IJRC director Eleonora Ottaviani.
The voting phase for the 2018-2022 FEI Athlete Representative for the discipline of jumping is open, and the International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC) is urging riders to get involved and use their right to vote.
Olympic Champion Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) has been the FEI Athlete Representative for the last four years, and now four candidates are in the run to follow in his footsteps.
“This is the second time there is a FEI Athlete Representative election. In the past, the IJRC had the privilege to choose the candidate – now it is up to the showjumping community as a whole, or at least up to those with a right to vote,” says IJRC Director Eleonora Ottaviani. “At the last election the votes were few, so we hope to create more awareness this time around. It is the riders’ responsibility to vote, and if they don’t – they should not complain after. Get on the train now, before it leaves the station!”
“The election of the FEI Athlete Representative is very important. The athlete that will be elected will carry the voice of the riders inside the FEI Jumping Committee,” Ottaviani explains. “Furthermore, the person elected will be a part of the Athlete Commission – which is formed by representatives across all FEI disciplines – and whoever gets chosen as the chairman of this commission will also get a seat on the FEI Executive Board. In other words, I can’t stress enough how important the role as FEI Athlete Representative is.”
“In the IJRC's opinion, the ideal candidate must know the sport inside-out. It is also vital that the person that gets elected has enough time for the task, and that he or she keeps contact with the showjumping community – and of course to the IJRC Board – to get the input needed,” Ottaviani says.
“The role as FEI Athlete Representative is not about access to power. It is about making sure that the correct information reaches those that make the decisions that affect the riders, so good communication skills and an honest approach is important,” Ottaviani continues.
“In the past, we have had outstanding athletes such as Franke Sloothaak, Otto Becker, Emile Hendrix and Max Kühner representing the showjumping community. The FEI Athlete Representative for jumping always did a fantastic job, and had great knowledge of the sport. We of course hope that the next candidate will carry this tradition on,” Ottaviani closes off.
IJRC interview with current FEI Athlete Representative Rodrigo Pessoa:
The election for online voting is open until 23 September 2018 23:59 CEST (17:59 Tryon, NC time)
Eligibility Criteria for voting:
As indicated on the FEI website, the Eligibility Criteria for the online voting are:
- To be 18 years old on July 28th;
- To have either competed in one of the last two senior FEI World Championships or Olympic Games or Paralympic Games in the discipline for which the voter wants to vote.
Voting process:
In order to vote, you will need to fill in a registration form so the FEI can confirm you meet the eligibility requirements. Please note you will be asked to upload an ID picture.
Within 72 hours of submitting your registration, you will receive from FEI an email with your username, password and a link to cast your vote.
You will find at the link below the candidates for the Athletes Representative positions in each of the FEI disciplines, and the link to vote.
Press release from the IJRC
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