It started immediately after the end of the 2nd Dressage World Cup for the Disabled and had the focal point of disabled riding without excluding the other areas. Despite objections from the Danish side, which were never quite removed, the commission of the International Council was able to, with the help of Yvonne Nyuttens (B) and Sister Chiara Hatton-Hall (UK,)
present an integrated constitutional draft for discussion and agreement. Norma Pearce had actually been sitting at the typewriter until the last minute to this end, whilst the disabled riders competed in the championship in the centre of Vilhemsborg.
Our inquiry found Belgium to be the only country, which gives international organizations charitable status. This law had been passed by King Leopold III after the first world war and renewed by King Baudouin after the second world war. We only needed to adjust our constitution in a few minor points. The Belgian advocate Jan De Buck was the intermediary with the Belgian authorities.
The constitution was discussed as a whole, and in individual paragraphs, and finally passed at the meeting of the International Council, held within the framework of the VII. International Congresses for Therapeutic Riding in Aarhus.
The new executive board was voted in according to this new constitution:
President: Carl Kluwer (D)
Vice President: Daniele Nicolas Citterio (I)
Treasurer: Ad van Vliet (NL)
General Secretary: Jenny Baillie (GB)
Committee Members: Jan de Buck (B), Norma Pearce (AUS), Jean Tebay (USA)
The Belgian king authorized the charitable status of the federation, to be called FRDI from now on, as a legal entity, counter signed by the ministry of justice. The next task was then to set up a permanent head office. Jean Tebay published a job description for the position of General Secretary, i.e., for the head office.
The bibliography was continually updated by Barbara Teichmann-Engel (USA) and the index of training by Octavia Brown and Jean Tebay, through the use of new editions.
The second main task was to publish an ongoing information newsletter to aid communication within FRDI. Jenny Baillie, that is the General Secretary, The Honorable Mrs. P. C. Baillie, did this with great finesse and success.
FRDI NEWSLETTER
The appearance of our publication changed to increasingly impressive designs.