Tag Archives: FEI Solidarity

FEI Celebrated in Creative Sports Awards

FEI Solidarity was recognised at the prestigious Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards when HRH Princess Haya, founder of FEI Solidarity during her FEI Presidential term, was presented with the Local Sports Figure award. (FEI/Tom Hoops)

Lausanne (SUI), 14 January 2016 – The winners of the prestigious Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards have been honoured in Dubai (UAE).

HE Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa (BRN), FEI 2nd Vice President, member of the FEI Executive Board and President of FEI Regional Group VII, was awarded the Arab Administrator Award – Kingdom of Bahrain.

HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, FEI Honorary President and Goodwill Ambassador, was also honoured, taking the Local Sports Figure award in recognition of her outstanding work as FEI President during 2006 to 2014, and for establishing the FEI’s global sport development programme, FEI Solidarity.

FEI Solidarity, launched in 2011 and inspired by the Olympic Solidarity model, is focused on providing opportunities for the next generation of athletes and all those working in equestrian communities around the world, so that local structures can be established to develop the sport.

The FEI was not the only International Federation to be recognised at the awards ceremony. The International Judo Federation, also with a base in the Olympic capital of Lausanne, was presented with the International Organisation Award for its efforts in bringing judo and its values to children in Syrian refugee camps.

“For the FEI, it is particularly gratifying to see FEI Solidarity recognised in the award to our Honorary President Princess Haya, and to see our 2nd Vice President Sheikh Khalid honoured. It is good to see their services and commitment to equestrian sport getting this recognition,” said Ingmar De Vos, FEI President and FEI Solidarity Chair. “Speaking on behalf of the international equestrian community, I would like to congratulate all the athletes, teams and sports institutions who put their hearts and souls into winning these awards. Sport is an essential part of our global society. The creativity we see in the sports industry is very exciting, with clear benefits to the communities we all live in and are looking to develop for future generations.”

A total of 180 entries were received for this seventh edition of the annual Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards, part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Global Initiatives focusing on humanitarian, social and developmental strategies.

Media Contacts:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

Grania Willis
Director Press Relations
grania.willis@fei.org
+41 787 506 142

FEI Solidarity Reportage Photobook – Share the Passion

The FEI Solidarity Reportage photobook celebrates the hard work and commitment of everyone involved in grassroots equestrian sport development. (FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 7 September 2015 – The FEI today launched a specially commissioned photobook to showcase the personalities and projects supported by FEI Solidarity, the FEI’s global sport development programme.

Unveiling poignant behind-the-scenes moments, the FEI Solidarity reportage photobook – www.fei.org/reportage/feisolidarity – tells the stories of the deep impact FEI Solidarity is having on grass roots equestrian sport development.

Showcasing the progress of FEI Solidarity-supported riders at the recent South East Asian (SEA) Games 2015 in Singapore, to the first FEI Solidarity visit to a youth training camp in Bulgaria by FEI President and Chair of the FEI Solidarity Committee Ingmar De Vos, the FEI Solidarity Reportage photobook celebrates the hard work and commitment of everyone involved in growing equestrian sport from the ground up.

“The vision of FEI Solidarity is all about helping others to help themselves,” explained De Vos, speaking from last week’s FEI Solidarity meeting at FEI Headquarters, which was also attended by HRH Princess Haya, FEI Honorary President and founder of FEI Solidarity.

The Committee was given an update on ongoing projects supported by FEI Solidarity, and discussed applications for 2016 funding. There was also discussion on implementation of an improved communications strategy in order to increase visibility of the programme worldwide. FEI Solidarity’s support has been central to the ongoing growth, success and evolution of the programme since its debut three years ago.

The FEI Solidarity Committee members are HRH Princess Haya Al Hussein (JOR); Jukka-Pekka Leskinen of the Finnish Equestrian Federation; Alexandru Tuceac, President of the National Federation of the Republic of Moldova; Jean Patrick Chemaly, President of the Equestrian Federation of Haiti; Rosana M. Roig, President of the Puerto Rican Equestrian Federation; Fatima Morales Aguereo, President of the National Federation Paraguay; Mikaela Conjuangco Jaworski, IOC Member; and Ibrahima Wade, President of the Senegal Equestrian Federation.

“In the last year, FEI Solidarity has gone from strength to strength by providing expertise, funding and support in order to lay the foundations for future generations,” the FEI President said.

“I have been fortunate enough to see first-hand the passion, dedication and honest determination of those touched by FEI Solidarity, and the photobook is designed to introduce everyone to some of the athletes, grooms and officials who have benefitted from the various projects in place.”

Share #FEISolidarity images

All images in the FEI Solidarity Reportage photobook can be shared on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #FEISolidarity.

FEI Solidarity, launched in 2011 and inspired by the Olympic Solidarity model, is focused on providing opportunities for the next generation of athletes and all those working in equestrian communities around the world, so that local structures can be established to develop the sport.

About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org

The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games 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 Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining. The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para-Equestrian Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para-Equestrian Dressage and Para-Driving.

