The International Olympic Committee announced that only one owner per horse would be allowed at the Games. H&H finds out what this might mean, and what action is being taken
THE FIGHT is on to reverse the “disappointing” rule that only one owner per horse can attend the Tokyo Olympics as organisations lobby for a U-turn.
Last week the FEI wrote to national federations informing them of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo organising committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG) decision that only one owner per horse will be allowed to attend the Games owing to the coronavirus pandemic. In previous years, two owners per horse have been allowed.
{"content":"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"}
You might also be interested in…
Tokyo 2020 test event
Hopes are growing for “reasonable numbers” of fans to be allowed in the Olympic venues next summer
The Tokyo test event
The rider took what she thought was green tea from the breakfast area of the hotel
Reporting from an Olympics is an exciting opportunity and a massive responsibility.
Credit: Peter Nixon
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2025 with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
H&H senior news writer
Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.