The FEI presidency: Smoke and mirrors in Montreux
Baca Juga
One of the world’s most recognisable guitar riffs owes its existence to a chip of drama inward Montreux, Switzerland.
British stone band Deep Purple had arrived inward town inward 1971 to tape an album inward a mobile recording studio at the Montreux Casino.
On the flush of the recording session, a concert past times Frank Zappa together with The Mothers of Invention inward the casino’s theater ended prematurely when a concertgoer fired a flare into the rattan ceiling.
The resulting blaze destroyed the entire casino complex.
The fume that drifted from Montreux across Lake Geneva was the inspiration for Deep Purple’s song, Smoke on the Water – a truthful tale of drama together with intrigue wrapped upwards inward an iconic slice of difficult rock.
This month’s FEI General Assembly inward Montreux delivered its ain percentage of drama together with intrigue. There was no fiery ceiling, no Frank Zappa, together with no fume on the water, but FEI train-spotters cannot deny that the whole Princess Haya presidency number is a fascinating affair.
Delegates from the world’s national equestrian federations were a rather to a greater extent than subdued lot than Zappa’s followers, but they nevertheless had the unmistakeable air of fans nigh them.
They strongly backed her presidency together with fix inward educate a constitutional alter inward the promise she would last reconsider her options together with represent a 3rd four-year term, despite indicating slow inward September that it was non an option.
The media landscape is littered amongst views on Haya’s presidency, the predominating subject beingness that the drug-related issues that guide hold swirled some her husband’s racing together with endurance enterprises amount to equally good much of a conflict for her to properly snuff it on inward the role.
However, this does non appear to last the persuasion of the slap-up bulk of FEI fellow member nations, keen to persuade her to snuff it on inward the component division for a 3rd term.
So, equally the dust settles from the General Assembly, large unanswered questions remain some Haya’s presidency.
First, some background.
Earlier this twelvemonth all FEI regional grouping chairs wrote to the FEI seeking a constitutional alter to last voted on inward Montreux that would guide hold allowed Haya a 3rd term from Nov side past times side year.
It was abandoned after Haya publicly stated her intention to stride downward side past times side Nov inward whatsoever case.
It was Haya who, at the start of her presidency inward 2006, successfully argued for a constitutional alter limiting the presidency to 8 years.
In declaring her intention to run out the presidency after 8 years, equally required inward the rules, she said: “I cannot inward proficient conscience seat aside my beliefs together with the commitment I made vii years agone at nowadays that the term bound I supported applies to me.”
That intelligence would guide hold come upwards equally a daze to many national federations, which value her high international profile together with powerful connections.
However, that was non the halt of the matter.
In Montreux, a petition signed past times 100 of the 132 fellow member nations sought to engineer a statute alter inward whatsoever instance that could give the Jordanian princess some other iv years.
The petition, which appeared to guide hold been organised past times the FEI grouping chairs, called for an extraordinary General Assembly equally presently equally possible to to brand the change.
The FEI Bureau, which met instantly after the General Assembly, agreed that the extraordinary General Assembly would last held on the minute twenty-four hr menstruum of the FEI Sports Forum inward Lausanne, Switzerland, on Apr 29 side past times side twelvemonth – before the deadline for nominations for the presidency.
The petition was careful non to cite Haya, but its intention was clear.
Haya excused herself from the General Assembly piece nations discussed the matter, together with returned to a standing ovation. She could last left inward no incertitude nigh the marking of back upwards for her presidency.
This was a far yell from a General Assembly preview published past times Britain’s Daily Telegraph on Nov 5, reporting that Haya was expected to seem upwards calls to resign over the doping together with Equus caballus welfare crisis inward endurance racing.
Writer Pippa Cuckson afterward indicated that journalists some the the world had been “prodded to report” that Haya would seem upwards calls to quit, but on the twenty-four hr menstruum of reckoning the nations involved, seemingly a European bloc, either changed their minds or lost their nerve.
Why?
Cuckson, who was inward Montreux, offered ii explanations. Firstly, the back upwards for the petition clearly indicated the mood of national federations together with it was clear that a resignation telephone telephone would rapidly founder. Second, the special hearing for delegates presented past times the Endurance Strategic Planning Group offered proposed solutions to the welfare issues inward endurance, centred on the Middle East, that were tougher than many envisaged.
The latter does non seem only plausible. Yes, the tough proposals met amongst broad approval, but Haya has made a dot of beingness largely divorced from endurance matters for much of her presidency to avoid the real conflicts of involvement raised past times some inward the media.
Second, it is difficult to believe that a few hard-hitting measures from an endurance commission would alter the mood from i where a telephone telephone for her resignation was possible to a standing ovation.
