Final Decisions in two cases involving banned substances have been issued by the FEI Tribunal

Inside.FEI.org

20 Mar 2017

The Jordanian Endurance athlete Nayef Al Fayez (FEI ID 10066952) has been handed down a 30-month suspension following an adverse analytical finding on samples taken from the horse Obama Al Aswad (FEI ID 104DF50) at the 80km CEI*1 in Amman (JOR) on 21 May 2016. The samples tested positive for the banned substance Boldenone, and the controlled medications Dexamethasone, Meloxicam, Phenylbutazone and its metabolite Oxyphenbutazone.

In its Final Decision, the FEI Tribunal noted that under the current FEI Equine Anti-Doping Rules, the sanction for an adverse analytical finding for a banned substance is a two-year period of ineligibility for first time offenders. However, due to the presence of five prohibited substances, including the banned substance Boldenone, and the performance enhancing effects of the cocktail of drugs, the Tribunal felt that the imposition of a period of ineligibility greater than the standard sanction was justified.

The period of provisional suspension, effective from 20 June 2016, has been credited against the period of ineligibility, meaning that the athlete will be ineligible until 19 December 2018. In addition, the Tribunal imposed a fine of CHF 5,000, costs of CHF 3,000, and disqualified the athlete and horse from the competition, in which they finished second.

The athlete has 21 days to appeal this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) from the date of notification (17 March 2017).

***

The FEI Tribunal also issued a Final Decision in the case of the horse Dendros (FEI ID 103IT53), ridden by the Swiss athlete Matthias Klausener (FEI ID 10057973) at the CPEDI3* in Somma Lombardo (ITA) on 19 June 2016. Samples taken from the horse returned positive for the banned substance Demecolcine.

The Tribunal heard that the presence of Demecolcine may indicate contamination, most likely due to the ingestion of the flower Colchicum Autumnale, autumn crocus. Demecolcine is not a pharmaceutical, but in human medicine the substance is used for tumour therapy. There is no known use for Demecolcine in veterinary medicine and the alkaloids of the autumn crocus are all very toxic. Demecolcine has been put on the list of suggestions for substances to be designated as Specified Substances* for 2018.

It was proved to the satisfaction of the Tribunal that the substance had entered the horse’s system through ingesting hay that had been contaminated by autumn crocus. The athlete had previously successfully appealed for the lifting of the provisional suspension, which had been imposed on 27 July 2016. The provisional suspension was lifted on 6 October 2016.

The athlete established to the satisfaction of the Tribunal that he bore no fault or negligence for the rule violation and, as a result, the Tribunal ruled that no further sanctions should be imposed, other than the automatic disqualification of the horse and athlete from the competition, in which they finished sixth.

The athlete has 21 days to appeal this decision to the CAS from the date of notification (17 March 2017).

Further details on both cases can be found on this page:
http://inside.fei.org/news/final-decisions-two-cases-involving-banned-substances-have-been-issued-fei-tribunal

Will We Throw Stones from Afar, or BE A PART OF THE EVOLUTION OF EQUESTRIAN TESTS?

AwareWelfare.net - Full Article

We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, climb over them, or build with them. — William Arthur Ward

By John Crandell

We’re high in the middle of yet another attention-grabbing season of endurance racing in U.A.E, and once again inflamed rhetoric is singeing the digital highways. I’d like to offer some perspective that might help keep these exchanges as genuinely constructive as possible, and in doing so will point out some specific reasons why some addresses have been counterproductive to the best interest of equestrian sports, and the respect our horses deserve.

Many stones are being cast from afar with little awareness of their actual effect at the point of impact, or the full perception of the recipients. There is an old Arabian proverb that translates something like: “I against my brother, my brother and I against my cousins, my cousins and I against the world”. In this is a reminder of the necessity of respecting social proximities when attempting to settle disputes and share challenging ideas. There are always a few in every large group of people that will have an open mind to our own perspectives. Those people are always the essential element of any lasting change. Change brought by force from the outside is never heartfully and durably absorbed. It’s nearly impossible to have an effective diplomatic discussion with someone while your associates are glaring through a pipe, overlooking their own vices, and throwing stones at his brother every time something offends them.

