As reported on insidethegames on Monday, the FEI has asked for immediate resignations from its six-member dressage committee because they did not believe it has properly represented the interests of the sport.

 

But now in a letter to the Princess, signed by all six members, and copied to Alex McLin and David Holmes, the secreterary and executive sports director of the FEI respectively, they have made it clear that they believe they are doing a good job and will not resign.

 

The group, who are led by Belgian Mariette Withages-Dieltjens, the chair of the FEI dressage committee, are clearly upset by claims that they are holding back the development of the discipline.

 

They write: "We would like to point out that dressage is...developing worldwide.

 

"More and more countries are having dressage on their programmes and organise competitions and championships.

 

"Since the [2000] Olympic Games in Sydney, the freestyle to music has attracted even more public than the individual final in [show] jumping. FEI World Cup Dressage Finals are attended by large crowds.

 

"[The] WEG [World Equestrian Games] in Aachen 2006 had 130,000 spectators!

 

"All European Championships have been organised with great success.

 

"The last edition in Italy, considered a 'developing' country in this respect, had 14,000 spectators!"

 

But the dressage during the 2008 Olympics, held in Hong Kong along with the other equestrian events, attracted disappointing crowds.

 

The committee claimed this was because not the discipline is not popular in China.

 

They write: "The public in Hong Kong may have been different to other OG as, Sydney or Atlanta [in 1996], but it was very comparable to [the 1988] Seoul [Olympics].

 

"This is because of equestrian sport and especially dressage not being a well known sport in such countries."

 

The FEI had hoped to name a replacement dressage committee before its general assembly, which is being held in Buenos Aires between November 17 and 22, but this is looking increasingly unlikely as a major row seems set to split the sport.