“ For equestrian sport to continue to grow and flourish , we need to make sure that together we cherish all members of our community and that everyone contributes to the key values at the heart of the sport .”
FEI President Ingmar De Vos sports together as a united community . “ Equestrian sport is rich in diversity , and the one key factor that binds everyone together is our shared connection with and passion for the horse . For equestrian sport to continue to grow and flourish , we need to make sure that together we cherish all members of our community and that everyone contributes to the key values at the heart of the sport .”
A key initiative in the drive for greater inclusivity in the community is a plan to formalise the international status of Grooms and formally acknowledge the vital role they play with structures that ensure their wellbeing while they safeguard the wellbeing of the horses in their care .
Together with representatives from national associations and the global community , the FEI addressed the global status of Grooms on 2 June during the online FEI Sports Forum . The dedicated session explored concrete measures to raise the profile of Grooms internationally and discussed a more structured framework of cooperation between the FEI and the Grooms community .
The FEI was created in 1921 to oversee the Olympic disciplines of Jumping , Dressage and Eventing with just eight-member signatories : Belgium , Denmark , France , Italy , Japan , Norway , Sweden and the United States of America . Today , alongside the Olympic disciplines , the FEI also governs the non-Olympic disciplines of Driving , Endurance , Vaulting and Reining . During which , it has grown in membership to 136 affiliated National Federations .
The sport has experienced exponential growth globally over the last decade , with more than 4,600 international events now run under FEI rules annually across all disciplines . In 2009 , 27,000 athletes registered to compete internationally , which grew to 43,000 in 2019 .
The FEI has been governed by 13 Presidents over its 100-year history , including three successive female Presidents . During the 27 years that The Princess Royal GCVO ( GBR ), HRH The Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbòn ( ESP ) and HRH Princess Haya Al Hussein ( JOR ) were at the helm , the FEI earned a reputation for being an International Federation that championed gender equality on the field of play as well as in the administration of the sport . The FEI ’ s longest-serving President , the late Prince Phillip , Duke of Edinburgh , was due to celebrate his 100th birthday in the same year as the FEI .
In June 2020 , the FEI welcomed its top tier classification in the Association for Summer Olympic International Federations ( ASOIF ) governance review . The FEI was one of six International Federations that ASOIF said “ stood out from the rest ”, a testimony to the robust governance structures and best practices that the organisation has put in place over the years . •
Angelika Trabert ( GER ) competing at the London 2012 Paralympic Games
Copyright © FEI / Liz Gregg
14 • EVERYTHING HORSE MAGAZINE : JULY 2021