Money makes the world go round, they say. It does indeed and this certainly is true of the world of sport. From a leisurely activity practiced exclusively by amateurs, sport has now turned into a highly complex profession governed by its own business strategies and rules. Prize money, TV rights, sponsorship fees have never been higher and there is no indication that the movement is about to slow down.

Good things usually march hand in hand with less good ones. If the increase in finances generated through sport has led to the democratisation of physical activity and its encompassing an ever growing number of women, it has also produced some distinctly less glorious side effects. As resources expand, so does dishonest behaviour.

Horsesport is no exception. One of FEI’s priorities is to increase its income so that more money is invested back in the sport; but while doing so, it is the organisation’s duty to ensure that all those contributing to the growth of the sport act according to the highest moral standards. The FEI is therefore undertaking an ethical compliance audit the objective of which is to identify vulnerable areas and activities; to make recommendations; and to prevent any identified unethical behaviour and practices.

This audit will be conducted by The Lord Paul Condon QPM DL and Jeff Rees QPM.

Lord Condon is former Commissioner of Police, the most senior post in British policing. He presided over some of the biggest challenges facing police in modern times. Under his leadership crime in London was reduced to the lowest level for a decade. He led the fight against Irish and Middle Eastern terrorism and commanded, among other major events, the policing of the funeral of Diana Princess of Wales and the millennium celebrations with over three million people in central London. He modernised extensively police services and led a vast campaign against police corruption. Lord Condon read jurisprudence at St. Peter’s College Oxford and was made an Honorary Fellow in 1996. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Companion of the Institute of Management. He was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service in 1989 and Knighted in 1994. He was appointed a Life Peer in 2001 and sits as an independent member in the House of Lords. Since leaving the police service, he has taken up posts in international sports, the business world and charities.

Jeff Rees was until very recently the General Manager Anti Corruption and Security of the International Cricket Council.

The audit will take the form of research, interviews and visits to FEI headquarters and events supervised by the FEI. It will be supported by summary reports of findings and recommendations. The audit began in July with several days at the FEI headquarters. Lord Condon will conduct interviews at Mannheim (GER) during the FEI European Jumping Championship. The project will be completed before the end of the year.

It should be well understood that this project is not in response to a crisis or an incident and is not a disciplinary enquiry. It is part of the Integrity in Sport strategy initiated by the FEI President. The FEI as a prudent international sporting body considers that the time has come to carry out a sensible housekeeping exercise to identify any ethical compliance challenges within the sport.

To revert to popular wisdom, better safe than sorry.