FEI President Ingmar De Vos was yesterday elected as a Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during the IOC Session in Lima. Ingmar De Vos received 70 out of 78 valid votes.

“It is a really great honour for me personally, and for the FEI, to be elected as an IOC Member. I see this as clear recognition of the way the FEI has embraced and continues to embrace Olympic Agenda 2020, our clear focus on sport format changes for Tokyo 2020 and our good governance. I would like to thank the IOC Members for their belief in me and will be honoured to serve the Olympic Movement," says De Vos in a press release from the FEI.

“Ingmar De Vos is a great driver of sport and a true supporter of the Olympic Movement. Under his Presidency the International Equestrian Federation has gone from strength to strength with a series of comprehensive governance and transparency reforms, in line with Olympic Agenda 2020. He will be a valuable addition to the membership of the IOC,” states IOC President Thomas Bach in the press release.

The Belgian native is the 13th FEI President since the Federation was founded in 1921, and only the fourth to become an IOC Member. HRH The Princess Royal, who was FEI President from 1986-1994, has been an IOC Member since 1988 and is currently Chair of the IOC Nominations Committee. Her successor, HRH Dona Pilar de Borbon, who was FEI President from 1994-2006, was an IOC Member between 1996 and 2006 and remains an Honorary IOC Member. HRH Princess Haya, who served two terms as FEI President from 2006-2014, was an IOC Member from 2007 until 2014.

Source: Press release from the FEI