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A Canadian Jumping athlete who tested positive for a prohibited substance at the Pan-American Games in Lima (PER) in August this year has been provisionally suspended by the FEI.
A sample taken from athlete Nicole Walker, who was a member of the fourth-placed Canadian team and also finished fourth with Falco Van Spieveld in the individual final, has tested positive for Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, which is a prohibited substance under the FEI’s Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA). The sample was taken on 7 August, the day of the team final in Lima.
The athlete has the option to request a preliminary hearing before the FEI Tribunal to apply for the lifting of the Provisional Suspension.
Disqualification of the athlete is a separate proceedings that is part of the results management process dealt with by Panam Sports, the organiser of the Pan-American Games. The athlete has exercised her right to request a hearing before the Panam Sports Disciplinary Commission.
Once the Disciplinary Commission has made a decision on the disqualification of the athlete, and team Canada’s final placing, the FEI will be in a position to make any necessary reallocation of the Olympic quota place.
Details on this case can be found here.
In order to maintain the integrity of the ongoing legal process, the FEI will not comment further on this case at this time.
Notes to Editors:
Tokyo 2020 Olympic quota places were available to the three best ranked teams from Groups D (North America) and/or E (Central & South America) at the Pan-American Games 2019, excluding the teams already qualified. The three teams that earned qualification in Lima were Brazil, Mexico and Canada.
Under Article 11.4 of the Panam Sports Anti-Doping Rules, an anti-doping violation by a member of a team (outside team sports) also leads to disqualification of the result obtained by the team in that competition.
Under the terms of Article 10.2.2 of the Panam Sports Anti-Doping Rules, responsibility for results management in terms of sanctions beyond the event itself shall be referred to the applicable International Federation. This means that any period of ineligibility would be imposed by the FEI.
The results of a major research study commissioned by the FEI, aimed at identifying best practices and management of horses training and competing in hot and humid environments, have been published today.
Conducted at the Ready Steady Tokyo Test Event in August 2019, and led by the FEI’s climate expert Dr David Marlin, the study monitored the combined effects of long travelling times and distances, time zone disruptions, and heat and humidity on competing horses.
Horses were monitored before and during the test event, including how they adapted to the challenging climate in Tokyo. Central to the report is data collected on-course and post-competition, which allowed for detailed analysis of the cross country test.
The study findings show that horses generally coped extremely well with the conditions and remained in good health for the duration of the test event, held at the same time of year as the Games in 2020, despite the fact that conditions were thermally challenging, with Wet Bulb Globe Thermometer* (WBGT) Index readings frequently in the region of 32-33°C.
The report confirms that on cross country day (13 August), the high WBGT Index, steep initial climb and sharp turns on the course produced a significant challenge for competing horses. Heart rates during cross country, and blood lactate, heart rate and rectal temperature after cross country, indicated that horses were working at close to maximal capacity.
A new heart rate monitor that also displays the ECG, plus infra-red thermal imaging to provide a rapid and accurate estimate of horses’ temperature were key pieces of technology used in data collection for the study.
The report highlights that “all possibilities must be explored to mitigate the effects of the likely climatic conditions, including reduction in distance appropriate for the conditions and bringing the cross country start time forward to avoid the highest WBGT conditions that would normally peak between late morning and mid-afternoon”.
Following discussions between the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG), the IOC and the FEI, consensus has been reached on advancing the cross country start time to either 07.30 or 08.00 on 2 August 2020 as part of the heat countermeasures. A final decision on the move, which is fully supported by the findings in the Marlin report published today, will be made by the IOC Executive Board.
“We have worked very closely with TOCOG to put in place the best possible heat countermeasures for both our equine and human athletes for Tokyo 2020, and the findings in this important research study will play a crucial role in guiding final decisions on appropriate facilities and support”, FEI Veterinary Director Göran Akerström said. “The report will also be a valuable tool for athletes and National Federations as they prepare their horses in the build-up to and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Heat countermeasures that are already in place for horses include air conditioned stables at both equestrian venues (Bajikoen and Sea Forest), early morning and evening training and competition sessions under floodlights, constant and close monitoring by a world class veterinary team, and multiple cooling facilities including the provision of shade tents, cooling fans, ice and water, and mobile cooling units.
