FEI Tribunal issues Final Decisions in equine anti-doping cases

Media updates
13 April 2021 Author: FEI

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decisions in two equine anti-doping cases involving Banned Substances.

The horse Easy Boy 23 (FEI ID 105AF89 /ESA), ridden by Joaquin Albisu (FEI ID 10161938/ARG), tested positive for the Banned Substances Boldenone, Boldienone and Boldenone Undecylenate, following samples taken at the CSIO4* Wellington (USA), on 25 February to 1 March 2020.

The athlete was unable to account for the positive findings and investigated further with the owner of the horse and the veterinarian to determine how the banned Substances entered the horse’s system. The owner admitted having treated the horse with Anabolde, containing Boldenone Undecylenate and consequently the athlete, as Person Responsible, admitted the violation directly. The FEI has opened a separate procedure against the owner.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal disqualified the horse and athlete from the event, and imposed a 14-month suspension on the athlete. The period of the provisional suspension of the athlete, which came into effect on 26 March 2020, was back-dated to the date of the sample collection (26 February 2020), meaning the athlete will be ineligible until 28 April 2021. He was also fined CHF 5,000.

The parties can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the decision (7 April 2021).  

The full Decision is available here

 

The horse Denitha (FEI ID 104MR05/UAE), ridden by Abdul Rahman Ahmed AMEEN (FEI ID 10064049/UAE), tested positive for the Banned Substance Strychnine, an alkaloid and a toxic substance causing muscular convulsion and used as a rodenticide, following samples taken during the CSI5*-W Sharjah (UAE), 30 January to 2 February 2019.

As the athlete could not explain the origin of the Strychnine in the horse’s system there could be no reduction of the standard two-year sanction.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal disqualified the horse and athlete from the event, and imposed a two-year suspension on the athlete. The period of the provisional suspension of the athlete, which came into effect on 4 March 2019, is credited against the period of ineligibility imposed in the decision, meaning the athlete is now eligible to compete again. He was also fined CHF 7,500.

The parties had 21 days to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) from the date of receipt of the decision (2 March 2021).  

The full Decision is available here

 

Separately, 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).

In the following Endurance case, the athlete has been provisionally suspended until the FEI Tribunal renders its decision. The horse has been provisionally suspended for two months from the date of notification.

Case: 2021/BS02

Horse: CALAI (FEI ID 105RF80/UAE)

Person Responsible: Hassan Bin Ali (FEI ID 10017909/UAE)

Event: CEI2* 120 - Bou Thib (UAE), 10-12.01.2021

Prohibited Substance(s): Salicylic Acid, 2-hydroxyethyl salicylate, Arsenic

Date of notification: 3 March 2021

Details on this case can be found here.

 

In the following Jumping case, the athlete has been provisionally suspended until the FEI Tribunal renders its decision. The horse was provisionally suspended for two months from the date of notification.

Case 2020/BS11:

Horse: HALO (FEI ID 105ZA57/ITA)

Person Responsible: Giuseppe DE LUCA (FEI ID 10047635/ITA)

Event/ID: CSI2*- Oliva (ESP), 29.09-04.10.2020

Prohibited Substance(s): Stanozolol

Date of notification: 11 November 2020

Details on this case can be found 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.

 

X