FEI Tribunal issues Final Decision on two banned substance cases

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision on two cases involving human Erythropoietin (EPO), a banned substance under the FEI’s Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMRs).

Abdulla Mubarak Rashed Al Khaili (FEI ID 10076760/UAE) and Mohd Butti Ghemran Al Qubaisi (FEI ID 10092584/UAE), whose horses SUR (FEI ID UAE01796/QAT) and Centurion (FEI ID 102RM71/QAT) both tested positive for the same substance at the CEI1* in Doha (QAT) on 22 April 2016, have been suspended for one year.

The trainer of both horses, Mohammed Ali Khalifa Al-Attiyah (FEI ID 10082342/QAT), admitted that he had administered the horses with EPO just before the competition. The athletes were therefore found to bear no significant fault and negligence for the rule violation and their sanctions were reduced from two to one year.

The FEI Tribunal has imposed a two-year suspension on the trainer, who is now ineligible until 4 July 2018 (provisional suspension, effective from 5 July 2016, will be credited against the period of ineligibility imposed in this decision). He has been fined 3,500 CHF and will contribute 1,500 CHF towards the legal cost.

The period of provisional suspension of the two athletes, effective from 2 June 2016, has been credited against the period of ineligibility imposed in this decision, meaning that both athletes will be ineligible until 1 June 2017. In addition, the FEI Tribunal imposed on each of the athletes a fine of 2,000 CHF, a contribution of 1,000 CHF towards legal costs and disqualified the athletes and horses from the competition.

The athletes and trainer have 21 days to appeal the decisions to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) from the date of notification (27 March 2017).

Further details on the FEI Tribunal decision can be found here.

Notes to Editors:

The FEI’s Prohibited Substances List is divided into two sections - Controlled Medication and Banned Substances. Controlled Medication substances are those that are regularly used to treat horses, but which must have been cleared from the horse’s system by the time of competition. Banned (doping) substances should never be found in the body of the horse.

As part of FEI Clean Sport, the live Prohibited Substances Database provides an easily accessible online platform on which Banned Substances and Controlled Medications are clearly distinguished.

The FEI’s General Regulations are here and the FEI Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations are here.