The United States of America has withdrawn its full team of horses from the FEI Endurance World Championship in Pisa (ITA) after one of its horses, stabled offsite, developed a fever.

The USA Team Veterinarian informed the President of the Veterinary Treatment Commission in Pisa on Thursday 20 May that they had a febrile horse. Subsequently, results from a blood test indicated a viral infection. The USA team immediately put in place additional biosecurity measures to prevent any possible transmission of disease. 

Following consultation with the FEI and the President of the Veterinary Commission, the USA decided today to proactively withdraw the entire team, as their horses had all travelled and been stabled together over the past two weeks.

The horses, which arrived in Pisa several days ago, have been stabled 2kms outside the venue. A risk assessment conducted by the FEI Veterinary Department and the Veterinary Commission established that there was a negligible risk of transmission to any other horses taking part in the World Championship. The USA Athletes and team staff discussed the protocol measures directly with the FEI Veterinary Director as part of the decision making process.

“I commend the USA Team veterinarian, the USA Chef d’Equipe and the Athletes for their professionalism and proactivity in addressing this difficult situation, which resulted in the USEF decision to withdraw the team from the Endurance World Championship”, said FEI Veterinary Director Göran Akerström.

“This is a really unfortunate situation for the U.S. Team and I understand their bitter disappointment, but this decision was necessary and is completely in line with the biosecurity measures and rules we have in place to avoid the spread of infectious disease. 

“The welfare of our horses must be put above any sporting goals and ambitions, and today the USA Team have done just that. It’s the right thing to do - and the only thing to do - for the safety of all the horses competing at the Event. We will continue to monitor all the participating horses closely to ensure a biosecure and successful championship for all the participating nations and athletes.”

The five USA Athlete/Horse combinations withdrawn from the Championship are:  

• Karen BINNS-DICAMILLO / RGS RAGNAR ZE MONARCH
• Holly CORCORAN / POETE
• Jessica DICAMILLO / JUST BELIEVE
• Jeremy REYNOLDS / TREASURED MOMENTS
• Cheryl VAN DEUSEN / HOOVER THE MOVER

A total of 31 nations will line up for the start of the FEI Endurance World Championship on Saturday 22 May, 12 of which will be battling for the team medals. 

The FEI Tribunal’s 20-year suspension of UAE Endurance athlete Sh Abdul Aziz Bin Faisal Al Qasimi has been overruled on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). In its decision, the CAS has eliminated all sanctions, ruling that in its view the burden of proof of horse abuse had not been sufficiently met by the FEI.

The initial FEI Tribunal ruling involved the horse Castlebar Contraband, ridden by Sh Abdul Aziz Bin Faisal Al Qasimi at the CE1* in Fontainebleau (FRA) on 15 October 2016. The horse suffered an open fracture to its front right cannon bone during the event and had to be euthanised.

Blood samples collected from the horse post mortem revealed the presence of the Controlled Medication Substance Xylazine, which is used as a sedative, analgesic and muscle relaxant but is prohibited in competition. The substance, which is rapidly excreted from the body, is known to be used in Endurance to lower the heart rate. No valid Veterinary Form, the equine equivalent of a Therapeutic Use Exemption, exists for this Substance.

The FEI Tribunal accepted the explanation of the Treating Veterinarian who performed the euthanasia that she had followed the standard protocol, which did not include the use of Xylazine, refuting the claim by the defendant’s legal team that Xylazine had been used in the euthanasia process.

The post mortem report revealed the appearance of multiple lesions with a highly targeted location, consistent with recent injections, which the FEI stated demonstrated that the horse had been nerve blocked (desensitised) in training, and both before and during the competition. The FEI’s view was that this desensitisation, in combination with osteoarthritis in the right front fetlock joint, resulted in stress fractures that ultimately caused the catastrophic injury.

In his report for both FEI Tribunal and CAS proceedings and during cross-examination, FEI Veterinary Director Dr Göran Åkerström stated that nerve blocking removes the “very fundamental protective function of sensitivity” and increases the risk of catastrophic injury. This is especially relevant for fractures that are due to bone fatigue (stress fractures) as a horse will not show any signs of pain, such as lameness, while under the influence of an injected substance.

In its decision, the CAS Panel stated that neither the athlete nor his Veterinarian could have “reasonably detected” alleged bone fatigue in the horse. Despite extensive veterinary evidence presented by the FEI and its expert witnesses, the CAS Panel found that there was no proof that the horse had been nerve blocked or abnormally desensitised in competition.