It is far to a greater extent than probable that the bloc muttering nigh her resignation completely misread the mood of national federations, or were but testing the waters to meet if the thought would fly.
It was never going to succeed. Haya enjoys huge back upwards amidst national federations exterior the Euro zone – and, indeed, considerable back upwards inside it, although non quite equally universal.
She is seen equally a champion for the interests of developing equestrian nations some the globe.
No-one tin privy deny that the stronghold of traditional equestrian disciplines is Europe. But at that spot are existent together with valid fears exterior Europe that, for the global evolution of Equus caballus sports, the FEI’s focus cannot last equally good euro-centric.
Haya appears to guide hold achieved that balance, fifty-fifty though some European nations mightiness non select that view.
So, what of the conflict issue?
There is no incertitude that the issues some endurance Equus caballus welfare, centred on Dubai, Qatar together with Bahrain, guide hold been uncomfortable for Haya.
Drug headlines some the endurance together with thoroughbred interests of her husband, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, would also guide hold been embarrassing. The sheikh himself fifty-fifty copped a six-month ban inward 2009 when his endurance mount, Tahhan, tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid, stanozolol, administered past times the horse’s trainer.
This is far from ideal, but if it amounted to a serious conflict, why produce the slap-up bulk of the world’s national federations nevertheless back upwards her?
It would seem that most guide hold the feel that at that spot is nix she has done personally, or equally president, that has caused whatsoever the endurance woes. The FEI itself appears to last dealing perfectly good amongst the problem, equally evidenced past times the back upwards for the Endurance Strategic Planning Group’s initiatives.
Horsetalk seat this number straight to Equestrian Sports New Zealand (ESNZ) primary executive Jim Ellis, asking, firstly, if New Zealand signed the petition supporting the possibility of a 3rd term for whatsoever FEI president. Yes, he replied.
Did it produce together with then inward the promise that Haya mightiness consider a 3rd term?
“ESNZ’s persuasion is that the recent discussions regarding the FEI presidency shows that the concept of iii damage is valid, regardless of the electrical current president’s concluding decision. The petition volition effort a principled debate which is clearly needed,” he replied.
So, does ESNZ meet whatsoever conflicts some the whole endurance contestation that it would meet equally an impediment to Haya remaining equally president?
“That possibility existed, but has been resolved past times the Endurance Strategic Planning Group proposals; Haya has made it clear she volition guide hold no involvement amongst the procedure and/or proposals for alter that follow,” he said.
That would appear to suggest the planning group’s initiatives held some sway, but the before asking from all regional grouping chairs for a constitutional alter pretty clearly indicates that potential conflicts some the endurance number were never a game-changer for most national federations.
Why does Haya relish such robust back upwards equally president?
She has performed good inward the role, peculiarly together with then inward her minute term, together with has successfully pushed much-needed FEI reforms. She is a good respected fellow member of the International Olympic Committee – a component division she volition guide hold to give upwards when she steps downward equally president. She has been a strong advocate for equestrian sport inside the IOC.
She is exceptionally good connected together with has been instrumental inward drawing huge sponsorship into the sport.
Which brings us dorsum to the enquiry of whether she would contemplate changing her mind.
Cuckson reported from Montreux on Nov 7 that Haya remained adamant she would non attempt a farther term.
Haya was quoted equally maxim that her views nigh a maximum of two-terms for the president remained.
“I’ve made my argument – it’s non my house to select or to non accept, that’s my belief,” she said. “Now the national federations guide hold a dissimilar idea. Right at nowadays I produce non desire to retrieve nigh the presidency whatsoever more, I desire to produce my job.”
Haya’s quote would appear to quest that her view remains unchanged, but she would non last the start president, primary executive or chairman persuaded to alter their hear for the proficient of their organisation.
That gives rising the enquiry of who could potentially supervene upon her if she cannot last persuaded?
It is understood that several European federations were proffering the persuasion inward Montreux that it would overnice for the side past times side president to last from Europe. However, at that spot was no testify that whatsoever potential candidates were suggested.
The component division has, for decades, been held past times a fellow member of a royal family. There are no obvious candidates at this phase inward that sphere.
Haya is at nowadays soundless on the issue, together with that is understandable. Almost for sure she volition guide hold been advised that at that spot is nix to last gained past times voicing her persuasion either means at this stage. Rather, she is amend to instruct on together with serve equally president.
Clearly, she volition eventually guide hold to brand a formal comment on the matter, but that would logically last around, or after, the special General Assembly inward April, when federations volition vote on the 3rd term.
For now, FEI train-spotters volition but guide hold to hold their binoculars trained together with meet what unfolds.
In the meantime, someone should write a vocal nigh the whole affair.
Have a hear to the Smoke on the Water guitar riff on this Wikipedia page.
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