The FEI has unveiled the Education Programme that will be delivered to the participants of the FEI Youth Equestrian Games 2022, which will be held from 23 June to 3 July 2022, in Aachen (GER).

Throughout the eleven days of the event, the 30 athletes from 30 nations are encouraged to learn about all aspects of their craft, and take part in various sessions focused on their current and future sporting careers, emphasising the significance and relevance of the Olympic values. The programme mirrors the format for the Jumping competition used at the Youth Olympic Games every four years, which was postponed from 2022 to 2026, where the young athletes aged between 15 and 18 years of age compete on borrowed horses for individual honours and also as part of a continental team.   

 “One of the main goals of the FEI Youth Equestrian Games 2022 is to significantly impact the lives of the participants beyond the competitive element. The FEI is committed to encouraging young athletes to grow and develop according to the values of the Olympic movement. To educate and support the young generation of equestrians is vital for the sustainability of our sport” FEI President, Ingmar de Vos, said.

The FEI Youth Equestrian Games 2022 Education Programme has been developed by the FEI Solidarity Team, led by Jean-Philippe Camboulives, FEI Solidarity Director.

“This is a programme fully tailored to the needs of young athletes, so they can expand their knowledge on areas that will play an essential role throughout their lives. To educate the new generations of equestrians is a key focus for the FEI, and the FEI Youth Equestrian Games 2022 provides the opportunity for the 30 youngsters to enrich themselves with a once-in-a-lifetime experience”, Jean-Philippe Camboulives said.

“We have designed a holistic programme, with a variety of sessions that will focus on crucial topics for the equestrian athletes of the future, such as anti-doping policies, physical and mental health issues or the transition into the job market. Ensuring the well-being of human and equine athletes is key to the future of equestrian sport”, Camboulives explained.

One of the key elements of the Education Program will be directed by FEI charity partner, JustWorld International. The non-profit will host the Leadership and Philanthropy Seminar where participants will come together to learn how to leverage the equestrian sport as a platform to become better athletes while incorporating philanthropic work into their passions.

“Whether riders give their time, talent, or make a donation - JustWorld gives equestrians the opportunity to learn about worlds beyond their own experiences and make a change in the lives of others less fortunate. They learn how to become leaders, how to make a difference in the world around them, and how small acts can have a large impact,” stated Jessica Newman, JustWorld Founder and President.

FEI Youth Equestrian Games 2022 Education Programme agenda

Mentally Fit - with Dr. Alan Currie (Member of the IOC Mental Health Working Group)

This workshop will aim to create awareness on what mental health means for a young athlete, how it relates to performance, how athletes can identify any issue relating to their mental health, and how they can seek help and support.

Physically Fit - with David Übis from the Uniklinikum RWTH Aachen 

The participants will learn key fitness and training aspects for any professional equestrian athlete, such as strength, core, stability, coordination and agility

Concussion – with Prof. Christopher J. Newman, paediatric neurorehabilitation physician and Dr Stéphane G. Tercier, paediatric sports physician (Lausanne University hospital)

The workshop experts will embark the participants on a journey through a virtual concussion episode where choices will need to be made regarding the diagnosis, time frame to recovery, and return to sport. Concussion will then be discussed in the context of equestrian sport by understanding what it takes to manage concussion adequately and minimise the risk of complications.

Human Anti-Doping - with Olya Abasolo, OLY (Senior Education Manager, International Testing Agency) and Catherine Bollon (Human Anti-Doping Advisor, FEI)

Using an interactive format, the Human Anti-Doping workshop will introduce participants to key elements in the anti-doping system for human athletes: Rules, Prohibited List, Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) and Testing process. Athletes and coaches will gain insights on the substances that are an issue in the sport, identify what their role and duties are, and understand why all this matters.

Social Media - with GER Influencer and Social Media Coach Harriet Charlotte Schulz (45 minutes)

Harriet Charlotte Schulz was one of the first equestrian bloggers in Germany and has plenty of experience in the Social Media game. She will educate the participants on Social Media best practices and how to build their digital presence in the different digital platforms.

