Quentin Simonet Elected New President of the European Equestrian Federation

Dressage

France

Quentin Simonet has been elected the new president of the European Equestrian Federation (EEF) at an Extraordinary General Assembly in Frankfurt on Monday 19 May 2025.

He succeeds Theo Ploegmakers who resigned for health reasons.

EGA in Frankfurt

All 40 EEF member federations were represented at the Extraordinary General Assembly, highlighting the importance of this transition. Simonet's term of office will last until the 2026 General Assembly.

Two candidates were in the running: Quentin Simonet and interim president George Dimaras (GRE).

The Frenchman was elected in the second round with twenty-eight votes to ten for George Dimaras, with two abstentions.

Quentin Simonet

Simonet is a national technical advisor at the French Equestrian Federation (FFE) and responsible for international relations and major events. He has 17 years of experience within the FFE. He has also served as Chef de Mission for the last three Olympic and Paralympic Games and has been a key advisor on international relations and institutional affairs to the FFE.

Quentin was also second vice president of the European Equestrian Federation since 2022.

Quentin Simonet also continues his commitment to the FEI Bureau as one of the two EEF representatives. He will lead the EEF for a sixteen-month term. The shortened term, voted on ahead of the meeting, corresponds to the end of the outgoing President's term and ensures that the EEF's governance cycle remains aligned with that of the FEI, ensuring coordinated European representation within the FEI Bureau.

Union Fait La Force

“Our strength lies in unity, not uniformity," said Simonet. “I aspire for the EEF to build bridges across Europe that respect the identity of each federation while creating a strong collective force to advance European equestrian sport.”

Simonet emphasised the EEF’s broader social responsibilities, including horse welfare, sustainability, and safeguarding. On an institutional level, he committed to addressing EU regulations impacting the equine industry.