Pippa Cuckson: reflections on an FEI GA gone wild

Horsesportinternational.com - Full Article

Today, dear readers, a very special treat. I am delighted to share with you the ruminations of journalist extraordinaire, Pippa Cuckson. I’m even more delighted to read her post and realize that she and I are on exactly the same page when it comes to the momentous events of last week in Switzerland. Sometimes, as a journalist toiling away in the vacuum that is a freelancer’s existence for at least 350 days a year, one begins to doubt one’s judgment. One’s confidence can be so shaken by the kinds of accusations that were tossed about on the floor of the GA last week, one may even come close to succumbing to the charming pressures of the one who rules the roost. Which is why it was critically important that there were enough of us sitting there at the GA last week, sharing glances of incredulity with one another as the events I’ve already reported on were unfolding, and realizing that we all saw the same thing, which is apparently very much not what most of the delegates around us were seeing.

Without further ado, here is Pippa’s guest post. Thank you Pippa, for sharing with us.

Pippa Cuckson: reflections on an FEI GA gone wild

I was amongst the small media presence at the FEI General Assembly in Montreux, where six of the scribblers had a total of more than 150 years experience in reporting FEI politics. The Thursday was certainly one of the most astonishing days any of us have sat through.

The strain on the faces of FEI senior personnel was evident earlier in the week, even in the jolly environment of the first night party where, prophetically, entertainment was provided by acrobats, fire-eaters and contortionists.

Yet by Thursday there was near-delirium as federations pleaded to reinstate a third term for Haya, after all.

Just days before, journalists around the world had been prodded to report that Haya would face calls to quit because of the doping and injuries crisis in endurance. Some – not lots, but some – national federations were briefing media that’s what they were going to ask for, oh yes, most definitely. Reporters didn’t need to make this stuff up – there is still enough shocking material about Middle East endurance riders and trainers, and the shameless behaviour of so-called officials who let them get away with it, to keep headlines going for months without resorting to invention.

But on the day, the federations we’d expected to pipe up changed their minds or lost their nerve. There are three main reasons why:

Read more here:
http://www.horsesportinternational.com/2013/11/pippa-cuckson-guest-blogger/

FEI: Endurance Strategic Planning Group Proposals

November 12 2013

The Endurance Strategic Planning Group (ESPG), organized by the FEI to address the crisis in endurance racing and to develop a 10-year plan to eliminate the horse dopings and deaths, presented their findings at the FEI General Assembly held in Lausanne, Switzerland last week.

The six-member industry-expert group consisted of Brian Sheahan of Australia, Jean-Louis Leclerc of France, Saeed Al Tayer of the UAE, Joe Mattingley of the USA, and Chairman Andrew Finding of Great Britain.

A number of proposals include registration of endurance trainers with the FEI, code of professional conduct for officials and competitors; education, mentoring, and leadership training for endurance officials, a "formal declaration before event" of any conflicts of interest; review of disciplinary procedures and penalties for athletes and officials; and education for officials and riders.

The findings of the committee will be presented at another endurance conference in Lausanne in February. More conferring and conclusions will be shared with the FEI in March, and final conclusions and proposals will be presented and made public at yet another special endurance session in Lausanne in April.

The complete plans and proposed solutions can be seen here:
ESPG Plan
ESPG Script
ESPG Vision

Pleas for Princess Haya to stand for third term

Horseandcountry.tv - Full Article

By Charlotte Ricca-Smith on 7th-Nov-2013

HRH Princess Haya has been begged by national equestrian federations from around the world to stand for a third term as FEI President.

Seeking her return

Representatives from Belgium, Mauritius, Sudan, Chinese Taipei, USA and Jamaica made speeches at the FEI general assembly in Switzerland, calling for the Princess to reconsider her decision to stand down when her presidency ends in November 2014.

“It’s ironic to think that, from the media perspective, we were told that we would be coming here to seek her resignation, but in reality we’re seeking her return,” said United States equestrian federation secretary general John Long...

Read more here:
http://www.horseandcountry.tv/news/2013/11/07/pleas-princess-haya-stand-third-term

Code of conduct' aims to clean up endurance

By Charlotte Ricca-Smith on 12th-Nov-2013

Horse & Country

Issues of doping and deaths in the sport of endurance are to be tackled by a newly formed group led by Andrew Finding, chief executive of the British Equestrian Federation.

The Endurance Strategic Planning Group (ESPG) comprises six industry experts, and was set up by the FEI to develop a 10-year-plan to erradicate the problems that the sport is currently facing.

