Athletes are the Person Responsible (PR) for the horse and carry the ultimate responsibility for them. This includes legal proceedings should your horse test positive. Members of your support team may be held liable in addition to you.

The 11 categories of anti-doping rule violations are:

Presence

(An athlete tests positive for a prohibited substance)

​Use

(An athlete uses or tries to use a prohibited substance or method).

Evading sample collection

(An athlete does not go to the Doping Control Station when notified for testing, or refuses to take a test, or does not provide a complete sample).

Whereabouts failures

(A Registered Testing Pool athlete is not where they said they will be in their 60-minute time slot (Missed Test), or does not submit their whereabouts on time, or submits incomplete or wrong information Filing Failure)). Any combination of three Whereabouts failures (Filing Failure and/or Missed Test) with in a 12-month period may constitute an ADRV.

Tampering

(An athlete or other person interferes with the testing or doping control process, including during the prosecution of a case).

Possession

(An athlete or athlete support personnel has a prohibited substance in their possession).

Administration to an athlete

(An athlete or other person gives or tries to give a prohibited substance to an athlete).

The FEI publishes the Equine Prohibited Substances List Any substance featured on the list must not be present in the horse’s body during the FEI On-site Jurisdiction Period.

Substances that have a similar chemical structure or biological effect are also prohibited.

Care must be taken to ensure that prohibited substances are not still present in the horse’s body following an earlier treatment and that any feeds, supplements or topical preparations used do not contain prohibited substances.

You can find out how to check if a substance can be used here. The FEI also publishes an online educational course on equine prohibited substance which can be accessed here.

The Equine Prohibited Substances List is also produced as a database and a mobile app.

It is not only a positive test that can result in an EADCM violation. Any of the following actions may result in legal proceedings and the possibility of disqualification and loss of medals:

Refusing to submit the horse for sampling when selected.

Possession of a banned substance.

Tampering with any part of the sampling equipment and process.

Reminder: as an athlete, you are strictly liable for any prohibited substance found in your system, regardless as to how it got there or whether you had any intention to cheat. This principle is called "strict liability". 

If you use a prohibited substance without having received a corresponding TUE, you will be liable if you test positive for the substance in question.

If you test positive, you (and all of your team members in the case of a team competition) will lose your medals and be disqualified.

Depending on the anti-doping rule violation, consequences and sanctions may include: results disqualification, ineligibility and exclusion from the Games. Consequences and sanctions (which can also be beyond the Games and include a ban from all sport) will be made public.

If your horse tests positive, you (and all of your team members in the case of a team competition) will lose your medals and be disqualified.

Further information can be found in the Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations.

1.

Take the online course “ADEL for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games “, available in English on WADA’s ADEL platform. This course, covering key clean sport topics and Games-specific information, is essential for you if you are an athlete or athlete support personnel going to Paris 2024.

2.

Read the information published on the IPC’s website pages for anti-doping at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

4.

Follow the steps indicated in this Guide’s “Pre-Arrival To-Do List” (see next section).

1.

Work closely with your team veterinarian before and during the Paralympic Games. The lead up to the competition is an important time for ensuring your horse is free from prohibited substances.

2.

You can only access the stables at night if you are accompanied by an FEI Steward.

3.

Veterinary Forms need to be filled in should your horse need treatment and permission must be granted by the Veterinary Commission before your horse is treated.

4.

Horses cannot be treated in their individual stable/box during the Paralympic Games. Treatment boxes must be used unless the Veterinary Commission has given you permission otherwise.

5.

Don’t be afraid of asking questions – there are many people on hand to help and advice and information is available on the FEI Clean Sport website.

1. Medication check

With your team doctor’s or NADO’s help, review all existing or foreseen medical treatments against WADA’s 2024 Prohibited List. Remember that substances and methods can be prohibited at all times or only during the in-competition period (and that substances prohibited in-competition must have left your system by this time). Medications that require a prescription, and those that can be bought over the counter, and recreational drugs can contain substances included on the Prohibited List, whilst some substances are also prohibited at certain doses and by certain routes of administration. Some brands of medication can have different active ingredients when bought in different countries, so be extra careful when travelling internationally.

Apply for a TUE if you need to use a substance or method on the prohibited list for health reasons (see section two below for further details on TUEs).

List all the medications you will need to have with you in Paris. Some medications require an import permission – liaise with your NOC for further information.

Remember the principle of Strict Liability as described in the “What is Prohibited” section earlier.

IMPORTANT: If you are an athlete in need of additional equipment, you must bring it with you!

• Please note that it is the athlete’s responsibility to provide whatever additional equipment that is necessary to provide a urine sample, for example, a catheter/drainage system or a urine collection container (Article A.4.7 of WADA’s International Standard for testing and Investigations (ISTI)).

• Should an athlete not have the additional equipment necessary to provide a urine sample, the doping Control Officer (DCO) may, at their discretion, allow the athlete the opportunity to locate the equipment they require. The athlete must remain under the observation of the DCO/chaperone throughout.

• If the athlete is ultimately unable to provide a sample, due to lack of appropriate equipment, they could be charged with an anti-doping rule violation for failing to submit to doping control.

• If unsure what type of collection device is most appropriate for their needs, the athlete should seek advice from a nurse, physician, or occupational therapist.

2. Paris 2024 Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) process and timelines

 A. Athletes who already have a TUE

All existing Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) certificates issued by National Anti-Doping Organisations or by the FEI will only be valid upon recognition by the IPC. Therefore, please verify the status of all medications.

If an athlete already has a valid TUE issued by their National Anti-Doping Organisation or the FEI, the TUE must be recognised by the IPC.  The athlete or NPC can submit a request for recognition by email to tue@paralympic.org quoting the TUE reference number in ADAMS. 

