FEI

The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) is the international federation for equestrian sports. It acts as the governing body for most – but not all – sports held around the globe involving horses.

As the international federation for equestrian sports, it oversees the Olympic equestrian sports of dressage (including para dressage at the Paralympics), showjumping and eventing. The FEI’s remit also covers combined carriage driving and para combined driving, vaulting and endurance. It used to be responsible for the Western discipline of reining, but that sport left the FEI in 2021.

The FEI is not responsible for any forms of horse racing in any jurisdictions. In the UK racing is overseen by the British Horseracing Authority. The FEI also is not responsible for horse showing in the UK and Australia, nor any Western riding disciplines. It also doesn’t oversee any English hunters and equitation classes in the US.

All equestrian nations wishing to compete in the Olympics have their own national equestrian governing bodies, which are affiliated to the FEI. It hosts its annual FEI General Assembly every November at which governance of the sport is debated and rule changes are agreed.

The FEI is responsible for upholding the rules of equestrian sport and has the ability to take punitive action against its members who breach the sport’s rules, whether that is via doping, equine welfare concerns in sport, or other rule breaches.