Ingmar De Vos from the International Equestrian Federation called Kirsty Coventry's win of the IOC presidency a sign of unity. He spoke after meetings wrapped up Tuesday in Lausanne, Switzerland. De Vos shared that he had talked with Coventry before the voting happened. They agreed that sports should become the main focus again. De Vos stressed that running the Olympic Games remains what matters most.
Coventry made history on March 20 at the IOC meeting in Greece. She won during the first voting round, becoming both the first woman and first African to lead the Olympic Committee. The FEI meetings covered many topics, including how athletes qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. They also discussed rule changes for several horse sports and plans for dressage events.
Teams wanting to compete at the LA Olympics can start earning points in 2026. The qualifying period began with the World Championships in Germany that year. Athletes have until December 2027 to meet standards. FEI Secretary Sabrina Ibanez mentioned they talked with national groups about these rules. They plan to submit qualification ideas this year and complete rules next year for approval in 2026.
De Vos will serve as FEI president until 2026 and cannot run again. He wants to leave the group in strong financial shape. The Belgian leader also started a new job heading the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations in January 2025. He aims to help sports groups communicate better with each other and Olympic organizers. The FEI plans to focus on Olympic rules next year, including how competitions work and who can bring horses.
Coventry made history on March 20 at the IOC meeting in Greece. She won during the first voting round, becoming both the first woman and first African to lead the Olympic Committee. The FEI meetings covered many topics, including how athletes qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. They also discussed rule changes for several horse sports and plans for dressage events.
Teams wanting to compete at the LA Olympics can start earning points in 2026. The qualifying period began with the World Championships in Germany that year. Athletes have until December 2027 to meet standards. FEI Secretary Sabrina Ibanez mentioned they talked with national groups about these rules. They plan to submit qualification ideas this year and complete rules next year for approval in 2026.
De Vos will serve as FEI president until 2026 and cannot run again. He wants to leave the group in strong financial shape. The Belgian leader also started a new job heading the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations in January 2025. He aims to help sports groups communicate better with each other and Olympic organizers. The FEI plans to focus on Olympic rules next year, including how competitions work and who can bring horses.
