Welcome to the FEI Annual Report 2019, featuring a comprehensive retrospective of equestrian sport, from the champions to the important decisions we had to make off the field in order to ensure the very best for our sport, our athletes and the global community.
Looking back is important because it also helps us to look forward and to find the inspiration and the courage we need to overcome adversity in difficult times. As you can imagine, I am writing this foreword in 2020 and we are in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, an unprecedented situation that we could not have envisaged 12 months ago. The community is suffering, and there is no doubt in my mind that this is the biggest challenge we have ever been confronted with as a sport and as an industry. But there is also no doubt in my mind – and especially as I review our collective efforts of previous years – that we have a great sport and a great community, and together we will secure our future and find a way to get back on track.
Back to 2019. It was a very busy year, and as you will see from the numbers available in our FEI Facts and Figures page, international events and registrations continued to increase, with new nations further developing their equestrian know-how and talent thanks to FEI Solidarity, and the drive and dedication of our 137 member National Federations around the world.
From a sporting perspective, we started the year strong, crowning new champions in FEI World Cup™ Jumping, Dressage, Driving and Vaulting following some electrifying performances and incredible showmanship around the world during the indoor season. The Longines FEI Jumping and FEI Dressage World Cup™ Finals took place in Gothenburg (SWE), the very same venue to host the first Jumping Final in 1978. Steve Guerdat (SUI) claimed the Jumping title for the third time, and Isabell Werth (GER) made it very clear that she is the undisputed queen of Dressage by adding another win to an already extraordinary and exhaustive list of accolades. Meanwhile, France played host to the FEI Driving and Vaulting World Cup™ Finals in Bordeaux and Saumur respectively, where youth was firmly in the spotlight as Bram Chardon (NED), at the age of 25, set a new record by becoming the youngest Driving champion in history while Germany and Colombia claimed all the top spots of the Vaulting podium with style and flair.
Being a pre-Olympic and Paralympic year, or so we thought as they have now been postponed, the stakes were high all along, as numerous events represented qualifying opportunities for nations in the three Olympic disciplines. That being said, it was also an important year for individual athletes to achieve Minimum Eligibility Requirements for Olympic/Paralympic participation and to showcase their talent to their chef d’equipes, in the hope of being shortlisted for Tokyo 2020.
The summer saw Tokyo organise a pre-Games test event to see where improvements needed to be made and to collect data for a comprehensive climate and weather study designed to ensure that all athletes, their entourage and officials are well prepared for the Games.
At the same time in Europe, it was all hands on deck as teams earned some of the last remaining Olympic slots at the Longines FEI European Championships in Rotterdam (NED) for Jumping and Dressage, and in Luhmühlen (GER) for Eventing, as well as Championships in all age categories and disciplines. And, across the Atlantic, alongside more Championships in all age categories, Peru was hosting the Pan American Games with the three Olympic disciplines on the programme, acting as a Tokyo 2020 qualifier for the Americas.
Needless to say it was a busy summer, and in amongst all of this, we continued to follow the FEI Nations Cup™ series in Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, which had started in the Spring and where, once again, the focus was on the Tokyo 2020 Games. Testing their manpower and horsepower, and for some teams also hoping to secure the last team slots for Tokyo in Jumping and Eventing, the 2019 FEI Nations Cup™ series were full of suspense and excitement. We were all on the edge of our seats during the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final in Barcelona with the formidable win by Team Ireland – just ahead of defending champions Belgium – and a major cause for celebration, as they not only won the 2019 title but also the last Olympic team slot.
These are some of the sporting highlights from last year which you will find detailed in the FEI World of Sport section, but there were many more. There were actually 4,708 international events held in 2019 and 811 FEI Championship medals distributed! New partnerships and a powerful integrated digital strategy in place, generated extensive media coverage at key events throughout the year, which led to a clear increase in global media outreach and interest for our sport!
We are a team sport in every sense of the word, and whether that is national teams going head-to-head or the incredible team spirit and partnership between an athlete, their horse, the owners, the grooms, the farriers, the coaches, the vets and the intricate web that works together, we have a lot to be proud of. I am also extremely grateful to all the Organisers around the world for their professionalism and innovation and would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation for all their efforts. They play an invaluable role at the heart of the equestrian movement, bringing the fans to the shows and giving our sport a platform to shine.
From a governance perspective, the FEI Sports Forum held in April, once again provided an important platform for discussions and debate around the challenges and questions we are faced with. Alongside Tokyo 2020 updates and the review of the FEI Legal system, we used the Sports Forum platform to delve into the ethos of Endurance as well as discuss the future of Reining, topics that required stakeholder consultation in build-up to the FEI General Assembly 2019. And we also looked at the bigger picture, from a societal perspective when it comes to gender equality and how we can be leaders in our field by improving our processes, our awareness and our expectations.
The FEI General Assembly in Moscow was the final step in a very eventful year. We took important and far-reaching decisions that require stakeholder buy-in in order to be successful. And, we also said farewell to outgoing members, including our Vice President HE Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa (BRN), who also served as Chair of FEI Regional Group VII, and has been a tremendous asset to the FEI. I am extremely grateful for his wise counsel over these past years and the wonderful representation he has done for his region. Looking to the future, it was important that we retained a voice within the FEI Executive Board for the Asia region, and I was delighted to see the nomination of Regional Group VIII Chair Jack Huang (TPE) unanimously and enthusiastically endorsed by the General Assembly, to stand alongside Mark Samuel (CAN) as FEI Vice President. Like I have said, this is a team effort, and our strength is in our unity on the very big challenges we face. Together we can drive change and promote the very best of our sport.
The General Assembly ended on a glamorous note, with the celebration of our sport, our community and our heroes at the FEI Awards Gala presented by Longines in a most iconic location: the Kremlin State Palace.
The camaraderie and diversity within the equestrian world is particularly inspiring and it is what makes our strength. I am humbled by the dedication and the determination of our community, and particularly at the time of writing, when we are facing a completely unprecedented situation with the Covid-19 pandemic, I am grateful for the strength and resolve of all equestrian people.
The FEI is a service organisation and we are dedicated to our members and the global equestrian sporting landscape. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our National Federation members for their drive and ambition, the FEI Board and Committee Members for their tremendous input and guidance as well as the FEI Headquarters led by FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez, for their unrelenting efforts to manage and grow our sport sustainably and fairly.
And now, last but not least, I would like to thank our partners and sponsors, and in particular the FEI’s Top Partner Longines for the wonderful collaboration and vision to represent the very best of our sport.
Let us keep up the good work and appreciate every aspect and every defining quality the equestrian world has to offer!
Ingmar De Vos, FEI President
