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“I would not do what I do if I was pessimistic about the future of equestrian sports,” Quentin Simonet – the newly elected president of the European Equestrian Federation (EEF) – tells World of Showjumping. “It doesn't mean that I'm idealistic; I am concerned. However, by seeing equestrian sports as an evolving ecosystem, I can say I’m optimistic – if I were only talking about top sport, then I might sometimes feel differently.”

We must remove the blinkers and see what is going on; we have to remain connected to reality

“In difficult times, there is also a great opportunity to take a step back, evaluate and adapt. The challenging times we are going through can be an opportunity for the wider community to switch to a more responsible approach. We must remove the blinkers and see what is going on; we have to remain connected to reality.”

In November 2022, the now 38-year-old French was appointed 2^nd vice president of the EEF. This spring, he was elected president when Theo Ploegmakers resigned due to health issues. Simonet’s presidency will continue through to the EEF General Assembly in 2026. “I'm not going to change everything in 16 months, but I do want to impulse and switch the dynamics to make the federation stronger,” he says.

For the last fifteen years, Simonet has been working for the French Equestrian Federation (FFE). Born in an equestrian family, Simonet grew up in an environment mostly active within the driving discipline. “It is a family passion,” he tells. “Growing up, I played a lot of team sports – such as soccer and volleyball, went to a sports university, and did my master in between Orleans and Madrid business schools. My wish was to work in the sport industry, not necessarily with equestrian sports.”

I have been committed to working with experts and getting their opinions on the table at EEF and FEI levels

However, his equestrian network led Simonet to FFE, where his role evolved in different departments throughout the years. “In the beginning, my focus was on national events, then on multidiscipline officials’ education,” Simonet tells about his various roles within FFE. “I was also responsible for the management of the driving discipline, and from 2012 forwards I attended FEI Championships and World Equestrian Games as chef d’equipe for the drivers. Since the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016, I have been managing the operational and logistical aspects for the French Olympic and Paralympic delegation with the responsibility of placing horses, riders, grooms, staff, and owners in the best possible conditions.”

When it was decided ten years ago that all FFE’s international relations would be managed by one executive, Simonet was chosen for the role. “I have been the French representative at both EEF and FEI general assemblies and FEI Sports Forums, always trying to gather and engage experts from different disciplines – because I don't have the expertise in all areas and strongly believe in the added value of collective work. I have been committed to working with experts and getting their opinions on the table at EEF and FEI levels. These experiences, coupled with my executive education in global sport governance, are part of my lifelong learning journey and essential for taking on the challenges ahead,” he says.

Chairing a EEF working group dedicated to the issues within the discipline of endurance back in 2019 motivated Simonet further. “At the time, there was a lot of tension within the FEI in regard to keeping or not keeping endurance as a FEI sanctioned discipline. We had a working group composed of relevant stakeholders; it was a good mix of committed people,” he tells. “Some of them were quite extreme in their points of view, but every single regulatory suggestion that we pushed forward from Europe went through. That really gave me the feeling that it is possible to listen to different perspectives and find a reasonable consensus. Everyone might not be perfectly happy, but it is possible to find the best collective approach. For me, this experience was a great motivation. It gave me a strong feeling that we can do good things and that there is common ground in Europe.”

There is much more to do than only focus on the highest levels of competition

“For many years, the French federation has invested in working beyond the French borders,” Simonet tells. “Their mandate for me was to not only focus on the top sport, but really work on the development and the grassroot level. This is, especially from a global perspective, the most important aspect. Of course, we have to maintain and build a stronger dynamic in competition as well, and make sure that the FEI will continue in the right direction when it comes to Olympic formats, but there is much more to do than only focus on the highest levels of competition.”

“When it comes to promoting horse welfare or promoting best practises in the fight against harassment or environmental sustainability, there is no competition between national federations; these are the issues we all have in common,” he continues. “That's something positive; there is a strong will from most of the member nations to share what they know, and to listen to what others bring to the table.”

Another point of interest for Simonet now that he has taken on the non-executive EEF Presidency is the allocation of the FEI European Championships. “On too many occasions, the European Championships are allocated without enough options,” Simonet tells.

Among FEI championships that have struggled in the past – both in terms of a low number of bids as well as consistency of the actual production – are the biennial European Championships. At the 2024 FEI Sports Forum, two sessions were dedicated to a FEI championship review, and the stakeholders were invited to discuss the importance of FEI championships, the challenges and opportunities involved in organising them, as well as the current reluctance among organisers to place bids.

There has to be a European standard that is maintained throughout the continent, wherever the championship might take place

“We have to make sure that there are more benefits for the organisers and also make the bidding process more transparent and collaborative,” Simonet explains. “We have to focus on the technical quality and experience of venues and OCs, but also open the door for new venues, because it is not ideal if the championships remain only around the same spot geographically. We should try to find a way to spread it more around the continent – which I know is a challenge.”

