The IDTC and IDRC are calling dressage community members to share their opinion in preparation of the FEI Stakeholders meeting on the "Dressage Challenges."
The meeting will be held on 1 October 2024.
Meeting Behind Closed Doors
The FEI announced this meeting in a press release on 26 August 2024 but did not mention who would be invited and where the meeting is to take place.
Eurodressage contacted the FEI, which confirmed that the meeting will be at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, but will be held behind closed doors.
"We have invited representatives of recognised stakeholder associations – athletes, organisers, officials and trainers – with the expertise needed to help us address critical issues affecting the Dressage discipline," an FEI spokesperson told Eurodressage.
"To foster open and candid discussions, we are keeping this group small and private," the FEI continued. "We will share the key outcomes with the broader community as soon as possible after the meeting."
No members of the press have been invited to the meeting to our knowledge.
Call for Opinions
The IDTC and IDRC reached out to Eurodressage to make a call for opinions in preparation of this event.
They requested the following message to be shared:
The FEI will convene a meeting of all stakeholder groups to kick off an in-depth discussion which addresses the challenges currently impacting the discipline of Dressage.
This meeting, which will bring together representatives from national federations, recognized stakeholder groups - including athletes, officials, organisers, trainers, and veterinary experts - marks the beginning of a broader strategy to develop a comprehensive long-term strategy for Dressage, to ensure the sustainability and growth and credibility of the discipline.
The IDRC and IDTC, as official stakeholders will participate at that meeting and have solicited input from their respective members. In addition, they would like to have input from the wider dressage community to insure a representative picture of stakeholder views.
With this objective in mind, if you have any suggestions, you would like considered, please contact your relevant stakeholder until the 14th of September (editor's note: deadline passed, but please still send opinions).
Riders: Klaus Roeser Secretary General IDRC International Dressage Riders Club: info@idrc.me
Trainers: Linda Keenan Secretary General IDTC International Dressage Trainers Club lk@layhamhall.com
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