The FEI has been working on optimising equine performance in challenging climates with Dr Marlin since before the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games. Dr Marlin has been working with the FEI for the past three years specifically on Tokyo, reviewing historical climate records, analysing data collected at the main venue at Bajikoen (EQP) and at the cross-country course at Sea Forest (SFC), and leading the test event research project.
The findings from the research project have been sent to TOCOG, the IOC, all National Olympic and Paralympic Committees with athletes competing in equestrian sport, and all National Federations affiliated to the FEI.
The full report is available here.
Photo caption: The FEI has published the full report of the horse monitoring research project conducted at the Ready Steady Tokyo test event in August, won by Olympic champion Michael Jung (GER) with Fischerwild Wave. (FEI/Yusuke Nakanishi)
Notes to Editors:
*The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index is used to measure heat, humidity, solar radiation and wind factor.
The technology used for data collection during the research project was made available through the FEI’s partnerships with Epona Biotec, Arioneo, Equestic and Polar.
About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org
The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm.
The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining.
The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving.
For the fifth year in a row all electricity used at the Helsinki International Horse Show, which hosted yesterday’s Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping qualifier, was generated entirely from horse manure. Over 150 megawatt hours of energy was created from the 100 tons of manure collected from competing horses during the four-day event in the Finnish capital.
The manure-to-energy system developed by Fortum, an international company specialising in electricity generation, heat production and waste recycling, met all the equestrian event’s electricity needs, including lighting, scoreboards and cell phone charging stations. The surplus energy that was generated went back into the national grid to heat homes in the Helsinki area.
What started off as a desk project in 2014 is now a resounding endorsement of the power of horse manure as a reliable source of renewable energy, not just at equestrian competitions but also for local communities.
“The manure-to-energy system holds immense potential for countries with large horse populations and has shown that out-of-the-box solutions are needed if we are to move away from our reliance on fossil fuels,” Fortum HorsePower Vice President Anssi Paalanen said.
“It’s possible to charge a phone with only 0.2 decilitres of horse manure and the manure produced daily by two horses can generate heat for a single family home for a year.”
Electricity generated from horse manure is just one of the many initiatives under the ‘Helsinki Jumps Green’ environmental concept that aims to make the event the most ecological horse show in the world. The Jumps Green concept also includes recycling and paper reduction initiatives, the use of environmentally friendly procurement practices and sustainable food consumption at the event.
“As event organisers it’s our responsibility to create partnerships with local industry to make sustainable sporting events a real possibility and not just a nice-to-have,” Helsinki International Horse Show Event Director Tom Gordin said.
“Our vision is to become the worldwide leader for sustainability in equestrian events. We know from first-hand experience that this takes commitment and dedication, but the end results are so worth it. We are proud to work with Fortum and to be part of the renewable energy solution.”
The manure-to-energy system has also provided a way of dealing with the waste disposal issue for stables in a country with stringent controls on the use of horse manure as a fertiliser and the disposal of manure in landfill sites.
Fortum provides stables with horse bedding made out of sustainable wood shavings generated by Finland’s forest industry. The manure that is collected from the stables is then delivered to plants around Finland, where it is used as raw material to produce clean, renewable and eco-friendly local energy.
Approximately 70,000 tons of manure have been collected from horses stabled around Finland since the manure-to-energy system started in 2015. The power and heat plant in Järvenpää located just outside Helsinki, provides heat to 1,250 customers in the area and electricity to the national power grid.
The system partly replaces the reliance on fossil fuels in energy production and helps lessen the impact of climate change. When horse manure replaces other biomass in power and heat production it reduces carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 200 kilos per ton of manure. And if horse manure replaces fossil fuels like coal the benefits are even greater.
“The manure-to-energy system has demonstrated that ideas for alternate energy solutions can come from the most unexpected places,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said. “The Helsinki initiatives make a tremendous contribution, not just in terms of the value they deliver to equestrian sport, but also for the wider implications they have for local and regional communities. It clearly shows that the equestrian community is serious about its responsibility to preserve the environment.”