The CAS Panel stated that as the horse had passed the horse inspection the day before the event and had also passed the veterinary checks at the Vet Gates during the competition, it could not be ruled as being unfit to compete. The Panel ruled that the FEI had failed to establish that the athlete competed on an exhausted, lame or injured horse or committed “an action or omission which caused or was likely to cause pain or unnecessary discomfort to a horse”.

As a result, the CAS Panel found that the athlete had not committed a violation of Article 142.1 of the FEI General Regulations and that, therefore, no sanctions for abuse of horse could be imposed. The Panel ruled all findings and sanctions imposed by the FEI Tribunal to be “ill founded” and ordered that they be set aside.

The CAS Panel noted “while it is true that circumstantial evidence may have some probative value, the fact remains that, in a case such as the present, which concerns severe allegations of abuse of horse that may, if established, entail heavy sanctions for the Appellant, there must be cogent evidence establishing the commission of the alleged rule violation”.

“Although we respect the CAS decision, we are extremely disappointed”, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said. “The FEI has to stand up for horse welfare and clamp down on horse abuse, so to lose this case on appeal is more than disheartening. The FEI believed that this was an important case to prosecute in order to protect horse welfare, and the FEI Endurance Rules have been further improved from a welfare perspective since this 2016 case. However, the CAS Panel has been clear that they feel that there was insufficient substantive evidence for them to uphold the sanctions imposed by the FEI Tribunal.

“The FEI will of course continue to investigate and prosecute horse abuse cases and we will also work hard to ensure that this CAS decision does not discourage third parties from bringing horse abuse cases forward to the FEI. We need to work together to ensure that those who abuse horses are brought to justice, but we also need to ensure that we have solid and irrefutable evidence.”

The FEI Veterinary Director, who was an expert witness in both the FEI Tribunal and CAS proceedings, was also disappointed with the result. “We are incredibly frustrated to have lost this CAS appeal, especially as the catastrophic injury to this horse involved a combination of risk factors that ultimately led to its death”, Dr Åkerström said.

“But this particular case was one of the main drivers for the development of the FEI Hyposensitivity Control System, which provides physical evidence of nerve blocking, something that was virtually impossible previously. So while the CAS decision sadly does not provide justice for this individual horse, it has resulted in a system that is already being used and which will help prevent similar tragic injuries in the future.”

The CAS decision is published here.

Olivia Robinson (AUS) has been appointed as Communications Director for the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the global governing body for equestrian sports.

Ms Robinson, 43, a highly experienced Communications specialist, is currently the Senior Manager for Corporate Communications within the FEI. She will take over the reins on 1 June from current FEI Communications Director Grania Willis, who will be retiring after 11 years of dedicated and passionate service. Ms Willis will continue to support the work of the department until 31 December 2021 to ensure an optimal handover.

Since joining the Federation in 2006, Ms Robinson has been integral to the growth and evolution of the International Federation’s communications activities, from the initial development of a fan-facing website to the FEI’s first foray onto social media in 2012.

She was a key player in the FEI’s 2016 Olympic and Paralympic #TwoHearts campaign, which achieved worldwide recognition for its creative storytelling around the human and horse connection. In her previous roles at the FEI, she has worked both in media relations and corporate communications. She has driven promotion of the FEI Sports Forum and FEI Awards and led on the creation of strong and engaging content to promote the values of the equestrian community.

“We are delighted that Olivia Robinson is now moving into the role of Director,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said.

“Olivia, who has been a key member of staff for 15 years, has played an important role in growing the FEI’s global visibility and has championed the promotion of the grassroots development of the sport. She has been instrumental in raising the profile of the annual FEI Awards and is well known for her important role in stakeholder communications. Her 360 degree view of the equestrian landscape and in-depth understanding of the community make her a natural successor to Grania Willis.”    

A talented writer, Olivia Robinson is also fluent in French having spent her formative years in Paris (FRA). Born in the Philippines, she has lived in a number of countries including Italy, Ireland and Bolivia before calling Switzerland home. She studied at Sydney University and has a Masters in Translation (French and Spanish) from Dublin City University.

“I am excited to be embarking on this new chapter in my FEI career,” Olivia Robinson said.

“Our sport has a tremendous heritage but also an extraordinary future, and as we get ready to celebrate the FEI’s centenary, I look forward to working with the team in Lausanne to showcase the sport and the organisation, building on the solid foundations that have been put in place by Grania Willis.”

