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.  

In a competition that was as unpredictable as it was exciting, Ireland came out on top with a superb team effort at the second leg of the Longines League of Nations™ staged at the World Equestrian Centre in Ocala, Florida (USA) tonight, where Switzerland finished second ahead of the American hosts in third place.

The 10 best teams in the world are battling it out over four qualifying events for the eight places on offer at the series Final in Barcelona (ESP) in early October, and today’s line-up included eight of the top 10, and 16 of the top 20 riders in the world rankings. With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games just around the corner all were out to impress, and when nine of the 10 team pathfinders jumped clear over Alan Wade’s 12-fence track it looked like a very even contest.

But then the surprises began to unfold, with the Olympic and World champions from Sweden missing the cut into the second round along with the British. In contrast the Dutch, the Irish and the American hosts all went through on a zero scoreline. 

Drama and tension

The new format, with just three of the four team members returning for round two in which every score would count, again produced plenty of drama and tension. Lying eighth, Brazil led the way in round two, and their final tally of 26 faults still saw them move up two places to sixth place in the final analysis.

The Swiss, carrying eight faults, then solidified their position when both Steve Guerdat and Is-Minka and Martin Fuchs with Leone Jei posted double-clears while Pius Schwizer was foot-perfect this time out with Just Special VK.

Team Germany, winners at the series-opener in Abu Dhabi last month, added 12 for a total of 20 faults, and when Kevin Staut had a fall from Beau de Laubry Z who stopped at the third fence then that was elimination for the French. Meanwhile the Belgians, in fourth after round one on just four faults, dropped right down to seventh place when Niels Bruynseels’ Delux van T&L ducked out at the penultimate narrow vertical located close to the in-gate, incurring 21 faults.

The Dutch lost their grip when the very much on-form partnership of Willem Greve and the mighty stallion Highway TN NOP left three on the floor second time out. The pair who shone so brightly on home ground at ’s-Hertogenbosch just a few short weeks ago ran into trouble at the line from the open water at fence four to the following vertical and then the oxer at fence six, picking up 12 faults. This section of the track was hugely influential all day, and when the first element of the double at seven and the triple bar at fence nine were raised in round two they also influenced the final result.

On the sidelines

Shane Sweetnam and his 10-year-old Otis Blue had produced one of Ireland’s three first-round clears but team manager Michael Blake decided to leave this pair on the sidelines second time out and to bring in Cian O’Connor whose services hadn’t been required first time out because Sweetnam, Darragh Kenny (Amsterdam 27) and Daniel Coyle (Legacy) had all jumped clear.

But his side began to look vulnerable when second-round pathfinders Kenny and Amsterdam 27 clipped that first element of the double at seven before American star Laura Kraut brought Baloutinue home for a brilliant double-clear. However Coyle and Legacy put Ireland back on the map with their second clean sheet of the day, so when Kent Farrington’s Landon racked up eight faults then suddenly the Irish had a one-fence advantage. 

As last Irishman O’Connor rode into the ring he knew a fence down could lead to a jump-off with the US if last-line American McLain Ward followed with a clear from Callas. And nobody was betting against that.

O’Connor’s horse, Maurice, had not jumped the first round so hadn’t seen the arena which was now under lights, and the 12-year-old gelding looked a little unsure as the Irish pair set off. But he grew in confidence as his round progressed and the only thing showing on the scoreboard as he crossed the line was a single time penalty to bring the Irish tally to five. That would prove plenty good enough to win the day when Ward’s mare, Callas, hit the middle element of the triple combination in an otherwise foot-perfect run.

Second place would go to Switzerland on eight and third to the USA who finished on 12 faults along with The Netherlands, the Americans getting the edge when their combined times left them almost a second faster. 

Tactics 

Irish team manager, Michael Blake, talked about the tactics he employed on his way to victory today. 

“We always knew if things went according to plan we would go with the three (riders) we went with in the second round. And with Shane, Darragh and Daniel giving us the clear rounds (in the first round) we had a short discussion whether we would jump Cian or not, and the horse having jumped so well under lights in Wellington we decided to go with the fresh horse”, he explained. He was very grateful to Sweetnam for bringing the 10-year-old Otis Blue into the team at the last minute.  