FEI Media contacts:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

Shannon Gibbons
Manager Press Relations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

International Equestrians Unite as FEI Solidarity Ambassadors to Develop Global Sport

Left to right: Tomas Eriksson (SWE), Laurentia Tan (SIN), Ingrid Klimke (GER), Bongani Mvumvu (RSA), Maria Alvarez Ponton (SPA), Lior Raz (ISR), Jessica Springsteen (USA), Charlotte Dujardin OBE (GBR). Photo: David Sinclair/FEI.

Lausanne (SUI), 11 April 2013 – The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has today unveiled the eight ambassadors of its global sport development programme, FEI Solidarity, in a specially commissioned composite portrait.

The FEI Solidarity Ambassadors, who include Olympic, Paralympic, world champions and national heroes, have formed a unique partnership to promote and develop the global equestrian disciplines governed by the FEI.

The athletes are:

  • Charlotte Dujardin OBE, British double Olympic Dressage gold medallist
  • Laurentia Tan, Singapore’s top medal winning Paralympian
  • Ingrid Klimke, German Olympic Eventing gold medallist
  • Jessica Springsteen, the 22-year-old American Jumping star
  • Maria Alvarez Ponton, the Spanish rider who in 2010 became the first rider to hold concurrent World and European Endurance titles
  • Tomas Eriksson, Sweden’s three-time winner of the FEI Top Driver Award
  • Lior Raz, the Israeli who has been competing in Reining since the age of 14
  • Bongani Mvumvu, the South African Vaulter who also won the FEI World Dressage Challenge Final for Children in Hagen (GER) in 2003

The FEI Solidarity Ambassadors will help to raise awareness of the FEI Solidarity programme by attending media events and visiting equestrian development initiatives around the world.

FEI Solidarity, launched in 2011 and inspired by the Olympic Solidarity model, is focused on providing opportunities for the next generation of athletes, as well as all those working in equestrian communities so that they can establish their own national structures for developing their sport.

The FEI Solidarity programme has so far supported 18 projects with funds as well as technical and consultancy services. These include horse-assisted therapy for seriously disadvantaged teenagers in South Africa, sports classes for multiple sclerosis sufferers in Sardinia, training of coaches to improve national sport development, and farrier and harness-making training in Cambodia with international charity World Horse Welfare. A further 15 initiatives will receive support from FEI Solidarity in 2013.

“FEI Solidarity is an exciting journey towards creating a more equal equestrian community, and is about us pulling together to develop exciting new projects that will develop the sport we all cherish, so that it is truly universal,” explained FEI President HRH Princess Haya.

“This is the first time that equestrians from across our disciplines have come together for one cause, and the calibre of our FEI Solidarity Ambassadors is exceptional, highlighting the true global reach of our development programme.

“FEI Solidarity is changing lives, and this united front of extraordinary equestrian ambassadors will help us to build and nurture the future of equestrian sport, making it possible for many more development initiatives around the world to become a reality.

“Our FEI Solidarity Ambassadors, and everyone working alongside us on this initiative, has a shared commitment and goal to amplify the voice of equestrian sport, guarantee its future worldwide, and to create future champions.”

For further information on FEI Solidarity, please visit www.fei.org/solidarity. The FEI Solidarity Information booklet can be downloaded here.

To get involved in FEI Solidarity, please contact Richard Johnson, Director, Corporate Communications: richard.johnson@fei.org.

FEI Media contacts:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 33

FEI Solidarity Launched with Unanimous Support of National Federations

The creation of FEI Solidarity was unanimously approved by the National Federations gathered in Lausanne (SUI). (c) Hugues Siegenthaler/FEI

Lausanne (SUI), 6 May 2011 – FEI Solidarity, modelled on the hugely successful Olympic Solidarity programme, has been enshrined in the FEI constitution with the unanimous approval of National Federations attending today’s FEI Extraordinary General Assembly in the Olympic Museum in Lausanne (SUI). FEI Solidarity, which aims to organise assistance to the National Federations, in particular those which have the greatest need, has now been drafted into the FEI Statutes. Assistance from the FEI Solidarity programme will take the form of programmes created jointly by the FEI and the National Federations.

“Today is a very special day for the FEI,” FEI President HRH Princess Haya said. “Thanks to our member federations, the FEI’s development efforts have now been given the prominent place in our Statutes that they so richly deserve. FEI Solidarity is a mirror of Olympic Solidarity and I am incredibly grateful to the IOC for guiding us through the creation of this new structure. For years we in the FEI have been struggling to find the best mechanism to deliver development to our sport and today our National Federations have given us a concrete solution.”

“I would like to congratulate the FEI on this exceptional initiative,” IOC President Jacques Rogge commented. “FEI Solidarity, following the example of Olympic Solidarity, will be providing assistance to the national equestrian federations, particularly to those with the greatest needs, so that they can develop their own potential and expand the sport in their country. This shows how committed the FEI is to the global future of equestrian sport and I am confident that the newly created FEI Solidarity will be very successful.”

Continue reading FEI Solidarity Launched with Unanimous Support of National Federations