FEI formally recognises the International Grooms Association

FEI President Ingmar De Vos and Founding Director of the International Grooms Association™ (IGA) Lucy Katan made history at the FEI Sports Forum on 26 April 2022 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU marked the first official partnership between the FEI and an international grooms association, providing grooms with a voice for the first time within the decision-making process.

An independent not-for-profit professional association, the IGA has been established to achieve greater representation and career recognition for grooms, as well as to improve their working conditions, especially at equestrian events where long hours are the norm.

The support provided by the IGA will include guidance on employment rules, answers to commonly asked questions on recruitment, a toolkit for grooms working freelance, and a job board, to name a few. A section on well-being on the IGA website, International Grooms Minds, will ensure that grooms also have a strong emotional support system in place to assist them in their daily work.

“Today’s signing of the MOU is the culmination of many years of discussion and planning and marks the start of a new era for international grooms,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.

Grooms from all over the world can now become an IGA member through the Association’s official website: https://internationalgrooms.org/

Each FEI discipline will also have four to six representatives working within the industry to promote the status of international grooms. These representatives will be asked to mentor new grooms, creating a support hub for those new to the scene.