Image source: BBC News.

It has come to our attention, as equestrians, after the recent events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, that there are serious lack of regulations protecting the horses used during the Modern Pentathlon. Many of the horses were mistreated, though seemingly not always intentionally, by the pentathletes and their coaches. 

Why it Needs to Change

To verify that Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games was not an isolated incident, we reviewed the Modern Pentathlon at the London 2012, and Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and the UIPM (Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne) 2015 Senior World Championships and found it just as appalling. We also read through the official regulations by the UIPM for the show jumping part of the Modern Pentathlon, which revealed a blatant lack of protection for the horses. Upon reading the UIPM regulations it was also clear that they think of horses as objects, and not living animals and the athletes they are. Being an equestrian, no matter if it’s dressage, jumping or any other discipline, is about horsemanship, the bond and trust you form with your best friend who happens to have hooves. None of this is represented in the Modern Pentathlon. 

During the Modern Pentathlon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, one of the horses, Saint Boy, ridden by Annika Schleu was hit with a whip, and kicked hard with spurs repeatedly as he refused to move forward or jump fence one. This was probably due to a bad experience from the pentathlete who rode Saint Boy before her, as well as the fact that Annika Schleu was emotionally distressed. This also resulted in, Kim Raisner, her coach, being banned from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after punching the horse with her fist, and being heard saying that Annika should "really hit” Saint Boy. After reviewing the UIPM rules, it appears that the reason Schleu was eliminated and Raisner banned from the 2020 Olympics, was not the result of Kim Raisner's act of punching the horse, but while punching the horse, she touched the horse, which is seen as interference. The horse was scared and was beaten for it. THIS IS NOT horsemanship!

As seen on horsesport.com - the German Equestrian Federation (FN) stated (originally in German) that: “As a professional association for equestrian sports, we adopt a critical view of the riding in the Modern Pentathlon. According to our understanding of equestrianism, it is the partnership between the rider and the horse that counts and not to consider the horse as a piece of sports equipment. The pictures we have seen have demonstrated that several riders and horses were clearly well out of their depth.”

“From our point of view, the rules of this sport have to be designed and applied in a way that protects both rider and horse. There is obviously an urgent need for action in the Modern Pentathlon. The World Federation for Modern Pentathlon [UIPM] is responsible for the rules and regulations. The FN and FEI are not involved in this in any way.”

As the FEI (Fédération Equestre Internationale), the governing body for many high-level equestrian sports, does not govern Modern Pentathlon, the equine safety rules and regulations put in place to protect the horses in show jumping, eventing, and dressage among others have no bearing on the Modern Pentathlon. 

What Needs to Change

Modern Pentathletes should adopt the same qualifications standards as the FEI employs to regulate high-level equestrian events, in which the athletes have to prove they have the ability to ride at that level with an FEI Certificate Of Capability, Discipline: (in this instance) Jumping form, from that year. The form will require that pentathletes show they have competed in show jumping in a number of select competitions successfully, and within a predetermined number of faults (usually 0-8) set by the FEI for that event. This would ensure that all pentathletes are capable of riding a course of jumps at the height required of them, without injuring or traumatizing the horses or themselves. The UIPM also needs to adopt and apply the FEI show jumping regulations to the Modern Pentathlon. We believe that the height should be lowered to 85-90cm, the width lessened accordingly, and the combination jump lines should be removed. This would reduce the risk of injury to both horse and rider.

Alternatively, Modern Pentathlon could switch the equine discipline from show jumping to dressage, or remove the equine part all together and replace it with mountain biking or sailing, etc. 

Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne

www.uipmworld.org 

We ask that:

1. The UIPM adopt and apply all equine safety rules and regulations set by the FEI for Show Jumping, to the Modern Pentathlon.
2. The height be lowered to 85-90 cm, the width lessened accordingly, and the combination jump lines (i.e. the triple and double) be removed to minimize the risk of injury to both horse and rider, should something go wrong. 
3. Require the pentathletes to prove, via a FEI Certificate Of Capability Discipline: Jumping, they can navigate a course safely at the level required of them. This will help ensure the pentathletes are capable of navigating a course at that height without injuring the horses or themselves. 

OR

4. Change the riding discipline to dressage, also requiring FEI Certificate Of Capability Discipline: Dressage, adopting and applying the FEI equine safety regulations governing that discipline.
5. Remove the equestrian element all together and replace it with something that has no potential of harming an animal in any way, like mountain biking, or sailing etc. 

Listed below are the source documents and information:

• The BBC article covering the incident with Annika Schleu and Kim Raisner, during the Modern Pentathlon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
• The UIPM rules and regulations
• The UIPM athlete and coach code of conduct 
• The FEI Certificate Of Capability Discipline: Jumping Form from the show jumping at the  Rio 2016 Olympic Games
• The FEI rules and regulations for the show jumping at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
• The full replay, from the Olympic channel of the Men’s and Women’s modern pentathlon at the London 2012.
• The full replay, from the Olympic channel, of the  Men’s and Women’s modern pentathlon at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
• The full replay of the Men’s and Women’s UIPM 2015 Senior World Championships
• A quick guide to the modern pentathlon, from the Olympic Channel 

We were unable to provide links to the show jumping part of the Modern Pentathlon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as all footage has been removed. - 16 August 2021

It should also be noted that the UIPM has stopped posting full replays or live streams of Modern Pentathlons since 2016. Instead, they post highlight reels with extremely limited coverage of the show jumping leg. Usually the highlights of the show jumping part contains a handful of clips of the pentathletes leaving the arena, their scores, and a few clips of single jumps. 

(This information can also be found on the UIPM, FEI, and Olympic websites)

www.uipmworld.org​

https://www.fei.org​ 

https://olympics.com/en/