Those of us in the United States of America have the most to lose by continuing to act in this narrow field of vision. Our minds been bombarded with a century of hyper-anthropomorphism, amplified and fed back to us by a commercial entertainment media all too willing to capitalize on the allure of animations and illusions of animals that have exactly the perceptions and values humans have. Our own naivety and arrogance is fed back to us in volume, and our animals suffer for it as we cloud our ability to objectively learn their perceptions, their ethos, their needs for happiness. Stan Eichelberger DVM, once pointed out to me in the lobbies of an American Endurance Ride Conference convention that “Walt Disney has been the cruelest thing that ever happened to animals...”

Read more here:
https://awarewelfare.net/2017/02/12/will-we-throw-stones-from-afar-or-be-a-part-of-the-evolution-of-equestrian-tests/?blogsub=confirming#subscribe-blog

UAE: Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hamdan attend Dubai Crown Prince Endurance

Khaleejtimes.com - Full Article

March 18, 2017

Al Marri completed the four loops in a time of 04:04:39 to end the Dubai endurance season on a high
dubai - Teenager Mohammad Al Marri aboard SM Jota Curado was crowned champion of the Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup 2017 sponsored by Emirates Airline, which is undoubtedly the biggest career win for this promising rider from the UAE.

Al Marri completed the four loops in a time of 04:04:39 to end the Dubai endurance season on a high.

The purpose-built Dubai International Endurance city played host to the prestigious CEN 119 km Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; along with Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council; greeted the first few riders to complete the race including Mohammad Al Marri.

"I am very pleased with the result. Credit goes to my horse Jota Curado who is very strong horse and has improved with every race, and he has a great future ahead. The endurance season is over now, but we will plan ahead, and hope to replicate the success from this special race," said Al Marri...

Read more here:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/horse-racing-shaikh-mohammed-and-shaikh-hamdan-attend-dubai-crown-prince-endurance

Great Britain: The Endurance Futurity Graduate Scheme is launched

Everythinghorseuk.co.uk - Full Article

POSTED BY: EHUKNEWS MARCH 16, 2017

An exciting new scheme, the Endurance Futurity Graduate Scheme, has been launched to recognise the performance of Endurance Futurity Graduates.

The Scheme has been the inspiration of Endurance GB (EGB) and sets out to recognise the performance of endurance horses that are realising the potential identified at the Baileys Horse Feeds/BEF Futurity Evaluations. The Scheme was devised by Jo and Peter Claridge and Rosemary Attfield.

To be eligible for the Baileys Horse Feeds/BEF Futurity evaluations, horses or ponies must be British bred. The Futurity evaluations are open to horses and ponies aged from foals to three-year-olds, bred for one of the main disciplines; Endurance, Eventing, Showjumping or Dressage.

Rosettes, sponsored by Phoenix Fields Arabians, will be awarded to all Futurity graduates registered with Endurance GB that successfully achieve their first Novice, Open, Advanced and International (FEI) level at Endurance GB rides. This includes all Futurity graduates since 2009 when endurance first became part of the BEF Futurity evaluations, and annually into the future. The Endurance Futurity Graduate Scheme aims to recognise and encourage the breeding and early assessment of high performance British bred endurance horses, and their subsequent development by responsible owners and trainers to attain their highest potential...

Read more here:
http://everythinghorseuk.co.uk/the-endurance-futurity-graduate-scheme-is-launched/

UAE: Dubai Crown Prince Cup bring curtain down on endurance season

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

Dubai International Endurance City event features four separate rides

March 16, 2017
Staff Report

Dubai: The CEN 120 Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup is the highlight of a week-long Endurance festival held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council.

The prestigious ride brings to a close the endurance season in Dubai.

Organised by the Dubai Equestrian Club, and held at the purpose-built Dubai International Endurance City, features the participation of local and international horse and rider pairings in four separate rides.

These included the CEN 90km Dubai Crown Prince Ride for Ladies on Monday followed by the CEN 100km Dubai Crown Prince Ride Restricted to Private Stables/Individuals the next day and the CEN 119km Yamamah Endurance Cup for Mares on Wednesday.

The finale — the CEN 120km Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup will be staged on Saturday, where a host of national and international star horse-rider combinations are expected to compete for the coveted title...