Olivia Robinson (AUS), currently the Senior Manager for Corporate Communications within the FEI, will start in her new role as FEI Communications Director as of 1 June 2021. © FEI

The FEI Tribunal has suspended US Jumping athlete Andrew Kocher for 10 years and disqualified him from eight events between June 2018 and November 2019 for using electric spurs on horses. The athlete has also been fined CHF 10,000 and ordered to pay costs of CHF 7,500.

The FEI Legal Department notified the athlete on 29 June 2020 that an investigation had been opened following allegations about electric spur use reported to the independent Equestrian Community Integrity Unit (ECIU). It was alleged that Mr Kocher had used electric spurs on a number of FEI registered and national horses in international and national events, and during training.

Following the investigation, the FEI formally opened disciplinary proceedings against Mr Kocher in October 2020. He was provisionally suspended on 28 October 2020 pending a hearing before the FEI Tribunal, and this period will be credited against the full suspension, meaning that the athlete is ineligible through to 27 October 2030.

During the suspension the athlete is barred from participating in or attending, in any capacity, including as a spectator, any competition or event that is authorised or organised by the FEI or any National Federation.

The sanctions also include disqualification of all results obtained at events for which the FEI Tribunal was provided with photographic evidence establishing the athlete’s use of electric spurs. The eight events are: CSI4* Hickstead (GBR), 21-24 June 2018; CSI3* Lexington (USA), 14-18 May 2019; CSI2* Lexington (USA), 22-26 May 2019); CSI5* Calgary (CAN), 5-9 June 2019; CSI5* Calgary (CAN), 27-39 June 2019; CSI3* Traverse City (USA), 7-11 August 2019; CSI3*-W Columbus (USA), 2-6 October 2019; and CSI4*-W Toronto (CAN), 5-9 November 2019.

These sanctions form the operative part of the FEI Tribunal decision. The full reasoned decision will be published here in due course. Parties can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the full decision.

The European Union Animal Health Law (AHL) comes into force today, 21 April 2021, and extensive lobbying by the specially convened International Horse Sports Confederation (IHSC) Task Force has been instrumental in a number of key provisions either being removed or their implementation delayed.

Two key changes in the legislation are an extension for the use of the current Export Health Certificates (EHCs) for horse movement until August 2021, and the removal of the proposed 30-day isolation period prior to transportation of horses from the United Kingdom (UK) to EU Member States (MSs) and Northern Ireland. In addition, UK horses will no longer be required to do a 30-day isolation period prior to transportation to an EU MSs or Northern Ireland.

The current EHCs remain valid until 20 August 2021, meaning that existing certificates can continue to be used until that time. The new EHCs must be used for all horses from 21 August 2021 onwards, but the provision requiring registration of a horse’s precise location while in the EU will be delayed until January 2022.

Horses originating from the UK that are registered with the FEI, a recognised UK organisation or studbook, will no longer be required to do a 30-day pre-export isolation, but will instead need to be under veterinary supervision for 30 days.

Work on the draft legal provision for digital passports, another key proposal from the IHSC Task Force for Brexit and EU Animal Health Law, is ongoing with the European Commission.

“We really welcome this news from the European Commission and DEFRA, as these were the top of the Task Force’s priority list and we had been pushing hard for them on behalf of the entire European equine industry”, the IHSC Task Force Chair Dr Göran Akerström said. “We really appreciate that our requests have not just been listened to, but acted upon and this will make a huge difference to the industry as a whole.

“The delay in implementation of the new Export Health Certificates until August will give everyone time to put everything in place and help to minimise the delays for horses travelling between EU Member States and the UK. There was already a derogation from the 30-day isolation period in place for competition horses, but this has now been extended to all registered horses and will be warmly welcomed, particularly by the Thoroughbred breeding industry.”

The IHSC Task Force is continuing to work closely with the Ministries in both the UK and EU Member States in order to agree similar conditions for the transportation of high-health horses that existed under the previous Tripartite Agreement between France, Britain and Ireland.

Notes to Editors:

The IHSC Task Force for Brexit and EU Animal Health Law, which was created in March 2020, is the result of a unique collaboration bringing together Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the European Equestrian Federation (EEF), the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), the International Thoroughbred Breeders Federation (ITBF) and the European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders Association (EFTBA).

DEFRA is the acronym used for the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in the horse abuse case against Brazilian Dressage athlete Leandro Aparecido Da Silva, who was filmed riding and mistreating his daughter’s very small pony last year.

Under the terms of the Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal has imposed a three-year period of ineligibility on the athlete. A fine of CHF 5,000 and costs of CHF 2,000 were also imposed.

