Equestrian Sports New Zealand now has representation within the international governing body of equestrian with the election of secretary general Vicki Glynn to the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) Audit and Compliance Committee. Glynn, a former chief executive of ESNZ, joins previous president Chris Hodson who sits on the FEI Tribunal.

She got the nod in November at the FEI General Assembly in Montevideo, Uruguay where each national federation had a single vote. One hundred and five of the 133 FEI member countries were represented at the vote.

Six candidates were initially nominated by their federations, with one removed through the rounds until it came down to just Glynn and Oliver Klein (France). In the final vote Glynn received 65 votes to Klein’s 37.

“I am excited to engage with the FEI,” said Glynn. “I feel my past business experience and broad equestrian focus means I can bring an additional perspective to the committee. It is great to see that FEI members from all parts of the globe have equal opportunity to be elected.”

The committee supports and actively endorses policies arising from FEI Bureau meetings. The members will be called upon to provide impartial advice to the Audit and Compliance Chair on all auditing matters, issue policies and procedures. Glynn will be required to attend meetings in Lausanne, Switzerland, where the FEI is headquartered.

While the appointment is usually for four years, Glynn is stepping in to replace a member who resigned to take up another FEI post, so it will be just for two years.

“Being part of the FEI team will have benefits for New Zealand, Australia and our Asia region through my knowing who and how the FEI operates, facilitating our access and collaboration with the governing body,” she said.

Glynn has been ESNZ secretary general since November 2014. She has previously held numerous offices, dating back to the 1970s when she was a Wellington delegate to the New Zealand Horse Society Council. She has been a judge, competitor and stalwart support of the New Zealand equestrian community.