She lost by just one vote at an Extraordinary General Meeting in Copenhagen, as 98 National Federations voted on the proposal.

 

Even a personal plea from Princess Haya, who is due to seek a second four-year term as President next year and is a member of the International Olympic Committee, before the vote was held failed to carry the day.

 

She had urged for National Federations to approve the statutes to enable the FEI to "take the next step".

 

The Princess said: "There's no more that can be done to move forward other than restructure.

 

"If you wish us to serve the sport, you must take this step."

 

The 35-year-old Princess has campaigned since 2006 to modernise the FEI and try to end its reputation for horse doping scandals at the Olympics, which she fears could jeopardise its place in the Games.

 

It means that FEI will continue to be governed by a 19-member Bureau rather than the proposed seven-member Board.

 

The FEI modernisation process, championed by former President HRH Doña Pilar de Borbón, began 12 years ago and was accepted in principle by the FEI General Assembly in 2005 in London.

 

Among those who voted against the proposal were Russia.

 

Vladimir Platov, his country's representative, said: "It wasn't done properly."

 

Andrew Finding, the chief executive of the British Equestrian Federation, refused to say which way he voted, but said it was now time for the FEI to work with National Federations to find a way forward.

 

He said: "We all know change is necessary, the NFs want to modernise, we need to find a way to make that possible now."

 

 

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