Alleged corruption, bullying and elitism at the top of British equestrianism was under investigation on Friday night following the launch of an independent review into the sport.
The British Equestrian Federation became the latest governing body in receipt of millions of pounds of public money to face an external investigation into its internal workings in a probe prompted by the exit of its chief executive after barely a year in charge.
In her July 13 resignation letter, Clare Salmon raised what Joanne Shaw, the BEF chairman, described as “significant and serious concerns about culture, governance and the interaction of some of the member bodies”.
Shaw announced the BEF board would commission an independent investigation, which was launched on Thursday and is being chaired by John Mehrzad, head of the sports law group at Littleton barristers’ chambers.
According to the terms of reference of the inquiry, it will cover “alleged elitism, self-interest, bullying and corruption as referred to in the resignation letter dated July 13 of former CEO Clare Salmon; and the leadership of the BEF”.
Mehrzad, a panel member on the independent review that found a “culture of fear” in British Cycling this year, has also been instructed to address the following issues:
“Are there fundamental relationship issues within and between the organisations involved in British Equestrian sport? If so, what are they?
“Recommendations on how those relationship issues should be addressed to ensure that the highest standards of ethical behaviour exist within and across the whole organisation.
“The implications of the investigation for the board of the BEF and for British Equestrian sport more broadly.
“Recommendations with respect to the values, behaviour, character and the culture of the BEF moving forward.”
The review is being administered by Sports Resolutions and anyone with relevant information is able to participate by visiting www.sportresolutions.co.uk before Nov 3.
The review panel, which also includes two former Detective Chief Inspectors, Sharon Scotson and Ben Ewart, aims to complete its investigation by Dec 1.
The BEF is an umbrella organisation covering 15 full and three associate bodies involved in British equestrian sport, from British Eventing to the Pony Club. Part of its remit is responsibility for distributing funding from UK Sport for the Olympic programme.
Since the post-2016 reduction in central financing, the BEF budget for Tokyo 2020 of just under £15.5 million is nearly £2.5 million down on what it was for Rio.
This led to a series of disputes with the constituent bodies, all of which saw budgets shaved.
Issues have ranged from Carl Hester, coach to Charlotte Dujardin and a leading figure in British dressage, suggesting his sport lost sponsors after they were leant on to make up the ensuing financial shortfall, to those in eventing lamenting the enforced redundancy of a number of coaches on the junior programme.
Further strain was caused by the BEF’s embrace of Sheikh Maktoum’s sponsorship of the UK Endurance Masters held this summer in Euston Park, Suffolk. This offered prize money of £1,768,900 for horses competing in cross country races of up to 80km in duration.
There was widespread dismay at the connection after six horses died in an endurance event held in Dubai in January.
GB Endurance witnessed a spate of resignations after the sponsorship announcement was made.
A hint of the strained relations at the heart of the sport was given when Nick Skelton, the Rio individual show jumping gold medallist, made a pointed attack on the BEF in Horse and Hound magazine.
“There appears to be a growing trend for non-horsey people to run the sport and it’s a disaster,” he said of Salmon, whose background was in business rather than equestrianism. “You can have all the credentials and qualifications in the world, but the bottom line is that those at the helm need to know horses inside out.”
Alleged corruption, bullying and elitism at the top of British equestrianism was under investigation on Friday night following the launch of an independent review into the sport.
The British Equestrian Federation became the latest governing body in receipt of millions of pounds of public money to face an external investigation into its internal workings in a probe prompted by the exit of its chief executive after barely a year in charge.
In her July 13 resignation letter, Clare Salmon raised what Joanne Shaw, the BEF chairman, described as “significant and serious concerns about culture, governance and the interaction of some of the member bodies”.
Shaw announced the BEF board would commission an independent investigation, which was launched on Thursday and is being chaired by John Mehrzad, head of the sports law group at Littleton barristers’ chambers.
According to the terms of reference of the inquiry, it will cover “alleged elitism, self-interest, bullying and corruption as referred to in the resignation letter dated July 13 of former CEO Clare Salmon; and the leadership of the BEF”.
Mehrzad, a panel member on the independent review that found a “culture of fear” in British Cycling this year, has also been instructed to address the following issues:
“Are there fundamental relationship issues within and between the organisations involved in British Equestrian sport? If so, what are they?
“Recommendations on how those relationship issues should be addressed to ensure that the highest standards of ethical behaviour exist within and across the whole organisation.
“The implications of the investigation for the board of the BEF and for British Equestrian sport more broadly.
“Recommendations with respect to the values, behaviour, character and the culture of the BEF moving forward.”
The review is being administered by Sports Resolutions and anyone with relevant information is able to participate by visiting www.sportresolutions.co.uk before Nov 3.
The review panel, which also includes two former Detective Chief Inspectors, Sharon Scotson and Ben Ewart, aims to complete its investigation by Dec 1.
The BEF is an umbrella organisation covering 15 full and three associate bodies involved in British equestrian sport, from British Eventing to the Pony Club. Part of its remit is responsibility for distributing funding from UK Sport for the Olympic programme.
Since the post-2016 reduction in central financing, the BEF budget for Tokyo 2020 of just under £15.5 million is nearly £2.5 million down on what it was for Rio.
This led to a series of disputes with the constituent bodies, all of which saw budgets shaved.
Issues have ranged from Carl Hester, coach to Charlotte Dujardin and a leading figure in British dressage, suggesting his sport lost sponsors after they were leant on to make up the ensuing financial shortfall, to those in eventing lamenting the enforced redundancy of a number of coaches on the junior programme.
Further strain was caused by the BEF’s embrace of Sheikh Maktoum’s sponsorship of the UK Endurance Masters held this summer in Euston Park, Suffolk. This offered prize money of £1,768,900 for horses competing in cross country races of up to 80km in duration.
There was widespread dismay at the connection after six horses died in an endurance event held in Dubai in January.
GB Endurance witnessed a spate of resignations after the sponsorship announcement was made.
A hint of the strained relations at the heart of the sport was given when Nick Skelton, the Rio individual show jumping gold medallist, made a pointed attack on the BEF in Horse and Hound magazine.
“There appears to be a growing trend for non-horsey people to run the sport and it’s a disaster,” he said of Salmon, whose background was in business rather than equestrianism. “You can have all the credentials and qualifications in the world, but the bottom line is that those at the helm need to know horses inside out.”