FEI Tribunal issues Final Decisions

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in a horse abuse case and four Final Decisions in cases involving Prohibited Substances.

The horse abuse case, which was opened by the FEI following a protest filed by Rosemary Sloan from Clean Endurance, involved the horse Romeo (FEI ID: 105BQ04/UAE). The FEI Tribunal confirmed that the athlete, Mohamed Ali Al Marzouqi (FEI ID: 10041488/UAE), had committed horse abuse during the CEI1* 100 in Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba (UAE) on 8 December 2018. In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal ruled that the athlete had committed horse abuse and suspended him for 12 months from the date of the Final Decision, 6 December 2019. He was also fined CHF 4,000 and ordered to pay CHF 1,000 towards legal costs.

The Final Decision on this case can be found here.

The first of the prohibited substances FEI Tribunal Decisions involved the athlete Khalifa Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri (FEI ID 10093885/UAE) who was riding the horse 8 Minute (FEI ID: 104BW22/UAE), which tested positive for the Banned Substance Nandrolone at the FEI Endurance World Championships for Young Riders and Juniors in Valeggio sul Mincio (ITA), 22-24 September 2017. The horse was provisionally suspended for two months as of the date of notification (28 November 2017). The FEI Tribunal accepted the agreement reached on 30 September 2019 between the FEI and Mr Al Jahouri. A two-year period of ineligibility, from 23 September 2017 to 22 September 2019, had already been served. In addition, all the results of the athlete from the date of sample collection on 23 September 2017 until the date of the provisional suspension (28 November 2017) were disqualified. Each of the parties will pay their own legal costs. 

In connection to this case the FEI has also opened procedures against the registered trainer of 8 Minute, namely Mr Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri (FEI ID: 10014750/UAE). This trainer had already been involved in two other banned substance cases as the registered trainer.

The FEI Tribunal approved the agreement reached on 9 October 2019 between the FEI and the trainer Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri. The parties agreed that Mr Al Jahouri, who was provisionally suspended from 10 January 2018 until 7 February 2019 connected to the three banned substance cases had served the entire period of ineligibility. Each of the parties will pay their own legal costs.

The third FEI Tribunal Decision involved the horse Dalton des Hayettes (FEI ID: 104TD71/BEL), ridden by Pascal Van Laethem (FEI ID: 10044685/BEL), which had tested positive to the Banned Substance O-Desmethyltramadol at the CSI2* in Deauville (FRA), 15-18 June 2017.

The FEI Tribunal approved the agreement reached between the FEI and the athlete, reached on 21 October 2019. The period of ineligibility of the athlete was reduced to one year, as he demonstrated that he bore No Significant Fault or Negligence. As the athlete already served a Provisional Suspension from 7 August 2017 until 17 August 2018, which was credited in the final ineligibility period, there was no further suspension to be served. The horse was provisionally suspended for two months until 6 October 2017. All the results of the athlete and the horse at the event were disqualified. The athlete was ordered to pay a fine of CHF 3,000 and legal costs of CHF 500.

The fourth Final Decision involved the horse Sohair Des Bruyere (FEI ID: 104VK62/QAT), ridden by Elizaveta Minina (FEI ID: 10140497/RUS), which tested positive to the Banned Substance Testosterone at the CEI2* 120 in Doha Mesaieed (QAT) on 20 January 2018. The trainer of the horse was Hassan Khamis Mohammed A Al Shahwani (FEI ID: 10131286/QAT), admitted injecting the horse with the Testosterone. Separate proceedings has been initiated against the trainer of this horse.

The FEI Tribunal approved the agreement reached on 22 October 2019 between the FEI and the athlete. The athlete demonstrated that she bore No Significant Fault or Negligence and was suspended for 20 months from the date of notification on 5 March 2018 until 4 November 2019. The horse was provisionally suspended for two months until 4 May 2018. All the results of the athlete and the horse at the event were disqualified. The athlete was ordered to pay a fine of CHF 3,000 and legal costs of CHF 1,500.

The Final Decisions on these cases can be found here.

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

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 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.

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