‘Cheating must be stamped out’: new endurance committee faces up to challenges

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Eleanor Jones
17:28 - 13 December, 2018

The people tasked with cleaning up endurance say they are “under no illusions about the challenges” they face, after their first meeting.

The temporary committee set up by the FEI board in October, to “urgently review the endurance rules in order to address the issues currently affecting the discipline”, met at FEI HQ in Lausanne, Switzerland, yesterday (12 December).

Committee chairman Sarah Coombs, a British vet, said: “Today’s meeting generated really strong and productive debate and, together with input from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, we have already drawn up a list of our key focus areas. Your voices are being heard.”

Committee members had already had a “huge amount” of feedback from the endurance world, on a number of key areas.

These include: increased testing of horses for prohibited substances, increased sanctions for horse abuse, reviewing speeds, reassessment of rules on mandatory rest periods, redefinition of elimination codes (particularly catastrophic injury), qualifications, hyposensitivity screening, heart rates, over-training and over-competing, course design and crewing numbers...

Read more at https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/cheating-must-stamped-new-endurance-committee-faces-challenges-673162#2kHk5XZkwv5DKmK8.99

Endurance committee takes first steps to clean up sport

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

December 13, 2018
Horsetalk.co.nz

A temporary committee charged with an urgent review of the FEI’s endurance rules has had its first in-person meeting at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

The committee has a remit to bring the discipline back to its original roots of endurance riding as opposed to endurance racing. Britain’s Dr Sarah Coombs, chairwoman of the committee, said it had received “a huge amount” of feedback from the endurance community on an array of topics, following its establishment by the FEI Board.

Coombs said the committee would do “whatever is necessary to rebuild the trust of our community and restore the image of a discipline that has every right to remain a part of the FEI, provided the rules are adhered to and enforced to ensure that our horses are protected and cheating is stamped out.”

She said the meeting generated “strong and productive debate”, and its key focus areas had been decided...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/12/13/endurance-committee-clean-up-sport/

FEI Endurance Temporary Committee Holds First In-Person Meeting

Inside.FEI.org

12 Dec 2018

The Temporary Committee, established by the FEI Board in October to urgently review the Endurance rules in order to address the issues currently affecting the discipline, held its first in-person meeting at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) today.

Dr Sarah Coombs (GBR), who chairs the Temporary Committee, said after the meeting: “Today’s meeting generated really strong and productive debate and, together with input from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, we have already drawn up a list of our key focus areas. Your voices are being heard. We are under no illusions about the challenges of the task ahead, but the future of the discipline is under the spotlight and we will do whatever is necessary to rebuild the trust of our community and restore the image of a discipline that has every right to remain a part of the FEI, provided the rules are adhered to and enforced to ensure that our horses are protected and cheating is stamped out.”

The Temporary Committee has already received a huge amount of feedback from the Endurance Community on a number of key areas, including:

• Increased testing of horses for prohibited substances;
• Increased sanctions for horse abuse;
• Review of speeds;
• Reassessment of rules on mandatory rest periods;
• Redefinition of elimination codes (particularly Catastrophic Injury);
• Elite athlete status and “jockey riders”;
• Qualifications, including qualification as a combination;
• Increased completion percentage before allowing upgrade to next level;
• Reinstate and redefine two-hour invasive treatment rule;
• Hyposensitivity screening (the use of the FEI Hyposensitivity Control System (HCS) was voted in at last month’s FEI General Assembly for implementation in 2019);
• Heart rates and presentation times at Vet Gate;
• Definition of and registration of trainers;
• Over-training/over-competing;
• Mandatory medication logbook and out of competition testing;
• Extended provisional suspension for horses testing positive to Banned Substances
• Course design
• Tack and equipment
• Crewing numbers

This first meeting also provided the Temporary Committee with the opportunity to establish the methodology it will use to fulfil its remit to carry out an in-depth review of the rules that will bring the discipline back to its original roots of Endurance riding as opposed to Endurance racing, with horse welfare and horsemanship at its core, while still maintaining the competitive aspect of the sport. The Temporary Committee also agreed a consultation process that will involve further liaison with stakeholders to avail of their expertise and in-depth knowledge of the discipline.

