FEI President Princess Haya Confirms Intention to Leave Post in December

The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) president HRH Princess Haya has revealed she will step down from her role when her term ends in 2014. 

Princess Haya, who was elected President in 2006, proposed to limit the President’s reign to two full four-year terms when she began her stint.

After calls to add a third term the former equestrian has revealed she will stand by her previous mantle.

A statement from Princess Haya read: “Earlier today, I notified the National Federations, the FEI Bureau and the FEI staff that, after a great deal of thought and reflection, I have made the very difficult decision not to stand for a third term as FEI President.

“This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life. My very first act in office in 2006 was to prepare a motion to limit the term of the FEI President to two, four-year terms. I reiterated that view in my re-election campaign four years later and again when some of my supporters began advocating for a statute change that would permit me to run for a third term.”

Haya was swayed into contemplating serving a new term after the 2013 FEI General Assembly in Montreux (SUI), where 100 National Federations signed a petition calling for an Extraordinary General Assembly (EGA) to change the FEI Statutes relating to the Presidential term. An EGA was held in Lausanne (SUI) in April of this year and National Federations voted overwhelming in support of a change to the Statutes increasing the maximum term in office of the FEI President to three four-year terms.

“Although I had always planned to leave office after this term, my resolve was weakened at the FEI General Assembly in 2013 when I was presented with a petition signed by 100 National Federations calling for an Extraordinary General Assembly to change the FEI Statutes. I gave more thought to the possibility of a third term when the Extraordinary General Assembly voted to change the Statutes to permit it,” she added.

“This demonstration of support was a humbling and truly huge moment in my life. And, as I weighed the possibilities in reaching this difficult decision, the gratitude and loyalty I felt to those who had been so faithful to me was paramount among the countless reasons compelling me to consider a third term.”

“Having said all that, the factors that have led to my decision not to seek a third term are, for me, impossible to ignore. I committed to a term limit, and that commitment still weighs heavily on me. However, most importantly, as I said in the EGA, I needed to see if a third term would work with my family.”

Princess Haya’s term ends in December and she will relinquish all her roles as IOC Member, President of the International Horse Sports Confederation, OIE Goodwill Ambassador, and Honorary President of Fegentri, the International Federation of Gentlemen and Lady Riders (in amateur racing) at the end of her term.

The FEI will appoint a successor at a General Assembly in Baku (AZE) on 14 December 2014.

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