CAPE TOWN, South Africa and LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Nov. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Belgian Ingmar De Vos has been overwhelmingly re-elected by the 137 member National Federations of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) to serve as a third and last term as president of the FEI. The presidential election was held during today's FEI Hybrid General Assembly in Cape Town (RSA) and virtually, allowing National Federations unable to attend in person to vote online in real time. Running unopposed for the second time, the 59-year-old president received wide support ahead of his final four-year term, which runs until 2026.
"I am deeply honored to have your confidence to lead the FEI for a new term," said Ingmar De Vos in his address to the annual Equestrian Assembly.
"Over the past eight years, I have been privileged to witness the power of unity in our community, and it is this solidarity that has gotten us through some incredibly difficult times. We have moved forward together because we have all put aside our differences in benefit of our sport and our community. We have come out stronger than ever and I know this foundation will serve us for the future.
“And the future is very much on my mind as I embark on my final term. I am determined to leave a strong legacy that my successor and the community can continue to build on for years to come.
"Although we have achieved many things together, it is clear that we also need to make some changes to ensure the continuity and well-being of our organization. This will require some difficult decisions, and we will probably not agree on how to get there. But if the story As an example to us, I know that the decisions we make together for our sport and our organization will always be based on our common values of horse welfare and integrity."
De Vos, the 13th President of the FEI since the International Federation was founded in 1921 and the fourth to become a member of the IOC, was also the first male president to succeed three female heads of the organization when he was elected to the post for the first time. time in 2014 in Baku (AZE).
Highly sought after for his sports administration expertise, De Vos is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as well as a member of three IOC Commissions (Legal Affairs, Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission, and Los Angeles Coordination Commission). 2028), member of the Council of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), and member of the Executive Committee and the Council of the Foundation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Under De Vos's leadership, the FEI as an organization has earned a great reputation in the Olympic community for its sustainability initiatives, the promotion of animal welfare, the defense of gender diversity, equality and inclusion, as well as the promotion of youth sport. De Vos has also led the equestrian community in critical discussions on key changes to Olympic formats to bring the sport more in line with the goals and ambitions of the 2020 Olympic Agenda 5.
Since taking office in 2014, he has also introduced several changes to the international body's governance structures. The FEI has consistently appeared in the top five organizations in the ASOIF International Federation Governance Reports, coming in first place in the 2022 ranking.
At the 2022 FEI Sport Forum, De Vos also delivered on his promise to fully integrate grooms into the FEI family with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the FEI and the International Grooms Association (IGA).
Most recently, De Vos announced the creation of an independent Equine Welfare and Ethics Commission to develop a practical framework to address current and future concerns related to the use of horses in sport.
"Sustainability and the modernization of equestrian sport, with well-being at the core, are my key goals for the next four years," De Vos said.
"If we want to remain relevant as a sport, we need to have an organization that is well equipped to adapt to the challenges that come our way. Open and honest dialogue has been the reason we have been able to shape the future of racing. since 1921. I hope that in the next four years the same will continue to happen".
More about Ingmar De Vos
Born in Belgium, Ingmar De Vos was born on August 5, 1963. He has a degree in Political Science and International and European Law, and began his career as an advisor to the Belgian Senate. He joined the Belgian Equestrian Federation as Director General in 1990, and held the additional position of Secretary General from 1997 to 2011. De Vos is the only Belgian currently holding the position of President in any of the International Federations of Summer Olympic disciplines. or winter.
During his time with the Belgian National Federation, Ingmar De Vos was Chef de Mission of the Belgian team at the six FEI World Equestrian Games™ between 1990 and 2010 and at three Olympic Games: Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. He is a member of the Belgian Olympic Academy. He was a co-founder of the European Equestrian Federation in 2010, of which he was Secretary General from 2010 until 2011, when he joined the FEI.
After three years as FEI Secretary General, Ingmar De Vos was elected FEI President in December 2014 at the FEI General Assembly held in Baku, Azerbaijan. According to the FEI Statutes, a President can serve up to three four-year terms.
About the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org The FEI is the world governing body for equestrian sport recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the Games of 1912 in Stockholm. The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of jumping, dressage and eventing, as well as handling, endurance and jumping.
The FEI became one of the first international sporting bodies to govern and regulate world para-sport along with its paraphysical disciplines when para-dressage and para-handling joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international para-dressage and para-handling competitions.
FEI Media Contact: Vanessa Martin Randin Senior Director, Corporate Communications and Media Relations vanessa.randin@fei.org 41 78 750 61 73
Olivia RobinsonDirector of Communicationsolivia.robinson@fei.org 41 78 750 61 35
Photo - linkLogo - link
View original content: enlace
