The General Assembly of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) elected today HRH Princess ýHaya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan as the 13th FEI President. The other contenders for the position ýwere HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark and Freddy Serpieri (GRE).
The voting took place over two rounds; Princess Haya received 82 votes in the 2nd round.
ý“I promise to do everything in my power and to work tirelessly to serve the institution and the ýpeople who have done me the honour of placing their trust and belief in me. Our beautiful, noble ýsport is seeped in tradition, history and grace. I will do all I can to protect and advance it, in all its ýforms,” HRH Princess Haya said.
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HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein (JOR) is the daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan and wife ýof HH General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. She has been ýriding internationally since the age of 13. In 1992 she won the individual bronze medal in Jumping ýat the seventh Pan Arab Games and the following year she was elected Jordan’s athlete of the year. ýAfter years of intensive training in Ireland and Germany, she qualified for and took part in the ýGames of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney in 2000 followed by a participation in the 2002 FEI World ýEquestrian Games at Jerez de la Frontera. She has represented Jordan at the FEI General Assembly ýon several occasions. HRH Princess Haya is member of the IOC Athletes and Culture and Olympic ýEducation Commissions and president and founder of the International Jordanian Athletes Cultural ýAssociation. She is the first Arab and first woman to ever become Goodwill Ambassador for the ýUnited Nations World Food Programme.
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HRH Princess Haya has been elected for a term of four years, i.e. until 2010. ý