On Monday September 25, the FITE General Assembly was held in Arezzo (Italy), after the 2023 European Championships of Working Equitation. Over 30 participants were present on site or via videoconference, representing 17 of the 25 FITE members.
This high point in the associative life provided an opportunity to review the FITE's activities in 2023 and to discuss future projects. The Board of Directors was also partially renewed, with several positions coming to an end. A new member also joined the FITE.
FITE activities in 2023:
- Organization of the first International Meeting of Equestrian Tourism,in September 2022 in Silkeborg (Denmark). About twenty people from the equestrian tourism and outdoor sports sectors from 9 different nations took part in this meeting.
- Following the Meeting, the FITE published a document containing the content of the discussions and some recommendations for its NETOs, as well as stakeholders in the world of horses, tourism and rural life.
- Participation and representation on various European and international bodies: EHN, ENOS, AERA, RED-MER, etc.
- The FITE continued to monitor legislation and information on subjects that could have an impact on the activities of its members, particularly at European level: animal welfare, cross-border movements, CAP, the Package Travel Directive, etc.
- Creation of the Juniors category for Working Equitation.
- Training for international TREC judges and PTV Course designers.
- 2023 European Junior and Young Rider TREC Championships in Spain.
- 2023 European Championships of Working Equitation in Italy.
— Find out the 2023 Moral Report
Board of Directors renewal
With 4 positions coming to an end, the Board of Directors was partially renewed during this General Assembly.
The General Assembly voted unanimously to renew the mandates of 3 members: Frédéric BOUIX (France), Véronique DUYSBURGH (Belgium) and Frédéric PIERRESTIGER (Canada), and two new members: Raquel ANTONIO GARCIA (Spain) and Ingrid HELMES (Luxembourg), bringing the total number of Board members to 10.
Frédéric BOUIX and Frédéric PIERRESTIGER were unanimously re-elected for a further 4 years as President and General Secretary of our Federation.
A new member joins the FITE
After attending the 2022 General Assembly in Lamotte-Beuvron as a guest, the Fédération Ivoirienne d'Equitation confirmed its wish to apply for FITE membership. This application, previously approved by the Board of Directors, was unanimously ratified by the General Assembly. Through this membership, the FIE wishes to develop equestrian tourism on its own territory, and also to promote it more widely on the African continent.
Project for 2024
The priorities and actions defined by the Board of Directors and the Equestrian Tourism Committee will be pursued or implemented (find them in the Moral Report page 5).
The first edition of the International Meeting of Equestrian Tourism laid the foundations for a model of event bringing together tourism professionals and public institutions. Thus, the FITE Board of Directors has decided to repeat the event every 2 years. The second edition of the event is due to take place in Italy in the first quarter of 2024.
Regarding TREC and Working Equitation, the Sports Committees will be gathered at the end of 2023 to adapt the regulations, taking into account feedback from the 2023 Championships. Training courses for international judges in these two disciplines will also be organized in 2024. Finally, the World Junior and Youth Championships and the European Senior TREC Championships are scheduled from September 4 to 7, 2024 in the Netherlands. The venue and dates of the 2024 Working Equitation Championships have yet to be decided.
It should be noted that the Board of Directors, meeting prior to the General Assebly, approved the idea of returning to an international event for Seniors each year, in order to keep riders motivated.
The President, Frédéric BOUIX, concluded the General Assembly by thanking all the members present afor the meeting, both on-site and online, for their participation and renewed confidence for a new term of office.
Pictures ©FITE