With environmental sustainability a priority for the FEI, the international governing body has worked towards the implementation of equestrian-specific reporting indexes and the creation of a comprehensive guide book for event organisers world-wide.
The FEI Sustainability Handbook for Event Organisers was published in 2014 to encourage event organisers to implement sustainability initiatives that help reduce the negative environmental impact of their events and create a positive social and economic legacy.
The FEI is also a signatory of the United Nations Climate Change Sports for Climate Action Framework which calls for parties to “undertake systematic efforts to promote greater environmental responsibility”.
In addition, the FEI has adopted a number of sustainability initiatives at its Headquarters in the Olympic Capital of Lausanne (SUI). The FEI head office is recognised as a "Minergie" certified building, a Swiss standard indicating low energy use, with a reduced energy consumption of 25 per cent. When the Headquarters were refurbished in 2011, only two per cent of renovated buildings in Switzerland met these standards. Increased recycling and staff training have also featured in the FEI's Green Office project.
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Oliver Townend (GBR) has returned to the head of the FEI Eventing World Rankings, with compatriot Piggy French making it a British one-two and relegating New Zealand’s Tim Price (NZL), who has held the top spot for the last four months, to third place.
This is the third time that Townend has been world number one, having featured in both 2018 and in 2009. The 37-year-old has won team gold at three editions of the FEI Eventing European Championships, at Pratoni del Vivaro 2007 (ITA), Fontainebleau 2009 (FRA) and Strzegom 2017 (POL).
2019 has been a stellar year for the hard-working Yorkshireman, who won team silver at last month’s FEI Eventing European Championship in Luhmühlen (GER) and also claimed victories at Lexington CCI5* (USA), Burnham Market CCI4* (GBR) and the Irish CCI3* in Ballindenisk.
Piggy French (GBR), this year’s Badminton winner and runner-up at Burghley, is now within 50 points of the top spot, having moved up from third to second place, with former world number one Tim Price (NZL) dropping to number three in the rankings.
Big movers in this month’s FEI World Eventing Rankings are Ludwig Svennerstal (SWE) from 35th to 13th place, Pippa Funnell (GBR) from 47th to 14th, Tomoto Kazuma (JPN) from 29th to 15th, Andrew Nicholson (NZL) from 33rd to 16th, Peter Flarup (DEN) from 91st to 22nd and Sarah Bullimore (GBR) from 43rd to 25th.
With the final team quota place for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on offer at the FEI Nations Cup™ fixture in Boekelo (NED) next weekend, and plenty of other Eventing action over the next month, more changes in the ranking list can be expected.
View full FEI World Eventing Rankings here.
About Oliver Townend
Townend started riding aged seven and came to prominence after making his international debut for Team GB in 2005 at the FEI European Championships Eventing in Blenheim (UK).
2009 was a sensational year for him, with CCI4* (now CCI5*) wins at Badminton (GBR) and Burghley (GBR). He reclaimed his Burghley title in 2017, and the following year he won the CCI4* in Lexington (USA).
He has also flown the flag for Great Britain at two FEI World Equestrian Games™, at Aachen 2006 (GER) and Normandy 2014 (FRA).
Photo caption: Britain’s Oliver Townend (37) has jumped back up to the world number one slot in the FEI Eventing World Rankings, with Piggy French making it a British one-two. (FEI/Libby Law)
Swiss Jumping stars Steve Guerdat and Martin Fuchs will see their long-standing sporting rivalry play out in the polls as the public vote for the FEI Awards 2019 opens today.
An impressive billing of equestrian athletes, individuals and projects have been shortlisted across five Awards categories following the FEI’s call to action for nominations from the global equestrian community.
Flying the flag for 15 nations on five continents, the 22 shortlisted nominees have been selected for their outstanding achievements on the field of play, inspirational outlook and unparalleled dedication.
