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Following the tragic fatalities in Eventing in 1998 and 1999,
a special committee was created, led by Lord Hartington, to
take a serious look at the discipline and decide what measures
had to be implemented to ensure a safe sport.
That year, the Bureau was affected by the loss of two of its
most eminent Members, the Treasurer Conor Crowley and
Lord Lowry, Chairman of the Judicial Committee.
The Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games
and its hundreds of horses was a delight for all equestrian
fans. The horse is indeed intrinsically linked to the history of
Australia, and the Olympic equestrian competitions were a
resounding success.
The same year, Lord Hartington presented the conclusions on
Eventing safety, after a thorough reflection on the discipline.
A number of measures recommended by the committee were
immediately implemented.
2001 was an eventful year. The foot - and - mouth disease hit
Europe and many events were cancelled due to travel restrictions.
The Eventing Committee initiated several Forums on different
continents to gather views on the future of this discipline and
discuss its format.
2001 was the International Year of the Volunteers and the
FEI decided to create the FEI Award for Dedicated and Distinguished
Services to Equestrian Sport. Prince Philip and Bill
Steinkraus were unanimously designated to receive the first
two Awards.
6 FEI ANNUAL REPORT 2005
The 2002 FEI World Equestrian Games brought 300,000
spectators to Jerez. Andalusia, the Spanish province where
Jerez is located, is a true horse country enjoying a rich equestrian
heritage going back centuries. The FEI World Equestrian
Games benefited from the spectacular media coverage, and
Reining made a triumphant debut on the FEI scene. The 2006
World Equestrian Games were awarded to Aachen.
Eventing found itself under pressure once again: while the
equestrian world had gathered in Jerez, the IOC Programme
Commission issued a report recommending that the discipline
be dropped from the programme of the Games of the XXIX
Olympiad in Beijing. The FEI took immediate action and, within
weeks, came up with a proposal for a revised format with a
much lower financial impact on the Olympic host city, while
maintaining the intensity and difficulty of the competition to
ensure that the Olympic Games remain the highest level of
the sport.
The launch of the Samsung Super League in 2003 was a big hit
with everyone, media representatives, riders and spectators
alike. The FEI also established an Eventing World Cup which
immediately found its public and became a must for the
riders and organisers. Faced with its exceptional growth, the
discipline of Endurance went through much debate, which led
to a world forum in Paris. For the first time in its history, the FEI
was forced to cancel its General Assembly, due to take place
in Bahrain. A Bureau Meeting was organised instead in Madrid,
at which it was decided to reinforce the FEI development
activities and a Development Working Group was created.
Its major goals were the creation of a basic structure to help
developing NFs organise sport in their country, the creation
of a universal coaching system and the establishment of
progressive regional competitions and championships. In the
development field, strategy is crucial and we need to offer to
our NFs not simply technical assistance but a real method for
planning sport in their respective countries. The same year,
the FEI Commercial Division was created.
In 2004, the Olympic Games went back to their roots in
Greece. Athens offered its hospitality and magnificent facilities
and the equestrian competitions were wonderfully organised
at Markopoulo. The FEI development programmes were
bearing their fruit and the number of nations taking part in the
Olympic Games significantly grew from 25 in Atlanta to 39 in
Athens. Unfortunately, judging controversies and the positive
cases of two Olympic medallists had a devastating impact on
the sport. Maybe the FEI needed such an electroshock to think
over its anti-doping procedures and develop a real strategy in
this field. As a result, the Bureau decided to establish a Task
Force on Doping and Medication Procedures.
The Task Force presented its conclusions and a detailed action
plan at the 2005 General Assembly in London, as you will
read in this report. The Legal Department was strengthened
and the anti - doping procedures completely revamped. The
FEI Equine Anti-Doping and Medication Control Rules, which
were presented to the Bureau at the end of 2005, intend to
preserve the «spirit of the sport», and its values of ethics, fair
play, health and excellence in performance.
At the 2005 General Assembly, the FEI was pleased to welcome
Para Equestrian as its eighth discipline. The 2006 - 2010 FEI
Strategic Plan was approved and you will read more on the
initiated restructuring process in a dedicated chapter of this
Annual Report. The implementation of the new FEI brand
should not be forgotten as it was one of the main achievements
of 2005. In December, the FEI Bureau awarded the 2010 FEI
Games for the first time outside of Europe. A long-awaited
decision for the Kentucky Organising Committee and the US
Federation which were presenting their candidature for the
second time.
In conclusion, I would like thank all my fellow Bureau Members
for their dedication and support, and for sharing their experience
with me during all these years. My gratitude also goes to the
faithful FEI staff in Lausanne, for their untiring efforts and
commitment.
Equestrian sport is a beautiful yet demanding sport and the
horse is our common source of inspiration. After these 12
years, my main satisfaction is probably that we all talk to each
other. We don’t always agree, but there is a receptive attitude
among all parties and an environment of exchange without
which the sport cannot exist. Thank you.
HRH The Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón
FEI ANNUAL REPORT 2005 7