EEF Board videoconference 08.03.2022

Participants  
Theo Ploegmakers President
George Dimaras 1st Vice President
Ulf Helgstrand 2nd Vice President
Eleonora Ottaviani Board Member & Athletes Representative
Nayla Stoessel Board Member
Quentin Simonet Board Member
Soenke Lauterbach Board Member
Carina Mayer Secretary General
Alice Ward Communications Manager

Teodor Sheytanov

Sport Development Manager
Invited  
Ronan Murphy EEF EU Committee (excused)
Hanfried Haring EEF Honorary President (excused)

Alan Andabaka

BEC Chair

Meeting EEF Board videoconference
Date 8 March 2022
Time 15h00 – 18h00
Location Videoconference
Chair Theo Ploegmakers
Minutes Carina Mayer

For Discussion:

1.1 Group C Special Olympic Qualification events

TS presents the bids of NFs to host the 2023 Special Olympic Qualifiers for Group C in Dressage, Jumping and Eventing. One bid has been received for Eventing and several bids have been received for Dressage and Jumping. There is currently one combined bid for Dressage and Jumping by Samorin (SVK).

The Board would prefer if the qualifiers for Dressage and Jumping could be held together at the same venue (ie in Samorin SVK) for easier planning and coordination of the participating NFs. The FEI shall be asked to put this subject on the agenda of the next FEI Board meeting.

The Board states that with the current political situation it is impossible to consider Russia as a host for the 2023 Special Olympic Qualifiers.

1.2  Education of national officials

The Board tasks TS to propose a budget and timeline for a project on the education of national officials. The work on educational material can already be started and it would be desirable to have a group of officials with extensive experience also in education in order to prepare a course for NF tutors. A meeting with the European Olympic Committee shall be arranged in order to check funding possibilities for this project. GD is tasked to establish a contact with the Greek president of the European Olympic Committee.

1.3  Low level series (as approved by the FEI Board for Eventing)

The Board mandates GD to contact the IRL NF and inform them that the EEF would be interested in taking these low level series under its patronage.

 

For Decision:

2.1  EEF Development Series

As time is short to realize this series still in the 2022 season, the Board agrees that for this year the series shall be run as single events without qualifiers and finals. In Jumping the series should consist of 5 shows with each one in a different country. This series should also be linked to the training of judges and course designers. With regards to Dressage, the Board does not wish to use national events for the series but only international events. TS is tasked to prepare a budget for the Jumping series and to investigate the possibility of finding organizers of international shows for the Dressage series. It is felt that for Jumping it is realistic to initiate the series but for Dressage more time is needed to prepare a suitable concept.

2.2  Proposal received regarding a CED Young Horse Championship

The Board is not supportive of the proposal to provide patronage for a CED Young Horse Championship and follows the argumentation of the WBFSH that increased travel for the young horses may lead to horse welfare issues. If the CED region intends to use this championship as a qualifier for the World Breeding Championships it is recommended that the WBFSH and FEI are involved in the process.

2.3  Foreign Judge LES Final Warsaw

The Board unanimously proposes Patrizia Adobati (ITA) as foreign judge for the LES Final in Warsaw. EEF Board member Simone Perillo abstained from the vote.

For Information:

3.1 Update on the situation in the Ukraine

TP provides an update on the current situation in the Ukraine follow a conversation he had with the Secretary General of the UKR NF. As there are still infectious diseases in some parts of Ukraine only horses with proper identification are allowed out of the country and the regulators insist on quarantine stations under the authority of a country. There are already horses in the quarantine station in Slowakia. The EEF will send a communication update to its members.

3.2  Update 2022 Longines EEF Series

EO reports that the host agreements of Deauville, Mannheim and Warsaw are not yet signed. The schedule of Madrid requires further discussion because it currently doesn’t comply with the EEF Series regulations. Alcor is in close contact with all OCs regarding these matters.

3.3  Equestrian Young Leaders Europe (EYLE) project

CM informs the Board that the EEF has been allocated funding in the amount of EUR 400.000 by the EU Erasmus+ Sport program in order to realize the “Equestrian Young Leaders in Europe” project. The grant agreement between the EEF and EU is still in the process of being finalized and shall be signed as soon as possible.

3.4  Development Working Group composition

QS and TS are tasked to inform the Board at one of the next meetings about the planned composition of the EEF Development Working Group.

AOB

4.1 FEI rule change proposed by the IDTC

The IDTC has informed the EEF that it has requested a change to the FEI Statutes according to which the members of FEI technical committees should be allowed to serve a maximum of two terms (8 years) instead of only one term (4 years) as stated in the current Statutes. The EEF Board is supportive of this proposal but prefers that the FEI Board would then re-appoint the respective committee member (and not the Committee being able to re-appoint its colleagues as recommended by the IDTC).

4.2 Request for continued patronage of the “5 Arenas Cup” in Dressage

The Board has been asked by the organizer of the 5 Arenas Cup whether it would be willing to continue its patronage for this Dressage series in the region of Central Europe. Although the Board is in principle supportive of these events it would prefer if the OC would consider becoming part of the EEF Development Series in Dressage and TS has been tasked to contact the OC accordingly.