Prohibited substance cases under FEI anti-doping rules

The FEI has announced new adverse analytical findings (AAF) involving prohibited substances under both the equine and human anti-doping rules.

The equine cases involve *Banned Substances under the FEI’s Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMRs).

In the first 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 (26 March 2020).

Horse: Easy Boy 23 (FEI ID 105AF89/ESA)
Person Responsible: Joaquin Albisu (FEI ID 10161938/ARG)
Event: CSIO4* - Wellington FL (USA), 25.02-01.03.2020
Prohibited Substance(s): Boldenone, Boldienone, Boldenone Undecylenate

The two following cases involve the same athlete whose two horses tested positive to the same Prohibited Substance following sample collection at the same event. The athlete has been provisionally suspended as of the date of notification (21 April 2020) until the FEI Tribunal renders its decision. The horses have been provisionally suspended for two months from the date of notification.

Horse: Linkin Park (FEI ID 105RH03/MEX)
Person Responsible: Nicolas Pizarro (FEI ID 10002381/MEX)
Event: CSI2* - San Miguel de Allende (MEX), 12-15.03.2020
Prohibited Substance(s): Ractopamine

Horse: Come Back (FEI ID 104SH43/MEX)
Person Responsible: Nicolas Pizarro (FEI ID 10002381/MEX)
Event: CSI2* - San Miguel de Allende (MEX), 12-15.03.2020
Prohibited Substance(s): Ractopamine

Three AAFs have also been notified under the FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA).

In the first case the athlete has been provisionally suspended from the date of notification (2 April 2020) until the FEI Tribunal renders its decision.

Athlete: Abraham Gaspar Ojeda Serrano (FEI ID 10012274/MEX)
Event: Out of Competition
Date of sample collection: 04.06.2019
Prohibited Substance: Clenbuterol

In the two following cases the athletes have not been provisionally suspended as the Prohibited Substances are Specified Substances.

Athlete: Signe Kirk Kristiansen (FEI ID 10137871/DEN)
Event: CDIO3*-NC - Wellington FL (USA), 11-15.03.2020
Prohibited Substance: Bis-4-cyano-phenyl-methanol (Letrozole metabolite)
Date of sample collection: 13.03.2020
Date of notification: 28.04.2020

Athlete: Mohamed Talaat (FEI ID 10021782/EGY)
Event: African Games-S - Rabat (MAR), 20.08.2019 – 24.08.2019
Prohibited Substance: Cannabinoides/THC (11-nor-9-carboxy-delta9-tétrahydrocannabinol)

Details on these cases 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 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.

FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA)
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).

The List comes into effect on 1 January of each year.

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.