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The European Equestrian Federation (EEF) announced yesterday the resignation of its president Theo Ploegmakers.

Dutch, born in 1946, Ploegmakers has in fact decided to end his mandate early, starting next April 1st, for health reasons. Click here for the EEF press release. 

Elected President of the EEF in November 2018 and then confirmed for the four-year term 2023/2026, Theo Ploegmakers has been a central figure within the European equestrian sports panorama, for which he has promoted initiatives for both sporting excellence and, above all, for the welfare of horses.

"Thanks to Theo Ploegmakers - commented FISE President Marco Di Paola - equestrian sports in Europe have made significant strides by expanding, with the creation of the revolutionary Longines EEF Series, the sporting summit without ever derogating from the objective of the welfare of horses. In Italy too, we are grateful to him for all he has done for our sport, but above all we wish him a speedy recovery."

The Secretary General of FISE, Simone Perillo, who is a member of the EEF Board, also expressed words of gratitude towards President Ploegmakers: “in these years at his side I have had the opportunity to appreciate Theo Ploegmakers for the foresight with which he has made the European Federation grow. It is an honour to be able to consider him a true friend, with whom we have shared participation in important sporting events: among all I remember the 2022 World Championships of Eventing and Driving at Pratoni del Vivaro and the 2023 European Championships of Show Jumping in Milan. Let's now root for him so that he can win this battle too!”

(Theo Ploegmakers © FEI/Richard Juilliart)