FEI Tribunal issues Final Decisions in equine anti-doping cases

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decisions in the following cases involving Prohibited Substances.

The Guatemalan veterinarian Dr Mariajose Camas (FEI ID 10093995) treated the Horse Dolly Palo Blanco (FEI ID 104PR65/GUA during the Central American & Caribbean Games in Bogotá (COL), 25-29 July 2018 with a Banned Substance.

As Support Personnel under the FEI Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations, and in accordance with Article 2.2 of the FEI Equine Anti-Doping Rules, it was the personal duty of Dr Camas and the Person Responsible (the Athlete) to ensure that no Banned Substance entered the horse’s body. Dr Camas directly admitted the anti-doping rule violation.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal approved the agreement reached between Dr Camas and the FEI, ruling that she bears no significant fault or negligence for the anti-doping rule violation. A 17-month period of ineligibility was imposed on Dr Camas, backdated to Dr Camas’ last appointment as an FEI Veterinarian (20 January 2020). She was also fined CHF 1,500.

The full Decision is available here.

In the second case, the horse Snowrunner (FEI ID 105JX73/THA), ridden by Preecha Khunjan (FEI ID 10089939/THA), tested positive for the Banned Substance Desoximethasone and the Controlled Medication Substance Isoflupredone following samples taken during the Asian Games in Pattaya (THA), 2-5 December 2019.

The athlete believed the Desoximethasone may have come from using a Leovet Cold Pack on the horse on 30 November 2019, but he could not explain the origin of the Isoflupredone in the horse’s system.

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 22 January 2020 is credited against the period of ineligibility imposed in the decision, meaning the athlete will be ineligible until 21 January 2022. He was also fined CHF 7,500 and asked to pay costs of CHF 2,000.

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

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 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.