“Shane was really good to step in when Bertram (Allen) took a fall last week, Shane was riding a horse that had never done a Nations Cup before, so we are really thankful to him and his owners for making the horse available to us”, he said.

Sweetnam described the grey as “a very talented horse, but he’s only really started doing anything near this level in the last couple of months and I said to Michael he has the ability to do it but I don’t know does he have the experience yet. But he showed he had today and we got the job done and got us into a good position for the second round”.

Kenny said today’s class was super-competitive. “This is a fantastic new idea with the Longines League of Nations, and everyone was trying to win. My horse  (Amsterdam 27) has been jumping great in Wellington, and the first round felt super. He’s an older horse and he’s done a lot in his career but I’m still getting to know him myself and it feels like every round is getting better and better”.

Extraordinary

Coyle and Legacy have been enjoying an extraordinary run of form of late. “This was always Legacy’s plan after the World Cups earlier in the year, I talked to Michael and he said he’d select her for here if everything goes well. It has taken years to get to the bottom of Legacy and maybe to the bottom of me and how we work best together. I’m happy with how it worked out today, delighted with the way she jumped”, said the 29-year-old who has been blazing a trail at the highest level of the sport with the 14-year-old mare.

O’Connor was delighted to have sealed the win today. “You can only deliver when last to go if the team have done their job, and my job was easy riding with these three guys, they had amazing clear rounds and they set the whole thing up for me!”, he said. 

Chef d’Equipe Blake told O’Connor he could afford a time fault, “but I didn’t really want to ride for a time fault at the beginning of the course because if you have a fence late then you miss out on a jump-off. But when he jumped out of the combination I just started to take a breath and I had an extra stride to the last and I gave the horse a moment and we picked up a fraction of time but I was happy, we had the job done!”, he said.

With 190 points now on the board after their runner-up finish in Abu Dhabi and today’s victory, Team Ireland now head the Longines League of Nations™ leaderboard ahead of Germany in second with 160 while Switzerland has moved into third with 150 points. 

Next stop in the series is the third leg at St Gallen (SUI) on 31 May, so don’t miss a hoofbeat…. 

Result 

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.

At the end of another busy season, the final standings are confirmed in all 12 FEI Jumping World Cup™ 2023/2024 Leagues around the globe. A total of 719 athletes from 64 countries competed across six continents, and 525 collected points on their respective League tables. 

Final competition

The final competition of the eight-leg North American League took place last Sunday at Ocala in Florida, USA with victory for Ireland’s Daniel Coyle which confirmed his place at the top of the League table after a spectacular run of form on both sides of the Atlantic.

The 29-year-old who rides for Canada’s Lothlorien Farm collected his first points in Toronto in November, but it was his decision to take in some of the Western European League events that sent him on his way to racking up a total of 75 which left him well clear of Israel’s Daniel Bluman in second spot on 43. 

Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam finished third ahead of Great Britain’s Jessica Mendoza in fourth while America’s Jill Humphrey slotted into fifth in the final League standings and was the highest-placed West USA athlete with good results in Las Vegas and Fort Worth in November and December. Yet another Irishman, Conor Swail, finished sixth.

Coyle’s pathway to success really opened up when he finished third with the great mare Legacy in London, Great Britain in December following a mighty battle with home athletes Ben Maher and Scott Brash. And he then got into top gear with wins at the following two Western European legs in Leipzig, Germany and Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

On Sunday he partnered his new ride, the aptly-named 11-year-old grey gelding Incredible, to pin US star Kent Farrington into runner-up spot in Ocala to make it three successive Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ victories, and he will definitely be one to watch out for at the Longines 2024 Final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in four weeks’ time.  

Smallest

The South East Asian League was the smallest numerically, with a total of nine Indonesian competitors chasing points over three legs on home soil in Jakarta-Pulomas and Cinere-Depok in November and December. League winner was 35-year-old Ferry Wahyu Hadiyanto who topped the line-up twice with the 10-year-old mare Cascadella de Revel G. Runner-up was Marcho Alexandro and Erwin Yoga finished third.

