Drug breaches in endurance must be cut, delegates agree

A round-table coming together called yesteryear the FEI on endurance  has mapped out a strategy for the discipline, simply exclusively fourth dimension volition tell whether it volition remain tensions over worrying levels of drug infractions in addition to injuries inward the Middle East.

The basis governing trunk for equestrian sport said Wednesday’s coming together at its headquarters inward Lausanne, Switzerland, achieved unanimous back upwards for a strategy mapped out for endurance yesteryear the FEI.

The coming together drew 22 delegates, including representatives from Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the European Equestrian Federation, the FEI Endurance Committee in addition to FEI Headquarters.

Delegates agreed that, globally, all efforts would last made to cut back the numbers of horses testing positive for prohibited substances in addition to suffering injuries.

The FEI said delegates agreed that the electrical flow rules, when fully implemented, already served the sport well.

However, the grouping recommended a invention for the FEI Bureau to consider, which included the back upwards of all dominion changes already proposed for consideration yesteryear national federations in addition to blessing at the FEI General Assembly, in addition to a serial of short-term proposals for immediate consideration yesteryear the FEI Bureau.

These are:

• A global endurance injuries projection to last started every bit shortly every bit possible;
• Reinforcement of the duties in addition to obligations of FEI Officials;
• Increased levels of testing for prohibited substances across the dependent inward all regions.

Delegates also called for the institution of a strategic planning grouping to develop a invention for the futurity of endurance over the adjacent decade. The FEI Bureau volition last asked to approve the proposal, its mission, damage of reference in addition to its constitution at its teleconference coming together on August 12. If approved yesteryear the bureau, the strategic planning grouping volition nowadays its “plan inward outline” at the General Assembly.

“Today nosotros conduct keep had a amount in addition to frank give-and-take close the challenges for endurance,” said Andrew Finding, the European Equestrian Federation board fellow member who chaired the round-table session.

“The number of today’s coming together is that nosotros conduct keep unanimous understanding over the tasks to last completed. I conduct keep been impressed yesteryear the courage, commitment in addition to determination of all delegates to motion forwards positively throughout today’s meeting.”

FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos added: “We are real satisfied that this circular tabular array was able to come upwards up amongst a unanimous conclusion, which shows the hateful solar daytime of the month in addition to understanding of all involved inward the sport of Endurance.”

The coming together was called every bit a resultant of growing concerns expressed yesteryear several national federations over drug infractions in addition to injury rates inward the Middle East.

One European national federation fifty-fifty raised the prospect of a breakaway grouping to distance the wider sport from the ongoing problems.

For the concluding decade, endurance has been the fastest-growing FEI dependent inward damage of the number of FEI events in addition to FEI riders in addition to horses. Two years agone it surpassed dressage every bit the second-largest FEI dependent in addition to at that spot has fifty-fifty been speak of the FEI trying to gain Olympic condition for endurance.

But the disciplinary decisions from the FEI over the concluding 8 years render a lamentable litany of drug infractions inward endurance, amongst a enterprise bulk originating from the Middle East. It has been a blight on the growing condition of the sport.

The Swiss Equestrian Federation led the accuse on the number over infractions inward the Middle East, writing to FEI secretarial assistant full general Ingmar de Vos belatedly inward March on the issue.

Its president, Charles Trolliet, in addition to a board member, Peter Christen, set out the federation’s concerns inward a three-page letter, maxim they were writing on behalf of worried riders, trainers in addition to officials, every bit good every bit the public, media, in addition to brute protection groups.

The duad said the Swiss federation could non convey the province of affairs whatever longer, citing brute welfare concerns in addition to the fairness of competitions.

The alphabetic lineament discussed drug concerns in addition to “tremendous” fracture rates.

It noted that, from 2010 to 2012, 41 endurance horses were found to last positive for banned substances.

By comparison, the dependent of jumping, which had 31,064 registered horses – to a greater extent than than 3 times the number registered for endurance – recorded xix infringements inward the same period.

Notably, the alphabetic lineament said, 82.9 per cent of the cases inward endurance originated from the FEI’s zone VII – the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, in addition to Jordan.

The alphabetic lineament asserted that such breaches indicated “a clear disrespect of for certain riders, trainers in addition to veterinarians concerning the welfare of horses inward sport in addition to the FEI code of conduct”.

The federation called on the FEI to convey immediate measures to increase medication controls, specially inward nations known to conduct keep a high frequency of positive exam results.

It suggested a arrangement last introduced allowing for the temporary exclusion of nations amongst a pathetic doping record.

“This critical province of affairs … is of the highest potential explosive relevance,” the alphabetic lineament said, “putting at adventure the icon of all other FEI equestrian disciplines.”

The Swiss raised the prospect of an international drive of riders, trainers in addition to officials existence created who were no longer willing to convey the situation.

The French federation had written to the FEI close the welfare issue, inward rather briefer terms, inward Oct concluding year.

National sports manager Pascal Dubois suggested if the number was non addressed, it threatened to tarnish the reputation of endurance.

It is understood that Belgian officials had also complained.

 

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