Equine Anti-Doping and Equine Welfare - with Anna Thorstenson (Legal Counsel, FEI)

Using an interactive format, the Equine Anti-Doping and Welfare workshop will introduce participants to key elements in the anti-doping system for equine athletes in addition to equine welfare, such as Rules, Prohibited List, Testing process and Risk of Contamination.

Career+ / Sport Up Your Life

This session will provide the participants with tools, resources and advice to help them prepare for a smooth transition from competitive sport into the workplace, in, around and out of Equine industry.

Athlete Rode Model - with Estelle Navet (Just World)

During the JustWorld leadership program, the JustWorld leaders will go through an engaging team building curriculum that couples learning with fun hands-on activities leaving riders with a greater sense of their own individual power to create positive change through the sport. Riders can come together to use their sport as a platform to become not only better riders, but philanthropic leaders with the tools to better the world.

There is no easy way to prepare for an international competition. But five young equestrian Vaulters have needed to dig extra deep for grit and determination as they trained for their first ever international competition.

Polina Shovkova (14), sisters Katya (14) and Jenya (11) Panasenko, Sonia Shulga (14) and Marta Lopaienko (15) became the first team to ever represent Ukraine in international Vaulting when they participated in the one star competition in Kaposvár (HUN) from 20 to 22 May.

The team’s participation in Kaposvár came just a few short months after fleeing their hometown of Poltova to escape the war that has upturned the lives of millions of Ukrainians. They are currently living and training in Bernolákovo, a suburb of Bratislava (SVK), where they have been welcomed by members of the local Vaulting community and supported financially by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Solidarity Fund.

“We didn’t have competitions in Ukraine because we are the first Vaulting team,” Marta explained.

“We didn’t feel too comfortable with the horses here in Slovakia at first because they are bigger and have a different rhythm to our horses at home. But now we know the character of each horse.

“We were a bit worried about taking part in our first international competition and it was important for us. But as Katya, our trainer from Ukraine always says: You have to do this performance just for you.”

Joining the Vaulters on their sporting journey is 29-year-old Anthony Bro-Petit, himself a former international competitor for France, who has played a key role in developing the sporting infrastructure for Vaulting in Ukraine prior to the war.

“Preparing young athletes for a competition or a Championship is always tough because even when they are motivated, the mental focus is very hard to maintain. The war has added an extra layer of mental difficulty for these girls. It’s not easy to fully concentrate on your training when you know your family is not safe.

“The girls are still very young and it is hard to know how much I can push them during their training session. But this is a good learning experience for me. I’m still learning as a coach and I have to develop my skills.  

“We would have been able to prepare more if there was no war. But the team did really well in their first international competition and now we know which aspects we need to focus on more during our training.”

With their competition experience in Kaposvár under their belt, the team now have their sights set on the international Vaulting competition that will be held in Samorin (SVK) next month. The road ahead will be easier to navigate than the one they took in March this year.

“We knew that we would have to leave Poltava about a week before we had to go,” said Marta. “We first thought that we were going to France, but two days before we left we were told that we’re going to Slovakia.

“We were on the road for three days. It was a very long journey, because of the traffic jams everywhere. It usually takes us one day to drive to the Slovak border.

“The first night we didn’t stop and we kept going. But the second night we stopped near the Carpathian Mountains, and we stayed in a flat with just two rooms. There were 15 of us, and me and the girls slept on one sofa, and the others slept on the floor. Then the third day we crossed the border very quickly. We thought it would be slow with all the traffic, but we crossed over very fast.

“We were not frightened but we were really sad and tired. And when we crossed the border we all started to cry.”

The girls’ trainer Kateryna (Katya) Andreiva and her 18-month son David, as well as three mothers have accompanied the Vaulters to Slovakia, while other members of their families have all stayed back in Ukraine.

It is a situation that has caused Katya’s and Jenya’s mother Ekateryna a great deal of anguish. “When you first come from war, you think that it would have been better to stay at home because your mind cannot feel safe,” Ekateryna said.

