Para Equestrian Sport & Accessibility

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The FEI Para Equestrian disciplines of Para Dressage and Para Driving were born from the desire to create opportunities for people with impairments to compete and achieve their goals in the sport.

The FEI was one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its able-bodied disciplines when the governance of Para Equestrian passed from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to the FEI in 2006. At the same time, the FEI created the Para Equestrian Committee and the Athletes’ Committee for all FEI disciplines (able-bodied and para).

While the FEI is working to further develop Para Equestrian sport, the International Federation has also started to focus more on broader accessibility issues.

The para sport movement plays a crucial role in showcasing ‘possibilities rather than disabilities’ and in highlighting the need for a world that is more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities.

At the FEI we believe that Equestrian sport has the power to create inclusive structures that allow access to all individuals, regardless of their physical abilities.

Changing perspectives towards disability is a key step in the accessibility journey. It is our belief that making even small changes to our working methods and organisational practices will help to move the needle on the conversation around disability inclusion, equality and equity.

  • How is Para Equestrian Sport governed in the FEI structure?

    Over the years, there has been more integration of Para Equestrian sport into the FEI’s World Championship and governance structures.

    The FEI’s host bidding requirements require Championships for Para Athletes and able-bodied Athletes to be held at the same venue. Para European Championships and other international level events are often run combined with their able-bodied sport.

    The popularity of Dressage and Para Dressage has increased rapidly in recent years, with new nations competing at the top level attracting large crowds around the world.

    The FEI Para Equestrian Committee was created in April 2006 to ensure that the needs and requirements of Para Equestrians are well represented in the work of the International Federation. In a further step to bring the governance of Olympic and Para Equestrian sport in line with each other, the Chair of the FEI Para Equestrian Committee was admitted as an official member of the FEI Board at the FEI Online General Assembly in November 2020, ensuring that Para Sports have a place at the top table’s discussions alongside able-bodied disciplines.

    FEI Solidarity actively helps National Federations and regions grow Para Equestrian, especially in terms of infrastructure and all the expertise needed to develop the sport.

    In addition to supporting individual development projects around the world, FEI Solidarity also supports ongoing education programmes for coaches, and has developed a Para Dressage module, to help take the sport to new regions.

    The FEI Solidarity and Para Dressage Departments have worked together to create the FEI Para Dressage World Challenge Series, a development programme in place since 1 January 2023. The Series aims to give athletes who are unable to participate in international events due to financial or geographical reasons, the opportunity to compete in events in their own country. These competitions are in place to help National Federations develop Para Dressage and close the gap between National and first level international competitions.

    The FEI hosts Para Equestrian Forums to create an opportunity for open dialogue, consultation and information sharing on Para Equestrian topics, and which is open to all members of the Para Equestrian community. The first Para Equestrian Forum took place in Essen (GER) in 2015, since then they have taken place each two years, in 2017 in Stow-on-the-Wold (GBR) and in 2019 in Lamotte-Beuvron (FRA).

    Following the very successful forum in 2019, it was planned to host the bi-annual event in Amsterdam (NED) in January 2021. However, with the postponement of the Paralympic Games and therefore also the major rules revision process, it was decided to move the forum online to 2022.

  • How is Para Equestrian sport represented outside of the FEI Structure?

    Para Dressage is the only equestrian discipline that is included in the Paralympic Games, where it has been a regular fixture since 1996.

    FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez was elected President of the Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations (APSO) in 2017 and then re-elected for a further four-year term in December 2021. A total of 17 International Federations and other sports organisations which govern Para Sport independently, not through the International Paralympic Committee, are now members of APSO.

    Shorts reads by FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez

    Some wise thoughts on inclusion (from the horse’s mouth)

    It’s about the possibilities and not the disabilities

    A human being can never be broken

     

  • What is the FEI doing to raise the Para voice?

    While top-down initiatives have been important to the development of Para Equestrian within the FEI’s structures, it has also had a positive impact on the general attitudes towards disability and inclusion within the equestrian community more generally.

    The FEI’s online Para Sport magazine – The Para Equestrian Digest – launched in February 2022 was created for Para Equestrian athletes and the people connected to the sport to share – in their own words – their personal experiences and disability stories. The Digest puts the spotlight on an athlete or project in Para Equestrian sport with the aim of increasing visibility for the sport and improving disability awareness and inclusion.

  • What is the FEI doing to improve Accessibility at its Events?

    In April 2023, the FEI launched a new Guide, designed to assist Event Organisers with improving accessibility for athletes, staff and spectators with disabilities, ensuring that everyone can enjoy equestrian events regardless of their disability and mobility levels.

    This Guide, which is the result of consultation and collaboration with accessibility experts, individuals with disabilities and professionals in the equestrian industry, covers venue layout, accommodation and transportation among other areas of Event planning and delivery.

    The aim is to provide Event Organisers with a set of guidelines and recommendations which eliminate barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully participating or working in sports.

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