Equestrian sport's world governing body revised the agenda for its Extraordinary General Assembly, taking place in Lausanne on April 29, following an FEI Bureau teleconference this week to include a vote on extending the President's time in office from two four-year terms to three four-year terms "to match the terms of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President".

However, it has yet to be seen if Princess Haya, who was elected to lead equestrian sport's world governing body in 2006, will change her mind about stepping down at the end of her second term in November 2014 and stand again for the most powerful position in equestrian sport - and in doing so retain her IOC membership - if the movement is passed.

As the person who introduced the statutes to limit the President's time in office, the former Olympian and daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan spoke last September to quash rumours that she would seek a third term and insisted that her "views on the benefits of a two-term limit have not changed since the day I was elected".

Despite her comments, powerbrokers from National Federations on four continents continued to lobby for a change in the rules that would allow the President to stay on for a third term.

Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein introduced the two four-year terms limit for FEI President's when she was elected to the role in 2006 ©Getty Images


Belgium, Mauritius, Sudan, Chinese Taipei, the United States and Jamaica were said to have made "passionate" speeches at November's FEI General Assembly in Montreux, while 100 of the 132 members signed a petition for the Extraordinary General Assembly to take place as soon as possible in order to amend the regulations to allow Princess Haya to remain in office.

The Extraordinary General Assembly will also include a vote on whether to create a new body, the FEI Olympic Council, which will "liaise on a more permanent basis between the FEI and the members of the Olympic Family with an equestrian background".

Meanwhile, the FEI Bureau also decided to postpone the ordinary 2014 General Assembly until after the IOC Extraordinary Session being held in Monaco on December 8-9 as "key decisions concerning the Olympic Programme are expected to be taken by the IOC Session".

The FEI General Assembly will now take place in Dubai on December 11-14.

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