Tag Archives: International Dressage Riders Club

International Jumping and Dressage Riders Clubs Sign MOUs with FEI

Jeroen Dubbeldam, pictured here with Zenith SFN, took the individual title at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy (FRA), making it a double gold for The Netherlands. (FEI/Hippo Foto Team Dirk Caremans)

Lausanne (SUI), 8 October 2014 – The International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC) and the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC), which together represent the world’s top athletes, have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the FEI.

The two organisations, formerly FEI Associate Members, will work closely with the FEI to expand the Olympic disciplines of Jumping and Dressage. The number of Jumping events has grown by 20% since 2010, and Dressage events have grown by 28% in the same period, with over 1,300 Jumping and 450 Dressage events taking place in over 70 countries last year alone.

The IJRC, founded in 1977 by a group of 25 international Jumping riders, including David Broome, Raimondo D’Inzeo, Paul Schockomöhle and Nelson Pessoa, is under the dynamic direction of Eleonora Ottaviani Moroni (SUI-ITA). The organisation represents over 250 of the world’s best Jumping athletes, which have competed at Olympic, World Championship and FEI Nations Cup™ level, as well as the top athletes in the FEI World Jumping Rankings – now the Longines Rankings. The IJRC also represents the North American Riders Group (NARG).

“Our club strongly believes that the co-operation between our riders, event organisers and the governing body for our sport, the FEI, is key in bringing equestrian sport to a higher level,” said Olympic Jumping athlete Christina Liebherr (SUI), who was appointed as the IJRC’s first woman President in August 2013. “This is the start of a new way of working with the FEI and the athletes we represent, as we focus on the global development of Jumping.”

Dressage world number one Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) and Valegro claimed double gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy (FRA). (FEI/Arnd Bronkhorst)
Dressage world number one Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) and Valegro claimed double gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy (FRA). (FEI/Arnd Bronkhorst)

The IDRC, founded in 1986, is the voice of almost 600 Dressage athletes around the world, with President Kyra Kyrklund (FIN) and six active Olympic Dressage athletes on its board.

“This is an exciting new chapter for the IDRC as we represent more and more Dressage athletes thanks to the rapid growth of the sport,” IDRC President Kyra Kyrklund said. “We now have a formal agreement with the FEI that recognises the IDRC as the sole international organisation representing the views and interests of international Dressage riders, and our athletes fully understand the weight of this agreement.”

“Our athletes are the lifeblood of our sport, and the FEI’s collaboration with the International Jumping and Dressage Riders Clubs helps to ensure that we all have our fingers on the pulse of the sport and fully understand the views of our athletes on the future of two of our most popular disciplines,” FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos said. “These new relationships underline the importance of collaborating with our athletes and represent a very important step as Jumping and Dressage continue to grow in all four corners of the world.”

International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC): www.ijrc.org

International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC): www.internationaldressageridersclub.com

MOU overview:

The FEI decided in 2012 to use Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to better define its relationship with the different stakeholders. The MOUs cover universal issues such as FEI recognition, FEI Rules and Regulations, horse welfare, code of ethics, commitment to democratic processes, consultation, FEI General Assembly, FEI Sports Forum and meetings, governing law, dispute resolution, communication, and implementation. MOUs have already been signed with WHW, organisers and officials. Although recognition by the FEI does not entail voting rights at the FEI General Assembly, the MOUs formalise the relationship with the FEI, giving a voice to organisations working with the FEI in the development of equestrian sport.

FEI Media Contacts:

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

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

Agreement Reached Between FEI and IDRC

Lausanne (SUI), 4 June 2012 – The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) and the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC) are happy to announce that agreement has been reached on the differences between them concerning athlete representation, governance of the IDRC and the two removed IDRC members. As a result of this agreement, proceedings to suspend the IDRC have been dropped and a hearing before the FEI Bureau scheduled for 7 June has been cancelled.

Both parties have agreed to a three-point plan that will be put into effect immediately:

  • The IDRC will allow both athletes previously removed from membership, Luis Lucio Perez (ESP) and Maria Ines Garcia Cuellar (COL), to be members of the IDRC again without any restrictions;
  • The IDRC and the FEI Legal Department will cooperate in drafting proposed changes to the IDRC Statutes that will be presented for adoption at the next IDRC General Assembly;
  • IDRC President, Kyra Kyrklund, will be immediately appointed by the FEI Bureau as the Athletes’ Representative to the FEI Dressage Committee on an interim basis, until such time as a permanent appointment is made.

Continue reading Agreement Reached Between FEI and IDRC

FEI Bureau Initiates Suspension Proceedings against International Dressage Riders Club

Lausanne (SUI), 29 February 2012 – The FEI Bureau has initiated suspension proceedings against the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC) as an FEI Associate Member due to the Club’s apparent lack of respect for the fundamental principles of good governance, in particular, the Club’s removal of two of its members without an opportunity to be heard and its ongoing refusal to reinstate them.

The Club filed an appeal with the FEI Tribunal last year, claiming that the FEI Statutes guaranteed that its proposed candidate should be appointed and that no other person or entity was authorised to propose candidates for the athlete representative on the Dressage Committee. The FEI Tribunal issued a decision on 7 November 2011 denying the IDRC’s appeal.

The IDRC passed new Statutes at its 30 October 2011 General Assembly allowing the IDRC General Assembly to remove IDRC members without an opportunity to be heard. These new Statutes had not been provided to members in advance of the General Assembly, nor had they been finalised at the time of the General Assembly.

Continue reading FEI Bureau Initiates Suspension Proceedings against International Dressage Riders Club