1st FEI President from 1921 to 1927

Baron du Teil became a member of the Société Hippique Française (SHF) in 1879. He was elected to the SHF Bureau in 1886 and served as its President from 1902 to 1933. From 1921 to 1931 he was the first President of the Fédération Equestre Française (French Equestrian Federation). He attended the Military Academy St. Cyr and was promoted to Colonel in World War One.

Baron du Teil died on 29 June 1933 in Paris.

FEI President from 1927 to 1929

General Gerrit Johannes Maris, was born on 22 September 1868 in Klundert. In 1923 he was one of the founders of the Nederlandsche Hippische Sportbond (Dutch Equestrian Federation). He served as its President from 1923 to1929. He was President of the Organising Committee for the Equestrian Events at the 1928 Olympic Games. In 1902 he ended in 10th place in the famous Endurance ride at Brussels Ostende. He was promoted to General-Major (Cavalry).

General Maris died on 25 July 1938 in Breda.

FEI President from 1929 to 1931 & from 1936 to 1939. FEI Vice President from 1931 to 1936 & from 1939 to 1942

Jhr Karel F. Quarles van Ufford was born on the 4 November 1880 in Loosduinen and was President of the Nederlandsche Hippische Sportbond (Dutch Equestrian Federation) from 1929 to 1940. He was a successful competitor in national events in Jumping and Eventing and was a member of the Ground Juries at the Olympic Games of 1924, 1928 and 1936. He was Secretary of the Organising Committee for the Equestrian Events of the 1928 Olympic Games. He was also promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel of the mounted Artillery.

Jhr Quarles van Ufford died on 19 March 1942 in The Hague.

FEI President from 1931 to 1935 and FEI Vice President from 1935 to 1939

General Guy V. Henry was born on 28 of January 1880 in an army tent in the Red Cloud Indian Territory, Nebraska. He was a member of the US Army team at the 5th Olympic Games in 1912 in Stockholm, where he competed in all three equestrian disciplines and received a bronze medal for Eventing. He was a veteran of three wars and Chief of US Calvary from 1930 to 1934. General Henry retired in 1947 as Major-General. He was also President of the Organising Committee for the Equestrian Events at the 1932 Olympic Games and was a Member of the Ground Jury for the 1936 Olympic Games.

General Henry died on 29 November 1967 in Wenatchee, Washington.

FEI President from 1935 to 1936 and Bureau Member from 1931 to 1935

Baron Max von Holzing-Berstett was born on 1 January 1867 in Karisruhe and had a prominent army career with the Dragoons, the Imperial Guard and the Uhlans. From 1909 to 1914 he served as Aide de Camp to the Emperor. He was promoted to Major-General in World War One. He rode nationally and was influential in shaping the riding style in the Imperial Army.  He also served as a member of the Ground Jury at the 1928 Olympic Games.

Baron von Holzing-Berstett died on 9 September 1936 in Freiburg.

FEI President from 1939 to 1946

Mr Magnus Rydman was born on 8 November 1891. He was the Managing Director of the Ford Corporation from 1936 to 1956 and President of National Federation of Finland from 1935 to 1946 and again from 1948 to 1952. He was a member of the Finnish National Olympic Committee from 1938 to 1953 and was elected as President of the FEI at the last FEI Congress before World War II, on 4 April 1939.

Magnus Rydman died on 3 June 1970 in Helsinki.

FEI President from 1946 to 1954. FEI Vice President from 1936 to 1942. Bureau Member from 1932 to 1936

Baron Gaston de Trannoy was born on 18 October 1880. He had an army career in the Guides and was promoted to General. He competed in the 1912 Olympic Games in all three equestrian disciplines and in the 1920 Games placed 7^th in Dressage. Baron Gaston de Trannoy was President of the Fédération Royale Beige des Sports Equestres from 1932 to 1954 and was a Member of the Organising Committee for the Equestrian Events in the 1920 Olympic Games. He was also a Member of the Ground Jury at four Olympic Games (1924, 1928, 1936, and 1956).

Baron Gaston de Trannoy died on 22 December 1960 in Villers-la-Ville.

