Equine Canada, Canada’s national governing body for equestrianism, has issued its response to the FEI’s opening consultations on statutory changes to restructure the international federation.

Canada’s submission replies to the five questions posed by the FEI on potential changes to the FEI statutes.  However, the submission goes further, offering proposals to reform the FEI’s organizational practices, and to ensure that the restructuring process itself is — and is seen to be — democratic, inclusive and above procedural reproach.

“Canada emphatically supports renewal of the FEI’s governance architecture, to create a more democratic, more agile, and more transparent decision making system, one that reflects the geographic universality of the international federation’s mandate while drawing on talent without regard to national origin,” said Akaash Maharaj, Equine Canada’s Chief Executive Officer.

The FEI has announced an intention to publish its draft restructuring proposal on February 11, 2011, and to invite comments on that draft until March 25, 2011.  The final restructuring proposal will be debated and decided by national equestrian federations at an FEI Extraordinary General Assembly in Lausanne on May 6, 2011.

“We hope that our submission will make a positive contribution to the restructuring of the FEI,” said Maharaj.  “Canada is proud of the FEI’s achievements over its ninety-year history.  Our enthusiasm for reform stems, therefore, not from a misapprehension that the FEI has failed, but from a recognition that it has reached the limit of what it can achieve through its existing structure.”

“This is a very important time for the FEI and we are pleased to take an active role in helping to shape the future of the organization,” said Michael Gallagher, Equine Canada’s President.