In addition to the chair Dr Coombs, the other members of the Temporary Committee are Endurance athlete and member of the FEI Athletes’ Committee Tarek Taher (KSA), chef d’équipe of the Dutch Endurance team Pieter Wiersinga (NED), FEI Veterinary Committee member Dr Tim Parkin (GBR), who heads up the scientific research conducted at the University of Glasgow as part of the FEI’s Global Endurance Injuries Study (GEIS), and Valerie Kanavy, a former member of the FEI Athletes’ Committee and the Athletes’ Representative on the Endurance Committee (2014-2018).

FEI Vice President Mark Samuel (CAN) joined today’s meeting and will facilitate communications between the Temporary Committee and the FEI Board. The FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez, FEI Endurance Director Manuel Bandeira De Mello, FEI Veterinary Director Göran Akerström and other FEI staff members also attended the meeting.

The Temporary Committee will hold its next in-person meeting on 15 January 2019 and there will be a dedicated Endurance session at the FEI Sports Forum 2019 (15-16 April) during which the Temporary Committee will provide an update to delegates.

Seddon event opens New Zealand season

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

Race Report made with the assistance of Heidi Bulfin
9th December 2018

Marlborough Club, Seaview, Seddon, Marlborough, New Zealand. Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 December 2018. ESNZ Endurance’s 2018-2019 FEI Series got off to a start with the beautiful Seddon CEI2* event, hosted by the Marlborough club.

The ride went wholly over the Yealands’ and Pernod-Ricard’s vineyards at Seaview, with breath-taking views over the sea to the North Island, and the Awatere river to the south.
Rain earlier in the week in Marlborough ensured near-perfect underfoot conditions, with not a single lameness vet out for any of the endurance classes. The vets and officials helped with the smooth running of the event, and the atmosphere was relaxed and inviting. Riders had travelled from as far afield as Palmerston in the South and the Wairarapa in the North...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/seddon-event-opens-new-zealand-season/

Can This Latest Endurance Review Make a Difference?

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

Cuckson Report | December 10, 2018

The temporary committee charged with reinventing endurance (yet again) has been bombarded with ideas before its first face-to-face meeting with the FEI on December 12th.

The committee’s new athlete representative, Tarek Taher, is also launching a long overdue riders group – the True Endurance International Riders Association (TEIRA.) It should eventually enjoy the same MoU with the FEI as the rider groups for jumping, dressage and eventing.

TEIRA hasn’t hung about, commissioning a detailed survey which, among other things, showed that most of the 700 respondents want stricter qualifying criteria to improve riding standards and encourage longevity in the horse...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/cuckson-report/latest-endurance-review-make-difference/

Portugal: Weed in pasture was behind horse’s failed drug test, FEI Tribunal finds

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

December 11, 2018
Horsetalk.co.nz

An endurance horse who tested positive for scopolamine most likely came to have the drug in his system through ingesting a paddock weed, the FEI Tribunal has ruled.
Fadista Das Tapadas, ridden by Carlos Cunha, of Portugal, took part in a 1-star 80km endurance ride in Madrid, Spain, on May 19 last year.

Samples taken from the horse on the day subsequently tested positive for scopolamine.

Scopolamine is a parasympatholytic drug used as a smooth muscle relaxant for the treatment of gastro-intestinal spasms. It is listed as a controlled medication under the equine anti-doping rulings.

From January 1 it will be formally identified as a specified substance – a category of substances recognised as able to enter a horse’s system inadvertently due to a credible non-doping explanation, such as pasture contamination...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/12/11/weed-pasture-horsedrug-test-fei-tribunal/

Valerie Kanavy Joins Endurance Temporary Committee

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

December 5, 2018
by: Equestrian Canada

Valerie Kanavy (USA), the former athlete representative on the Endurance Committee, is to replace her compatriot Dr Margaret (Meg) Sleeper on the Temporary Committee set up in October to urgently review the Endurance rules in order to address the issues currently affecting the discipline.

Meg Sleeper, who was initially announced as one of the members of the Temporary Committee chaired by Dr Sarah Coombs (GBR), has resigned after advising the FEI last week that she could be in breach of the FEI rules on mandatory rest periods after competing in two national events in the US...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/valerie-kanavy-endurance-temporary-committee/