FEI Tribunal disqualifies Maxime Livio (FRA) and French Eventing team

The FEI Tribunal has disqualified Maxime Livio (FRA) and Qalao des Mers from the Eventing competition of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014, following a positive for a Controlled Medication substance. Livio, fifth in the individual rankings, was also a member of the French team, which finished fourth in Normandy to secure qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The FEI Tribunal has also disqualified the French team, resulting in the loss of its Olympic qualifying slot.

Samples taken on 29 August 2014 from the horse Qalao des Mers (FEI ID 103MQ19) returned positive for Hydroxyethylpromazine sulfoxide, a metabolite of the sedative Acepromazine. Acepromazine is a Controlled Medication substance on the FEI Prohibited Substances List. Controlled Medications are substances that are regularly used to treat horses but which are not allowed in competition in order to maintain a level playing field.

Any breach of the FEI’s Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations results in automatic disqualification of the rider/horse combination. Additionally, at Olympic Games or FEI World Equestrian Games™, a positive result for a team member will, except in exceptional circumstances, result in the disqualification of the whole team.

The FEI Tribunal ruled on the disqualification of Maxime Livio and the French Eventing team from their placings at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy following a request from the FEI, due to the implications regarding Olympic qualification. In its partial decision, the Tribunal ruled solely on the disqualifications. A final decision on further sanctions will be issued at a later stage.

The text of the FEI Tribunal’s partial decision in the Qalao des Mers case is available here.

Following the disqualification of the French team, the Canadian Eventing team, which had originally finished seventh, moves up one place and is now qualified for Rio 2016.

The nations so far qualified for the Eventing competition at the 2016 Olympic Games are Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Australia, Ireland, and Canada. Brazil, as host nation, earns automatic team qualification for Rio 2016, although as with all other nations, individual team members must achieve the minimum eligibility requirements.

A second case involving Maxime Livio was dropped by the FEI earlier this month when the B sample from Bingo S, a borrowed horse ridden by Livio at a Jumping event in Thailand last November, failed to confirm the initial positive result.