As an international groom it is useful to know the different governing bodies and organisations on the international stage.
FEI stands for Fédération Équestre Internationale, and it is the international governing body for equestrian sports, it is based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The IGA was founded at the request of the FEI and works collaboratively with them.
Each National Federation (NF) is the sole authority (besides the FEI itself) for FEI equestrian disciplines in the country where it is located.
The FEI works in conjunction with the National Federation of each country member to regulate and govern the equestrian disciplines recognised by the FEI.
A National Olympic Committee (NOC) or National Paralympic Committee (NPC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic/Paralympic movement.
They are responsible for organising their people's participation in the Olympic or Paralympic Games.
There are currently 206 NOCs and 182 NPCs.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) are the governing bodies of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and National Paralympic Committees (NPCs).
Their roles are to supervise, support and monitor the organisation of the Games; ensure that they run smoothly, and make sure that the rules of the Olympic/Paralympic Charter and the Olympic/Paralympic Host Contracts are respected.
It is also the IOC/IPC that issues the invitations to NOCs and NPCs to participate.