It was an all-Kiwi affair in the five-leg New Zealand League which kicked off in Hastings in October and concluded at Woodhill Sands in Auckland in early January where Brooke Edgecombe was crowned champion. It was a first-ever title success for the 43-year-old rider who twice won the series final and twice finished second on the League table. Jake Lambert and Alaid de Chez Nous won the final leg this time around, but after a strong run of form Edgecombe’s third-place finish with LT Holst Andrea was enough to give her a one-point advantage over Sophie Scott in the final league standings while Julie Davey finished third ahead of Maurice Beatson in fourth place. A total of 17 athletes competed in this League.

On top

The Japan League ran from April to December last year attracting 22 participants and Shinichiro Sugiyama came out on top after competing in all seven legs. The action took place in Osaka, Kakegawa, Nasu, Fuji and Miki, and  the 44-year-old rider partnered the 13-year-old Hannoverian gelding Rising Sun throughout the series, picking up points at every outing and posting a double of wins at Osaka in October and Miki in December. 

Runner-up was Yugo Mori with the 16-year-old gelding Kay Em Bambalou while Kazuki Takizawa finished third and Daijiro Mashiyama fourth.

The South African League took place from May to October 2023, visiting venues at Midrand, Kromdraai, Shongweni and Brits. Bronwyn Meredith dos Santos won the six-leg League ahead of Ashlee Healy in second and Lisa Williams and Jeanne Korber in third and fourth places.

The League champion rode both the 14-year-old Polish-bred mare Bibisi and the 13-year-old grey stallion Capital Levubu, Bibisi giving Meredith dos Santos a great start with the win at Midrand last May where they pipped Korber and Callaho Lexington for pole position. Ashlee Healy and Eldo won round two in Kromdraai, Williams steered Campbell to victory in Shongweni in June and Ronnie Healy came out on top with Capital Magic Boy at Brits in July. Oliver Bishop and Gaucho claimed the main honours at the penultimate leg in Shongweni and George Coutlis and Callaho Lord Cris won the last round at Brits in October where Meredith dos Santos had to settle for ninth but with a total of 61 points was confirmed League champion. A total of 32 athletes competed in this League.

Clinched the title

The Central European League came to an exciting climax at the Final in Krakow, Poland last month where Latvia’s Kristaps Neretnieks clinched the title ahead of Czech Republic’s Sara Vingralkova while Angelos Toulopis from Greece finished third. 

Toulopis was one of just two contenders from the CEL Southern Sub-League, the remainder of the 15 starters all emerging from the CEL Northern Sub-League. And the form-book held true. 

Vingralkova had won the Northern League while Neretnieks finished second in the same Sub-League. Meanwhile Toulopis was always a major contender after topping the Southern Sub-league leaderboard.

Carrying their five best results from their respective Sub-Leagues, the 15 finalists faced three further competitions in Krakow to decide the CEL title, and Neretnieks finished best of the three who eventually landed on the podium when ninth in the opening Speed leg with Tender van de Kleiberg Z which added eight points to his tally. 

Victory with Quintes in the second class added 20 more, and with 34 in the final competition the 34-year-old rider completed on a total of 126 for a clear victory over 21-year-old Vingralkova who, however, finished just a single point ahead of Touloupis in third. A total of 126 athletes lined out in the Central European League.

Arab League

The Arab League consists of two Sub-Leagues, and Egyptian riders dominated the North-African Sub-League while riders from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia claimed first and second places in the Middle-East division.

Tokyo Olympian Mouda Zeyada headed Abdelrahman Shousha and Zain Shady Samir to make it an Egyptian one-two-three in the final rankings of the North-African Sub-League, while Morocco’s El Ghali Boukaa and Vincent Zacharias Bourguignon finished fourth and fifth here. 

Zeyada picked up points in the first two legs in Tetouan and Rabat in Morocco last October with If Looks Could Kill OH and then finished second in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in early December before posting a fifth-place finish at the same venue a week later which left the 28-year-old athlete carrying 50 points. His nearest rival and compatriot Shousha completed with 36 points and Samir took third spot with 28. 

Meanwhile in the Middle East Sub-League Saudi Arabia’s Khaled Almobty, team gold medallist at the Asian Games in 2018 who also competed at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2019, collected 16 points for third place in Riyadh in early December before posting a win with Davenport VDL in Al Ain in the UAE as 2023 was coming to a close. More points at Abu Dhabi in January and Kuwait in February were then reinforced by 20 points for fourth place with Spacecake in Sharjah (UAE) four weeks ago.