Video footage of the abuse was widely shared on social media and the athlete publicly acknowledged that it was him riding the pony in the video.

In September 2020, the Brazilian Equestrian Sport Tribunal (“Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva do Hipismo Brasileiro”) issued a decision that they had no jurisdiction in this case as it was an out-of-competition incident. As a result, the FEI opened separate disciplinary proceedings against Da Silva in accordance with Article 30 of the Internal Regulations of the FEI Tribunal for alleged breaches of Article 142 of the FEI General Regulations, which prohibits horse abuse.

Following publication of the FEI Tribunal’s Final Decision, the parties have 21 days from the date of notification (19 April 2021) to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The full text of the FEI Tribunal’s Final Decision on this case can be viewed here.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld an appeal against the FEI decision to annul a series of results from events at Villeneuve-Loubet (FRA) between December 2019 and January 2020.

The CAS ruling overturns the decisions of the FEI Secretary General in February 2019 and the FEI Tribunal in June 2020, meaning that all results obtained by the appellants Mathilda Karlsson (SRI) and Andrea Herck (ROM), and other participants in these competitions, are now reinstated.

As a result, the Longines Jumping Rankings are to be recalculated and there are also changes to the individual quotas for this year’s Olympic Games, meaning that Sri Lanka now has an individual place for Tokyo. Hong Kong, which had been allocated an individual slot for Jumping following the removal of the Villeneuve-Loubet results by the FEI, is now the first reserve in Group G for Tokyo. The final list of competing nations at the Tokyo Olympic Games will be confirmed on 5 July 2021.

The FEI’s original decision to annul specific competition results at the French venue was based on findings from an investigation launched by the FEI after concerns were raised about the integrity of these events. The investigation established that a total of 12 competitions counting for Olympic and Longines Rankings had been added after the Definite Entries deadline in contravention of the FEI Rules (Article 110.2.3 of the FEI General Regulations). The changes to the Schedules were submitted to the FEI by the French National Federation and were mistakenly approved by the FEI.

As a result, and in accordance with Article 112.3 of the FEI General Regulations, the FEI retrospectively removed the additional competitions, requiring a recalculation of the Olympic and Longines Rankings.

An appeal against the FEI decision was dismissed by the FEI Tribunal in June 2020, and the two athletes and the Sri Lankan National Federation then took their appeal to the CAS.

In its ruling, the Panel noted that the “protection of the integrity of FEI's events and competitions will be much more effective if they may also be cancelled retroactively, because - in many cases - the circumstances giving rise to integrity or ethical issues (such as betting, bribery or match fixing) will only become known through information that transpires as late as during or after the event”.

The Panel confirmed that Article 112.3 of the FEI General Regulations gives the FEI Secretary General the authority to remove events or competitions even with retroactive effect, providing an “effective instrument” to intervene when the FEI “becomes aware of circumstances jeopardising the integrity of an event without the FEI having had any chance to prevent such circumstances before or during the affected event”. However, the Panel ruled that it was not the purpose of Article 112.3 “to allow the FEI to retroactively rectify mistakes which entirely stem from its own sphere”, referencing the “human error” at the FEI that had resulted in approval of the updated Schedules.

The Panel referred to the two-stage approval process (National Federation and the FEI) which should ensure that “only those schedules are approved which are compliant with the relevant rules and regulations for FEI events”. While acknowledging that there had been a violation of FEI Rules, the Panel declared “the rule violation would never have occurred without the FEI's erroneous authorisation of the Updated Schedules. The Organiser could not have implemented the updates without permission of both the FFE and FEI.”

The CAS Panel ruled that as the FEI had failed to establish "justified circumstances" for the removal of the competitions, the prerequisites of Article 112.3 were not fulfilled and that, as a consequence, the FEI decision as well as the appealed decision of the FEI Tribunal are unlawful and must be reversed.

“This is a very disappointing result for the FEI, but we respect the decision as we knew that mistakes were made and the CAS decision is based on that”, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said. “When we decided to annul the Villeneuve-Loubet results in order to do the right thing from a sports integrity perspective, we knew there was a possibility we could lose this case on appeal, but we agreed it was a risk worth taking.

“However, we have been proactive in addressing the issues and in February 2020 implemented the online invitation system for FEI Jumping events that introduced a quota system for CSI 2* for the first time, but the rules were not in effect at the time of the events in question. In addition, Organisers of CSI2* events that wish to include competitions counting for the Longines Rankings must now invite a minimum of 50 athletes and the FEI is also reviewing the scale of Olympic Ranking points based on the number of participants in competitions.”

