‘Horses will die’ warning after UAE awarded world championship

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Eleanor Jones
8 December, 2022 17:26

“Horses will die” is the warning from campaigners, in response to the World Endurance Championships’ move to the UAE. The event had been to run in Verona in October, but the FEI pulled the plug as horse and rider safety “could not be guaranteed”.

The FEI reopened bidding and six venues were in the mix, including Samorin, Slovakia, and Pisa, Italy, both of which have previously hosted the event. But it will run at Boudheib International Endurance Village (BIEV), in February.

The FEI said “the safety and security of human and equine athletes is the FEI’s top priority”, and a spokesman added: “Under the guidance and support of the late former deputy UAE prime minister HH Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Boudheib protocol initiative was implemented in BIEV and other venues to ensure that the welfare of the horses and horsemanship prevail.”

But Sheikh Sultan, driver of the horse welfare-led initiative, died three years ago...

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https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/horses-will-die-warning-after-uae-awarded-world-championship-811287