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Federation
Equestre Internationale News
FEI
Testing In Eventing
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Further
to recent media attention in relation to the use of prohibited
medication (i.e. sedatives) in Eventing, the FEI would like provide
the following update. In 2003, FEI responded immediately to rumours
circulating about the use of sedatives in the Dressage test of
Eventing and the subsequent use of 'reversal' agents prior to
the cross-country.
The Federation took this matter seriously and discussed it in
detail during its April 2003 Bureau Meeting. Further to consultation
with the Veterinary Committee, the Medication Sub-Committee and
the FEI Veterinary department, it was decided to increase the
testing activities during several major events.
The CCI 4* Burghley was selected and the number of horses tested
was significantly increased (15 horses). Samples were taken after
the Dressage, after the Cross-Country test and on the last day
of the event. Informed on possible substances that could be used
to this effect, the laboratory confirmed that the detection of
these substances did not represent any analytical difficulty.
No prohibited substances were detected in these samples, with
the exception of one Bute positive, which was dealt with through
the normal FEI Legal procedure.
No background information or facts surrounding the rumours of
the use of sedatives in Eventing Dressage were reported either
to the FEI Secretariat or to the Judicial Committee. Since its
foundation, the FEI particularly concerns itself with the welfare
of the horse, as shown in its Code of Conduct and Mission statement.
The FEI has extensive Medication Control activities (more than
2000 horses were tested in 2003 by the FEI, in addition to thousands
of tests carried out by National Federations). The FEI list of
prohibited substances is constantly under review and regularly
updated.
Further to its recent investigations, the FEI is confident that
the speculations about administration of tranquilisers in Eventing
Dressage are unsubstantiated. evertheless, the FEI has taken note
of the current discussions in the Eventing community, and will
continue to focus its testing activities accordingly.
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