On Tuesday 8 September 2009 forty European countries decided to merge into the European Equestrian Forum. The goal of this organization is to support a bigger European influence in the global equestrian sport.
This decision was made at a meeting in Antwerp, Belgium, where forty European equestrian nations, divided into two groups by the FEI, agreed upon the fusion into the European Equestrian Forum (EEF). Danish Equestrian Federation president, Ulf Helgstrand, called it a "historic moment."
"This is a historic co-operation and the foundation for a European Equestrian Federation. EEF will pave the way for a bigger European involvement in the FEI because despite the fact that the European countries stand for 80% of the world's equestrian sport, we only have one third of influence in the sport at this point in time. The EEF will work at changing this," said Helgstrand.
The European Equestrian Forum includes forty European countries which the FEI divided into group 1 (26 south European countries) and group 2 (14 north European countries). In the future these two groups want to work together and join in planning a strategy. However, at an FEI executive level, group 1 and 2 will continue to exist in their current form with both group chairmen being on one of the FEI boards. Their influence can not be changed until after the FEI General Assembly in Copenhoven mid November, where a new FEI structure with seven members on the board of group directors will be discussed. Today, there are twenty members on that board.
Photos copyrighted: Astrid Appels/Eurodressage
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