FEI Tribunal issues two Consent Awards, and Final Decisions on equine anti-doping and Prohibited Substance cases

The FEI Tribunal has issued two Consent Awards in an equine anti-doping case related to the horse Ashva Trueque, which tested positive for the Banned Substance Stanozolol following samples taken at the CEI1* 100 in Doha, Mesaieed (QAT) on 22 and 23 November 2024.

The athlete, Jayapal Singh (FEI ID 10333038) and the trainer Masoud Saleh M A Al Marri admitted the rule violation and accepted the consequences.

In its final decision, the FEI Tribunal disqualified the horse from the event and imposed an 18-month ineligibility period on the athlete; the provisional suspension he already served shall be credited against the imposed ineligibility period. He was also fined CHF 5,000.

The full Decisions are available here (Trainer) and here (PR).

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The FEI Tribunal also issued a Final Decision in an equine anti-doping case concerning the horse Scarlett du Sart Z ridden by Victoria Heurtematte (FEI ID 10003039/PAN), which tested positive for the Banned Substance Ractopamine following samples taken during the Pan American Games held from 30 October to 3 November 2023.

As the athlete was not able to establish the source of the Banned Substance, the FEI Tribunal imposed a two-year ineligibility period on the athlete effective from the date of Sample Collection (i.e. 29 October 2023). She was also fined CHF 3,750 and the results obtained at the event were disqualified in the proceedings against the Person Responsible. The full Decision is available here. 

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The FEI Tribunal issued a further Final Decision in a case involving a Prohibited Substance, in which the horse HTS Jensen R (FEI ID 108GT35/USA), ridden by Katie Lichten (FEI ID 10112695/USA), tested positive for the prohibited substance Trazodone at the CCI3-L – Elkton MD (USA), held from 16 to 20 October 2024."

The athlete was able to trace the source of the Banned Substance in the horse’s system back to human cross-contamination caused by her support personnel.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal concluded that the athlete established that she bore No Fault or Negligence for the Equine Anti-Doping Rule violation and consequently, the final period of ineligibility was eliminated. The athlete will also not incur any fines, however the results obtained at the event remain disqualified. The full Decision is available here.

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Separately, the FEI has notified the athlete Arturo Parada Vallejo (MEX) after his horse Fellow Van't Moerven (106CI24/MEX) tested positive for the Banned Substance Lamotrigine 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. Details on this case can be found here.

The FEI has also notified the athlete Bhim Singh Kan Singh (10332807/IND) and trainer Hamad Towaim Ali Al Marri (10044326/QAT) after the horse Fassyl De Larchat AA (107TQ62/QAT) tested positive for the presence of the Prohibited Substance Arsenic. The athlete and the trainer have been provisionally suspended until the FEI Tribunal renders its decision. The horse has been provisionally suspended for two months from the date of notification. Details on this case 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.

Think Outside The Box
Think Outside The Box is a campaign created to raise awareness around the risk of contamination in and around the stables, and the potential consequences from a rule’s violation perspective as well as general health and safety for horses.

The campaign is centred around four core themes – Behave, Organise, Maintain and Secure – with each theme broken down into specific actionable points and the risks should they not be addressed. The risk for contamination and consequences for EADCMR violations such as disqualification and suspension, being the core driver of the campaign, feature prominently as does safety messaging in relation to intoxication, injury and potential fire hazards.

The campaign portal www.fei.org/think is available in three languages – English, French and Spanish - and includes downloadable assets for the public to promote and endorse the campaign natively on their own platforms as well as dedicated sections for ambassadors and supporters, including the International Grooms Association and Equestrian Organisers Association among others. 

More information about contamination prevention is available on Inside.FEI.org.