Read more here:
http://gulfnews.com/sport/horse-racing/dubai-crown-prince-cup-bring-curtain-down-on-endurance-season-1.1995299

Ireland: Horseware boss, 66, qualifies to compete at WEG 2018

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Caroline Bankes
13:02 - 18 March, 2017

Horseware founder Tom MacGuinness has become the first Irish rider to qualify for the 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG).

The 66-year-old was one of six finishers at a testing qualifying race in Spain last weekend (11-12 March).

The 3* 160km race was held at Tordera, an hour north of Barcelona.

Mr MacGuinness qualified with his nine-year-old chestnut gelding Sasha D’Allais, which he keeps in Spain.

The pair qualified for both the European Championships this September and next year’s WEG, to be held in the USA at Tryon International Centre in North Carolina on 10-23 September...

Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/horseware-boss-66-qualifies-compete-weg-2018-615265#SXXztYc3TrbR2kfB.99

Extreme Endurance - aka "Cavalry Test"

Endurance-belgium.com

by Leonard Liesens, Belgium
March 16 2017

After my visit at Boudheib where I made this presentation, I'm proposing here a text a little more developed (I had time to think in the flight back :-)).

Your comments, suggestions, even critics (not too many and not to nasty please…) are welcome and most expected.

I’m asking all ‘good will’ people to participate at this project. Because our sport needs very strong actions supported by well-know and influential actors in endurance.

Let’s put aside our individualism and our old habits and let’s be innovative. All that for the salvation of our sport and our beloved horses.

I called my concept “Extreme Endurance”. But at the presentation, John Crandell told me that they already have something similar in the States. They call it “Cavalry Test”. Anyway, the name is not important…

Some findings (everybody have made hopefully the same) :

1. The speed keeps going up, while at the same time the weight of the riders goes down. We noticed - despite the FEI having claimed at all forums that the races must be more technical - that the championships are all flats those last years:
Samorin 2014(20.6km/h)…Verona2014(21.4km/h)…Sartilly2014(19.6km/h…the only technical race in the lot)…
Valeggio 2015(22.2km/h)…Samorin 2015(22.6km/h)… Santo Domingo 2015(22.4km/h)…
Negrepelisse 2016(20km/h)…Samorin 2016(23.6km/h)… Rio Frio 2016(23km/h)…

- 2. The number of what I’m calling the “Jockey-Riders” is raising. And don’t think that this phenomenon only takes place in the Gulf. We also have in Europe more juniors relying on their parents to condition the horses so they can ride at major rides. So these riders have not suffered on the long run with the horses they are riding; they hardly know them; they haven’t qualified them. So the risk is big as they don’t assume the responsibility of their companion welfare. They are followed all the way by the trainer and do what they asked to, but they do not listen to their horse - because sometimes they haven't learned to do do.

The horse is ridden like a bike, gas pedal to the ground, then delivered to the grooming team to get the horse “ready” for the vet inspection. After that, if the horse passes, that’s up the grooming team to do everything to “fix” it for the next faze. Exaggerating…not really… just a little maybe… or maybe not…
Where is the “horsemanship” is all that?

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3. The crewing has become omnipresent. Water bottles every 5 km (this is the least as in the UAE, Boudheib excepted, water is dropped on the horse almost all the time). Horses not allowed to drink at water points. An extreme tension at the crew points because of the armada of stressed grooms, the cars, the excited riders; let’s not forget that a horse is a herd animal which by nature flies away from the danger.
At the vetgate tons of water are dropped on the horses. Like them entering into a water tunnel, those poor robot-horses, the light in their eyes having vanished since a long time, drilled like robots. They move in the water tunnel, getting a deluge of 100 litres per 10 meters ice water poured on their body.
The rider who has ran his horse into the ground rely on a plethoric number of grooms and vets to” do up” his mount, sometimes with unauthorized means. Horses visibly in distress are magically up and running the next stage. Terrible...

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4. The "Completion" is not prized anymore. What counts is the victory at all costs. And the faster the last loop the better. “We have 30 minutes to pulse down”…

- 5. Not even writing about doping, fractures, cheating, chasing the horses with 4x4, etc...