World number one Guerdat (37) and his great friend and rival Fuchs (27), who was crowned FEI European Jumping champion last month, are amongst the five nominees in the running for the Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete Award 2019, along with Eventing legend Ingrid Klimke (GER), this year’s FEI Driving World Cup™ winner Bram Chardon (NED) and Dutch Paralympian and triple European gold medallist Sanne Voets.
Check out the amazing back stories of all the nominees in the five categories: Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete, Longines FEI Rising Star, Cavalor FEI Best Groom, FEI Against All Odds and FEI Solidarity.
The 2019 Awards winners will be celebrated at a star studded ceremony at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow (RUS) on 19 November.
The public now has 12 days (25 September to 7 October) to cast votes for their heroes. Make sure you have your say and vote here!
Shortlisted nominees for the FEI Awards 2019 are:
Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete - paying tribute to the athlete who over the past year has demonstrated exceptional skill and taken the sport to a new level.
Cavalor FEI Best Groom - for the behind-the-scenes hero who ensures the horses they look after are given the best possible care.
Longines FEI Rising Star – for the youth athlete aged 14 to 21 who demonstrates outstanding sporting talent and commitment.
FEI Against All Odds - for an inspiring individual who has pursued their equestrian ambitions and overcome challenges and obstacles along the way.
FEI Solidarity - for an FEI Solidarity or equestrian development project, an individual or organisation that has used skill, dedication and energy to expand the sport.
The winners will be decided through a system in which 50% of the public’s vote and 50% of the judges’ vote will be combined to give the final result. The nine expert judges are as follows:
Ingmar De Vos (BEL), FEI President
Matthieu Baumgartner (SUI), Longines Vice President of Marketing
Marina Sechina (RUS), President Russian Equestrian Federation and member FEI Solidarity Committee
Simone Blum (GER), Jumping athlete and winner of the FEI Best Athlete Award 2018
Peter Bollen (BEL), Founder and chief nutritionist of Cavalor
Martin Atock (IRL), Managing Director of Peden Bloodstock
Robin Parsky (USA), Vice Chairman of the Jumping Owners Club (JOC)
Harald Link (THA), President Thailand Equestrian Federation
Eve Van Den Bol (CAY), President Cayman Islands Equestrian Federation (CIEF) and member FEI Solidarity Committee
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Photo caption: Swiss athletes Steve Guerdat (L) and Martin Fuchs after winning first and second place respectively at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2019 in Gothenburg (SWE). FEI/Christophe Taniere
Notes to Editors
About the FEI Awards
The FEI Awards were launched in 2009 to put a spotlight on the individuals and organisations that are making an outstanding contribution to the progression and excellence in equestrian sport.
About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org
The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm.
The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving.
The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining.
Peden Bloodstock has today signed an agreement to become the FEI’s Official Equine Logistics Partner and new title partner of the FEI Best Athlete Award.
The company specialises in first class horse travel and the provision of associated equine health and logistics solutions required for the intercontinental movements of elite competition horses.
“We’re extremely proud to have a company with the expertise and experience of Peden Bloodstock supporting our logistics requirements,” FEI Commercial Director Ralph Straus said. “Competition horses are finely-tuned athletes and are equally as deserving of top-notch travel conditions as their human counterparts. After many years of working together, this new partnership will further cement the strong relationship between FEI and Peden Bloodstock”
Having operated their first horse flight in 1947, Peden has decades of experience transporting horses across the globe and finding logistical solutions to the most complex itineraries.
Peden has provided horse transportation for multiple FEI World and Regional Championships, including the FEI World Equestrian Games™, the Olympic Games for over four decades and the Paralympic Games since Atlanta 1996.
“We’re delighted to be teaming up with the FEI as equestrian sport is truly global and we are proud to play a major supporting role,” Peden Bloodstock Managing Director Martin Atock said. “We know that our experience with equine logistics will help athletes and their entourage travel with ease and confidence knowing that their horses are in good hands wherever in the world they may be.”
The company was involved in the largest-ever commercial airlift of horses for last year’s FEI World Equestrian Games™ when they transported horses from six of the world's seven continents.
