FEI Tribunal issues Final Decisions

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision on the case opened by the FEI against Khaled Ebrahim Khalil Khairi (FEI ID 10072944) for alleged abuse of the horse Happy Jack (FEI ID 102VA35) at the CEI2* 120km at Sakhir (BRN) on 14 January 2017.

The FEI Tribunal has found the athlete’s actions of using an extra pair of reins as a whip (whips are not allowed in Endurance) are considered horse abuse within the meaning of Article 142.1 of the FEI General Regulations. The athlete has been suspended for three months from the date of the decision (13 February 2018), and a fine of CHF 2,000 and costs of CHF 1,000 have been imposed.

The full text of the FEI Tribunal’s Final Decision on this case can be viewed here.

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decision in a case involving Paracetamol, a *Banned Substance under the FEI’s Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMRs).

South African Jumping athlete Jeanne Engela (FEI ID 10073226/RSA) has been suspended for two years following an adverse analytical finding in samples taken from the horse Chanel Van De Zeshoek (FEI ID 103GA48/RSA) at the CSI1*-W at Polokwane (RSA) on 3 September 2016. The period of ineligibility commenced from the date of sample collection and runs through to 2 September 2018.

In addition, the athlete has been find CHF 2,000 and ordered to contribute CHF 1,500 towards the costs of the judicial procedure, and the cost of the B sample analysis.

The full text of the FEI Tribunal’s Final Decision on this case can be viewed here.

The FEI Tribunal has also issued its Final Decision on two cases involving Sparteine, a Banned Substance under the FEI’s EADCMRs, and which has now been reclassified as a **Specified Substance.

Samples taken from the horse Sirene de la Motte (FEI ID 103RA62/BEL), ridden by the Brazilian athlete Marlon Modolo Zanotelli (FEI ID 10031717/BRA) at the CSI3* Vilamoura (POR) in February 2017, returned positive for Sparteine. The same substance was found in samples taken from the horse Blaze of Glory II (FEI ID 103LD21/GBR), ridden by British athlete Henry Turrell (FEI ID 10012428/GBR) at the Vilamoura venue the following month.

As Sparteine was due to be reclassified as a Specified Substance on 1 January 2018, the FEI Tribunal had previously agreed to the FEI’s request for a lifting of the provisional suspensions imposed on the two athletes on 27 April 2017.

It was subsequently proved that both horses had eaten hay that had been contaminated by lupin flowers, which grow readily in Portugal.

As both athletes bore no fault or negligence for the positive findings, the FEI reached an agreement with the two athletes on 6 February 2018, which was approved by the FEI Tribunal and incorporated into the Final Decision dated 13 February 2018.

Under the terms of the agreements, there are no sanctions against either Turrell or Zanotelli, other than the automatic disqualification of the horses’ results at the events where they tested positive in accordance with Articles 9 and 10.1.4 of the FEI Equine Anti-Doping (EAD) Rules.

The full texts of the FEI Tribunal’s Final Decision on these cases can be viewed here (Sirene de la Motte) and here (Blaze of Glory II).

Notes to Editors:

Final Decisions & appeals

Final Decisions can be appealed before the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days from the date the decision was rendered. These dates can be found within the full texts of the Final Decisions.

FEI Prohibited Substances

The FEI’s 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. In the case of an adverse analytical finding for a Banned Substance, the Person Responsible (PR) is automatically provisionally suspended from the date of notification. The horse is 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. 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. In the case of a positive for a Specified Substance, provisional suspension is not automatic.