The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in a case involving a Prohibited Substance.

In this case, the horse Kensington W (FEI ID 107YP42/NED), ridden by Finn Boerekamp (FEI ID 10150533/NED), at the CSI3* Valencia (ESP) from 19-25 February 2024, tested positive for the prohibited substance O-Desmethylvenlafaxine.

The athlete was able to trace the source of the Banned Substance in the horse’s system back to human cross-contamination caused by his support personnel, who urinated in the box of the horse while being on medication, which was very likely to account for the positive sample.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal accepted the Settlement Agreement reached between the FEI and the athlete, according to which the athlete had clearly established on a balance of probabilities, how the Banned Substance 0-Desmethylvenlafaxine entered the horse’s system. Therefore, the period of ineligibility imposed on the athlete was eliminated. The athlete will also not incur any fines, however the results obtained at the event remain disqualified.

The full Decision is available here. 

Notes to Editors:

FEI Equine Prohibited Substances

The FEI 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 and are prohibited at all times.

In the case of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for a Banned Substance, the Person Responsible (PR) is automatically provisionally suspended from the date of notification (with the exception of certain cases involving a Prohibited Substance which is also a **Specified Substance). The horse is provisionally suspended for two months.

**Specified Substances

The FEI introduced the concept of Specified Substances in 2016. Specified Substances should not in any way be considered less important or less dangerous than other Prohibited Substances (i.e. whether Banned or Controlled). Rather, they are simply substances that are more likely to have been ingested by horses for a purpose other than the enhancement of sport performance, for example, through a contaminated food substance. Positive cases involving Specified Substances can be handled with a greater degree of flexibility within the structure of the FEI Regulations.

Information on all substances is available on the searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database.

Think Outside The Box

Think Outside The Box is a campaign created to raise awareness around the risk of contamination in and around the stables, and the potential consequences from a rule’s violation perspective as well as general health and safety for horses.

The campaign is centred around four core themes – Behave, Organise, Maintain and Secure – with each theme broken down into specific actionable points and the risks should they not be addressed. The risk for contamination and consequences for EADCMR violations such as disqualification and suspension, being the core driver of the campaign, feature prominently as does safety messaging in relation to intoxication, injury and potential fire hazards.

The campaign portal www.fei.org/think is available in three languages – English, French and Spanish - and includes downloadable assets for the public to promote and endorse the campaign natively on their own platforms as well as dedicated sections for ambassadors and supporters, including the International Grooms Association and Equestrian Organisers Association among others.  

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in a human doping case.  

This case involves two adverse analytical findings for the prohibited substance Clenbuterol, listed in Class S1.2 Other Anabolic Agents according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List 2022.

Samples taken from the Spanish Dressage athlete Agusti Juan Elias Lara (FEI ID 10032759) on 21 May 2022 during the CDIO5*-NC in Compiègne (FRA) and on 8 July 2022 during the CDI4* in Fritzens-Schindlhof (AUT), returned positive for Clenbuterol.

The athlete was notified of the violation of the FEI’s Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA) on 1 September 2022 and was provisionally suspended by the FEI at that time since Clenbuterol is a Non-Specified Substance and is prohibited  both, in and out of competition.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal decided to suspend the athlete for a period of four years, starting from the date of the FEI Tribunal Final Decision (4 June 2024). The provisional suspension already served by the athlete shall be credited against the ineligibility period. Additionally, the athlete was disqualified from all results obtained at the events, fined CHF 5,000 and asked to pay costs of CHF 3,000.

The parties can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the decision.

The full FEI Tribunal Final Decision is available here.

Notes to Editors:

FEI Clean Sport - human athletes

The FEI is part of the collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport led by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The aim of this movement is to protect fair competition as well as athlete health and welfare.

WADA’s Prohibited List identifies the substances and methods prohibited in- and out-of-competition, and in particular sports. The substances and methods on the List are classified by different categories (e.g., steroids, stimulants, gene doping).

As a WADA Code Signatory, the FEI runs a testing programme for human athletes based on WADA’s List of Prohibited List of Substances and Methods and on the Code-compliant FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA).

For further information, please consult the Clean Sport section of the FEI website here.

The International Horse Sports Confederation welcomes the South African Equine Health and Protocols’ (SAEHP) official release which recently announced the reinstatement of direct exports of registered equines from South Africa to the European Union (EU).

South Africa’s African Horse Sickness (‘AHS’) free zone is now an authorised zone within South Africa from which registered equines are authorised for direct entry into the EU following the required in-country pre-export quarantine period.

The reinstatement of direct exports of registered equines from South Africa to the EU is a very important development for both the South African thoroughbred racing industry as well as for other equine disciplines in the country, and is anticipated to give a significant boost to global equestrian sport over time.

