Eventing officials hope to regain their voice after court rules on major dispute with FEI

Eventing officials who successfully took the FEI to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are hoping to “move forward” and continue to serve the sport they love.

The dispute between the International Eventing Officials Club (IEOC) and the FEI stemmed from concerns over the FEI’s eventing officials education system, and how officials’ voices were effectively silenced from providing input into decisions about the sport.

The IEOC was founded 28 years ago with the aim of giving a voice to officials in the sport and providing a link with the FEI, and has members across the world. In 2014, the FEI formalised its relationship and asked the IEOC to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU), which was renewed in 2018 for a further four years.

In August 2022, the FEI published the new education system. That October, the IEOC sent the FEI “a list of questions and concerns”, and also asked about the procedure for signing a new MoU.

This led to some back and forth about the education system, including a meeting in October 2023, ending in the IEOC requesting mediation under the terms of its 2018 MoU. But the FEI legal director rejected mediation and stated that there was no active MoU.

Over the same 12 months, the IEOC had repeatedly asked the FEI for news on a new MoU, and was told by the FEI’s director of governance in May 2023 that the MoU renewal was on the “to-do list”, that its content was being updated and that the FEI “will provide [the IEOC] with a copy for your review in due time”.

In December 2023, the IEOC sent a notification letter to the FEI, claiming breaches of the 2018 MoU, to which the FEI replied denying any breach and the existence of a valid MoU.

The spat over the termination of the 2018 MoU then went to the FEI Tribunal in 2024, then on to CAS.

CAS partially upheld the IEOC’s appeal and found that the FEI had breached part of its MoU and failed to adequately consult the IEOC on the eventing education system. The FEI was ordered to engage with the IEOC in a “good faith consultation” within six months and ensure that the IEOC has “a genuine opportunity to be heard on matters related to the eventing education system”.

IEOC chairman Andy Griffiths told H&H the IEOC welcomes the conclusion and wants to “draw a line under it and move forward positively” with the FEI.

“We welcome the CAS ruling and see it as an opportunity to rebuild a constructive and collegiate relationship with the FEI and other stakeholders,” he said.

“Throughout this process, our priority has always been to ensure that the voices of eventing officials are heard and respected in decisions affecting the governance of our sport.

“As we move forward, we are committed to fostering collaboration with the FEI while continuing to advocate fair and transparent decision-making that supports the sustainable governance of eventing.”

An FEI spokesperson told H&H that the FEI “acknowledges” the CAS ruling and added: “The FEI welcomes this decision, which ‘largely dismissed’ the appellant’s [IEOC] appeal; the only claim that was upheld was that the FEI could have consulted more on the FEI eventing education system; of course the FEI will comply with the CAS ruling in that regard.”

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