Paddy McMahon, individual Jumping European Champion in 1973, passed away peacefully on 4 April 2021. He was 87.

One of the greatest British Jumping athletes of all time, Paddy McMahon was most memorable for his successes in the 1970s, including that famous championship gold medal in Hickstead 1973. He was also a member of the British team that won the Nations Cup at the Dublin Horse Show the same year, and again in 1975.

His legend lives on through the memories and stories told by those who knew him, some of which can be found in “The Golden Age of Show Jumping”, a book written by Frank Waters about famous athletes and horses that had the same celebrity status as movie stars.

The FEI expresses its sincere condolences to Paddy McMahon’s family and friends, the British Equestrian Federation (GBR) and the global equestrian community.

British Olympic Dressage athlete, Sarah Whitmore, sadly passed away on the 27 March at the age of 89.

Sarah Whitmore started her international competitive career as an Eventing athlete, but after breaking her back in a fall, she switched to Dressage. Her greatest Dressage highlights included representing Great Britain at the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games, where she finished 22^nd individually and eighth with the British team.

Alongside her own success, she helped shape the career of many international British Dressage athletes, including Laura Fry, who was selected for the European Championships in 1991 and for the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. Sarah Whitmore was also an international judge and a member of the International Dressage Trainers Club.

She was an inspiration for many athletes, a fantastic mentor and friend. She will be sorely missed.

The FEI expresses its sincere condolences to Sarah Whitmore’s family and friends, the British Equestrian Federation (GBR) and the global equestrian community.

Fans can expect a new and totally authentic look to their equestrian eGame experience with the release of the official FEI Equestriad™ World Tour version in May. The game, which targets horse lovers of all ages, has a potential global audience of over three billion gamers in more than 175 countries.

Developed by GoGallop Studios, a leading publisher in the mobile game world, the FEI Equestriad™ World Tour simulates an Eventing competition where horse and athlete combinations compete across the three tests of Dressage, Cross Country and Jumping.

The FEI has entered into a five-year licensing agreement with GoGallop Studios, giving the Australian-based company exclusive rights across the eGaming sphere to the FEI Brand as well as the FEI named Series and Competitions. First launched in November 2020, the Equestriad™ World Tour has already seen over 1.4 million downloads and plans are already underway to release FEI branded Jumping and Dressage Events within the game.

“This agreement with GoGallop Studios is a unique opportunity to take our sport to a more global and diverse audience,” FEI Commercial Director Ralph Straus said.

“We are looking forward to working closely with GoGallop, a company with a stellar reputation for developing authentic and realistic online gaming experiences.

“The sport will definitely benefit from having a deeper level of fan engagement, particularly with Generation Z who play a vital role in the ongoing growth and sustainability of our sport. It will also enable us to connect in a unique way with this audience to convey know-how on the topics of horse welfare and horsemanship.”

To bring a greater sense of realism and player immersion to the game, the FEI Equestriad™ World Tour already features the 5* star Eventing competitions at Badminton, Burghley, Kentucky and Adelaide. It also includes world-renowned Eventing course designers, such as Mike Etherington-Smith, Captain Mark Phillips and Ian Stark, as well as top athletes like five-time Olympian Ingrid Klimke (GER) and three-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Jung and their horses.

“The majority of games that have been made in the equestrian space have been based more around the fantasy horse world,” Craig Laughton CEO of GoGallop Studios explained.

“One of the key things that we’re doing, and why this game stands out from all others, is the authenticity of the game and the FEI Equestriad™ World Tour gives a real grassroots voice to the global equestrian community and horse lovers in general.

“We’re taking the cutting edge in game design and technology and bringing it to equestrian games. And if this new game can inspire the next generation of Eventers to get out there and have a go, what an awesome thing that would be!”

After an introduction to the basics of horsemanship and once they have honed their skills in qualifying events, players can progress to 5* Eventing where they are evaluated on timing, control and even appearance. The more players train and nurture their horses, the better their horse will perform. Players can compete in solo career mode or team competitions with family and friends as well as with other gamers from across the globe.

While current customisation features allow for the creation of unique elements such as styles of clothes, horse face markings, patterns and breed, the FEI Equestriad™ World Tour will also have hundreds of unlockable items available to discover horse accessories, supplies, ribbons and prizes. The game’s new “Tack Shop” also allows users to download avatars of the world’s top Eventing riders and their horses.

The game is available for download on the Apple Store and Google Play.