FEI Tribunal issues Final Decisions in equine anti-doping cases

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decisions in three equine anti-doping cases involving Prohibited Substances

The first case involves the horse Caipirina (FEI ID 105RC16/COL), ridden by Major Juan Pablo Garcia Salgado (FEI ID 10063069/COL), which tested positive for the *Banned Substances Boldenone Undecylenate, Boldenone and Ractopamine following samples taken at the CIC1* in Bonza (COL), 20-22 September 2018.

The athlete admitted to injecting the horse with Boldenone, but claimed he was unaware that Boldenone was a prohibited substance. He was unable to give any information about the presence of Ractopamine in the horse’s sample.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal disqualified the horse and athlete from the event, and suspended the athlete for two years. The Provisional Suspension, which came into effect on 30 October 2018, was credited against the period of ineligibility imposed in the decision, meaning the athlete will be ineligible until 29 October 2020. He was also fined CHF 400. The full Decision is available here.

The second case involves the horse S H CIRO (104ZN21/CHI), ridden by Paula Llorens Clark (FEI ID 10086065/CHI). Samples taken from the horse at the CEIYJ2* 120 in Llay Llay (CHI) on 30 March 2019 tested positive for the *Banned Substance O-Desmethyltramadol.

The athlete was able to provide a plausible explanation for the horse testing positive, as support personnel who had been prescribed Tramadol had urinated close to the horse. As a result, the FEI entered into an agreement with the athlete and did not impose any period of ineligibility or costs.

The horse and athlete combination were disqualified from the event. The full Decision is available here.

The third case involves the horse Tra Duncan (104CE66/KSE), ridden by Mohamed Al Jaberi (FEI ID 10063829/KSA), which tested positive for the *Banned Substance Diisopropylamine following samples taken at the CEI1* 110 in Al Qaseem (KSA) on 9 March 2019. The athlete failed to establish the source of the substance and therefore there could be no reduction of the standard two-year suspension.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal imposed a two-year suspension on the athlete, and disqualified the horse and athlete combination from the event. The Provisional Suspension on the athlete, which came into effect on 11 April 2019, was credited against the period of ineligibility imposed in the decision, meaning the athlete will be ineligible until 11 April 2021. He was also fined CHF 7,500 and ordered to pay the legal costs of CHF 2,000 that the FEI incurred in these proceedings. 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 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.