Equestrian sport is not regulated in Georgia by a separate statute — horse sport operates under the same general sporting frame as every other discipline: the citizen's right to sporting activity, the sole governance of the national federation, the institutions of high-achievement sport and the professional regime of the athlete. On this page we explain how these norms work together in the equestrian context — for the rider, the club and the federation.
The Citizen's Right and the Starting Point of Sporting Activity
Article 3 of the law sets the starting point: a citizen of Georgia — an athlete, coach, referee or other sport worker — has the right to work in amateur and professional sport both in Georgia and abroad, and the state secures this right with appropriate socio-economic conditions. The persons of the equestrian world — riders, trainers, judges — stand precisely on this guarantee. A citizen of another country or a stateless person pursues sporting activity in Georgia on the basis of a contract or agreement, in the manner established by legislation — the engagement of international riders takes this form too — a contract or agreement is the only lawful ground of a foreigner's sporting activity. The state also supports the development of sport in rural areas, and the use of sporting activity or achievements for unlawful aims is inadmissible.
The Federation — the Sole Governing Organ of Equestrian Sport
The governance of the equestrian discipline lies with the national federation. The national sports federation of Georgia is a non-commercial legal entity created on the basis of the Civil Code, which conducts its activity under the law, other acts, the international federations and its own statutes; it is the sole governing organ in the respective sport and answers for its development. The federation's status is granted to an association whose founding documents satisfy the requirements of Georgian legislation and of the international federation; its competence extends over the whole territory; it staffs the national team and represents it at international competitions. For equestrian clubs and riders this means that the questions of competing, qualification and entry into the national team are resolved by the federation's rules — within the lawful frame. Under the same article, the federation, within its competence, promotes the founding and functioning of sports societies, associations, clubs, schools and other organizations — the network of equestrian clubs grows precisely on this promotion. The federation represents the discipline both inside the country and beyond its borders, shares the principles of the Olympic movement; its supreme organ is the assembly, at least three quarters of whose members must be represented by sports organizations. The federation's president may be a citizen of Georgia with higher education, high reputation and no criminal record; the federation executes the state order and cooperates with the ministry on a contractual basis.
High-Achievement Sport and the Rider's Regime
The upper storey of a sporting career is described by law. High-achievement sport is the sphere that enables an athlete to reveal his capabilities to the maximum; for the preparation of highly qualified athletes, specialized institutions are created whose structure and status are determined by the ministry and the respective federation; the state order for the preparation of highly qualified athletes is formed through agreements concluded with federations or other sports organizations. The preparation of athletes in the national team is carried out, on the ministry's request, with funds allocated from the state budget. The rider's professional status is regulated separately: "athlete" is a profession; an athlete for whom sport is the main source of income is a professional; professional activity is carried out under labour legislation and, as a rule, stands on an individual labour contract; a professional athlete's contract must contain conditions of health and life insurance — in equestrian sport, where the risk of injury is particularly high, this condition is decisive. The same article adds that a professional sports league and any other professional sports organization are formed and function in accordance with legislation, and the procedure for concluding a contract with an athlete is determined by Georgian legislation, the statutes of international sports organizations and other regulatory documents — the rules of the international equestrian federation influence the content of a rider's contract as well. For a rider preparing a season, this means the contract must be checked against both the national labour framework and the federation's sporting rules at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we answer the questions that arise most often around equestrian law.
Is there a separate equestrian statute?
No — horse sport operates under the general sporting frame.
Who governs equestrian sport in Georgia?
The respective national federation — the sole governing organ in the discipline.
How can a foreign rider compete in Georgia?
On the basis of a contract or agreement, in the manner established by legislation.
What condition is mandatory in a professional rider's contract?
Conditions of health and life insurance, together with the conditions of activity and participation in competitions.
How is a state training order formed?
Through agreements concluded with federations or other sports organizations.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team assists riders, equestrian clubs and federations in putting their sporting relationships in order. We examine contract forms, the mandatory insurance condition, the grounds for deals with foreign riders, the state training order and conformity with the federation's rules. Contact us for a consultation — we will assess your situation and prepare a contract or position that works within the Georgian frame.