His fellow-countryman Ramzy Al Duhami claimed second place on the Middle East Sub-League table and Salim Ahmed Al Suwaidi landed third. A total of 68 athletes contested these two Sub-Leagues.

In action

Down under there were 45 athletes in action between March and December 2023, and Australian League winner, 30-year-old Thomas McDermott, lined out at every one of the eight events, producing spectacular results from the 11-year-old Irish-bred Cooley Gangster whose early career was spent in the sport of Eventing with Ireland’s Katie O’Sullivan in the saddle. 

The Australian duo finished seventh at Shepparton last March where Sarah-Louise McMillan and Tyrone came out on top, and then won the following leg in Werribee. They were third at Larapinta in April, eleventh at Caboolture in June and sixth in Sydney in August before posting their second win, this time in Tamworth, later that month. 

With just two legs left to go they finished third, behind McMillan again in pole position and Robert Palm and Jaybee Vibrant in to second, at Sale in November. And they wrapped it all up with a runner-up result behind Samuel Overton and Oaks Cassanova at the final leg in Sydney in December. With their five best results counting they racked up a total of 80 points to pin McMillan into second on the league standings while Madeline Sinderberry finished third.

Eurasian League

The Eurasian League attracted 47 athletes, with points on offer at six events between April and September last year. Riders from Uzbekistan dominated the final standings when filling the top five places led by Khurshidbek Alimdjanov.

The winner only lined out at the first three fixtures, finishing fifth with the nine-year-old Hannoverian stallion, Champions League, on home ground in Tashkent in round one last April before winning next time out at the same venue a few weeks later. A second victory, at Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan in May, was enough to seal victory for the 43 year-old rider who competed at the Asian Indoor Games in Turkmenistan in 2017 and at last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. 

Second place on this league table went to Nurjan Tuyakbaev while Bekzod Kurbanov finished third, Saidamirkhon Turgunboev finished fourth and Azam Tolibbaev finished fifth. Iran’s Faramarz Babolhavaeji finished in sixth place. 

The South American South League consisted of five legs that took place between April and November 2023 and it was no surprise when Brazilian riders filled the lion’s share of the top places led by five-time Olympian Doda de Miranda.

The 51-year-old whose record in the Pan-American Games includes team gold in 1999 and team silver in 2011 campaigned at three of the five qualifiers in the series and sealed victory with wins partnering Dinozo un Prince at both the first leg in Curtiba and the third leg in São Paulo. 

Second place in the standings went to Guilherme Dutra Foroni while Stephan de Freitas Barcha finished third and Paulo Roberto Brasileiro Miranda finished fourth. Argentina’s Leandro Moschini broke the Brazilian stranglehold when finishing fifth but the next ten places also went to Brazilian competitors. A total of 67 competed in this League.

Western Europe

The Western European League had 14 legs this season, and a total of 172 athletes lined out between October 2023 and February 2024 with 97 obtaining points. 

The league began with a double of victories for Ireland’s Richard Howley in Oslo, Norway and Helsinki, Finland while Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet scooped the honours at leg three in Lyon, France. Olympic champion, Great Britain’s Ben Maher won the fourth leg in Verona, Italy and also in November Frenchman Kevin Staut and Germany’s Marcus Ehning won in Stuttgart, Germany and Madrid, Spain. 

In December there were two more British wins, Harry Charles taking top spot in A Coruña, Spain and then Ben Maher making it a season double with a big home victory in London. Germany’s Christian Ahlmann won the ninth leg in Mechelen, Belgium to bring 2023 to a close. 

Belgium’s Pieter Devos then won leg ten in Basel, Switzerland to get the new year off to a start before Irishman Daniel Coyle posted his two-in-a-row in Leipzig and Amsterdam. Reigning European champion, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat, headed the line-up at the penultimate leg in Bordeaux, France and the final winner of the busy season was 24-year-old Dutchman Lars Kersten who took everyone by surprise in Gothenburg, Sweden last month.

League winner however was longtime leader and longtime world number one Henrik von Eckermann from Sweden who racked up a massive 86 points. Britain’s Harry Charles and von Eckermann’s compatriot Peder Fredricson finished level on 73 points but Charles got the nod for runner-up spot while Maher finished fourth, Staut finished fifth and Guerdat - three-time FEI Jumping World Cup™ champion - finished sixth in the final ranking.