FEI President from 1954 to 1964 and Bureau Member from 1964 to 1967

Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands was born on 29 June 1911 in Woynowo, Mark Brandenburg. In 1937 he married Princess (later Queen) Juliana of the Netherlands. He spent two years at the Netherlands Cavalry School training in Dressage and Jumping. He was an active competitor nationally and internationally in Jumping, Dressage and Eventing and was a member of the Dutch National Jumping Team in Le Zoute. At several Olympic Games he served as a Member of the Appeals Jury. He was for many years, President of the World Wildlife Fund.

Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands died on 1 December 2004 in Utrecht (NED).

FEI President from 1964 to 1986

Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh was born on 10 June 1921 in Corfu, Greece.  In 1947 he married Princess (later Queen) Elizabeth. He was educated in Great Britain and was active in cricket, hockey, rowing and sailing and had a naval career from 1939 to 1951, where he served as Lieutenant-Commander. The Prince was an excellent polo-player and took up Four-in-hand Driving when it became an FEI discipline in the early seventies. He competed at six World and three European Championships and placed sixth individually in the 1982 World Championships. He was a Member of the British gold medal team at 1980 World Championships and a member of the British bronze medal teams at the 1978, 1982 and 1984 World Championships. Prince Philip was President of the World Wildlife Fund.

FEI President from 1986 to 1994

The Princess Royal GCVO, was born in 1950 and is the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, President of the FEI from 1964 to 1986. Riding since the age of 3 the Princess rode in her first Eventing competition in 1970. She was the European Eventing Champion in 1971 at Burghley on Doublet and was a Member of the silver medal team and 2^nd individually in the European Championships in 1975 at Luhmühlen on her mount Goodwill.

She also competed in the 1973 European and the 1974 World Championships and in the 1976 Olympic Games. She was President of the British Olympic Association (NOC). The Princess is the Patron of Riding for the Disabled, President of Save the Children Fund since 1970, and Patron of the World Breeding Federation Sport Horses.

FEI President from 1994 to 2006

H.R.H. the Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbòn, Duchess of Badajoz, daughter of Their Royal Highnesses the Count and Countess of Barcelona, was born in 1936 and subsequently resided in Italy, Switzerland and Portugal. In Portugal, she obtained her nursing diploma and practised her profession for three years in various hospitals. She speaks six languages fluently. She is actively involved in several charities: Red Cross, Friends of the Monasteries, Foundation for the Defense of Life, Nuevo Futuro, Action Aid, Foundation for Investigation and Training in Oncology, as well as other institutions of cultural interest; she is Honorary President of the Spanish Equestrian Federation and Member of the Spanish Olympic Committee.

From an early age, she has been involved with equestrian activities together with her mother and brothers. During her youth in Portugal, she took part in various local horse shows. In Spain, she presided and promoted Eventing for beginners as well as numerous other equestrian events.

Her Royal Highness was elected member of the International Olympic Committee in 1996.

HRH died on 8 January 2020 in Madrid.

FEI President from 2006 – 2014

HRH Princess Haya became the 13^th FEI President on 1 May 2006 on the basis of a Manifesto she presented to the General Assembly and was re-elected to serve a second term in November 2010. Many important developments and initiatives have come to fruition since Her election, from the commercial aspects of sponsorship and broadcasting, to the far reaching campaigns of Clean Sport and FEI Solidarity. The inauguration of the FEI Headquarters in Lausanne, the HM King Hussein I Building, donated by HRH Princess Haya in April 2011 is the most tangible phase of a construction process that has taken place since Her election which has seen the FEI expand its team of professionals and improve the services it owes to the global equestrian community.

HRH Princess Haya has been an IOC member since 2007 and has served on the IOC Athletes’ Commission (2005-2010) and on the Commission for Culture and Olympic Education. In June 2010 She became a Global Patron for the World Academy of Sport.

At age 13, HRH Princess Haya was the first female to represent Jordan internationally in equestrian sport in Jumping. She won an Individual Bronze Medal in the Pan-Arab Equestrian Games in 1992, and is the only female ever to have won a Pan-Arab medal in equestrian sport. In 2000, HRH Princess Haya fulfilled a lifelong dream by competing at the Sydney Olympic Games in Jumping and two years later, competed for Jordan in the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Jerez, Spain, making Her the first Arab woman to qualify for and compete in equestrian sport at Olympic, world and continental championship level.