FEI 100 Years Celebration
The FEI 100 Years Celebration, held to coincide with the FEI Sports Forum 2022, was a night to remember, bringing to an end a year of festivities in honour of the creation of the FEI in 1921. Equestrian athletes and Olympic champions, officials, committee members and grooms were among the 350 guests who enjoyed an evening that began with a 1920s theme, paying homage to the decade when the FEI was founded in Paris.
With the FEI’s creation very much tied to equestrian sport’s history on the Olympic programme – dating back to 1912 – the FEI was delighted to welcome not only other International Federation representatives based in the Olympic capital Lausanne, but also a delegation from the International Olympic Committee including IOC President Thomas Bach!
In a keynote speech, President Bach paid tribute to the FEI and equestrian sports’ rich history and marked its important position within the Olympic Movement.
“Our founder Pierre de Coubertin described the uniqueness of equestrian sport in the following way: ‘Consider the sport of horse riding and see how well it portrays life. No other equals it in this.’
“Equestrian has another exceptional quality. It is one of the few sports where women and men compete as equals at all levels, proving that in Olympic sport – and on horseback – we really are all equal.
“Equestrian sport is steeped in history and tradition. At the same time, FEI has also always understood how to embrace change. And this is particularly true for the last couple of years, under the great and visionary leadership of you President, Ingmar de Vos, you have embarked on a journey of modernisation, making equestrian sport fit for the future.” – Thomas Bach, IOC President
The guests were also treated to another uplifting and memorable intervention when HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, former FEI President from 2006 to 2014, appeared live and via weblink during the Official Ceremony where she reflected on the wonderful community spirit which makes the FEI Family so unique.
For stories from the FEI’s 100 years campaign, visit the FEI 100 Years hub
FEI receives top ranking once again in ASOIF Governance Review
In 2022, the FEI secured a top-tier placing in the fourth review of International Federation Governance conducted by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF). It is the second time the FEI has earned a leading position after welcoming top classification in the previous edition of the review published two years ago.
The evaluation was conducted by the ASOIF Governance Taskforce in 2021-22. As is customary in this process, it took the form of a self-assessment questionnaire with independent moderation of the responses. The questionnaire consisted of 50 measurable indicators covering Transparency, Integrity, Democracy, Development, and Control Mechanisms. Some 33 International Federations took part in the review.
The FEI is one of the seven IFs – the others being the BFW (badminton), FIFA (football), ITF (tennis), UCI (cycling), World Athletics, and World Rugby – which, according to the review, “stood out from the rest” having secured at least 175 out of a maximum of 200 points.
“Being one of the top IFs in good governance practices is a matter of great pride for all of us at the FEI and it reflects the important strides we have taken – and continue to take - as a community to ensure integrity on the field of play but also within the decision-making process,”
FEI President, Ingmar De Vos
The complete version of ASOIF’s fourth review of International Federation Governance is available here.