As President of the International Dressage Riders Club, Kyra Kyrklund would like to make some statements on behalf of the Members who have discussed and voted on certain aspects of the ongoing controversy surrounding the nomination of a Riders Representative to the FEI Dressage Committee.
1. The IDRC does not believe that the current public controversy is good for the sport of dressage. It is our goal to achieve a quick and fair resolution.
2. Members of IDRC unanimously agree that the Riders Representative on the FEI Dressage Committee must be a rider who represents the interests of ALL riders in the sport, not a rider who is appointed by and represents the interests of one particular National Federation.
Traditionally, the Riders Representative on the Dressage Committee has always been nominated by the IDRC. While we have no desire to continue this procedure based solely on tradition, we do believe our right to elect our own representative is inherent based on the standards of good governance and that this right should be clearly expressed in the FEI rules.
The FEI Tribunal Chair has also called for a clarification of the ambiguous language of the nomination procedure. This language provides an interpretive loophole for National Federations to seize the opportunity to gain a seat on the Dressage Committee, regardless of their nominee’s relationship to the sport or other riders around the world.
3. The IDRC is the only international organization representing all dressage riders around the world. We have the infrastructure to communicate with and exercise democratic processes for riders in every country through use of meetings and the Internet. The Riders Representative must come from our ranks and express our views on the important issues.
Unfortunately, the FEI has informed the IDRC that in this particular year of nomination, National Federations will also be allowed to put forward candidates for the open position on the Dressage Committee due to the ambiguity in the written rules. But the rules do clearly state that any nominee must be a member of the IDRC.
The Members of the IDRC believe that the opportunistic nomination of the Spanish and Columbian riders did not insure a fair representation in the Dressage Committee for all riders in the sport of dressage. We acted on that belief by expelling these two riders from our membership during our General Assembly last year, effectively making them ineligible for nomination to the Dressage Committee according to FEI rules.
4. The IDRC was incorporated on the 23 March 1986 and its Statutes have always provided for a legal expulsion of Members who do not uphold the Aims of the club. This particular statute was approved by the FEI prior to accepting the IDRC as an Associate Member. We did not change this Statute last October in order to make the expulsion of these two members legal. This ability to act has been in place and FEI approved for over 25 years.
The Aims of our Statutes explicitly state that all Members must “represent the interests of active international riders and prospective international dressage riders.” The Spanish and Columbian riders joined the IDRC after being nominated to the Dressage Committee by their Federations, and have never taken an active role in our organization.
Currently, the FEI threatens to expel the IDRC from Associate Membership with the FEI based on our removal of these nominees even though our clearly written Statutes have been approved by the FEI itself.
Ironically, the IDRC is accused of lack of respect for the fundamental principles of good governance for acting in accordance with our FEI approved statutes.
5. We, the Members of the IDRC, believe that it is good governance to have a Rider—chosen by the Riders Club—as our representative on the Dressage Committee.
We do not believe that it is good governance to accept a Riders Representative to the Dressage Committee that has been proposed by a National Federation when that person has had no meaningful contact, input or discussion with other riders around the world.
6. The IDRC sought acceptable compromise with the FEI Dressage Committee after its rejection of our proposed nominee, Secretary General Wayne Channon, hoping to avoid public controversy and concentrate on the pressing and meaningful issues facing the sport of dressage today.
I offered myself to take the open seat of Riders Representative as a concession in the face of the FEI Dressage Committee’s objection to our nomination. As President of the IDRC, I believe--and my board believes--that a quick and proper resolution of this conflict can only help our sport. Until now, this conciliatory effort has not been acknowledged by the FEI or the Dressage Committee.
In response to the FEI demand that the IDRC immediately reinstate the expelled riders, we discovered that our Statutes did not provide an option for that. The IDRC has however, in a further conciliatory effort, called an Extraordinary General Assembly to vote on changing our Statutes to allow for an appeal process and an eventual possible reinstatement. Since the IDRC is determined to follow all proper procedures in this matter, we are surprised that the FEI would attempt to revoke our Associate Membership for acting in accordance with our FEI approved Statutes.
7. The IDRC does not accept that that the FEI would seek to punish our organization for pursuing the best interests of our sport in this nomination process. Contrary to the FEI accusations, the IDRC strives to uphold the principles of good governance--as individuals living in free, democratic societies believe these principles to be.
Kyra Kyrklund, President
Supported by the IDRC Board:
Hayley Beresford (AUS)
Wayne Channon (GBR)
Beatriz Ferrer-Salat (ESP)
Imke Schellekens-Bartels (NED)
Evi Strasser (CAN)
Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (DEN)
Photo © Astrid Appels
Related Links
IDRC Believes FEI's Initiated Suspension Proceedings "Misconceived"
FEI Bureau Initiates Suspension Proceedings Against International Dressage Riders Club
FEI Threatens to Expel IDRC as FEI Associate Member Representing Riders