Angola joined the FEI Family on 14 December 2014 following unanimous approval at the FEI General Assembly in Azerbaijan. This made them the 133rd country to gain membership, joining Group IX which includes South Africa, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Swaziland, Botswana, Senegal, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritius and Kenya. Less than 12 months later, in Puerto Rico the FEI General Assembly approved the affiliation of the Bosnia and Herzegovina National Federation (BIH), bringing the number of National Federations affiliated to the FEI to 134.
Over the course of 2015, the FEI signed Memorandums of Understanding with the following associations:
These now join the growing list of associations and organisations which already had MOUs in place with the FEI: IJRC, IDRC, IDTC, WHW, IEOC, NRHA, AQHA, ISJC, IEOA, IHSC, IFHA, FIP, IGEQ and GCT.
The following commercial partnerships were also concluded in 2015:
Ariat International®, the US-based leader in Western and English footwear and apparel, signed an exclusive licensing and sponsorship agreement with the FEI at the FEI World Cup™ Finals in Las Vegas. Working alongside the FEI, Ariat will develop a new co-branded product collection to launch at the prestigious Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final in Gothenburg (SWE) in 2016, with a share of the sales proceeds going to FEI Solidarity. The product range will also be available for purchase on-site at the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Western European and North American League qualifier events from 2016 to 2018, as well as at Ariat retailers and online in Europe and North America. Additionally, this new three-year partnership includes a supporting sponsorship of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Finals starting in 2016.
"Ariat is proud to partner with the FEI as the official equestrian footwear and apparel supplier. We offer the most innovative performance footwear and apparel for the world's top equestrian athletes, making our partnership with the FEI a terrific match. Our goal is to work together to continue to grow the sport globally."
The FEI appointed IMG, the world's largest independent producer and distributor of sports programming, as its production partner. The new five-year partnership, which started on 1 July 2015 and runs until 30 June 2020, covers post production services for the FEI's entire portfolio of broadcast products across the FEI-named series and championships. The partnership also includes a wide range of programming for the FEI's global broadcast partners as well as for the FEI's digital platforms such as FEI TV, FEI TV On The Go and the FEI YouTube channel.
The move follows the decision last December to renew long-standing broadcast distribution partnerships with IMG and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to the end of 2022 in agreements that will generate markedly increased coverage of the world's most prestigious equestrian events.
"It is vital that the FEI demonstrates the strengths of equestrian sport against the Olympic backdrop and as our sport grows globally. Working closely with IMG Media, the FEI will be delivering compelling, cutting edge content for broadcast, as well digitally and online."