FEI's Ingmar De Vos - the irresistible rise of an expert administrator

Insidethegames.biz - Full Article

By David Owen Sunday, 18 November 2018

Often when I meet those who have scrambled to the top of international sport's greasy pole, I conclude that they are politicians first and administrators second.

After 90 minutes in company of Ingmar De Vos in his pleasant third-floor office in the Lausanne headquarters building gifted to the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) by his predecessor as President, Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, I am left with the strong sense that with the 55-year-old Belgian, it is the other way around. This is even though he began his career in mainstream politics.

This order of priorities equips him well, I think, for a period when sport in general and the Olympic Movement in particular is having to battle hard to cling onto the prominent and privileged role in society to which it ascended over a century or more. Suddenly glitz and hyperbole are out, better governance and a healthy awareness that sport is not the only thing are in.

Having established himself as an indispensable figure in equestrianism, to the point where his bid for a second term as FEI President at Tuesday's (November 20) General Assembly in Bahrain is unopposed, I would expect De Vos to emerge in coming years as an increasingly prominent voice in the conclaves and debates that will shape sport and Olympism's short-term future...

Read more here:
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1072380/ingmar-de-vos-the-irresistible-rise-of-an-expert-administrator

Australia: Busselton riders prepare for world's toughest horse race

Busseltonmail.com.au - Full Article

November 18 2018
Sophie Elliott

It is described as the longest and toughest horse race in the world, but that hasn’t stopped Amelia Park Farm manager Sarah Brown and horse breaker Jesse Byrne signing up for the 2019 Mongol Derby.

The duo are among just 40 riders chosen to compete in the 10 day race through the Mongolian Steppe.

The world’s greatest equine adventure race is based on Genghis Khan’s horse messenger system, which connected half the planet as the nerve system of the largest empire in human history. Race organisers have spent the last decade rebuilding the ancient network to stage the 1000 kilometre event.

Brown and Byrne will ride semi-wild horses, changing steeds every 40km as they navigate the stretch and live among the herders.

Byrne, who was born into the racing industry, admitted he was concerned about chaffing but looking forward to taking on the mental and physical challenge.

“There are not many ways to test yourself as a rider and as a person,” he said.

“I feel like if you can get through something like this, it will make any problems you face afterwards seem minor and that if you knuckle down, you can get through anything.

“We will be able to come home and feel like we’ve accomplished something...”

Read more here:
https://www.busseltonmail.com.au/story/5753448/riders-prepare-for-the-ultimate-test-of-skill/

UAE: Two times double at Dubai races

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

Info@endurance-world.com
19th November 2018

Dubai International Endurance Village, Dubai, UAE. Wednesday 14 November and Friday 16 November 2018. Two races were scheduled; the first one a CEI2* 120km Endurance Qualifier, the second one two days later a CEN 120km Al Marmoom Endurance Cup.

Races during the week are always subject to some disappointment for the passionate riders who have a full time job or those going to college/university as this withholds them from participating, especially when it is a CEI2*. Nevertheless, the start list was big and impressive. Another hot topic was the weather with above normal temperatures which made it hard for horse and rider. For the CEI2* there were participants who didn’t take these conditions into consideration leading to a very high elimination rate of 201 horses on 326 entries...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/double-win-at-dubai-races/

World Equestrian Games: Is this the end of the line?

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

November 18, 2018 Horsetalk.co.nz

Horse sport’s world governing body has opened the door for separate world championship events in 2022, in favor of an FEI World Equestrian Games.

After two bidding rounds, no realistic bids had been submitted for the 2022 event, leading the FEI Bureau to open up bidding to individual world championships in all disciplines. It said preference would be given to multi-discipline bids, and that the world championships for Dressage and Para Dressage should be combined.

FEI President Ingmar De Vos stressed that the move did not necessarily mean the end of the FEI World Equestrian Games, and bids to host the full seven-discipline Games for 2022 and 2026 will be considered...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/11/18/world-equestrian-games-end-line/

FEI Drops World Equestrian Games for 2022, Seeking Bids for Individual World Championships

Dressage-news.com - Full Article

November 17 2018

MANAMA, Bahrain, Nov. 17, 2018–The International Equestrian Federation disclosed Saturday it is dropping the requirement for a World Equestrian Games in 2022 and will accept bids for championships of individual disciplines. The FEI admitted that attempts to maintain for 2022 the combined championships held once every four years since 1990 “has not resulted in any realistic bids.”

Preference would be given to multi-discipline bids for 2022, the FEI said, while dressage and para-dressage should be combined.

The decision insisting on a single host for dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, jumping, reining, vaulting and para-dressage did not come as a surprise after two of eight WEGs required venue changes–1998 and 2018–when organizers did not have funding and no organizer came forward for 2022.

Ingmar de Vos, the FEI president was quoted in a statement, as stressing that “this does not necessarily mean the end of the FEI World Equestrian Games and bids to host the full seven-discipline Games for 2022 and 2026 will be considered. However, he made it clear that securing world championships for 2022 in the Olympic and Paralympic disciplines was crucial as these serve as qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Games...”

Read more here:
http://dressage-news.com/2018/11/17/fei-drops-world-equestrian-games-for-2022-seeking-bids-for-individual-world-championships/

FEI President Admits it's Hard to Motivate WEG Organizers

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

November 8, 2018
by: Pippa Cuckson

FEI president Ingmar de Vos has admitted it has had “to fight to motivate one organizer” to take on the World Equestrian Games in recent years.

He also says the FEI must take “courage” to review the viability of the WEG, following concerns by the delays and organizational difficulties exhibited by Tryon, which took on the 2018 WEG renewal just 18 months ahead of the event.

In a mission statement for his next, uncontested four years in office, e Vos says he will review all FEI’s championships “with an open mind in order to make the best choices for the future and sustainability.”

The FEI would promote multi-disciplinary bids, but he added: “If we want to be successful we need to have a model that creates competition and can interest a lot of organizers rather than having to fight to find and motivate one organizer for WEG...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/fei-president-admits-hard-motivate-weg-organizers/?utm_source=Enews+Nov+12%2C+2018&utm_campaign=EnewsNov122018&utm_medium=email

Waikato student Elise Stables youngest Kiwi to take on Mongol Derby

Stuff.co.nz - Full Article

Equestrian
13:44, Nov 13 2018

Waikato student Elise Stables' decision to take a year off to travel will lead her on an adventure through the toughest horse race in the world.

Stables has been selected as the youngest New Zealander to ride in the Mongol Derby, a challenge she'll have almost a year to prepare for.

Riders cover 1000km of Mongolian wilderness on semi-wild horses, changing steed every 40km.

It is the rider and horse against the world, and up to the rider to navigate and survive the wilderness...

Read more here:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/racing/108484765/waikato-student-elise-stables-youngest-kiwi-to-take-on-mongol-derby