Andrew, who is the ESPG chair, opened their first face-to-face meeting, held in Lausanne, Switzerland last week (6 November), stating that endurance needs a “clear vision and a strong strategy”.

“The strategic plan we propose sets out a vision and a set of values we will expect everyone to adhere to if they genuinely want to be an active part of our family,” he said. “Those who do not should be asked to leave us.”



Read More Here...

FEI vs. Reality: Let’s Break it Down

Eventingnation.com - Full Article

By Wylie on November 7, 2013 3:00 PM

The FEI posted a press release today titled “National Federations call on HRH Princess Haya to stand for third term as FEI President.” Which struck me as strange because I’d just read this other story in The Telegraph on Tuesday titled, “FEI president Princess Haya faces calls for resignation over doping and horse welfare crisis.” Hmmm. Somebody has clearly been snacking on coo-coo puffs … but is it the FEI or the free press?

Let’s break down the FEI press release paragraph by paragraph in an effort to figure out what’s really going on:

Representatives from National Federations on four continents made impassioned pleas for HRH Princess Haya to reverse her decision not to stand for a third term as FEI President during today’s FEI General Assembly in Montreux (SUI).

The calls came after 100 National Federations signed a petition requesting the convening of an extraordinary general assembly as soon as possible for the purpose of amending the Statutes in order to prolong the term of the FEI President.

A stark contrast to the first two paragraphs of the Telegraph story: “Princess Haya of Jordan, the wife of Sheikh Mohammed, is expected on Wednesday to face calls to resign as president of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) over the doping and horse welfare crisis in endurance racing.

“The FEI’s three-day general assembly began on Tuesday and will confront the global outcry over the drug abuse, horse deaths and brazen rule-breaking in the Middle East which have propelled the previously little-known equestrian discipline — in which horses compete over distances of up to 100 miles a day — into notoriety.”

Are they even talking about the same assembly?...

Read more here:
http://eventingnation.com/home/fei-vs-reality-lets-break-it-down.html

Amateur jockey Eilidh Grant to enjoy ‘opportunity of a lifetime’

Thenational.ae - Full Article

Amith Passela
November 9, 2013

ABU DHABI // It has been a rather unpredictable journey to the UAE for Eilidh Grant. The American amateur jockey is in Sunday night’s final of the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Championship (IFAHR) by default.

Grant, 33, was chosen as one of tonight’s 14 riders after she finished fourth in a qualifying race in Poland. The winner was disqualified while the second- and third- placed finishers had already ridden winners elsewhere in the series to earn a spot in Abu Dhabi...

...Grant is a work rider for William Backer, a private owner and breeder in his farm in the United States, who is no stranger to the UAE.

She accompanied the Mexico team as one of the crew members in the FEI World Endurance Championship for Junior and Young Riders in Abu Dhabi in 1997.

“I haven’t ridden in endurance since I was a teenager but I would love to do it again,” she said. “My first and last rides were winners. I won over 50 miles and 100 miles in Nevada and came second in another 100 miles in California. I have been competitive in endurance and have finished in the top 10 in the majority of the rides.”

Read more here:
http://www.thenational.ae/sport/horse-racing/amateur-jockey-eilidh-grant-to-enjoy-opportunity-of-a-lifetime

Britain Withdraws from 2018 FEI WEG Bid Process

Thehorse.com

By Edited Press Release
Oct 28, 2013

The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) has confirmed to the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) that it is withdrawing from the bid process for the FEI World Equestrian Games 2018 and will not now be putting in a formal bid.

The FEI had received four formal expressions of interest by the Sept. 30 deadline: one from Britain, two from the United States (Wellington, Fla., and Kentucky), and a repeat bid from Bromont/Montreal in Canada. However, BEF Secretary General Andrew Finding has now informed the FEI that Britain will not be going any further in the bid process.

In a letter to FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos, Andrew Finding wrote of his “considerable regret” at the withdrawal, stating that there was insufficient time under the terms of the new bidding process for the British Federation to secure the necessary funding and identify a host venue by Nov. 15, the deadline for receipt of formal bid applications.

“While it is of course disappointing that the British Equestrian Federation has decided not to go ahead with a bid for the FEI World Equestrian Games 2018, we still have three strong candidates in the mix from Wellington, Kentucky, and Bromont/Montreal and look forward to receiving their formal bid applications by Nov. 15,” De Vos said.

Host city candidates will be announced on Dec. 2, 2013. Formal presentations will be made by these candidates to the FEI Bureau at its spring 2014 meeting, prior to the announcement of the host city for the FEI World Equestrian Games 2018.