Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the annual FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland with the Young Riders Academy and IJRC. It was a very interesting day covering all topics, predominantly the qualification, rules and format for the next Olympic Games in Paris 2024. Other topics of conversation included the current world ranking system and wild card eligibility as well as the difficulties Organisational Committees have faced and continue to face post Covid and EHV. The session concluded with open debate on ways National Federations themselves can attract and generate a global interest in the sport, to ensure not only the popularity of equestrianism but the survival of the sport itself for decades to come. It was extremely informative and definitely enlightened me on the true complexity of showjumping on a political level. That’s why as young riders in particular, it’s extremely important to stay as educated and informed as possible, because ultimately the decisions that are taken now will affect us the most in the future. I’m very thankful to the academy for this unique opportunity and I’ll be interested to follow the outcomes for the proposals of the event at the FEI General Assembly in November.