Leading world experts on Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID) research in equestrian sport will be joined by prominent speakers from the non-scientific field at the FEI global Congress on NSAID Usage and Medication in the Equine Athlete which will be held at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland on 16 and 17 August 2010.
Roly Owers (GBR), Chief Executive of World Horse Welfare, will talk on ethical and welfare implications of permitting the use of NSAIDs in competition and Dr Lynn Hillyer (GBR), veterinary adviser to the British Horseracing Authority, will address the conference on the topic of why racing authorities have banned NSAIDs in racing.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) perspective on the in-competition use of NSAIDs will be presented by Dr Martial Saugy (SUI), Director of the WADA Laboratory in Lausanne, while the equine veterinary angle will be further boosted by recently confirmed speaker Peter Kallings (SWE), who will talk about the effects of NSAIDs use on equine performance.
Former FEI Veterinary Department Director, Alex Atock (IRL), will present an overview of the history of NSAIDs in the FEI and the situation before 1993. The full timetable with all speakers is now available here.
FEI President HRH Princess Haya will give the opening address at the two-day Congress, which will be chaired by Sven Holmberg, FEI First Vice President. Both days will include panel discussions, when National Federations, vets, officials, Riders Clubs, Organisers, FEI Laboratories, racing and breeding authorities, sponsors, the IOC and the media will have the opportunity to debate the issue further.
Registration for the Congress is still open to representatives from all stakeholder groups. Booking information is available here and there is a discounted rate for early registration. Please check www.fei.org for updates.
The vote on the use of NSAIDs in competition will not be taken until the FEI General Assembly in Chinese Taipei (1-6 November), but all interested parties are advised to register for the Congress to book their places and ensure that their voices are heard in this important debate.
Following the accident in which Courtney King-Dye (USA) sustained serious head injuries in a schooling fall in Florida earlier this year, the FEI Dressage Committee has today issued a recommendation regarding the wearing of protective headgear.
The FEI Dressage Committee strongly recommends that all riders should wear properly fastened safety helmets when training and in pre-competition warm-ups at all international Dressage shows.
Riders still have the choice of wearing protective headgear in the competition arena.
The FEI has launched its first ever official video channel on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/feichannel as part of SportAccord’s The Sports Hub. This unique internet destination and comprehensive multi-sport platform provides a single access point for a whole range of sports and multi-sport events.
The Sports Hub includes a series of independently operated sub-channels categorised by sport and discipline, making it easy for sports enthusiasts to watch videos of their favorite sports and events.
With its fully customised look and feel, the new FEI channel offers equestrian fans around the world the chance to view constantly updated official equestrian videos.
The FEI channeloffers users horse sport videos featuring Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Non-Olympic Disciplines, FEI Year of Youth, FEI Clean Sport and FEI Updates/HQ. The content of the channel includes coverage from the FEI’s top competitions, key interviews, backstage moments, educational content and more. New for 2010, the FEI channel will follow the United States Equestrian Team on the 2010 Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ campaign trail.
With the aim of becoming the natural home of equestrian coverage and the first choice destination for all horse enthusiasts on YouTube, the FEI channel is open for the integration of third party videos. For further information on how to supply video clips, interested parties should email videos@fei.org.
The integrated social features enable viewers to rate the videos, discuss them via text comments and post selected pieces with the click of a button to the most popular social networks.
The FEI channeluses Content ID, YouTube’s content management tools, to protect and promote its content online and to ensure that it provides top quality videos for viewers around the world.
“This is a great opportunity for our sport”, says Carsten Couchouron, FEI Executive Director Commercial. “While our own platform FEI TV (www.feitv.org) will stay our preferred window for high quality live and on-demand streaming of premium events and top content, we are confident that the FEI YouTubechannel will further promote our sport to new audiences as YouTube’s viewership is growing year-on-year. It represents another important step in the FEI’s plan of utilising new technologies to increase the popularity of equestrian sport around the world.”
McLain Ward (USA) and Sapphire were disqualified from the FEI World Cup Jumping Final in Geneva this year for what the FEI claimed was a positive hypersensitivity test. The pair had been leading the event until they were disqualified.