Taking into account these findings, having got long discussions at Boudheib and having seen positive reactions, I think it’s time to stick our head above the parapet (found this on the internet J translation of “Getting out of the woods”…). I would appreciate that all riders and their entourage to consider this formula.

A very simple concept

The rider and his horse

Nothing else

- - Nobody is allowed to touch the horse. Nowhere (would that be with the hand, the foot or any part of the body, sic…). Would that be at the start of the fazes, at the crew points, at the vetgate, at the rest area. The only exception would be when the horse requires the farrier intervention. In all other cases, the slightest contact with the horse means the elimination. Crystal clear. No interpretation… The rider is falling and the horse needs to be caught… elimination. The bit or the rein breaks and someone comes to help…elimination. The riders let his/her horse go at the water point and he needs to be caught…elimination. No exception.

- - The ride manager will have to organise water points every 10km: water tanks for the horses, hay and alfalfa and maybe mash, water and Gatorade and snacks for the rider. The water point will be delimited by ribbons that spectators and grooms are not allowed to trespass. The rider willing to cool down his horse does so by dismounting or by dropping a sponge or a bucket in the water tank.

- - At the cooling down area(vetgate), each horse will have a designated place that will have been prepared by the grooms with buckets of water and all necessary equipment. The couple will head there to untack and cool down the horse. The rider will present his horse HIMSELF and trot his mount (a rider not able to trot for 80 meters is not a sport man and should not start the next faze). During that time the groom may collect the tack and saddle, wash it and bring it back to the resting area.

- - If the horse is vetting OK, the rider lead it to the resting area in his designated paddock. He will take care of his companion, massage him, give him access to the various feed THANN TAKE CARE OF HIMSELF (Horse’s first!).

- - When time is up, the riders will put the saddle and the tack and go for next loop. Nobody will have touched the horse. When the rider has been gone, the crew will prepare the paddock for the next faze or bring the whole stuff to the next vetgate (when it’s not a shamrock-like race).

- - At the finish, the rider should be allowed to run/walk beside his horse (why was it necessary to amend the regulation, forcing the rider to be on the horse…).

- Pulse at vetgate: 64BPM. Maximum presentation time: 10 minutes. Rest time: at least 45 minutes. Min weight : 75 kgs on all competition, also the qualifications.

- During the vetgate, we should come back to the motto “Fit to continue”, even at the last check. A horse not able to display his trot should be eliminated.

Sport aspects

- We are coming back to the fundamentals, the basics of endurance : the combined effort of the horse and the rider while keeping the competition spirit. Beating the trail, beating the opponents while preserving the welfare of the animal, while taking the greatest care of the horse because the ride is long and the first goal is to complete. It is a real race. The first crossing the line and fit to continue is the winner.

- The essential notion of “horsemanship”: schooling and training and conditioning the horse, riding the best way in all conditions, reading and respecting the trail, listening to the horse while going as fast as possible, being able to pace accordingly and taking into account that the race is long, taking the best care of his horse and respect him.

- This is actually nothing less than the Tevis (at Tevis the rider sees his crew only twice, at Robinson Flat and at Foresthill) or a classical Multidays in the USA.

- Is it necessary to ban the flat races? Not necessarily. Without crew the speed will reduce drastically. The formula has obviously to be tested.

- If the riders from the Middle East are keen to take the challenge, of course they are welcome. Some are already running the marathon or other human endurance tests.

- Everybody at the same level, dudes, sheikhs, princes, kings… all the same with their horse beating the trail.

- It would be obvious that the qualification system must return to the couple rider/horse.

- Last but not least, the nerve-blocking test should be developed.

Televisual aspects

Just an example (video amateur de Marijke Visser à Boudheib 2017)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=urAM0XYJS4c

- Imagine the images at the television : the harmony between the rider and his horse when cruising in the nature ; the efficiency of the rider at the vetgate ; the beauty of happy horses at the finish line. Even the horsemanship displayed when the rider is jogging beside his horse at the finish. A much more positive picture than what has been showed those last years.


- The « Tour de France » in the Alps… similar. The Iron Man… the same...

**this post has been updated to Leonard's translation to English**