minimire wrote:hey everyone! so i'm very, very new to the equestrian world and i actually have some questions about the fei shows!
so what exactly are the fei shows? i mean i love watching the show jumping livestreams but i'm always confused. how often are they held and in which countries usually? who can qualify to participate in the fei? what's the difference between the world cup and a national cup? are all fei shows the grand prix?
sorry if some questions are so silly but i can't seem to find any straightforward answer online!
fei is the international head of equestrian events. it depends on the discipline as to when and where they're hosted. im taking a hiatus from the sport, but when i was a working student in ocala for eventing you had to reach CCI* before you start competing under fei as those are where your international levels begin. i am not as familiar with show jumping but with most fei sports there's the national/international transitionary level that lets you begin to qualify for international competition and thats when it becomes sanctioned by them. also something to note is that the fei does not cover ALL disciplines, it only covers 10, with reining being the only western one (which is a shame, because even though ive taken a break from eventing i would love to go international in mounted shooting or reined cowhorse! international levels dont allow for as much versatility as national levels do and i am kind of an all-around rider)
in other news, i start my first internship for my equine nutrition degree in the fall! its under purina, and even though i dont necessarily like their philosophies or their product formulas and content, a company that big looks great on a resume and you can always learn something from anyone!