Welcome to this extraordinary edition of the FEI Annual Report 2020, which looks back in detail on one of the most uniquely challenging years in the history of our sport.

The Covid-19 pandemic created a big gap between what we had all planned for 2020 and the actual reality of what took place. Everyone and everything was affected on both a personal and professional level. And, when it came to our sport, our industry, and our lifestyle, we had to face a lot of challenges but also find solutions rapidly and efficiently in an ever-changing situation.

The scale and the loss of Events was a huge concern to the FEI because it affected every sector of our community and their livelihoods. When the year began, we had expected to have around 4,800 Events on the international calendar, in line with our 2019 figures. In reality, and as a result of Covid-19, nearly 70% of those events were cancelled or postponed, and the real figure was closer to the region of 2,000 International Events in 2020, as you will discover in our section FEI World of Sport.

In order to rapidly come up with efficient solutions for the FEI Calendar, as well as the many rules which govern our international events and series, our Rankings and our qualification processes, for example, we created the FEI Calendar Task Forces, made up of representatives from the entire industry. This was a key step in our response and allowed us to pre-empt, evaluate and find solutions.

Working closely with the FEI Medical Committee, we were also able to rapidly establish the FEI Policy for Enhanced Competition Safety during the Covid-19 Pandemic, effective risk assessments and guidelines based on the recommendations from the World Health Organization, and thereby support our Organisers and the entire “Event” industry so that they could get back to work and provide our athletes with events to compete at.

The postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games was one of the big challenges we had to contend with, creating a whole raft of complications and logistical difficulties which had to be absorbed and overcome by all members of the sporting community including the athletes, the teams and the National Federations in terms of preparations and gaining eligibility. And it required an incredible and absolutely awe-inspiring effort by the hosts for these Games – Japan – as well as the Olympic and Paralympic Committees, to see them through.

From the very beginning, as an organisation, our main priority was to mitigate the effects and focus on the opportunities where we could make a difference to safeguard the community and protect the sport. Resilience and determination are key sporting traits, and there is no doubt that the pandemic put all our systems to the test, especially our ability to adapt, communicate and work together towards common goals.

From a Governance perspective, 2020 also forced us to rethink our traditional get-togethers, especially with regards to the annual FEI Sport Forum and the FEI General Assembly. With mass gatherings and travel possibilities largely off the table, it quickly became evident that hosting both these events would only be feasible virtually, a first for us, and we successfully made it happen. Numerous other adaptations throughout the year, such as working from home for our FEI Staff, also had to be put in place, and I invite you to read up on all our efforts in the FEI Governance Highlights as well as the dedicated Covid-19 timeline where we retrace each and every Covid-19 related decision, measure and milestone.

It certainly was not plain sailing, but thanks to solid governance structures in place, and to the great solidarity within the community always ready and willing to contribute, we salvaged everything we could, we embraced flexibility and where possible, we were able to help resume competitions safely, and innovate when it came to decision making processes and meetings.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the FEI staff, the FEI Board and Committee members, the Task Forces, the National Federations, the Athletes, the Owners, the Organisers, the Officials and every member of the community that helped get us through. I was humbled and inspired by the strength and power of our sport and the determination of every individual and organisation to overcome adversity.

Lastly, but definitely not least, I would like to thank our sponsors and in particular our Top Partner Longines for their loyalty and passion for equestrian sport and the unique values which make us stand out from the rest.

Ingmar De Vos, FEI President