Ed Warner Joins British Equestrian Federation

Former UK Athletics boss, Ed Warner, has been named chairman of the British Equestrian Federation’s (BEF) Board.

Warner stepped down from his position as chairman of the national governing body in August, following 11 years in the role, where he chaired the bid and organising committee for the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.

The BEF’s appointment follows the changes demanded by Sport England’s new governance code for all recipients of public funding.

He replaces Joanne Shaw, who was appointed in December, and he will be joined by three other independent non-executives, four directors elected by the council and four members nominated by British Dressage, British Eventing, British Showjumping and the British Horse Society, the BEF’s four “founder” member associations.

In agreement with Sport England’s code, the board will be the ultimate decision-making authority and the council will take a more consultative role. These changes were agreed at an extraordinary general meeting on Thursday, just four days before Sport England’s deadline for compliance.

In a statement, Warner said: “The new board and I will work with our members to achieve a secure and positive future for the BEF, where compliance with the sports governance code, across all its requirements, will form part of business as usual, not simply a box-ticking exercise.

“Our interest is in supporting the entire equestrian world with integrity and objectivity, from our multi-medal winning Equestrian Team GBR to a child having their first riding lesson; from team sponsors to fans; from volunteers to charitable donors.”

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