The FEI says its testing of leg swabs from horses at the World Cup Final in Geneva in April found no prohibited substances.
The FEI Bureau today gave its unanimous approval to new Stewards’ guidelines on warm-up techniques produced by the Working Group formed after the round-table conference held in Lausanne on 9 February 2010.
After a thrilling competition, Australia’s Boyd Exell has won the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Driving Final in Geneva, presented by Brasserie A. Egger. Being the title defender, winner of three World Cup™ Driving events this season and top favourite, Exell felt the pressure on his shoulders but kept his head clear and beat the ‘Dutch’, Koos de Ronde and IJsbrand Chardon.
The USA has dominated round one of the Rolex FEI World Cup Showjumping Final, with first place going to Rich Fellers and Flexible, and second to McLain Ward and Sapphire. Third place went to Rodrigo Pessoa and Let’s Fly.
Chris Chugg and Vivant went clear toplace 14th and Edwina Alexander and Cevo Itot du Château placed 31stin the event with eight jumping penalties.
“If your horse is found to have a banned substance in its system, you are looking at a two-year suspension,” FEI Veterinary Director Graeme Cooke warned riders competing at this week’s Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final.
The warning came at the riders’ briefing before the start of five days of competition in Geneva (SUI) as part of the FEI’s drive to raise awareness of the Clean Sport Campaign.
Riders were provided with Clean Sport Information packs containing an updated Athlete’s Guide and a brochure outlining How Testing Works, both of which are also available online at www.feicleansport.org. These publications have been sent to all National Federations for distribution to stakeholders.
“We want to provide all those involved in our sport, and especially our athletes, with all the necessary tools for the best possible understanding of the new Regulations,” Graeme Cooke said.
Dr Harald Müller, FEI Executive Director Education and Standards, also guided riders through the use of the Prohibited Substances Database, which provides clear guidance on the substances included in the Equine Prohibited Substances List.
All members of the equestrian community are encouraged to visit www.feicleansport.org on a regular basis.
Note to editors: In the Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations, anything prohibited in competition is called a “Prohibited Substance”. Doping substances, which have no place in equine sport, are called “Banned Substances”, while medication substances that are commonly used in equine medicine but prohibited in competition, are called “Controlled Medication Substances”.
For Banned Substances, the ineligibility period (generally known as suspension) is an entry point of two years. For Controlled Medication Substances, the ineligibility period is up to two years.
The FEI World Cup™ Showjumping and Driving finals are this week.
FEI TV will be broadcasting the action at www.feitv.org and the provisional broadcasting schedule is as follows:
Thursday 15 April 2010 - 19.10 to 21.15 CEST, Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final
Friday 16 April 2010 - 19.10 to 21.45 CEST, Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final
Saturday 17 April 2010 - 22.10 to 23.15 CEST, FEI World Cup™ Driving Final
Sunday 18 April 2010 - 13.25 to 16.45 CEST, Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final
The FEI today announced that the new Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations and the Equine Prohibited Substances List are now in effect for all FEI events. All involved in equestrian sport, and especially competitors, National Federations, veterinarians, event organisers, officials, managers, coaches and grooms, are responsible for understanding and abiding by the new Regulations.
“Today, 5 April, is a landmark day for our sport, the beginning of the Clean Sport Era,” said Alex McLin, FEI Secretary General. “Today marks the culmination of a collective effort by the entire equestrian community to protect the integrity of our sport and the welfare of our horses.”
Under the new Equine Anti Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations, anything prohibited in competition, no matter how the substance is classified, is called a “Prohibited Substance”. Doping substances, which have no place in equine sport, are called “Banned Substances,” while medication substances that are commonly used in equine medicine but prohibited in competition, are called “Controlled Medication Substances”.
To aid riders and vets in quickly determining whether substances they are using are prohibited, the FEI has made available a Prohibited Substances Database, which is easily searchable.
The new Regulations set clearer responsibilities for competitors and tougher sanctions for those who violate the rules. Additionally, the FEI has broadened the concept of “Person Responsible” to include a greater focus on support personnel. The goal is to ensure that all participants in equestrian sports who violate the Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations are held accountable.
The new Regulations, List and other materials are available at www.feicleansport.org.
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