“In terms of hosting fees, the FEI has already made some changes,” Simonet points out. “Maybe there are some other discussions to be had in terms of how responsibility is divided between the organising committees, the national federations, the EEF and the FEI. The bids should be evaluated with concrete arguments; in the end, the level of technical services for the horses, riders and the teams who will be on site has to be up to the standard corresponding to a championship. There has to be a European standard that is maintained throughout the continent, wherever the championship might take place.”

As the EEF President, Simonet is responsible for bringing forward the European view on a global stage – a task far from simple. “The FEI has 136 member nations with varying backgrounds,” Simonet begins to explain about the challenge he faces. “Within the EEF, the gaps are somewhat smaller, but we still have discrepancies from one discipline’s reality to another. On the EEF level, I believe that the discrepancies in terms of top sport will remain. We can work on softening the gap, but it would be too idealistic to say that we can bring all countries to the same level. Nevertheless, if every country can make a few steps forward, that would already be a big achievement.”

“We need trust in between the members, especially when it comes to making decisions on a global stage,” he continues. “Our decisions cannot only be in the interest of a few nations, we must consider the whole continent. At EEF, we can promote a consensus and share the position that we recommend. However, if our arguments are not good enough, there can still be a divide – within the FEI, the European nations vote individually – and that's a challenge.”

I believe that a weighted voting system is much better in terms of good governance than the system with one vote per nation

At the FEI General Assembly, each of the 136 member nations have one vote – a voting system the EEF has moved away from and something Simonet hopes the FEI will also consider in the future. “I have been one of the board members who worked a lot on the weighted voting system within the EEF,” Simonet tells. “For us, it's limited to sports related matters; it does not apply for example for elections, where one country-one vote principle remains."

"I believe that a weighted voting system is much better in terms of good governance than the system with one vote per nation. Nevertheless, I'm not saying that one country-one vote is a bad system, but I think there are more threats involved," Simonet points out. "There are not many federations with a weighted voting system, because it's difficult to go from a system with one country-one vote to another solution where some members potentially could lose voting power. When considering the criteria on how to determine the weight of each nation, it shouldn’t only be about international sport numbers but also about key performance indicators on governance, sustainability, safeguarding and so on. I don’t believe that the FEI will change tomorrow, but I would for sure have strong arguments in favour of moving towards a weighted voting system given its capacity to fairly incentivise progress.”

Simonet believes that engaging stakeholders is key in shaping the future of equestrian sports. “I think one of the biggest challenges we face today, regardless of levels or institutions, is how to engage people. I believe it is important to give the stakeholders a feeling that they have to take part in different processes. I think that over the years, stakeholders have too often felt too far removed from the subject, or they have been left with a feeling of not being heard,” Simonet points out.

We should not be afraid to disagree, because constructive criticism can only be positive

“If we don't succeed in attracting our stakeholders to the platforms where they can share their opinions, whether online or in person, we will only remain with the view of a selected few, and risk not necessarily getting the bigger picture,” he continues. “We have to be more collaborative in the way we work. And when I say we, I mean at national, European and international level. We need stronger involvement and diversity. We should not be afraid to disagree, because constructive criticism can only be positive – and then we have to find solutions out of these discussions. Currently, the level of engagement is quite poor and I'm sure that the FEI expects more debate.”

“I understand that not every single rider can be involved, but it is important that enough stakeholders feel the responsibility to take part in the democratic processes,” Simonet continues. “There are some riders, who thanks to their experience and professionalism share their expertise, but there is need for others to contribute to the discussion through their national federations, the International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC) or different EEF and FEI committees. Everyone needs to engage beyond their own status. That's also why I'm committed to do more than what my initial mission within the French federation is, because I feel that we have to have a wider impact. If we don't, our own core activities will be impacted by decisions coming from the outside. It is better to be part of the discussion, even if it might occasionally feel like a waste of time. I believe that there is still a possibility to improve the situation, that's why I'm committed to spending my energy and time beyond my initial ambitions.”

To ensure a sustainable future for equestrian sports, Simonet believes that it is important to see the bigger picture, and not only focus on the high-level sport. “The horse as an animal and partner has a lot to offer to society,” Simonet points out. “If we only talk about the two minutes in the ring, this is not going to work. We have to see horses as the meaningful animals that they are, and all that they can bring to humans and vice-versa. Horses can be the strong link to nature that the society needs nowadays."

If we only talk about the two minutes in the ring, this is not going to work

"As a father, I can also emphasize on how meaningful it can be to bring your kids to a riding school – not only to chase top performances in sport, but more so as a social environment where the interaction with another living being can be the best school of life," he continues. "This is why I think it's important that all our member federations fully embrace the broad role of a federation, not primarily to select and manage championship teams, but to invest from the grassroot level to promote a healthy riding school system and quality education.”

“I am really looking forward to the work we still have ahead in development, education, and all the social aspects, especially when it comes to horse welfare, environmental sustainability and safeguarding,” Simonet concludes. “With this structural approach, we will work more on EU-level as well. We acknowledge that we have to be proactive in the institutional regulatory political scene. If we are not proactive, we will be changed by those that are.”

17.9.2025 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.