At this year’s FEI Awards Gala presented by Longines in Moscow (RUS), the Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete Award will be given to the athlete who has demonstrated exceptional skill in competition over the past year and taken the sport to a new level. Last year’s award was won by Jumping world champion Simone Blum (GER) and previous winners have included other luminaries such as Isabell Werth (GER), Nick Skelton (GBR), Boyd Exell (AUS) and Jeroen Dubbeldam (NED).
The Awards ceremony, which will be attended by more than 250 distinguished guests and top sporting legends, will honour the Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete as well as winners in the other four categories – Longines FEI Rising Star, Cavalor FEI Best Groom, FEI Against All Odds and FEI Solidarity.
The nominations will be shortlisted by the FEI in each of the five categories and winners will be selected by a public vote and the judges’ panel. Voting for the Peden Bloodstock FEI Best Athlete Award and the other four awards will take place between 25 September and 7 October 2019.
Cavalor, the Belgian based equine nutrition brand, today signed a deal to become the FEI’s Official Nutrition Partner and Title Partner of the FEI Best Groom Award.
A world leader in equine nutrition for high-performance horses, Cavalor has helped thousands of horse owners and athletes achieve top level performance through proper nutrition and care.
“Horse welfare is at the top of the agenda for both Cavalor and the FEI which makes this partnership a natural fit,” FEI Commercial Director Ralph Straus said. “With over 30 years of experience, Cavalor brings a wealth of equine nutrition knowledge to the table along with a strong brand reputation and we look forward to a productive working partnership.”
At this year’s FEI Awards Gala presented by Longines in Moscow (RUS), the Cavalor FEI Best Groom Award will be given to the person working behind the scenes to ensure the horses he or she looks after are given the best possible care. Lee McKeever (USA), groom to four time Olympian McLain Ward, was the recipient of last year’s accolade.
The Awards ceremony, which will be attended by more than 250 distinguished guests and top sporting legends, will honour the Cavalor FEI Best Groom as well as the winners in the other four categories – FEI Best Athlete, Longines FEI Rising Star, FEI Against All Odds and FEI Solidarity.
“Cavalor has a history of working with top athletes and their horses and this partnership with the FEI now provides an opportunity to reach a more international audience,” Lieselot Hamerlinck, Managing Partner of Cavalor said. “We believe in fostering long term relationships and we know that together with the FEI we can bring our experience in this field to more people.”
The company’s products are based on years of intense research and development, the selection of the highest quality ingredients, as well as strict manufacturing and quality control processes.
The Cavalor name is trusted by champion athletes like Simone Blum (GER) who won individual Jumping gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 and the Fosun Best Athlete Award at the FEI Awards Gala presented by Longines last year in Manama (BRN).
“As an elite athlete, I have benefitted greatly from Cavalor’s expertise which has allowed me to fine tune my horses’ nutritional programme,” Simone said. “Cavalor really understands the feeding requirements and needs of my competition horses and I appreciate their holistic approach to equine care and welfare.”
The nominations for the Cavalor FEI Best Groom Award will be shortlisted by the FEI in each of the five categories and presented to the public vote and the panel of judges. Voting will take place between 25 September and 7 October 2019.
Thaïs Méheust, who died tragically from injuries sustained in a cross-country fall during the French National Championships for Young Horses in Haras du Pin (FRA) on Saturday 7 September, was one of France’s rising stars on the international Eventing circuit.
The 22-year-old had already flown the French flag with huge success, competing in eight FEI Eventing European Championships in the Pony, Junior, and Young Rider categories. She earned five team medals, including gold at the FEI Eventing Young Riders European Championships 2016 in Montelibretti (ITA) and again on home soil in Fontainebleau 2018, her final year in Young Riders.
Soon after becoming French Junior Champion in 2017, she moved her top mount, the 14-year-old Selle Francais gelding Quamilha, up to three-star level to finish fifth in the CIC at Le Pouget (FRA) in November that year.
In May of this year, she made her FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ team debut at Houghton Hall (GBR) along with compatriots Cyrielle Lefevre, Francois Lemiere and Thomas Piejos.
