The worst fears of the Equestrian community in India have come true. The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has decided to suspend Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) for prolonged governance and leadership irregularity in the absence of elections to the EFI Executive Committee.
In a letter to two members of the Ad Hoc Committee governing EFI, Vidushpat Singhania and Lt. Col. Sandeep Dewan (retd.), FEI Governance Director Franciso Lima said that the suspension will come into effect on December 1, 2026.
During the suspension, EFI cannot attend or be represented at any session or meeting of any FEI body, nor can it organise international events. Worse, Indian athletes, officials, trainers and horses cannot compete in events organised by the FEI or any other National Federation, either under the Indian flag or the FEI flag.
The Ad Hoc Committee authored a Draft Constitution and on June 19, 2026, sought comments from stakeholders. It was not until August 16, 2026, that it finalised an Interim Constitution. Clearly, the leadership was in no hurry to conduct elections
On September 26, 2026, the two-members of the Ad Hoc Committee replied to the FEI notice offering explanations for the delay – alleged incomplete handover by outgoing Secretary-General Col. Jaiveer Singh (retd.), a forensic audit that is being undertaken, a long consultative process in the drafting of the new constitution and the statutory timelines
FEI seems to have noted that despite the Ad Hoc Committee’s claims that the electoral process mandated by the High Court of Delhi got under way on August 16, 2026, there seems to be no published schedule for the elections let alone a firm date on which an elected body would take over the governance of the Equestrian Federation of India.
It would appear from the FEI directive that the Ad Hoc Committee members have indicated that the EFI elections would be complete by January 31, 2027. It would be incumbent on that elected body to apply for and satisfy the FEI that a revocation of the suspension would be in order.
The last time any elections were held to the EFI Executive Council was back in 2019. Rajasthan Equestrian Association moved the High Court of Delhi, seeking elections to be held under the National Sports Development Code of India 2011 – with only the Equestrian Associations of States and Union Territories in the electoral college.
After six years of hearings, during which a Court-appointed Observer and a Fact Finding Committee were appointed to no avail and the elected Executive Committee was reinstated for fear of international action ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Court ruled that clubs have no role in the governance of a National Sports Federation.
On February 17, acting on an application by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Court directed the Indian Olympic Association to appoint an Ad Hoc Committee to govern the EFI, rewrite the Constitution within two months of appointment and hold elections within a month thereafter.
Unsurprisingly, the FEI went ahead with its plan of suspending the membership of the EFI. The riders – especially those who are based overseas and are competing – will hope that their own careers will not be adversely impacted by this decision and the dark clouds looming over the Indian Equestrian sport community will clear sooner than later.