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.

World Cup success is nothing new for Daniel Coyle (IRL), but he reached another milestone Sunday at the Live Oak International (USA) when he topped the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Ocala aboard his exciting new mount, Incredible.

“I’ve had a really, really good experience with the World Cup already, but I think this is the first year I’ve ever won three [in one season],” Coyle expressed, “so I’m really, really happy about that.”

Coyle, a veteran of the 2023 World Cup Finals in Omaha (USA), changed up his routine this year and elected to divide his season between the North American League and Western European League. Aboard his championship mount Legacy, he won WEL legs at both Leipzig (GER) and Amsterdam (NED). He then made it three-in-a-row when returning stateside for the final NAL leg of the season with Incredible, a horse he only started riding in January.

"Every time I go in the ring, I'm finding something new [in Incredible]. It's great that I can find that out while competing at the top of the sport," Coyle said.

"He was incredible before I got him, and it's good to know that I was a good rider before, he was a good horse before, and today I can say that we are also very good together."

Daniel Coyle (IRL)

Olaf Petersen Jr. (GER) set a stiff track in Ocala, characterized by its connectedness and uniquely designed fences. Just four combinations were able to execute a clear round and advance to a competitive jump-off. 

Jessica Leto (USA) and Cimbura returned first with an eye toward putting pressure on the remaining combinations with a clear round, but a rail would fall in the process, placing them on four faults. The same score befell Dermott Lennon (IRL) and Millview Cicero when the horse slipped just before takeoff while turning back tightly on an oxer. 

Always fiercely competitive, Kent Farrington (USA) brought forward the athletic mare Toulayna as the penultimate combination, and the pair executed the first double-clear effort of the day, taking the lead thanks to an efficient track and some impressive turns. 

That left only Coyle to jump, and he had a target to chase. He and Incredible displayed full trust in each other as they dared to gallop at high speed around the short course. They flew through the timers well in front, with a winning time of 30.37 seconds. Farrington settled for second (42.58 seconds), with Lennon third (4/44.05).

“I didn’t get to see anyone else go. The six [strides] down the first line got very long for me, but that probably made the whole ride faster,” Coyle said. “He jumped a little high coming in [to the double], and that’s something I need to know going forward. [Then] I was really risky back to the second-last [fence]. Thankfully, he helped me out there, and at the last fence, he gave me a great jump. I’m delighted.”

Coyle’s mentor, Olympic and World champion Jeroen Dubbeldam (NED) scouted Incredible for Coyle, who was looking to add a horse to his string to support Legacy at the top of the sport. Incredible had produced some nice results with Eric Ten Cate (NED), jumping strong rounds throughout the Longines EEF Series in Drammen (NOR) and Ebreichsdorf (AUT). 

“[Incredible] wasn’t so much in the spotlight. He had already done some Nations Cup [events] and done some really good things, but his rider didn’t get the chance to go to the big shows every week,” Coyle said. “Jeroen said, ‘We should try him.’ Immediately we saw that he would fit with us, and he could really help Legacy. He has done that and more.

"I'm really, really happy," he added. "I have somebody like Ariel [Grange] who can step up and buy the horses and somebody like Jeroen as a mentor who can actually find the horses for me.

"It's hard to to scout horses when you're concentrating on riding the horses that you have...We have a really good team right now."

Daniel Coyle (IRL)

Coyle ends the season atop the NAL standings with 75 points. Daniel Bluman (ISR) sits second with 43 points, while Shane Sweetnam (IRL) has sescured third with 41 points. The 2024 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Final takes place 16-20 April in Riyadh (KSA).

Full results

Standings

The FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ will return in full force, with the opening event to be held at Montelibretti (ITA) from 14-17 March 2024. 

This highly regarded venue situated in the province of Rome will present leading athletes from eight nations spanning four continents on the entries list, with five nations eligible to compete as a team - Australia, France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.

Last year the focus for several nations was claiming the final Olympic team place for this year’s Olympic Games in Paris. The golden ticket went to Italy, who showed their determination by fielding a team at almost every event of this eight-leg Series. They finished third overall behind Belgium in first and France in second, both of whom had already qualified teams for Paris 2024. 