“It’s harder to be in a safe country because you feel at fault for leaving your family. My mother is in the Kharkiv region and I know that she’s sitting in a bomb shelter while I’m here in Slovakia. But we are mums and everything we do, we do for our children. You don’t think about yourself. You just think about your children.”

The Vaulters have settled into a routine at the local school which is currently housing the group from Poltava, as well as 40 refugees from other parts of Ukraine. The girls begin each weekday morning by joining online lessons with their school in Poltova, which leaves them the rest of the day to train at the local riding school, and at the school gym that has a mechanical horse and barrels.  

“It is good to see that the girls are training really hard,” said the Secretary General of the Slovak Equestrian Federation Zuzana Bačiak Masaryková.

“The community here in the Bratislava area have been extremely generous to the team. The owner of the shop that sells Vaulting shoes, has given the girls free pairs and other people have provided us with everything they require.

“My aim is to give these girls all that they need to train, so that they can forget about the war, at least for a few hours each day.”

The Vaulters and their mothers still hope that they can return home to Poltava after the competition in Samorin (SVK) that will take place from 9 to 12 June.

Until then the girls are determined to continue their training. “We are not sure if Vaulting is our sport in the long term,” Marta explained. “But in 2023, our aim is to take part in the Vaulting World Championship and we’re going to train hard for this.”

Key link: FEI Solidarity Relief Fund for Ukraine
Free images for editorial purposes are also available from the FEI Flickr Account. (Copyright: FEI / Richard Juilliart)

By Eleanore Kelly

A team consisting of multi-medalled riders and young talent, scored a home win at Houghton Hall (GBR), in the second leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™. Team GB finished on a three-phase score of 114.0 penalties, a narrow margin over an all-female US team in second on 117.9. Sweden, another all-female quartet, were not far behind on 122.0 penalties, and are now Series leaders on 160 points after a third placing in the first leg, Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA). Britain and Switzerland are in joint second place in the current Series Standings, on 100 points.

Tom McEwen who won team gold and individual silver medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, led the CCI-S 4* section from start to finish. He was joined by Piggy March, who won team gold and individual silver at last year’s European Championships; and two younger riders were making their Senior Team debut for Great Britain. Although 22 year olds Heidi Coy and Phoebe Locke have both had success on Youth Teams at the European Championships. Locke was unfortunate to fall off another horse earlier in the day, and was stood down by medics from competing, so her team horse was withdrawn. Despite the precaution, Locke is reported to be in good medical health.

Coy, the daughter of Dairy Farmer, is based with her horses on the family farm in Leicestershire which produces milk for Stilton Cheese. Her double clear to finish third individually on the diminutive mare, Russal Z, was a substantial help to the team. “I have produced her up the levels. The pressure was there, I didn’t want to let my team, my horse or my owners down. I was mainly thrilled with her fantastic dressage score because this has always been her weaker phase. To follow it up with a double clear, you can’t ask for much more. She has a heart of gold and she tries her best for you even though she looks like a little pony - she is only 15.3hh. I’m so grateful to be on a team with the likes of Piggy and Tom. Phoebe and I did Young Riders and Pony Teams together, so it’s nice for us to be on this team together.”

McEwen, who also scored the fastest cross-country time of the day on Bob Chaplin, summed up the performance: “We were down to three members for the cross-country after poor Phoebe withdrew, but the team has done amazingly. The British team has such strength and depth, they could pick many teams. I was really pleased with my horse Bob, who is off to Luhmuhlen to do his first five-star. He has been phenomenal this year so I am looking forward to it.”

Discussing the significance of The Nations Cup Series, McEwen said: “They are great for introducing younger people on teams. It’s a good way for them to gain experience and also for everyone to get the swing of things when it comes to team competitions. Otherwise it comes around once a year and it all feels rather important.”

The FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing Series moves to Strzegom (POL) from 22-26 June, the third of nine events in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Series.

Full results here

A recent visit by a Ukrainian delegation at the FEI Sports Forum 2022 from 25-26 April in Lausanne sees additional initiatives and projects approved for funding by the FEI Solidarity Relief Fund.