President of the IHSC, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said:

“On behalf of the IHSC, I would like to congratulate the South African Government and SAEHP for achieving this significant development. 
he IHSC has long recognised the importance of facilitating international horse movements, and this breakthrough will prove to be a positive development for both the South African and global equine sport and breeding industry.”

Vice-President of the IHSC, Ingmar De Vos said:

“The IHSC is extremely pleased with this development and in the international equestrian community, we are excited by the restoration of a key industry player after 13 years of relative isolation.
The fact that South African sport horses of all breeds will now have direct entry to the EU and potentially to other major markets will no doubt further enhance the development of our equine disciplines in South Africa and the wider region.” 

About SAEHP
SAEHP operates in a public/private partnership with the South African Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and the Western Cape Department of Veterinary Services, and further collaborates with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition to negotiate the reimplementation of direct exports based on EU protocol principles to potential trade partner countries.

Additionally, SAEHP has been supported by private individuals, organisations and bodies in the South African racing industry. In 2021, SAEHP also entered into a funding agreement with The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) and the National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa (NHA), with the purpose of supporting the operation of SAEHP and providing technical support to carry out work related to the restoration of direct export of South African horses to international markets.

The FEI Tribunal has issued a Consent Award in an equine anti-doping case involving a Banned Substance.

In this case, the horse Quastina (FEI ID 107MC69/BRA), tested positive for the Banned Substance Stanozolol following samples taken at the CSI5*-W São Paulo SP (BRA), 22 - 27 August, 2023.

The athlete, Lucio Vinicius De Oliveira Osório (FEI ID 10080702/BRA), admitted the rule violation and accepted the consequences. In its final decision the FEI Tribunal disqualified the horse from the event and imposed an 18-month ineligibility period on the athlete; the provisional suspension he already served shall be credited against the imposed ineligibility period. The athlete was also fined CHF 1,500.

The full Decision is available here.

Notes to Editors:

FEI Equine Prohibited Substances

The FEI Prohibited Substances List is divided into two sections: Controlled Medication and *Banned Substances. Controlled Medication substances are medications 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 and are prohibited at all times.

In the case of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for a Banned Substance, the Person Responsible (PR) is automatically provisionally suspended from the date of notification (with the exception of certain cases involving a Prohibited Substance which is also a **Specified Substance). The horse is provisionally suspended for two months.

Information on all substances is available on the searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database.

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in a case involving a Prohibited Substance.

In this case, the horse Chaman Ginn (FEI ID 106DF41/ARG), ridden by Juan Benitez Gallardo (FEI ID 10105043/ARG), at the CCI4*-S in Quillota (LTU) 8-12 December 2023, tested positive for the prohibited substance O-Desmethylvenlafaxine.

The athlete was able to trace the probable source of the Banned Substance in the horse’s system back to human cross-contamination caused by his support personnel, who urinated in the box of the horse while being on medication, which was very likely to account for the positive sample.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal accepted the agreement reached between the FEI and the athlete, according to which the athlete had clearly established on a balance of probabilities, how the Banned Substance 0- Desmethylvenlafaxine entered the Horse’s system. Therefore, the period of ineligibility imposed on the athlete shall be eliminated. The athlete will also not incur any fines, however the results obtained at the event remain disqualified.

The full Decision is available here. 

Notes to Editors:

FEI Equine Prohibited Substances

The FEI 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 and are prohibited at all times.

In the case of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for a Banned Substance, the Person Responsible (PR) is automatically provisionally suspended from the date of notification (with the exception of certain cases involving a Prohibited Substance which is also a **Specified Substance). The horse is provisionally suspended for two months.

**Specified Substances

The FEI introduced the concept of Specified Substances in 2016. Specified Substances should not in any way be considered less important or less dangerous than other Prohibited Substances (i.e. whether Banned or Controlled). Rather, they are simply substances that are more likely to have been ingested by horses for a purpose other than the enhancement of sport performance, for example, through a contaminated food substance. Positive cases involving Specified Substances can be handled with a greater degree of flexibility within the structure of the FEI Regulations.

Information on all substances is available on the searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database.

Think Outside The Box

Think Outside The Box is a campaign created to raise awareness around the risk of contamination in and around the stables, and the potential consequences from a rule’s violation perspective as well as general health and safety for horses.

The campaign is centred around four core themes – Behave, Organise, Maintain and Secure – with each theme broken down into specific actionable points and the risks should they not be addressed. The risk for contamination and consequences for EADCMR violations such as disqualification and suspension, being the core driver of the campaign, feature prominently as does safety messaging in relation to intoxication, injury and potential fire hazards.

The campaign portal www.fei.org/think is available in three languages – English, French and Spanish - and includes downloadable assets for the public to promote and endorse the campaign natively on their own platforms as well as dedicated sections for ambassadors and supporters, including the International Grooms Association and Equestrian Organisers Association among others.  