This year, many nations will be trying to give both younger horses and up and coming athletes an opportunity to ride for their national team which adds the inevitable extra pressure. As well as giving athletes a chance to qualify themselves and their horses for Championships by collecting extra points.

"Any opportunity to ride on a team like this is great practice for what you encounter in the Championships"

Chris Burton (AUS)

Chris Burton is one of those competitors. The Australian who has competed at two Olympics, had switched saddles to the sport of Jumping several years ago but has dusted off his Eventing boots this season. Burton has been competing horses up to Grand Prix level for the Guy family, and last year took part in the FEI Nations Cup™ Final for his nation.  

Burton has taken on the ride on Shadow Man from British athlete Ben Hobday, and is very excited about their future together. Burton, who won a team bronze medal in at the 2016 Rio Olympics, sums up the significance of the Nations Cup Series to riders and teams:

“I’ve got the privilege of having a [FEI Eventing] Nations Cup first timer as part of our Australian Team in Sarah Clark. It was on her bucket list to ride on a Nations Cup team. She said she was really excited to be part of a team with Bill (Levitt) and I. That’s the wonderful thing because Nations really do come together and it makes it a lovely sport.

Any opportunity to ride on a team like this is great practice for what you encounter in the championships, because there’s nothing worse than coming out feeling like you could have done better but when you have to come out apologising to your team, that’s much tougher.”

There are plenty of other big names among the line-up at Montelibretti, including Maxime Livio from France, who is currently ranked 8th in the FEI World Ranking for Eventing. The 36-year-old had competed in two FEI World Championships but not made an Olympic squad yet. He is also the trainer and selector for the Thai Eventing team

Seasoned FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ riders Nadja Minder and Felix Vogg join Philip Ryan from Switzerland. With the Olympics in mind, the Swiss could prove to be the underdogs as they have put in some solid individual and team performances both in Nations Cup competitions and FEI Championships over the last few years, whilst under the watchful eye of the legendary Eventer, Andrew Nicholson, who came on board as their cross-country coach in 2019.

The role of national Eventing coach has recently been taken over by another Olympic legend, Markus Fuchs, who won many medals for Switzerland in the sport of Jumping. Fuchs will coach the Swiss Eventers at least until the Paris Olympics.

Even though their teams have not yet been confirmed, the home side Italy have 13 athletes entered at Montelibretti, while the Spanish have eight athletes to choose from to make up a team of four.

The FEI Eventing Nations Cup™ Series, now in its 12th year, is open to all nations around the world, and is held at CCIO4* Short and Long format level. The final classification of the Series will be made by the accumulation of points obtained by teams in each competition.

The 2024 season will run as follows:

Montelibretti (ITA) - 14 - 17 March

Chatsworth (GBR) - 17-19 May

Millstreet (IRL) -  30 May- 02 June

Avenches (SUI) - 6 - 9 June

Strzegom (POL) - 20 - 23  June

Arville (BEL) - 15- 18 August

Lignières (FRA) 26 -29 September

Boekelo (NED) - 10 - 13 October

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).

German dressage legend, Isabell Werth, posted her second victory of the season at the eleventh and last leg of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ 2023/2024 Western European League in ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands today.

Taking maximum points with Emilio on home ground in Stuttgart last November, she did it again when the pair were runners-up to compatriot Jessica von Bredow-Werndl in Basel in January because the 2023 series champion was not entitled to qualifying points at the Swiss fixture. 

Today Werth topped up her points tally to a total of 77 when, partnering the 14-year-old stallion DSP Quantaz, she pinned reigning world champion, Great Britain’s Charlotte Fry into runner-up spot. 

The German star completes the Western European League at the top of the leaderboard from which nine athletes will qualify for the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia next month. Third place went to The Netherlands’ Emmelie Scholtens and Indian Rock who won the ninth leg in Neumünster, Germany last month and the French duo of Pauline Basquin and Sertorius de Rima Z IFCE finished fourth.

Holding the lead

The Kiwi partnership of Melissa Galloway and Windermere J’Obei W were holding the lead at the halfway stage on a score of 75.970 but were overtaken by the remaining seven of the 15 starters to finally slot into eighth at the end of the day.