Established in February 2022, the dedicated CHF 1 Million FEI Solidarity Relief Fund for Ukraine has been actively supporting a number of equestrian related schemes across Ukraine and neighbouring nations receiving Ukrainian horses and athletes. This includes, among other, the creation of a logistical hub in Granat (UKR), located between Lviv and the Polish border, to prepare horses for transfer into the European Union; funding and distribution to regional hubs of critical horse supplies such as feed and bedding; and, the emergency evacuation of a Vaulting team.

In order to deliver the aid efficiently and have the desired impact in situ, the FEI has been working hand in hand with the Ukrainian Equestrian Federation (UEF) and the UEF Charity Foundation, with FEI President and Chair of the Solidarity Committee Ingmar De Vos (BEL) referring to their Ukrainian colleagues as their “eyes and ears on the ground”.

For the FEI and the Ukrainian delegation, headed up by Secretary General Mykhailo Parkhomchuk from the Ukrainian Equestrian Federation (UEF) and accompanied by members from both the UEF and the Charity Foundation, this recent in-person visit provided a platform to discuss the priorities, review ongoing support systems in place, but also establish new programmes and set long term objectives for Ukraine and the FEI Solidarity Relief Fund.

Following these discussions, among the programmes being launched in Ukraine throughout May, four new athlete scholarships have been allocated; bespoke veterinary supplies have been sourced and prepared for dispatch; as well as financing for the purchase of 80 temporary horse boxes in order to support the set-up of additional horse hubs in Ukraine.

Based on the existing FEI Solidarity Athlete Scholarship scheme, two Ukrainian Jumping athletes - Oleksandr Prodan and Anastasia Bondarieva - and two Ukrainian Dressage athletes - Danylo Konovalov and Diana Borovyk - have been selected to receive the scholarship grant to support training and competition related preparation with the ultimate goal of representing Ukraine at FEI Championships in 2022 and 2023.

Aged between 17 and 24, they were already competing at international level before the onset of the war, but the current circumstances meant they had to put many of their aspirations on hold. For Diana Borovyk, having survived the blockade of Sumy and taking up residence in her local equestrian centre to be with her horses while the war raged around her, being able to continue training and competing is “a dream come true”. She has also received a personal invitation to participate in a Young Riders Class at the CHIO Aachen Festival 2022 where she has every intention of showing her sporting determination and perseverance in the face of adversity.

The dedicated emergency veterinary supplies which are being packaged into specialised kits and dispatched to strategic locations around Ukraine include over the counter as well as prescription medication so the veterinarians onsite have all the necessary supplies to care for the horses remaining in the country. The bespoke veterinary kits have been sourced through the FEI Veterinary Department and are entirely funded by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Ukraine Relief Fund which is supplementing the FEI Solidarity Fund with 100 percent of all donations raised being distributed through the FEI to ensure effective and targeted use of the funds.

The USEF Ukraine Relief Fund has already reached over 100,000 USD and continues to work closely with US based philanthropic organisations to leverage their fundraising networks to support the horses and people of Ukraine.

In addition to the existing horse hub in Granat which was financed by the FEI to prepare all the necessary documentation for horses to cross the border and has been operational since March, the FEI is now working with the UEF Charity Foundation to supply 80 horseboxes to two new hubs which are being built to allow horses to remain safely in Ukraine. The new hubs are located near existing stables so the horses will have access to all the necessary infrastructures and can continue to train in good conditions.

These last two initiatives are especially relevant given the unknown when it comes to the duration of the conflict and the need to work together to keep horses and athletes safe in Ukraine. For FEI President Ingmar De Vos (BEL), there is a clear progression in the support structure and goals of the FEI Solidarity Relief Fund. “At the onset of the war, the FEI reacted quickly to the situation and set up the Solidarity Fund with the initial outreach aimed at sourcing and funding for immediate and vital supplies as well as evacuation related procedures, unaware of how long the conflict would perdure and how devastating it would be.

“We have now reached a point where we can be more strategic because we have the systems in place, so the meetings in Lausanne with the Ukrainian delegation at the end of April were really fruitful, and we can already see several programmes and initiatives launched as a result.

