LAUSANNE, Switzerland, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The 2026 Sports Forum of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) brought together around 300 participants from across the world this week, with a stronger focus on youth voices and the impact of modern communication tools on the sport.
The two-day forum, held at the IMD campus on Monday and Tuesday, marked its 15th edition. FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibanez said the event had evolved in purpose over time.
"It's a dialogue now, more collaborative. People want to find solutions together rather than dictating one way or the other. I think that trust has been built," Ibanez said. "Perhaps in the past people felt they had to express themselves in a certain way to get their ideas across. But now they're trying to find solutions with us because they've seen that through this process, their voices are heard and changes are made. So there's trust in the organization and trust in the process."
The forum opened with a session titled "From Pony to Podium: Our Youth, Our Future," featuring two young athletes who spoke on topics beyond competition, including governance, horse welfare, rules and social media.
Participants highlighted the importance of communication and engagement in reaching younger audiences, pointing to platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp, while stressing the need for safe and supportive environments for dialogue.
"The youth in this topic was very interesting. I think we learned a lot from it. It will change the draft of our communication strategy in an important way too," said FEI President Ingmar De Vos. "We cannot invent all these stories from behind the desk. We need the community to tell us what is going on. So we need modern communication tools."
Key topics included regulations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, dressage rules, stable management, data safety, and marketing and communication strategies. Delegates were invited to contribute ideas both during and outside formal sessions ahead of potential rule changes.
"I came to FEI in 2011. One of the biggest frustrations (then) was the lack of communication with the National Federations. The Sports Forum has changed that drastically," De Vos said. "In the beginning, people came here to voice their frustrations, and now we have a dialogue. I agree that the Sports Forum has played a very important role in creating that trust between all the stakeholders. It's a very positive development, and it's an important step in the decision-making process in our organization."
The FEI also announced it will test monitoring harassment messages on social media during the Jumping and Dressage World Cup finals in the United States in April.
"We want the test show us exactly where the potential attacks and threats come from, identifying trends, statistics, individuals," De Vos said. ■
