The intrinsic value of sport, often called “the spirit of sport” is the ethical pursuit of human excellence through the dedicated perfection of each athlete’s natural talents. Clean sport is an environment where the health of athletes is protected and where they are provided with the opportunity to pursue human excellence without the use of prohibited substances and prohibited methods.

In doing so, clean sport protects the spirit of sport, which is the celebration of the human spirit, body and mind and is reflected in the values we find in and through sport, including:

• Health
• Ethics, fair play and honesty
• Athletes’ rights
• Excellence in performance
• Character and Education
• Fun and joy
• Teamwork
• Dedication and commitment
• Respect for rules and laws
• Respect for self and other participants
• Courage
• Community and solidarity

Anti-doping programs aim to achieve and maintain a clean sport environment.

For most people, "doping" is what happens when athletes use prohibited substances/methods in order to win competitions. While this is, in essence, what doping is about, it is also more than that and a number of behaviors qualify as "doping" because they undermine the processes that are in place to prevent athletes from using prohibited substances and methods. All these behaviors and situations are listed in the anti-doping rules as "anti-doping rule violations". There are 11 categories of anti-doping rule violations. Please click here for further details.

Drug abuse in sport is not only wrong in terms of fair play, it’s also harmful to the athletes’ mental and physical health (and, in equestrian sport, to the safety of athletes, horses and those around them if the drug used has the potential to alter the athlete’s judgement and reaction time).

Anti-doping aims to achieve clean sport through comprehensive programs including rules, prevention and deterrence through education and testing, policies for legitimate medical treatments, and sanctioning systems.

The first four of the 11 categories of anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs)  apply only to athletes since they refer to the obligation not to take prohibited substances and the obligation to submit to testing.

The remaining seven types of ADRVs apply to both athletes and the Athlete Support Personnel, such as coaches and team doctors, or anyone else working with the athlete. National and International Federation administrators, officials and sample collection staff may also be liable for their conduct under the anti-doping rules.

In summary, everybody involved in equestrian must know and abide by respect the anti-doping rules and may be liable for anti-doping rule violations. With e-learning, you can start educating yourself today: https://inside.fei.org/fei/cleansport/humans/education.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is the independent international body responsible for harmonizing anti-doping policies in all sports and all countries. The World Anti-Doping Code (Code) is the core document that harmonizes anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within sport organisations around the world. The Code is supplemented by 8 International Standards, including the Prohibited List. The Prohibited List, which is updated at least annually, is the cornerstone in anti-doping as it lists the substances and methods that are prohibited in sport. 

As a Signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code, the FEI has Code-compliant anti-doping rules (FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes) and runs a Code-compliant human anti-doping program for the equestrian disciplines under its jurisdiction. This program includes activities such as testing, education, management of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) for International-Level Athletes, and results management for apparent doping violations. Since 1 January 2023 the FEI's human anti-doping program is fully delegated to the International Testing Agency (ITA), an independent organisation that manages anti-doping programs on behalf of International Federations and Major Event Organisers.

Anyone committing an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) may face a ban from sport. There are other consequences, too:

• Disqualification of competition results 
• Loss of all medals and points 
• Target testing and possible investigations of the team in a team sport
• In some cases, loss of points, disqualification from a competition or from the entire event for the team
• Exclusion and loss of accreditation from Major Events such as the Olympic/Paralympic Games
• Athlete Support Personnel may be investigated, and if the athlete is a Minor then an investigation is mandatory.

An ADRV goes well beyond the individual athlete or Athlete Support Personnel:

• It has an impact on those who have been supporting athletes all the way: family, friends, teammates, sponsors, etc.
• An athlete's reputation as well as their country and sport's reputations are affected.
• An athlete's physical and mental health could be at risk.
• It only takes one athlete in a team sport/event to test positive for the consequences to impact the entire team such as, losing medals or even disqualification.

Athletes are responsible for their performance during a competition. In the same way, athletes are also responsible for any prohibited substance they use or attempt to use, or is found in their body, regardless of how the substance got there or whether they had an intention to cheat. So, athletes need to know which substances and methods are prohibited in sport and how to protect themselves. Ignorance easily leads to substance misuse and anti-doping rule violations. Athletes must consider anti-doping education as essential knowledge in order to protect their sporting career and their health. With e-learning, you can start educating yourself today: https://inside.fei.org/fei/cleansport/humans/education.

Each stakeholder in the global anti-doping system has roles and responsibilities, which are outlined in the World Anti-Doping Code (Code). The FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes reflect these anti-doing roles and responsibilities for the stakeholders in equestrian sport.

Athletes, Athlete Support Personnel, and other persons who are subject to anti-doping rules all have rights and responsibilities. They must know, understand and comply with Code Art. 21 (Additional Roles and Responsibilities of Athletes and Other Persons), particularly Art. 21.1 (Roles and Responsibilities of Athletes), Art. 21.2 (Roles and Responsibilities of Athlete Support Personnel) and Art. 21.3 (Roles and Responsibilities of Other Persons Subject to the Code). These provisions are reflected in Art. 20, 21 and 23 of the FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes.

Below is a summary of the rights and responsibilities of athletes, Athlete Support Personnel, and other persons who are subject to anti-doping rules. Please refer to the Code and FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes for details.

Athletes’ Rights
Athlete rights exist throughout the Code and International Standards and are also set out in the Athletes’ Anti-Doping Rights Act. They include:

• Equality of opportunity
• Equitable and Fair Testing programs
• Medical treatment and protection of health rights
• Right to justice
• Right to accountability
• Whistle-blower rights
• Right to education
• Right to data protection
• Rights to compensation
• Protected Persons Rights
• Rights during a Sample Collection Session
• Right to B sample analysis
• Other rights and freedoms not affected
• Application and standing

Athletes’ Responsibilities
To avoid doping violations it is essential that athletes are aware of their anti-doping responsibilities. Athlete Support Personnel should also familiarise themselves with these in order to be able to support their athletes. These include:

• Knowing and following the FEI Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes and any other applicable anti-doping rules
• Taking full responsibility for what you ingest – make sure that no prohibited substance enters your body and that no prohibited methods are used
• Informing medical personnel of your obligations as an athlete
• Cooperating with the FEI and other Anti-Doping Organisations (WADA, ITA, NADOs)
• Being available for sample collection
• Not working with coaches, trainers, physicians or other Athlete Support Personnel who are ineligible on account of an ADRV, or who have been criminally convicted or disciplined in relation to doping.

Rights and Responsibilities of Athlete Support Personnel and other groups

• Like athletes, Athlete Support Personnel and other members of the FEI also have anti-doping rights and responsibilities. These include:
• Being knowledgeable of anti-doping policies and rules which are applicable to you or the athlete(s) you support
• Using your influence on athlete values and behaviours to foster anti-doping attitudes
• Complying with all anti-doping policies and rules which are applicable to you or the athlete(s) you support
• Cooperating with the athlete testing program
• Disclosing to FEI and your NADO whether you have committed any Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) within the previous ten years
• Cooperating with anti-doping organisations investigating ADRVs