“The initiatives are a mix of short to mid-term objectives aimed at keeping individuals and horses safe and well in Ukraine but also long-term future proofing to ensure the sport is not entirely put on hold and can recover after the war. It has been awe-inspiring to see the global equestrian community come together to support Ukraine and we will continue to do everything in our power to maximise the reach of the FEI Solidarity Relief Fund to help the equestrian community and the horse lovers of Ukraine.”

Photo Caption: Ukraine’s Diana Borovyk and Baby Royal at the FEI Dressage European Championships 2021 for Youth in Oliva (ESP) © Lukasz Kowalski

About the FEI Solidarity Relief Fund:
The FEI set aside a CHF 1 Million Solidarity Relief Fund for the equestrian community in Ukraine, following the invasion by Russian military forces. The allocation was approved by the FEI Executive Board during a meeting convened on 28 February 2022, where members also unanimously condemned the invasion and agreed to remove all international equestrian events in Russia and Belarus from the 2022 FEI calendar. The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has also joined forces with the FEI Solidarity Relief Fund, establishing the USEF Ukraine Relief Fund to Support Ukraine horses and equestrians, with 100% of funds raised going to the FEI Solidarity Relief Fund to be distributed by the FEI.

About the UEF Charity Foundation:
The Charity Foundation is registered in Belgium and its mission is to help the Ukrainian equestrian community during the crisis. The Foundation works closely with the FEI and national equestrian federations. For all the latest information and activities visit https://helpukrainehorses.eu/

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Consent Award in a human anti-doping case involving the refusal to submit to sample collection by an athlete.

On 13 November 2021 at the CEI3* 160 Citta della Pieve (ITA), the Italian athlete Chiara Marrama (FEI ID 10017324/ITA) was selected for an in-competition doping control test but she refused to submit to sample collection after the notification, which constitutes a violation of the Article 2.3 of the FEI’s Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA).  

The athlete admitted the violation, accepted the proposed consequences and benefited from a one-year reduction in the otherwise applicable period of ineligibility of four years asserted by the FEI in such cases and in accordance with the ADRHA.

In its Consent Award, the FEI Tribunal confirmed the imposition of a three-year ineligibility period on the athlete, effective from 3 May 2022. The provisional suspension of the athlete, which came into effect on 2 December 2021, shall be credited against the ineligibility period, meaning the athlete will be ineligible until 1 December 2024. The athlete was also fined CHF 5,000 and all results obtained at the event by the athlete were disqualified.

The full text of the FEI Tribunal’s Final Decision is available here.

Notes to Editors:

FEI Clean Sport - human athletes

The FEI is part of the collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport led by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The aim of this movement is to protect fair competition as well as athlete health and welfare.

WADA’s Prohibited List identifies the substances and methods prohibited in- and out-of-competition, and in particular sports. The substances and methods on the List are classified by different categories (e.g., steroids, stimulants, gene doping).

As a WADA Code Signatory, the FEI runs a testing programme for human athletes based on WADA’s List of Prohibited List of Substances and Methods and on the Code-compliant FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA).

For further information, please consult the Clean Sport section of the FEI website here.

By Eleanore Kelly

It was a double victory for the Swiss, when Robin Godel’s Jumping clear round clinched the individual prize and a win for Team Switzerland. This was the first leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ and took place in Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA). France, who were overnight leaders going into the final day, finished a close second and Sweden, who were overall winners of the Series in 2021, finished third. The home side Italy were fifth.

It was a tense finish after the French team left Godel no room for error in the Jumping phase. The 23 year old athlete kept his cool on Grandeur de Lully CH, to incur just one time penalty which sealed the deal for his team. “I was very focused but I tried to have only good pressure” he said after his round. “It was an amazing week for the team. We did good on the cross-country, the four riders were very impressive and the horses gave all they had. For the World Championships it is exciting.”

Speaking about this as a test event for this year’s FEI World Championships for Eventing, Godel said “It is amazing here, the ground is wonderful, I have never cantered on ground like this. For the World Championships, we want qualification for Paris (Olympics) and that’s the main focus and for sure we will be going for the podium too.”

