FEI's Background Information

The FEI (International Equestrian Federation) is a service organisation from Lausanne, Switzerland, with over 100 years of existence that leads and governs the equestrian community. Their mission is to drive and develop equestrian sport globally in a modern, sustainable and structured manner with guaranteed integrity, athlete welfare, equal opportunity and a fair and ethical partnership with the horse. FEI establishes the regulations and approves equestrian schedules for Championships, Continental and Regional Games as well as the Olympic & Paralympic Games.

The Challenge

FEI approached us with a specific issue they were grappling with – the effective management of tack equipment regulations for equestrian events. These regulations cover a wide array of equipment, including those used by horses and riders. Each competition may have varying rules regarding the use of this equipment, with some items allowed under specific conditions while others are entirely prohibited. Additionally, certain equipment may have prescribed methods of usage.

The Pain

Before embarking on this project, FEI primarily relied on extensive PDF documents for disseminating equipment regulations for each competition. When athletes, judges, or officials needed to access specific rules related to tack equipment, they had to laboriously comb through these PDFs, often resulting in tedious and time-consuming searches. To further complicate matters, these PDF documents had the potential to become outdated, leading to potential discrepancies and misunderstandings.

Our Solution

To address FEI's unique needs, we undertook the development of a comprehensive solution. Our primary objective was to design a user-friendly back office where FEI staff could efficiently input and manage tack equipment data. This included the ability to incorporate photos and relevant rules for each item, as well as the capability to define the equipment's usage in different competitions. Moreover, we established a platform for adding technical and legal articles that were pertinent to specific competitions.

On the user-facing front, we crafted an intuitive website and a versatile mobile application compatible with both iOS and Android platforms. These interfaces were seamlessly integrated with the extensive database we had developed, ensuring that anyone could easily access the necessary information.

Execution and Implementation

Having previously collaborated with FEI on projects such as Clean Sport and Rule App, we were well-versed in their branding and guidelines. We approached this project with a deep understanding of their existing digital ecosystem. Our team meticulously designed and developed a new back office, website, and multi-platform mobile application, ensuring that these components were in harmony with the FEI's established identity.

Ongoing Project

The Tack Equipment website and mobile applications are now fully operational, offering a valuable resource to the equestrian community. While the project is live and actively used, it remains an ongoing endeavour. Our collaboration with the FEI's IT department continues, and we are committed to further improving and expand the platform by regularly introducing new features and functionalities to serve the equestrian community better.