What is FEI and Who is FEI? Find the Best Answer
What and Who is FEI?
Imagine how confusing it would be if every sport played worldwide had different rules depending on the country where it is played and you had to host an international event with competitors from many different nationalities coming to participate. Which set of rules would be used? How would the training for that competition be? Imagine if that event were to be played by the hosting country’s rules. It would be a disadvantage for the foreign competitors, who would have to learn new rules and get used to playing by them.
To make things easier through coordinating rules, promoting the sport to prospective fans, spectators, players, and sponsors, organizing international and world championships and more is that international sports federations have been created. These entities are non-governmental and are self-managed. Many federations rule more than one sport, encompassing activities that have similar things in common. There are currently more than 100 international federations; one of them is the FEI (Fédération Equestre Internationale) or International Federation for Equestrian Sports in English.
What is FEI? – Location and Headquarter
The Fédération Equestre Internationale headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland. An FEI code of conduct protects the welfare of the horses from physical abuse or doping.
The History of Fédération Equestre Internationale:
The FEI was founded in 1921 and its main goal was to coordinate and oversee the Olympic equestrian disciplines of jumping, dressage, and eventing. It was initially composed of 8 members, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, and the USA. Now, 100 years later, 136 National Federations are affiliated with the FEI.
At present, it is not only coordinating Olympic disciplines, but it’s also covering non-Olympic disciplines such as Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining, and the para-equestrian disciplines of Dressage and Eventing.
The FEI, with its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, is also the creator and organizer of the FEI World Equestrian Games. Everything started in 1978 with the FEI show jumping World Cup and by 1990 It had added Dressage, Driving, and Vaulting to this global event.
The World Cup and other great and exciting international tournaments such as the Nations Cup and their qualifying stages attract a lot of spectators, sponsors, and the best riders and horses in the world, making equestrian sports more visible and stronger.
What and who is FEI? – Best Practice:
The Fédération Equestre Internationale encourages the best practices, looking after the welfare of horses and humans under the motto #TwoHearts, and celebrates the strong and unique bond between humans and horses. Physical abuse and doping of horses are severely condemned by the FEI, placing the welfare of the horses first.
It’s interesting how the FEI has been always globally improving equestrian sports and how they work with the National Federations to develop the equestrian disciplines in every country. It also has a Commercial Department responsible for its marketing and commercial activities such as branding, licensing partnerships, sponsorships, television rights, and digital media. These commercial ventures help the FEI to promote and make equestrian sports grow around the world.
Another interesting aspect is how they support non-Olympic activities like Endurance and make them grow without any prejudices; it’s a non-elitist organization.
Who and what is FEI? – Associated Federations:
The last aspect of the FEI that we are going to mention in this article –but by no means less important than others- is that all its associated Federations and itself, (you could find more information at its official website), is the large number of courses they offer. You can take courses from, for example, how to design a showjumping circuit to how to become a riding coach. They have every kind of level, and students could start a great career taking them. It’s all about passion, and the FEI spreads passion for horses worldwide.
Read More: F.E.I.-World Cup Championship 2022
Links and references:
See Here: F.E.I. Official Website.
