EEF Board videoconference 11.05.2022

1.1 European Championships allocation

The Board welcomes the fact that many bids have been received for the 2024 European Championships coming from different NFs. The dates of the bids are considered to be very important, also taking into account that 2024 is an Olympic year which creates additional challenges for the calendar. All bids will be compared in detail and the Board will come up with a final recommendation for the FEI Board before May 20th. The board also agreed that it is necessary to have more information needed to be able to make the right decisions.

2.1 EEF Evolution League
NS provides an update on the decision regarding the name and logo for these Dressage and Jumping events in 2022. In order to continue with the series in 2023 a sponsor would be absolutely necessary in the amount of EUR 100.000 – 150.000. The commercial working group will working together with TS to look for sponsors that could be interested in this sport level. Further TS is tasked to send the rules to the FEI for approval.

2.2  Longines EEF Series 2022 update
EO provides an update on the 2022 Longines EEF Series and reports to the Board that the first qualifier held in Mannheim (GER) was a great success.

It is agreed that a debriefing session shall be organized with all OCs and possibly the Chef d’Equipes of the Longines EEF Series at the end of the 2022 season in order to obtain feedback and continuously work on the improvement of details.

2.3  EEF Sustainability project: progress & university involvement
CM summarizes the outcome of the three videoconferences that were held with the EEF Sustainability working group under the guidance of the sustainability experts Amanda Curtis and Nadia Kolodchenko. The involved university has also provided a first proposal regarding the calculation of a carbon footprint for a sport horse which could also be used as a tool for NFs to calculate the carbon footprint of their sports horse sector in their respective country.

2.4  EEF cooperation with the sport horse welfare foundation
The Board approves a partnership and the allocation of EUR 5.000 for the EEF to cooperate with the sport horse welfare foundation.

2.5  FEI horse welfare project
TP informs the Board that the FEI will soon start a project on social license with independent members and an independent chair. In the composition of this committee Europe will be represented as frontrunners about this issue. The chair and members of the respective group have not been communicated yet.

2.6  EEF cooperation with PAEC and AEF
The Board is informed that TP and GD had detailed conversations with the representatives of the Pan American Equestrian Confederation (PAEC) and the Asian Equestrian Federation (AEF) in the context of the 2022 FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne. Both continental organizations have expressed their interest in intensifying the communication and collaboration with the EEF which is very much welcomed by the Board.

3.1  June meeting
An in-person meeting in June will not be possible but the Board members are asked to block a minimum of 3 hours for the videoconference that is scheduled for June 7th. Reason is that the chair of the sustainability will report

3.2  Deloitte
TP and CM are currently considering to end the accounting contract with Deloitte because the service level has reached an unsatisfactory level. Other options are to be investigated, for example contracting a smaller bookkeeping company in Belgium.

3.3  EEF trademarks registered in Portugal
The Board decides that these trademark registrations for the EEF and its old logo shall not be renewed.

3.4  Ukraine donations
TP reports that the EEF has already donated 13 tons of horse feed to Ukraine that had been bought from a local producer in Ukraine and then distributed to the various regions inside Ukraine. In a next step and in cooperation with the Dutch riding schools the EEF will donate 180 tons of haylage that were sourced in Germany. The Ukrainian Equestrian Federation Charity Foundation (UEF CF) will also contribute significantly by taking responsibility for all logistical matters and distribution of the haylage within Ukraine. The EEF’s clear priority shall be to help the horses inside Ukraine rather than encouraging the export of horses into the EU.

3.5  EEF Horse of the Year
QS proposes that the EEF could present an “EEF Horse of the Year” award at the EEF General Assembly. This would also be supported by the Jumping Owners Club (JOC). TP will be in contact with the JOC President Dominique Megret regarding this subject and the Communication working group is tasked to look into a potential concept.