Which Equestrian Sports Does the FEI Govern?

Updated

The FEI (Fédération Equestre Internationale) is the international governing body for equestrian sport, and its scope covers the Olympic and Paralympic equestrian disciplines together with a set of recognised non-Olympic ones. If you are trying to place a specific activity under the FEI umbrella, the short answer is: if it is an internationally competed horse sport with FEI rules, championships and rankings, it is very likely governed by the FEI; if it is a national-level or recreational activity, it may fall to a national federation instead.

The core FEI disciplines

The FEI's best-known role is running the three Olympic equestrian disciplines, plus the Paralympic discipline:

  • Jumping – the most widely followed FEI sport, built around timed courses of obstacles and faults.
  • Dressage – judged tests of the horse's training and the rider's precision, culminating in Grand Prix and freestyle formats.
  • Eventing – the combined test of dressage, cross-country and jumping, often described as equestrian's triathlon.
  • Para Equestrian (Para Dressage) – dressage competition for athletes with impairments, run under FEI rules at Paralympic level.

These four are the disciplines most people encounter when they search for FEI results, rankings or championship schedules.

Beyond the Olympic programme

The FEI also governs and regulates other internationally recognised equestrian sports, which is why the organisation describes itself as developing equestrian sport "globally." These include:

  • Endurance – long-distance riding races run over set distances and speeds.
  • Driving – carriage driving competitions, including combined driving and four-in-hand.
  • Vaulting – gymnastics performed on a moving horse.
  • Reining – a western discipline with prescribed patterns and manoeuvres, recognised internationally by the FEI.

For a reader trying to understand the overall range of equestrian sport, the practical takeaway is that the FEI's remit spans both the classic English disciplines and western and carriage-based ones, not just the Olympic three.

What "governing" actually means here

The FEI's role is not to run every competition. It sets the rules and technical standards, sanctions international events, maintains rankings and results, and oversees championships such as World and Continental Championships. National federations affiliated with the FEI handle competition within their own countries. This is why a local show might follow national rules while an international fixture is run under FEI regulations.

The organisation also frames its work around horse welfare and the horse–human partnership, which is the idea behind its #TwoHearts messaging. That framing matters when you read FEI rules: welfare provisions and ethical partnership with the horse are presented as part of the governance structure, not an add-on.

How to check a specific sport or event

If you need to confirm whether a particular discipline or competition sits under the FEI:

  1. Identify whether the event is described as international (FEI-sanctioned) or national.
  2. Check the FEI website's sport sections and event calendar for the discipline in question.
  3. Look for FEI rules, rankings or results tied to the event — their presence is the clearest signal of FEI governance.

The main practical caveat: the FEI governs international sport, so a recreational rider or a national-level competitor will usually deal with their national federation first, with the FEI relevant mainly at the international and championship level.