Who will become FEI President? Three candidates are running for the position

Candidates for the office of FEI President and other positions had until June 1 to submit their applications. The applications for the presidency were then reviewed by an independent election committee. On June 11 and 12, the FEI Nominations Committee reviewed and evaluated the candidacies once again. Ultimately, three candidates are now in the running for the FEI presidency: Mark Samuel (CAN), Sabrina Ibáñez (ESA), and Jack Huang (TPE).

We have previously reported on the Canadian Mark Samuel and his efforts. He served on the FEI Board for twelve years, was Vice President from 2017 to 2024, and also chaired Regional Group IV (North America).

Sabrina Ibáñez of El Salvador has served as FEI Secretary General since 2014 under the presidency of Ingmar de Vos. Prior to that, she was responsible for association management and executive affairs.

Jack Huang of Chinese Taipei has served as chairman of FEI Regional Group VIII (Asia and Oceania) since 2016 and has been FEI vice president since 2019.

Decision in December

The decision on who will become the new FEI President—or whether it will be a woman—will be made on December 5. That is the final day of the FEI General Assembly, which is scheduled to take place from December 2 to 5 in Jiangyin, China. The FEI President is elected by the General Assembly.

Other positions to be filled

Not only does a new president need to be elected, but other positions also need to be filled. Here, too, the Nominating Committee has reviewed the candidates. The application process has been reopened for three positions: a new member of the Nominating Committee, a member of the Medical Committee, and a rider representative for eventing. Applications for these positions will now be accepted until July 15.

Among the candidates running for the remaining positions is a German: Thorben Hoppe, a former world-class vaulting athlete. He was nominated by the FN for the FEI Tribunal.

You can find an overview of the open positions and the candidates (where available) with their résumés here.

Comment by Ingmar de Vos

Outgoing President Ingmar de Vos, who, according to the rules, cannot be re-elected after his third term, commented:

“I am delighted that three such highly respected and experienced individuals have decided to run for the office of FEI President. Mark Samuel, Sabrina Ibáñez, and Jack Huang have made outstanding contributions to the FEI over many years, and I know that they are deeply committed to the values and future of our sport.”

“Serving as FEI President has been the greatest honor of my professional life. I am very proud that these three candidates—who have already held key positions within the FEI—are ready to lead the federation into its next chapter. Their willingness to take on this role is a testament to the strength of our community and their confidence in its future. I am convinced that, no matter whom the national federations elect at the General Assembly in December, the FEI will be in very good hands.”