of 30% to 40% of the internationally active pony drivers in FEI competition sport is feared.

It is necessary to reconsider this right now, in these challenging times for all. The driving sport community must become active Please sign the ONLINE PETITION  “FEI Pony measurement madness”

Steffen Brauchle is 6-times FEI World Champion and serial winner in the international Pony Four-in-Hand sport, the 34-year-old from Pfalzgrafenweiler has already won the German Championships 12 times.

“Dear Driving sport friends,

The topic of pony measuring comes up again and again, only recently our driving sport colleague Edwin Kiefer showed us and explained the costs associated with the FEI pony measuring. The driving sport is becoming less and less, especially in the international area, the new regulations and the associated costs do not make this situation any better.

I think everyone sees at the moment that general life is becoming more and more expensive, priorities have to be set. We are all willing to invest a lot of money and time in driving – we show that every day in training. But there comes a point for everyone where you ask yourself how far are you going and how much are you investing?

Many of us are at this point right now. Many of us pony drivers decide not to compete in international tournaments in the future. The costs are simply too high, and the FEI does not promote and support the driving sport – as it should be – but the explosion in costs makes it more and more difficult for us. It’s not just about the cost of measuring the ponies, but also about the ever-increasing cost of registering riders and ponies in the FEI system, which is increased every year.

It continues with the aspect of animal welfare, there are more and more requirements and regulations regarding the transport of horses. But does the FEI want to transport the ponies hundreds of miles to measure them?

Another important aspect is that the ponies are transported to the measurement one day and back home the next day, which is not normally the stress they are exposed to at a competition. In addition, there is currently only one measuring platform in Warendorf available in Germany, for people from Schleswig-Holstein or from the south measuring dates in Milan, Paris, or in Denmark are closer – which in turn contradicts the current climate policy. There are active driving sports nations that do not have an FEI pony measuring point.

Another point is that the FEI now lumps together the entire pony sport, the big “fraud” with the oversized ponies does not take place in driving, but in equestrian sport. In equestrian sport, however, only one pony has to be measured, in driving sport, for example, in four-in-hand sport at least 5 pieces – but usually 2-3 more, since there are also replacement ponies.

I think these points should be reason enough for all driving athletes and enthusiasts who want the sport to still exist in 10 years to stand up and not continue to bow to the guidelines of the FEI, because what the officials and officials of the FEI and Co. is not aware that without the active people the sport will no longer exist, and therefore the jobs at the FEI are no longer needed.

The pony measuring must be abolished for driving ponies, for this reason, there is an online petition against the FEI pony measuring in driving sport under the following link. Please join this initiative – sign our petition online, which is also possible anonymously. Please share this vigorously in order to address many driving sports fans worldwide.

We would like to approach the FEI with this initiative, and hopefully a strong result of the expedition – with the hope of achieving something. It’s about the future of pony driving – the worldwide driving scene must become active!

Please sign the ONLINE PETITION  “FEI Pony measurement madness”