FEI Tribunal issues Final Decision in equine anti-doping case

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in an equine anti-doping case involving a Banned Substance.

In this case, the horse Vaja Hoy (FEI ID 104UK14/ITA), ridden by Simone Coata (FEI ID 10006994/ITA), tested positive for the Banned Substance Chlorpromazine Sulfoxide, a metabolite of Chlorpromazine, following samples taken at the CSI4*-W-Abu Dhabi (UAE), 6-9 January 2022.

The athlete was able to trace the source of the Banned Substance back to the company flying the horse to the event. Taking into account the precautions taken by Mr Coata, he could not reasonably have known or suspected that the flight company would administer the Banned Substance to the horse.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal accepted the agreement reached between the FEI and the athlete, according to which the athlete bears no fault or negligence for the Rule Violation and therefore shall not serve any period of ineligibility and the otherwise applicable period of ineligibility. The athlete will also not incur any fines, however the results obtained at the event remain disqualified.

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 medications 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.

Information on all substances is available on the searchable FEI Equine Prohibited Substances Database.