More than 60 government representatives and veterinary and horse sport experts from 23 countries will head to Panama City, Panama, next week (Dec. 11-13) for a summit on the international movement of horses.

The talks have been convened by the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) and the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) at a time when participation in equestrian sport has reached a record high in South America and with the 2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon.

Attendees will focus on finding a solution to current import and export procedures, which do not take into consideration the lower risks of "high-health" sport horses and which could be restricting the growth of top-level equestrian sport in the region.

This year, over 300 equestrian events governed by the FEI have taken place in South America, with worldwide competitions growing by 27% since 2008 to more than 3,000 a year