FEI no longer wants to count LLN Final as qualification for Los Angeles 2028

At the FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne, the World Equestrian Federation proposed that the Longines League of Nations (LLN) should no longer be used as a qualification route for the Olympic Games in future. This would mean that starting places for Los Angeles 2028 would no longer be awarded via the LLN finals in Barcelona - in contrast to the two previous cycle years in which two teams were able to secure an Olympic ticket there.

Instead, these starting places are to be awarded at the 2026 World Championships in Aachen, where seven teams could then qualify instead of the current five. This change mainly affects show jumping. In eventing, the minimum age of horses is also to be raised to nine years, as is already the case in show jumping - in dressage, participation will remain possible for eight-year-old horses.

The FEI justifies the proposals with the aim of creating more international balance. According to FEI Head of Show Jumping Todd Hinde, the LLN is a format for the ten best nations, which means that other countries have little realistic chance of qualifying for the Olympics.

Criticism came from the French Equestrian Federation, among others, which described the previous LLN system as fair and justified from a sporting perspective. The FFE also fears that the status of the LLN will be further weakened, as there is already little interest among top riders. The proposals still have to be confirmed by the FEI General Assembly and the IOC.