Bonneau discovered his passion for horse riding at the age of 12 thanks to Gérald and Michel de Béjarry. At the age of 18, he then went to join his brothers who were already established as professional riders, before setting up his own business in 1984.

Member of the French team from 1987 to 1996, his first participation at a major international event was the FEI Jumping European Championship in St.Gallen (SUI) in 1995, where France took home the bronze medal.

Further career highlights include his role as French Chef d’Equipe from 2000 to 2006, where he led the French team to gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Jerez de La Frontera (ESP) in 2002 and to team silver at the FEI Jumping European Championship in Donaueschingen (GER) in 2003.

“I had the pleasure of getting to know Jean-Maurice at Events and through our work together within the FEI Jumping Committee”, said Chair of the FEI Jumping Committee, Stephan Ellenbruch. “He was passionate and invested in our sport with an open mind allowing for good discussions. His passing is a heavy loss for the Jumping Community”.

Todd Hinde, FEI Jumping Director added “Jean-Maurice was a well-known and much appreciated member of the equestrian community. He will be dearly missed, and fondly remembered.”

The FEI expresses its sincere condolences to Jean-Maurice Bonneau’s family and friends, the French Equestrian Federation (FFE) and the global equestrian and Jumping communities.

The FEI Tribunal has issued a Decision confirming the terms of the Settlement Agreement reached by the parties in an equine doping case involving a Banned Substance.

In this case, the horse Kenlock Cadillac (FEI ID: 106JG79/AUS), ridden by Rebekah Italiano (FEI ID: 10065197/AUS), tested positive for the Banned Substance Warfarin following a doping control at the CCI4*-S-Ballarat VIC (AUS), 6-7 May 2023.

The FEI notified the athlete of the positive results for the Banned Substance on 4 September 2023 and, in accordance with the  Equine Anti-Doping Rules, provisionally suspended the athlete from the date of the notification. The FEI also provisionally suspended the Horse for two months from that date.

The FEI Tribunal was satisfied that the athlete had established, on a balance of probabilities, that the source of the Prohibited Substance arose from a contamination of the Horse feed by rats and consequentlythe athlete bears No Significant Fault or Negligence for the rule violation. The athlete was sanctioned with a two-month Ineligibility Period, starting from the date of the Final Decision (the Provisional Suspension already served by the athlete was credited against the imposed Ineligibility Period). The results of both, the athlete and horse, obtained at the Event were disqualified. Furthermore, the athlete was also fined with 3’000 CHF and asked to bear the costs of 1000 CHF for the B sample analysis.

The full Decision is available here. 

Notes to Editors:

FEI Equine Prohibited Substances

The FEI Prohibited Substances List is divided into two sections: Controlled Medication and *Banned Substances. Controlled Medication substances are medications 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 and are prohibited at all times.

In the case of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for a Banned Substance, the Person Responsible (PR) is automatically provisionally suspended from the date of notification (with the exception of certain cases involving a Prohibited Substance which is also a **Specified Substance). The horse is provisionally suspended for two months.

**Specified Substances

The FEI introduced the concept of Specified Substances in 2016. Specified Substances should not in any way be considered less important or less dangerous than other Prohibited Substances (i.e. whether Banned or Controlled). Rather, they are simply substances that are more likely to have been ingested by horses for a purpose other than the enhancement of sport performance, for example, through a contaminated food substance. Positive cases involving Specified Substances can be handled with a greater degree of flexibility within the structure of the FEI Regulations.

Information on all substances is available on the searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database.

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in a human doping case.  

This case involves an adverse analytical finding for the prohibited substances listed in Class S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids, of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List 2022.

A sample taken from the Polish Dressage athlete Katarzyna Milczarek (FEI ID 10003275) on 7 August 2022, during the FEI World Championships held in Herning (DEN), returned positive for Testosterone and metabolites. The athlete was notified of the violation of the FEI’s Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA) and provisionally suspended on 27 September 2022.  

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal decided to suspend the athlete for a period of 16-months, commencing from the date of the Operative Decision, for the violation of article 2.1 of the ADRHA – presence of a prohibited substance in the athlete’s sample. The Provisional Suspension already served, was credited against the imposed ineligibility period and accordingly the suspension was lifted on 26 January 2024. Additionally, all results obtained by the athlete at the FEI World Championships as well as all results obtained by the athlete as of the sample collection date until the imposition of provisional suspension were disqualified.

The parties can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the decision.

The FEI Tribunal’s Final Decision is available here.

Notes to Editors:

FEI Clean Sport - human athletes

The FEI is part of the collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport led by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The aim of this movement is to protect fair competition as well as athlete health and welfare.

