FEI pays tribute to Hong Kong’s first FEI Official Alison King, 1950-2020

Alison King, Hong Kong’s first FEI Official and a huge supporter of equestrian sport, sadly passed away on 3 March 2020. She was 69.

Alison King was appointed as an FEI Official in 2008 and held various roles through the years. She moved rapidly up the ranks, and was the first person in Hong Kong to become an FEI 5* Para Dressage Judge. She was also an FEI 5* Technical Delegate for Para Dressage, an FEI 4* Dressage Judge, FEI 4* Dressage Judge for Young Horses, and an FEI Level 2 Steward for Jumping, Eventing, Dressage and Para Dressage. In 2016 she was appointed as a Course Director for Stewards in Para Dressage.

She officiated at close to 90 FEI Events over a 12-year period. She was a Para Dressage Judge at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Caen (FRA) and also on the Dressage Ground Jury at the FEI Asian Championships 2019 in Pattaya (THA). She was also an Assistant Steward at the Longines Masters of Hong Kong from 2013 to 2018, and was Chief Steward at last year’s event.

Alison King contributed enormously to Officials’ education, both locally and internationally. At a local level she held the role of HKEF Senior Dressage Judge from 2008 to 2017, while at an international level she was appointed as a Course Director for the FEI Dressage Educative Event Pilot Project in 2014 and developed the Equestrian Sport Educative Event (ESEE) for the Dressage Module funded by the FEI Solidarity.

“Alison was one of our best known Officials in Dressage and Para Dressage and was always a joy to work with”, FEI Dressage, Para Dressage, Vaulting & Reining Director Bettina de Rham said. “During her long career she served the sport internationally through many different roles. Her passion for the sport shone through and her ability to pass on her incredible depth of knowledge were remarkable. She will be greatly missed”.

FEI Executive Board Member and Regional Group VIII Chair Jack Huang described Alison King as “one of our most influential Dressage Judges in Asia”.

Tributes also came in from National Federations.

“The Hong Kong Equestrian Federation would like to express our sincere gratitude for Alison’s contributions in the development of the equestrian sport in Hong Kong in the past decades”, the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation said in a statement. “Her smile, passion and enthusiasm will be forever missed by all of us.”

“Alison was instrumental in the development of Dressage in our country and region and did so much for the sport to flourish through the ESEE Dressage Programme”, Secretary General of the Equestrian Association of the Philippines Michelle Barrera-Juban said. “She had a special place in our hearts and will be sorely missed.”

The FEI extends its deepest sympathy to Alison King’s husband Nigel and son Tam, to her large circle of friends, to the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation and the global equestrian community.