Pratoni has proved a happy hunting ground for the Swiss, who won the Nations Cup here in 2019. The team this year consisted of two Nations Cup first timers: 62 year old Beat Sax who has just one horse to compete, and has been eventing for 45 years; and 20 year old Nadja Minder. They were joined by Tokyo Olympic riders Godel and Mélody Johner.

Six-time Olympian Andrew Nicholson has been coaching the Swiss team for several years and summed up their performance: “It was outstanding. They keep getting better, more confident and are pulling together as a team. They are passionate and want to do it and they are making the younger ones hungry, which then pushes the older riders.”

Saturday’s Cross-Country shook up the leaderboard and left it tight at the top. Switzerland finished just 0.1 of a penalty behind France going into the final phase. Germany, who led the way after the dressage phase, were relegated to 9th after just two of their team members completed. Whilst Sweden, who were in eighth after the dressage, produced four strong Cross-Country performances to climb to third.

Pratoni del Vivaro will be hosting the FEI World Championships for Eventing and Driving, from 15-25 September. Course Designer Giuseppe della Chiesa and Director of the Championships concluded: “From a sports side the cross-country went well here this week. From the side of the organisation, there's a lot to do yet but we are getting there, and it was very important to have this competition as a Nations Cup and also as a test event. The nature of the soil here is something unique. Horses love it and if it rains, it doesn’t change it and there are very few places in the world like that. It is an important venue as the Olympic venue in 1960 and is one of the very few Olympic venues which is still used for the same purpose.”

The FEI Nations Cup™ Eventing action moves to Houghton Hall (GBR) from 26-29 May, the second of nine events in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Series.

By Eleanore Kelly

After two Covid-impacted and therefore abbreviated seasons, the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ will return in full force, with the opening event to be held at Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA) from 11-15 May. This prestigious venue near Rome, is also hosting this year’s FEI World Championships for Eventing and Driving, which runs from 12-15 September. This will be considered a test event.

The 2022 Nations Cup season will run from May to October this year, with nine legs, eight of which are held around Europe and one in Canada. The final event will be held at Boekelo on 6-9 October, where the Series Team Champions will be decided. This FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Series, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, is open to all nations, at CCIO4* Short and Long level. The final classification of the Series will be made by accumulation of the points obtained by teams in each competition. It is open to individuals and riders can also gain FEI points for the world rankings and purpose of qualification for championships.

All-star line-up at the home of Italian eventing

57 athletes from 12 nations, spanning four continents, are entered including multiple leading riders. Many are hoping to impress selectors, as well as get a feel of this year’s World Championships venue. Andrew Hoy (AUS), who has won six Olympic medals, including individual bronze and team silver in Tokyo, will be joined by another Australian stalwart, Bill Levett.

Five time Olympian and double gold medallist, Ingrid Klimke joins four other riders from Germany, including her Beijing Olympic team gold medallist Andreas Dibowski. Germany have been overall champions four times, which is more than any other nation.

2019 FEI Nations Cup™ champions Sweden, boast a strong squad of five riders, including London 2012 silver medallist Sara Algotsson Ostholt. France, too, puts forward an impressive team of riders, including their three Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists: Christopher Six, Nicolas Touzaint and Karim Florent Laghouag.

Team New Zealand includes the current World No 5 and 6, Jonelle Price and her husband Tim Price. Their former Kiwi teammate Andrew Nicholson, who has now retired from top competition, has been coaching the promising Swiss team with great success. Team Switzerland come to Pratoni with five riders including Mélody Johner, who is entered on Toublou De Rueire, with whom she also finished 17th at her first Olympics in Tokyo.

Host nation Italy are fielding 16 riders. They have a good track record on home turf, having won the third and final leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ in 2020, which was held in Montelibretti (ITA), and helped them finish second in the overall rankings.

After Pratoni, the Series will continue at Houghton Hall in Great Britain from 26-29 May.

Further details about the FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ series can be found here.

FEI President Ingmar De Vos is set to be re-elected for a third and final four-year term after being confirmed as the sole candidate for the Presidential election that will take place during the FEI General Assembly in Cape Town (RSA) on 13 November 2022.

