FEI Tribunal issues Final Decisions

The FEI Tribunal has issued its Final Decisions in seven cases involving Prohibited Substances and one horse abuse case.

The first case involves the horse Sohair Des Bruyere (FEI ID 104VK62/QAT), ridden by Elizaveta Minina (FEI ID 10140497/RUS), which tested positive for the Banned Substance Testosterone following samples taken at the CEI2* in Doha, Mesaieed (QAT) on 20 January 2018. On 15 March 2018 the trainer Hassan Khamis Mohammed A Al Shahwani (FEI ID 10131286/QAT) admitted the use of Testosterone on the horse following a suggestion from a veterinarian.

A Final Tribunal Decision on the case against the athlete was issued on 25 October 2019, but separate proceedings were initiated against the trainer. The FEI Tribunal approved the agreement reached on 24 February 2020 between the FEI and the trainer, under which the trainer would be suspended for 22 months instead of the standard two-year ineligibility period due to prompt admission of the substance being administered. The period of ineligibility was ruled to run from the date of notification (23 April 2018) until 22 February 2020. The trainer was ordered to pay a fine of CHF 7,500 and the legal costs of CHF 1,500. 

The second case involves the horse Orient Akhmin (FEI ID 104WR20/UAE), ridden by Adel Mohd Ali Al Housani (FEI ID 10055482/UAE), which tested positive for the Banned Substance Testosterone following sample collection at the CEI1* in Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba (UAE) on 27 October 2018. The FEI Tribunal imposed a two-year period of ineligibility on the athlete, with the provisional suspension (effective from 13 November 2018) credited against the full suspension, meaning the athlete will be ineligible until 12 November 2020. The results of the athlete and horse at the event were disqualified. The athlete was ordered to pay a fine of CHF 7,500 and contribute CHF 2,000 towards the costs of the proceedings.

The third case involves the horse Soda (FEI ID 104PY45/UAE), ridden by Ayed Sauod Alosaimi (FEI ID 10048137/KSA), which tested positive for the Banned Substances Boldione and Boldenone following sample collection at the CEI1* in Al Qaseem (KSA) on 1 December 2018. The FEI Tribunal Decision imposed a two-year period of ineligibility on the athlete, with the provisional suspension (effective from 15 January 2019) credited against the full suspension, meaning the athlete will be ineligible until 14 January 2021. The results of the athlete and horse at the event were disqualified. The athlete was ordered to pay a fine of CHF 7,500 and contribute CHF 2,000 towards the costs of the proceedings.

The fourth case involves the horse Trynytee Des Aunetes (FEI ID 104UI94/FRA), ridden by Sarah Marcel Dirickx (FEI ID 10095832/FRA), which tested positive for the Banned Substance O-Desmethyl Venlafaxine following sample collection at the CSI1* in La Baule (FRA), 17-20 May 2018. The FEI Tribunal approved the agreement reached on 25 March 2020 between the FEI and the athlete. As the athlete was able to prove to the satisfaction of the FEI Tribunal that she bore no fault or negligence due to accidental contamination caused by a person on anti-depressant medication who urinated in the horse’s box, she will not serve any period of ineligibility. The athlete had already served a provisional suspension from 11 July 2018, which was lifted on 1 August 2018. The results of the athlete and horse at the event were disqualified. Each of the parties will pay their own legal costs.

The fifth case involves the horse Bolota De Alcantara (FEI ID 105MF17/POR), ridden by Rodrigo Picão Abreu (FEI ID 10064534/POR), which tested positive for the Banned Substance O-Desmethyl Venlafaxine following sample collection at the CEI2* in Reguengos de Monsaraz (POR), on 17 February 2018. Since the athlete could not establish the source of the Banned Substance, to the satisfaction of the FEI Tribunal, a two-year period of ineligibility was imposed, with the period of provisional suspension (effective from 19 March 2018) credited against the full suspension, meaning the athlete is now eligible to compete. The results of the athlete and horse at the event were disqualified. The athlete was ordered to pay a fine of CHF 1,200 and contribute CHF 500 towards the costs of the proceedings.

The sixth case involves the horse Sarem (FEI ID 105MZ22/KSA),ridden by Ahmad Althmaly (FEI ID 10134840/KSA), which tested positive for the Banned Substance Stanozolol and its metabolite 16-beta-hydroxystanozolol following sample collection at the CEI1* in Al Qaseem (KSA) on 12 January 2019. The same horse tested positive for the Banned Substance Stanozolol following sample collection at the CEI2* in Al Ula (KSA), on 2 February 2019. The athlete was also the trainer of the horse.

The FEI Tribunal imposed a two-year period of ineligibility on the athlete, with the provisional suspension (effective from 7 February 2019) credited against the full suspension, meaning the athlete will be ineligible until 6 February 2021. The results of the athlete and horse at both events were disqualified. The athlete was ordered to pay a fine of CHF 7,500 and contribute CHF 2,000 towards the costs of the proceedings.

The seventh case involves the horse Kekmadar (FEI ID 104YV16/UAE), ridden by Said Al Balushi (FEI ID 10079195/OMA), which tested positive for the Banned Substance Arsenic following sample collection at the CEI1* in Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba (UAE) on 8 December 2018. Another horse, Si Quilombo (FEI ID 106HC75/UAE), ridden by the same athlete, tested positive to the same Banned Substance following sample collection at the CEI1* in Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba (UAE) a week later, on 15 December 2018.

Due to these aggravating circumstances, the FEI Tribunal Decision imposed a three-year period of ineligibility on the athlete, with the provisional suspension (effective from 7 February 2019) credited against the full suspension, meaning the athlete will be ineligible until 6 February 2022. The results of the athlete and the horses at both events were disqualified. The athlete was ordered to pay a fine of CHF 10,000 and contribute CHF 2,000 towards the costs of the proceedings.

The Final Decisions on these cases can be found here.

The horse abuse case, which was opened by the FEI following a protest filed by Pippa Cuckson, involved the horse 8 Minute (FEI ID: 104BW22/UAE). The FEI Tribunal ruled that the athlete, Rashed Hamoud Humaid Al Junaibi (FEI ID 10083889/UAE), committed horse abuse during the CEI3* in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi (UAE) on 9 February 2019. In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal imposed a three-month suspension on the athlete, starting from the date of the Decision (13 March 2020). The results of the athlete and horse at the event were disqualified. The athlete was also fined CHF 2,000 and ordered to pay CHF 3,000 towards the costs of the proceedings.

The Final Decision on this case can be found here.

The parties in all these cases can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the decisions.

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.