New German Equestrian Federation President Presents Initial Summary and Future Goals

The German Equestrian Federation (FN) in Warendorf drew significant media attention on Tuesday as new FN President, Martin Richenhagen, provided an initial summary after four months in office.

Richenhagen, who was elected last November following a challenging year for the FN, shared positive financial news, noting a slight surplus of approximately 140,000 euros for 2024 after a substantial loss of nearly one million euros in 2023. He indicated that the aim moving forward is to achieve an annual profit of 500,000 euros to rebuild reserves that had been depleted over recent years. Richenhagen emphasized the importance of saving for future crises while also promoting sports, training, and breeding. Richenhagen addressed structural changes within the organization, stating that the FN will focus on being a service entity for its members. New protocols include a monthly reporting system and the introduction of a new IT system. He noted the restriction of remote work to one day a week and the suspension of bonus payments, responding to prior scrutiny by authorities regarding financial practices. "It is important to know that the investigation is not being conducted against the FN as an organization, but against several former employees on suspicion of breach of trust," Richenhagen clarified.

Additionally, Richenhagen proposed an organizational restructure that would eliminate the position of Secretary General and potentially consolidate the current twelve departments into four or five, aiming for more efficient operations. He expressed support for merging the FN with the German Olympic Equestrian Committee (DOKR) to streamline processes and reduce administrative costs. Richenhagen also revealed plans to manage the marketing of the Bundeschampionate independently, suggesting that while staff changes may occur, the FN would maintain its operational responsibilities in supporting equestrian activities, albeit with a focused approach, steering clear of promoting equestrian sport in markets such as China.