“Since being elected FEI President, I have been fortunate and extremely grateful to have many National Federations, friends and the staff at FEI Headquarters support me in my work, and show unwavering commitment to the continued development of our sport and organisation,” Ingmar De Vos said.

“Remaining relevant as a sport, further expanding our fan base by attracting new and young athletes and maintaining our place in the Olympic and Paralympic movements remain our priorities for the future and we will only achieve all this if we continue working together with these common goals in mind.”

The 58-year-old Belgian native took up the post of FEI President in 2014 after receiving an overwhelming majority in the first round of voting, earning 98 votes out of a possible 131, at the FEI General Assembly in Baku (AZE). Four years later at the FEI General Assembly in Manama (BRN), Ingmar De Vos was standing unopposed and received unanimous support for a second term.

During his Presidency, De Vos has overseen changes to the Olympic and Paralympic formats as well as a major overhaul of the FEI Rules and Regulations governing the discipline of Endurance. In his second mandate, he guided the FEI through the Covid-19 pandemic and the outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) that resulted in an FEI-imposed six-week shutdown of international equestrian sport. He has been instrumental to the organisational growth of the FEI, in particular the recent creation of the International Grooms Association (IGA).

The 13^th FEI President since the Federation was founded in 1921, Ingmar De Vos became the first male to head the organisation after a 28-year run of consecutive female Presidents when he was elected in 2014. Over his career De Vos has gained recognition for his skills as a sports administrator and for being a gender equality advocate.  

De Vos is only the fourth FEI President to be elected an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member, a position he has held since September 2017, and is currently on the IOC Legal Affairs, Women in Sport and the Los Angeles 2028 Coordination Commissions. He also served in the past as a member of the IOC Digital and Technology Commission.

In March 2017, he became a UN International Gender Champion (IGC), joining a leadership network that brings together female and male decision-makers determined to break down gender barriers and make gender equality a working reality in their spheres of influence.

He is currently a Council member of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). He is also a member of the Executive Committees of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and SportAccord.

More about Ingmar De Vos: https://inside.fei.org/about/president

Ingmar De Vos was born on 5 August 1963. He holds degrees in political science, and international and European law, and started his career as an advisor to the Belgian Senate. He joined the Belgian Equestrian Federation as managing director in 1990, and held the additional role of Secretary General from 1997 to 2011.

During his time at the Belgian National Federation, Ingmar De Vos was chef de mission for the Belgian team at all six FEI World Equestrian Games™ between 1990 and 2010 and at three Olympic Games – Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. He is a member of the Belgian Olympic Academy. He was co-founder of the European Equestrian Federation (EEF) in 2010 and was also Secretary General from 2010 until 2011, when he joined the FEI.

After three years as FEI Secretary General, Ingmar De Vos was elected as FEI President in December 2014 and re-elected in November 2018.

About 2022 wider elections

The FEI will announce the candidates for the Athlete Representatives on 9 May. The remaining positions to be elected and appointed during the FEI General Assembly 2022 will be announced in June following the Nominations Committee meeting. All information can be found here.

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in an equine anti-doping case involving a Banned Substance.

In this case, the horse Halo (FEI ID 105ZA57/ITA), ridden by Guiseppe De Luca (FEI ID 10047635/ITA), tested positive for the Banned Substance Stanozolol, following samples taken at the CSI2* Oliva (ESP), on 3 October 2020.

The athlete was able to provide an explanation as to how the substance entered the horse’s system. His veterinarian had treated the horse with Sungate, containing Stanozolol, in the athlete’s presence, despite the fact that Banned Substances such Stanozolol are prohibited at all times.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal imposed an ineligibility period of 18-months on the athlete starting from the date of the Final Decision. The athlete admitted the violation and accepted a six month reduction of the period of ineligibly. The provisional suspension of the athlete, which came into effect on 11 November 2020, shall be credited against the ineligibility period, meaning the athlete will be ineligible until 10 May 2022. He was also fined CHF 5,000. A separate procedure has also been opened against the veterinarian of the athlete.

The parties can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the decision.

The full Decision is available here. 

