Blaus has been leading the LJF since 2002 and is currently in his sixth term, but there are many dissatisfied with the current leader among equestrian sports representatives. The statutes of LJF provide for the possibility of instigating a general meeting if at least one tenth of the members agree and sign it. The website of the Federation states that the organization currently has 105 members.
In the Latvian Equestrian Federation, the opposition wants a change of leadership
The necessary documents have been submitted, and the extraordinary congress should take place within the next two months, Federation President Blaus confirmed to Latvian Radio.
The best-known representative of the opposition group is the best domestic show jumping rider Kristaps Neretnieks. He participated in the Olympic Games in Tokyo and also qualified to start this summer in Paris. In a conversation with Latvijas Radio, Neretnieks emphasized that he does not want to publicly blame Blau and his team, but feels a lack of enthusiasm and development in the work of the federation. Different governance and goals set by the federation are needed.
“Of course they do [federācijā] I am doing my job and a lot has been done, but still time is passing,” explained Neretnieks. “However, I also feel a little responsible for other Latvian riders, young riders. I am also one of the initiators of creating a new team.”
Neretnieks and his associates joined the “Equestrian Sports Change Team”, which nominated Armandas Šteinberg – the founder and president of the equestrian sports club “Rezerves Officers Union” as a candidate for the president of the federation.
Steinberg is ready to use the accumulated experience in managing companies in the day-to-day management of the federation. He previously ran for the 14th Saeima elections from the “Republika” party, but was not elected. Before the elections, Šteinbergs stated to the Central Election Commission that he is the chairman of the board of two companies “Rigensis Capital” and “Baltic Premium Company”.
Steinberg said that people who have been in power for 20 years are sinking into complacency and stagnation. “Right now, they’re more worried about someone disturbing their sleep. Like a beehive when disturbed,” Steinberg explained. “Right now, I feel like most of it is about change.”
After the activities of oppositionists, the Equestrian Federation invited members to an informative meeting on February 22 at the Kleistu sports base, where they promised to answer current questions. Latvijas Radio contacted the representative of the sports club “Drostala” Linda Araja, who assessed this meeting critically. She believes that
there were no answers to questions that were inconvenient for the federation’s leadership, of which there were quite a few.
For example, why in February the organization submitted to the State Revenue Service a corrected financial report for 2022, in which revenues from economic activity increased from 100 to almost 500 thousand euros.
Arāja believes that Blaus and his team are deliberately trying to indicate the total turnover, which is less than 800 thousand euros, so that there is no need to involve a sworn auditor. Arāja is also concerned that Blaus is using the federation’s money for his own business, for example, allegedly buying horses for paralympian Rihards Snik. Three horses were recently purchased for 15 thousand euros, but Blaus could not show the documents. It is said that no procurement has been announced either, but one of the horses has already been recognized as unfit for Snik and has remained there in Kleistos.
Blaus, who has been in office for 22 years, said he is ready to listen to the arguments of those who are dissatisfied and work together to make the federation work better. The president did not give specific answers to Latvijas Radio’s repeated questions about what needs to be improved.
“It is a normal process that there are also different opinions in the federation. We are currently talking, trying to find a solution together. We are always open to new ideas, new proposals,” said Blaus. “I think that our development is just happening, everything is going up in recent years. We have invested a lot in the development of the infrastructure of the sports center “Kleisti”, the success of sports is also very good.”
Latvijas Radio also contacted five randomly selected LJF members from different parts of Latvia. Talks were held both with those who are leading in the country in terms of the number of students, and with the so-called “small members”.
In general, the members recognize that changes are needed in the federation, but they are not ready to initiate them themselves. They feel that the Federation is distant and separate from them.
Linda Arāja from “Drostalām” believes that such a ruling opinion has been formed by the federation’s long-term leadership style, stopping debates at congresses after the first uncomfortable question and inviting members to the lunch table.
A representative of an equestrian club expressed that, while Lithuanians and Estonians sneer at the equestrian sports infrastructure of Latvia, they also sneer at the “Kleisti” praised by the federation. She said that Latvia is a breeding ground for cheap horses, but the knowledge of local specialists is not used to prepare excellent sports horses for the world market.
Latvian Radio will continue to follow the developments in the local Equestrian Sports Federation. The next event is the upcoming emergency congress, where Steinberg’s team will try to oust Federation President Blau.
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2024-02-27 05:40:26
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