With only a few days to go until the FEI Sports Forum 2024, which will be held on April 29-30 at the prestigious IMD Business School in the Olympic capital Lausanne (SUI), we are pleased to provide you with the latest information about this important event.

Timetable and logistical information

The event will begin on Monday, April 29 at 09.00 CEST and will end on Tuesday, April 30 at 17.00 CEST. The timetable along comprehensive logistical information is available in the dedicated online hub here.

Supporting documents

Recently the hub has been updated with supporting documents for Session 1: Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission Final Report and proposed action plan and Session 6: Equity in equestrian: assessing gender equality across key roles and levels.

The Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission was created by the FEI in May 2022 and was tasked with providing independent advice and recommendations to the FEI for ensuring equine welfare is safeguarded through ethical, evidence-based policy and practices in relation to training, management, performance and competition practices, and to improve the sport’s social license to operate (SLO).

Over 18 months, the Commission, which was chaired by Natalie Waran, Professor of Animal Welfare, produced a report entitled “A Good Life for Horses: A vision for the future involvement of horses in sport” which is now available in the Session Documents section of the online hub. The report, which is the result of a large-scale consultation with the equestrian community through online surveys, a presentation to the FEI General Assembly 2022, FEI Sports Forum 2023 and discussions with the FEI Board, is a comprehensive document, which will be used as a basis for a presentation on a proposed action plan for the equestrian community led by the FEI and the ensuing discussion with the Sports Forum delegates.

The first document for Session 6, entitled “FEI Sports: Gender Statistics,” presents numerical data on gender distribution among athletes and FEI officials in Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines, along with gender ratios in related rankings, participation rates, and registrations. The second document offers a summary of insights from a recent research study on the Global Equestrian Market. This study examines the economic influence of equestrian sports, the worldwide fan base, the development of diverse target group segments, and some of the key benefits of equestrian sports for sponsors.

Live broadcast

The FEI Sports Forum will be broadcast live and will be available to watch here. Those following the event remotely will be able to join the discussion through a live chat.

The sessions will also be available in replay mode after the end of the Sports Forum.