The federation said tonight it has asked for immediate resignations from its six-member dressage committee.

 

"The committee has been seen to work in isolation, not fully representing the interests of the dressage community as a whole," the FEI said in a statement.

 

The request for resignations was made by the FEI's ruling Executive Board, which is led by president Princess Haya of Jordan, who is also an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member.

 

FEI sports director David Holmes said problems with dressage officials' decision-making began last year and continued through the Olympics, which like the rest of the equestrian events were held in Hong Kong.

 

Holmes said: "Some of the issues were related to the Olympic Games.

 

"But there was no one specific thing that occurred in Hong Kong that led to this decision."

 

Holmes is a former chief executive of British Dressage, having joined the FEI in June.

 

The FEI is waiting for a response from the committee, which is chaired by Belgian official Mariette Withages-Dieltjens and includes members from Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain.

 

The FEI hopes to name a replacement panel before its general assembly, which is being held in Buenos Aires between November 17 and 22.

 

Holmes said: "This decision has not been taken lightly.

 

"The general assembly is the high point of the year for the FEI.

 

"The last thing we would want is to have anything distract from that."