WADA’s Prohibited List identifies the substances and methods prohibited in- and out-of-competition, and in particular sports. The substances and methods on the List are classified by different categories (e.g., steroids, stimulants, gene doping).

As a WADA Code Signatory, the FEI runs a testing programme for human athletes based on WADA’s List of Prohibited List of Substances and Methods and on the Code-compliant FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA).

For further information, please consult the Clean Sport section of the FEI website here.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the International Horse Sports Confederation (IHSC) – an FEI and IFHA collaboration since 2013 - joined forces in February for a workshop focussed on facilitating temporary international horse movement in the Middle East. Hosted by the United Arab Emirates National Equestrian Federation (UAE NEF), the workshop was held in Abu Dhabi on the occasion of the inaugural qualifier for the Longines League of Nations™ series 2024, and convened over 30 representatives from veterinary authorities, equestrian federations and racing authorities across 11 countries in Asia, Oceania, Africa, the Middle East and Europe to engage in robust dialogue in support of the international movement of competition horses.

“Building on the strong foundations laid by the WOAH-IHSC Regional Workshop in Rabat, Morocco in April 2019, we have identified the key issues which are impacting the efficient international movement of horses within the Middle East, and the solutions required to overcome those hurdles,” said IHSC Vice-President and FEI President Ingmar De Vos, who opened the workshop. “The cross-border movement of horses still faces critical challenges which need to be addressed together in order for horse sport to continue to grow sustainably.

“This workshop provides the necessary impetus to do so, bringing together experts, administrators and stakeholders from around the world to explore opportunities to advance an updated WOAH-IHSC roadmap for the temporary import and export of horses within the Middle East, a region, which boasts a strong equestrian heritage and some of the most prestigious racing and equestrian sports competitions in the world, sanctioned and organised under the jurisdiction of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).” 

Mr De Vos’ welcome address was followed by remarks from Dr Mohamed Alhosani, Sub-Regional Representation for the Arabian Gulf of WOAH, and Mr Sultan Al Yehyaee, representative of the UAE National Federation, FEI Board Member and Chair of FEI Group VII. The opening session also provided an overview of the objectives of the workshop and an update on upcoming equestrian events in the region.

In the next sessions, participants identified key obstacles to the movement of horses in the subregion and explored potential solutions and their applications, including the establishment of Equine Disease-Free Zones (EDFZ) and High-Health, High-Performance (HHP) Health Certificates and Sanitary Protocols. Participants also examined the current status of infectious diseases in the region, together with new technological developments that could potentially be applied towards the movement of horses – including digital passports.

Attendees also participated in a roundtable discussion to consider the current challenges and potential solutions for enhanced horse movements, engaging in stimulating dialogue and sharing best practices from around the region.

The workshop concluded with an agreed set of challenges and opportunities, and plan of action.   A follow-up workshop is planned for the second half of 2024, in order to build on the momentum of the first workshop, and assess progress in terms of enhanced movement of competition horses in the Middle East.

About the IHSC
The IHSC is a non-profit organisation that was created in 2013, when the Fédération Equestre International (FEI) and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) joined forces to create the first formal vehicle for cooperation between the world’s leading bodies for horse sports. The key mission of the IHSC is to encourage cooperation and the exchange of information on all matters of mutual interest between the IFHA and the FEI, as well as represent the collective interests of the global horse industry with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and other international bodies. 

About WOAH
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE) is the global authority on animal health and welfare, its mission is to improve animal health globally, working across borders to foster a One Health approach, recognising that the health of animals, humans and the environment are interdependent. Since 1924, WOAH has been collecting, analysing and disseminating veterinary scientific information, and encouraging international solidarity in the control of animal health risks. In 1998, WOAH was recognised as the reference international standard-setting organisation for animal health by the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The FEI Tribunal has issued its final decision in an equine anti-doping case involving a Banned Substance.

In this case, a horse trained by Ignacio Flores (FEI ID 10017687/URU), tested positive for the Banned Substance Testosterone following samples taken at the CEIYJ1*100-Costa Azul (URU), 12-14 May 2023.

In its final decision the FEI Tribunal imposed two-year ineligibility period on the trainer; the provisional suspension he already served shall be credited against the imposed ineligibility period. He was also fined CHF 7,500 and asked to pay costs of CHF 2,000. The results obtained at the event were disqualified in the proceedings against the Person Responsible.

The full Decision is available here. 

Notes to Editors:

FEI Equine Prohibited Substances

The FEI Prohibited Substances List is divided into two sections: Controlled Medication and *Banned Substances. Controlled Medication substances are medications 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 and are prohibited at all times.

In the case of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for a Banned Substance, the Person Responsible (PR) is automatically provisionally suspended from the date of notification (with the exception of certain cases involving a Prohibited Substance which is also a **Specified Substance). The horse is provisionally suspended for two months.

Information on all substances is available on the searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database.