First to go after the break, The Netherlands’ Marieke van der Putten and Torveslettens Titanium RS2 NOP raised the game when putting 77.405 on the board only to be ever-so-fractionally overtaken by the French partnership of Morgan Barbançon and Sir Donnerhall ll OLD who scored 77.410.

Belgium’s Flore de Winn and Flynn FRH have been enjoying a fantastic run of form and were racking up good scores until the black stallion suddenly seemed to take fright, losing concentration and lots of marks before recovering well enough to finish their Freestyle but in a disappointing last place in the final analysis. 

Bianca Nowag-Aulenbrock followed with a lovely performance from the fabulous 12-year-old mare Florine OLD that earned the first over-80% score of the day - a total of 80.140 for the German pair. And Scholtens bettered that with a mark of 82.095 to raise the stakes even higher.

But the real clash was always going to come down to the next two into the ring, Fry with Everdale who posted wins at both round six in Mechelen, Belgium in December and round eight in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in January, and Werth and DSP Quantaz who pinned the British duo into runner-up spot in Thursday’s Grand Prix.

Fry was chasing a hat-trick of wins as she entered the arena, and putting 82.250 on the board she snatched the lead from Scholtens. But Werth and the 14-year-old gelding strutted their way to a mark of 85.250 which would settle the matter when Basquin and the elegant Sertorius, another pair enjoying a really exciting season, were awarded 80.550 for that fourth place.

Decision time

It’s now decision-time for qualified riders ahead of the Final which takes place in Riyadh from 16 to 20 April. 

Werth has always intended to challenge for her sixth title, her first earned with Fabienne 32 years ago, in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1992. 

She has long been the doyenne of international dressage and her only decision is which horse to ride. Her first preference would be the 18-year-old Emilio -  “my dream is to go with Emilio and that he should have his last show there, he deserves it! But Quantaz is also qualified….so we will see!”, she said.

She enjoyed today’s victory, and the arena atmosphere created by the enthusiastic spectators. 

“They (the horses) grow immediately when they come in, but it’s great to see so many people and the crowd was so positive, supporting all the riders and combinations and nations so that makes it really exciting and I always enjoy coming to ’s-Hertogenbosch. It’s close to home and it’s exciting to see that each time there is something more. So many flowers, so many lovely details around, there is no other show like this and I thank Anky (van Grunsven) and the whole team for this because it makes this really extraordinary!”, Werth said.

She’s been competing at ’s-Hertogenbosch for a very long time and as she pointed out “I remember this show when we were in the other arena and when we arrived the cows left an hour before, so it’s a big difference now! 

Electricity

Fry agreed about the electricity in the arena. “It’s always really exciting to ride in the World Cup shows, of course there’s a lot of excitement as you enter the ring and especially today as they were announcing Emmelie’s score - the public were kind of loving that! 

“Once we were over that bit I was really happy, he settled down and relaxed a lot faster than the last few shows and it really felt that we could show that he can relax in the ring. I try to make it look easy and we had a really great time, we had a few mistakes today but I’m overall really happy. It’s such an amazing atmosphere to ride in there and it’s also really close to home for me and I felt a lot of support from the public which is really nice”, she explained.

Third-placed Scholtens was more than pleased too. She missed out on this home show last year because of a knee injury so it was great to be back. And Indian Rock more than rose to the occasion.

“He felt really super, I really love to ride him….he is so talented and such a gentleman, I just love him and I think he did really, really well. He’s still a young horse (11 years old) in the Grand Prix, and for me it felt amazing!”, she said. Both Fry and Scholtens now have to decide if they will make the trip to Saudi Arabia in five weeks time. 

The final standings in the Western European League show Werth at the head of affairs followed by Fry in second and longtime series leader Patrick Kittel from Sweden in third place. Germany’s Matthias Alexander Rath is in fourth, Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg Merrald in fifth and Morgan Barbançon in sixth ahead of Raphael Netz from Germany in seventh, Scholtens in eighth and Spain’s Borja Carrascosa in ninth spot. 

Belgium’s de Winne and Austria’s Diana Porsche who finished twelfth today lie in equal-tenth place, just outside the qualification zone while French riders Basquin and Alexandre Ayache are next in line. 

The startlist for the 37th FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final will take shape very soon, so don’t miss a hoofbeat…..

Result

Final Standings Western European League 2023/2024