McEwen wants FEI Presidency

British veterinary surgeon John McEwen has announced he is to stand for the presidency of world equestrian sport's governing body the Federation Equestre Internationale.

The post becomes vacant in December following HRH Princess Haya's decision not to run for a third term. Haya has been president since 2006.

McEwen, who is based near Chepstow in south Wales, is currently FEI vice-president, and he becomes the fourth confirmed candidate after former French international showjumper Pierre Durand, Danish Equestrian Federation president Ulf Helgstrand and Swiss financier Pierre Genecard.

McEwen was vet to the British showjumping team between 1978 and 1999, and the British dressage team since 1983. He has worked at eight Olympic Games, including London 2012, and served as the British Equestrian Federation's world class performance programme's director for equine sports science and medicine.

"I have no illusions about the challenges for this election and the work that needs to be undertaken in the future," he said.

"I run because I know I have the confidence and support of my own Federation and because I am committed to the direction our current president has forged.

"There is clearly more work to do, but we have good people in place and a sound executive team led well by its secretary general Ingmar De Vos. If elected, I will seek to run a steady course and a period of further evolution."

BEF chairman Keith Taylor added: "We were geared to support HRH Princess Haya in her campaign to run for another four years.

"Her withdrawal from the race a couple of weeks before nominations close has caused us to move quickly, but we took no time in citing John McEwen for our nomination.

"He is hugely-experienced and electable. He knows the FEI inside out and he knows what needs to be done to build on Princess Haya's outstanding legacy. He is very well respected throughout the international community as a man of integrity. We support him fully.

"John McEwen will go forward to the election at the FEI General Assembly (in Baku) on December 14 with a very strong recommendation from the British Equestrian Federation."