Now the Belgian court has rapped the FEI and Global Champions Tour on the knuckles and stated at least 60 percent of the participants of the CSI5* LGCT should be invited based on the world ranking instead of a 2 million sponsorship through the Global Champions League.
It was a regular CSI5* rider that brought things to light. The anonymous rider stated she was treated differently as the sponsored riders and as on regular CSI5* events.
With the verdict there's a halt on a system that provides sportive advantages to wealthy riders or riders with huge sponsors.
The verdict states:
"The demanding party (the anonymous rider) is opinionated that the "MoU" for percentage of invited riders at GCT competitions should be send out based on their ranking should not be 30% but 60%. It is illegal and discriminating to base the invitation system on a percentage of 30%. The court is prima facie opinionated that a reduction is illegal and infringement of the competition rules."