 

Notes to Editors:

FEI Equine Prohibited Substances

The FEI Prohibited Substances List is divided into two sections: Controlled Medication and *Banned Substances. Controlled Medication substances are those that are regularly used to treat horses, but which must have been cleared from the horse’s system by the time of competition. Banned (doping) Substances should never be found in the body of the horse and are prohibited at all times.

In the case of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for a Banned Substance, the Person Responsible (PR) is automatically provisionally suspended from the date of notification (with the exception of certain cases involving a Prohibited Substance which is also a **Specified Substance). The horse is provisionally suspended for two months.

**Specified Substances

The FEI introduced the concept of Specified Substances in 2016. Specified Substances should not in any way be considered less important or less dangerous than other Prohibited Substances (i.e. whether Banned or Controlled). Rather, they are simply substances that are more likely to have been ingested by horses for a purpose other than the enhancement of sport performance, for example, through a contaminated food substance. Positive cases involving Specified Substances can be handled with a greater degree of flexibility within the structure of the FEI Regulations.

Information on all substances is available on the searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database.

FEI Clean Sport - human athletes

The FEI is part of the collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport led by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The aim of this movement is to protect fair competition as well as athlete health and welfare.

WADA’s Prohibited List identifies the substances and methods prohibited in- and out-of-competition, and in particular sports. The substances and methods on the List are classified by different categories (e.g., steroids, stimulants, gene doping).

As a WADA Code Signatory, the FEI runs a testing programme for human athletes based on WADA’s List of Prohibited List of Substances and Methods and on the Code-compliant FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA).

For further information, please consult the Clean Sport section of the FEI website here.

 

 

 

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges was unanimously elected President of the International Horse Sports Confederation (IHSC) at the organisation’s General Assembly on 22 April 2022, which was conducted online again this year due to the ongoing pandemic.

The IHSC was created in 2013, when the Fédération Equestre International (FEI) and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) joined forces to create the first formal vehicle for cooperation between the world’s leading bodies for equestrian sport. The Presidency of the IHSC rotates between the founding members.

As the third President of the IHSC, Engelbrecht-Bresges succeeds FEI President Ingmar De Vos who held the position from 2019 to 2022, and IFHA Chairman Emeritus Louis Romanet who led the IHSC from 2017 to 2019. Engelbrecht-Bresges, who previously served as IHSC Vice President, will hold the office of President for a two-year term. He will be supported by Ingmar De Vos, who takes over as IHSC Vice-President.

Following his election as IHSC President, Engelbrecht-Bresges said:

“I am very grateful to be elected President of the IHSC and must pay tribute to Ingmar, whose leadership at the helm of the Confederation has been significantly important and impactful for global horse sport.

“I would also like to pay tribute to Louis Romanet, Chairman Emeritus of the IFHA, and a previous President and Vice-President of the IHSC. His vision for both the IFHA and the IHSC has laid the groundwork for these organisations to work in harmony for our shared missions.

“The relationship between the FEI and the IFHA has indeed been strengthened during the pandemic, and I look forward to leading the IHSC as President, and advancing our shared ideals and activities, specifically our partnership with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).”

Engelbrecht-Bresges, who previously served as the standing representative of the IFHA in the IHSC General Assembly, is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), a position he has held since 2007.

He also serves as the Chair of the IFHA, the global leader for the international sport of Thoroughbred racing, and the Chairman of the Asian Racing Federation (ARF), which comprises 27 national racing authorities and racing-related organisations from across Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Middle East.

“I am very pleased to pass the Presidential baton to Winfried and I know that the IHSC will benefit greatly from his capable leadership,” Ingmar De Vos said.    

“With his vast experience in horse racing and his commitment to the welfare and wellbeing of equine and human athletes, Winfried also has a thorough understanding of the needs and expectations of the industry in the years to come.   

“Effective coordination between the racing and equestrian communities has been extremely beneficial since the formation of the IHSC and is vital to ensure the sustainable development of equestrian sport. I know that we will continue to build on our partnership and all the excellent work that has already been done to date and I look forward to now supporting Winfried in the IHSC’s next chapter.”