If the athlete has no TUE, please send this confirmation by email too.

B . Athletes who need to apply for a new TUE

a. Prior to 05 August 2024, athletes must determine where to apply for a TUE. If they are considered an International-Level Athlete by the FEI’s rules (you can read further on this here) they must submit their TUE application to the FEI following the procedure outlined on Inside.FEI.org. If not, athletes must contact their National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) for further advice.

b. From 05 August 2024, all athletes must apply to the IPC TUE Committee by submitting the completed TUE application with supporting medical documentation either via ADAMS, or by email to tue@paralympic.org. Submissions must be in English. If approved, the TUE will only be valid for the duration of the Games.  The TUE application form is available to download from the IPC website here.

Full information on the latest and most up to date information on the TUE process during the Games can be found here.

3. Supplements

As an athlete, it is crucial to approach supplement use with extreme caution. Using supplements is risky, as no guarantee can be given that a supplement is free from prohibited substances (supplements may be mislabeled, contaminated, or contain false claims). For example, manufacturing standards for supplements are less strict compared with medications. You can read more about this on Inside.FEI.org.

4. Whereabouts

Whereabouts are information provided by a number of top elite athletes about their location so they can be subject to no-notice testing. Whereabouts information is uploaded onto a secure platform and can only be accessed by authorised persons acting on behalf of anti-doping organisations.

In addition, the IPC has identified that whereabouts can provide crucial information to support evacuation planning, in the event of an emergency. For this reason, additional information relating to accessibility requirements is requested for both athletes and other members of delegations, who may need assistance to evacuate.

Whereabouts information for the Paralympic Games must be provided as follows:

a. All athletes who are already included in a Registered Testing Pool or Testing Pool must continue to provide sufficient details in their whereabouts filings, so that they can be easily located for testing, from the date of the opening of the Village up to and including the date of the Closing Ceremony of the Games.

b. In addition, all National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) are required by the IPC to provide accurate, timely information on arrival/departure dates and rooming list allocations (including for athletes that stay in private accommodations) for all athletes competing at the Games.

NPCs will then continue to monitor and manage their athletes’ whereabouts information throughout the Games Period, provide any relevant updates as new athlete whereabouts information becomes available or existing information changes and provide any further reasonable assistance requested by the IPC in order to locate athletes belonging to their delegation during the Games Period.

You can check your horse is free from prohibited substances before you travel to Paris by carrying out Pre-Arrival Testing.

Samples submitted to the Pre-Arrival Testing programme will be analysed in exactly the same way as those taken during the Games.

Find out how to submit a sample via your NF.

Once notified for testing, you must report immediately to the Doping Control Station, unless you are granted a delay to do so after authorisation of the Doping Control Officer. At the Paralympic Games, a delay may be granted to an equestrian athlete in the following cases:

Competing again in further competitions or completing a training session:

1. The athlete qualifies for the jump-off and will compete again very soon (sometimes within the next few minutes) and notification should take place after the second performance.
2. The athlete competes again in further competitions.
3. The athlete must perform or complete a training session. Training sessions are essential for the horse and are part of the schedule for the day. They cannot be skipped or moved to another time without causing disruption.

Performing a cool down (athletes may take their horse for a cool down in the training area following competition).

Obtaining necessary medical treatment.

Locating a representative and/or interpreter.

Obtaining photo identification.

Making necessary arrangements for the care of the horse, including accompanying the horse in the stables or to the veterinary clinic.

Having to attend a horse inspection, including accompanying the horse to the veterinary clinic.

In Eventing, to walk the Cross-Country course if there is no other possibility to do it at another time.

Take a shower under the following exceptional circumstances: need to clean a gaze due to injury (or as part of other medical treatment), if visibly dirty (e.g., covered in mud), or need to perform an official duty.

Any other exceptional circumstance which can be justified, and which shall be documented by the Chaperone or Doping Control Officer.

Here is a short video to give you an overview of the testing procedure.

It is not necessary for the athlete to accompany the horse to the testing boxes. The athlete may ask any designated person to accompany the horse. e.g. groom, team veterinarian.

Once selected for testing the horse can be cooled down, untacked and washed off before being taken to the testing boxes.

Water can be brought to the testing boxes for your horse, but bringing feed or hay is not permitted.

From 5 August 2024

All athletes requiring a TUE must apply directly to the IPC TUE Committee as of this date.

21 August 2024
(start of the Games period)

28 August 2024

Paris 2024 Paralympic Opening Ceremony

Para Dressage: 28 August 2024 until the end of the last Para Dressage Competition.

If you have questions before arriving in Paris, please contact Ana Kricej, FEI Legal Counsel: ana.kricej@fei.org (+ 41 78 750 61 66).

If you have any questions or need any advice while competing in Paris, consult your team doctor in the first instance. For further help, you and your team doctor can obtain advice from the FEI Chief Medical Officer (Dr. Franz Kasin) at the Clinic.

Representatives from the FEI Legal Department will also be on site and available for advice:

Ana Kricej, FEI Legal Counsel: ana.kricej@fei.org (+ 41 78 750 61 66)

If you have questions before arriving in Paris, please contact Caterina Termine, FEI Senior Veterinary Advisor: caterina.termine@fei.org.

If you have any questions or need any advice while competing in Paris, consult your team veterinarian in the first instance. Should you require further help, you and your team veterinarian can obtain advice from your discipline’s Veterinary Commission.

A representative from the FEI Veterinary Department will be available for advice:

Caterina Termine, FEI Senior Veterinary Advisor: caterina.termine@fei.org (+41 78 750 61 48)