In an interview with FEI.org last year, Thaïs Méheust said that her dream was to represent France at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
She was drawn to Eventing at a young age after watching her older siblings compete. She was based at her family’s Ecurie de Cerisier Blue stables in the small village of Cailly-sur-Eure, where she trained a string of four to five horses while also attending law school at the University of Rouen.
“The news of Thaïs’ tragic death has come as a great shock to us all,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said.
“We had the opportunity to get to know Thaïs when she participated in the Youth Panel which we hand-picked for the Sports Forum in 2018, representing not only the discipline of Eventing and France, but the next generation of equestrian athletes worldwide.
“Each of the panelists were selected for their experience and their commitment to the sport and all of us at the FEI were truly impressed by Thaïs’ passion, her maturity and her enthusiasm. She was a tremendous ambassador for the sport, really committed and willing to work hard to achieve her goals. The global equestrian community has lost a shining light and our hearts go out to all who knew her."
The FEI extends its deepest sympathy to Thaïs Méheust’s parents, her family and wide circle of friends and to the French National Federation (FFE).
The FFE tribute to Thaïs Méheust can be read here.
The FEI has announced new adverse analytical findings (AAF) involving equine prohibited substances. The cases involve *Banned Substances under the FEI’s Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMRs).
The three athletes and, in the third case, also the trainer have been provisionally suspended from the date of notification until the FEI Tribunal renders its decision. The horses have been provisionally suspended for two months from the date of notification.
Horse: Captain Future 3 (FEI ID 104OK61/AUT)
Person Responsible: Felix Koller (FEI ID 10067976/AUT)
Event: CSIO5*- NC EUD1 - St.Gallen (SUI), 30.05-02.06.2019
Prohibited Substance(s): Diisopropylamine
Date of Notification: 7 August 2019
Horse: Gelo Delle Schiave (FEI ID 104RW65/ITA)
Person Responsible: Pierluigi Sangiorgi (FEI ID 10025969/ITA)
Event: CDI-W – Lipica (SLO), 24-26.05.2019
Prohibited Substance(s): Aripiprazole
Date of Notification: 27 August 2019
Horse: Feline X (FEI ID 106LV53/GBR)
Person Responsible: Pane Singh Amar Singh (FEI ID 10048234/UAE)
Trainer: Fadhl Manea Saleh Al Mathil (FEI ID 10110945/UAE)
Event: CEI1* 80 - Euston Park (GBR), 16.06.2019
Prohibited Substance(s): Atenolol
Date of Notification: 26 August 2019
Details on these cases can be found here.
Separately, the FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decisions in one case involving a Prohibited Substance and one horse abuse case.
The Prohibited Substance case involved athlete Saeed Mohd Khalifa Al Mehairi (FEI ID: 10082209/UAE), who competed with the horse Shaddad (FEI ID: 103BW28/UAE) at the CEI3* 160 in Euston Park (GBR), on 13 July 2018. Samples taken from the horse tested positive for the Banned Substance Testosterone. The athlete and the trainer Ismail Mohd (UAE, FEI ID: 10017691) were suspended for two years. The period of provisional suspension, effective from 8 August 2018 for the athlete and from 13 August 2018 for the trainer, has been credited against the period of ineligibility imposed in this decision. Therefore, the athlete will be ineligible until 7 August 2020 and the trainer until 12 August 2020.
Additionally, the athlete and trainer have each been fined CHF 7,500 and ordered to pay costs of CHF 2,500 each. The athlete/horse combination was disqualified from the event.
The Final Decision on this case can be found here.
The horse abuse case, which was opened by the FEI, followed a protest filed by the South African Equestrian Federation (RSA NF) involving the pony Sherwill Valerian. It was alleged that the athlete, Joris Vanspringel (FEI ID: 10004575/BEL), had committed horse abuse during a clinic he held at Fourways Riding Centre in South Africa. In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal ruled that the athlete had committed horse abuse and suspended him for nine months from the date of the Final Decision (15 August 2019). He was also fined CHF 3,000 and ordered to pay CHF 3,000 towards legal costs.
The Final Decision on this case can be found here.
The parties can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the decisions (15 August 2019).
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.
Information on all substances is available on the searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database.
**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 which 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.
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