The Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) will host a key meeting with stakeholders on 1 October 2024 to begin in-depth discussions on addressing the challenges currently impacting Dressage. This meeting marks the start of a broader effort to develop a comprehensive long-term strategy to ensure the sport’s sustainability and growth.
The meeting will bring together representatives from national federations, athletes, officials, organisers, trainers, and veterinary experts. It will also serve as a platform to update the Dressage community on ongoing research and development initiatives, including the oral cavity study.
“While the FEI fully recognises the challenges currently facing the discipline of Dressage and has worked to address issues as they have arisen, the primary focus in recent months has been on delivering key events, as well as a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, which has required considerable attention and resources,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos explained.
“Our goal now is to collaborate closely with all our stakeholders to address the challenges facing Dressage. While many in our community recognise the urgency of the situation, others may not yet fully grasp the critical juncture at which equestrian sport currently stands.
“While the FEI is committed to seeking collective solutions and fostering consensus wherever possible, the safety and well-being of our horses remain our top priority. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that Dressage is a discipline where the sport is conducted in a manner that focuses on the horse’s comfort.
“While the FEI is committed to seeking collective solutions and fostering consensus wherever possible, the safety and well-being of our horses remain our top priority
FEI President Ingmar De Vos
This meeting aligns with the FEI’s recently launched “Be a Guardian” initiative, which calls on the equestrian community to embrace their roles as guardians of FEI horses. This initiative is part of the FEI Action Plan, developed from the recommendations of the independent Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission’s final report.
Ingmar De Vos continued:
“As the governing body, the FEI is prepared to take the necessary decisions to ensure that we are living up to our promise to ‘Be a Guardian’ for our equine partners, and to improve the standards of safety and care in our sport. We have shown in recent months that the FEI is ready to step in and take decisive action when the need arises.
“As the sport evolves, we must adapt and find effective solutions to current challenges. Our success depends on the community’s willingness to approach these issues with an open mind and work together toward common ground.”
As Dressage continues to evolve, this meeting could be crucial in shaping the future of the sport, ensuring it remains a discipline that prioritises the welfare of its equine athletes.
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Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.