2006 FEI General Assembly - special update, day 2

The 2nd day of the 2006 FEI General Assembly week was devoted to the meeting of the FEI Bureau consisting of preparation of matters and decisions to be taken at the General Assembly.

All the FEI disciplines were reviewed and the transfer of governance of the Para-Equestrian discipline from the International Paralympic Committee to the FEI was announced. The appointment of a technical committee for Para-Equestrian was also discussed.

Earlier this month, the FEI President HRH The Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Sir Philip Craven signed an agreement for the transfer of governance of equestrian sport for persons with disabilities from the IPC to the FEI. This agreement will be formalised on 2 May during the FEI General Assembly and will come into full effect on 1 July.

Dressage competitions for riders with disabilities started in Scandinavia and in Great Britain in the 1970s. In 1987, the first Dressage World Championship was held in Sweden, followed by a first participation in the Paralympic Games in Atlanta in 1996. In 1991, the IPC appointed the International Paralympic Equestrian Committee (IPEC) to run competitions and develop equestrian sport for the disabled world-wide. This was done successfully; in 2005, there were some 38 nations from five continents competing. In 2004, the sport was moved from the IPC, a general sports organisation, to the FEI, the international governing body of equestrian sport and the natural home for all equestrians. Para-equestrian became the eigth FEI discipline.

The FEI is immensely proud to be the first International Federation to embrace a sport of the IPC as a full part of its organisation.

The FEI General Assembly week is continuing tomorrow with the meetings of the geographical groups.



Media contact in Kuala Lumpur:
Malina Gueorguiev, FEI Communications Department
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