The FEI has apparently rowed back on its own proposal to sanction national equestrian federations with a “prevalence” of doping. If the measure had gone forward it would most likely have penalised the sport’s wealthiest benefactors; Middle Eastern endurance racing still returns more positives than any other region or any other FEI discipline. New sanctions were suggested last year following a significant spike in positives in Saudi Arabia.  But despite enquiries by HorseSport.com over the past seven weeks, the FEI has declined to confirm if new sanctions are in the draft EADCMP (anti-dopi ..read more

The FEI has urged people to feel free to film alleged welfare violations at shows in a rearguard action to persuade the community that its updated copyright guidelines for “FEI-named events” are not censorship. This and other clarifications were included in a Q&A belatedly posted on the FEI website on March 8 following a stormy few days on social media. Welfare campaigners were worried about the facility to monitor potential offenders in future, while riders and spectators angrily assumed they could no longer share their own rides on personal social platforms. The FEI has been at pains to ..read more

Plans for high-end housing and recreational facilities on the site of the Equestrian Village dressage showgrounds, coupled with expanding the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival down the street, have coalesced into a hot issue for Wellington, Florida. Two development proposals are involved. Wellington North includes not only Equestrian Village, but also a hunter/jumper derby field and a property known as White Birch. The other site is Wellington South, where the current cramped Wellington International showgrounds would grow to approximately double its current size, with new housing on adja ..read more

Last August, the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) board approved a substantially improved medication control policy effective from June this year. But stakeholders were stunned when simultaneously, the board announced it would allow administration of 0.5 cc romifidine, a sedative and analgesic that is the active ingredient of Sedivet, 30 minutes before the competition. Romifidine is not FDA-approved and so can only be obtained in the US from a compounder. According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), it can also reduce signs of lameness 30 minutes after adminis ..read more

After 10-time Olympic show jumper Ian Millar stopped competing, the pressure was on. There was speculation that he would become the chef d’équipe for the team that he led as Captain Canada for so many years. Alternatively, some wondered, would he simply bow out for a life beyond the spotlight, stepping back to a quiet existence at Millar Brooke Farm in Perth, Ontario? There wasn’t an immediate public answer to the question of what his future held. “I just wanted a little time to myself to figure out what I wanted to do, because I had been on the road and competing non-stop essentially for over ..read more

Licensed trainers can continue to operate in one horse sport while sitting out a suspension for doping in another. But now the FEI believes it is time for some joined-up thinking and will ask racing jurisdictions if they can recognise each others’ bans. The move follows the FEI’s latest provisional suspension of UAE endurance and thoroughbred racing trainer Ismail Mohammed since February 3. He has been suspended or fined for multiple anti-doping infringement by three different governing bodies since 2005. Since February 3, all his registered FEI endurance horses have become inel ..read more

Ocala’s World Equestrian Center is a dazzling wonderland, and not just when it’s decked out in millions of glittering Christmas lights. Year-round, its amenities for both humans and horses include a five-star hotel, a spa, lots of shopping and a charming variety of restaurants. That’s on top of many inviting paddocks, an on-site veterinary hospital and state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor arenas. The facility is like no other in the world. In addition to a variety of equestrian competitions, it hosts dog shows, trade shows and conventions, including an auction of top-class cars for collectors ..read more

Changes to parts of the track for the reallocated FEI World Endurance Championship in Butheeb, Abu Dhabi on February 25 have been proposed following last week’s test ride, the first 160-km ride at the venue in over 30 years. Footings expert Dr. Lars Roepstroff will assess the track next month “to quell any remaining concerns” and in the championship itself there will be six loops (instead of the test ride’s five) to enable more horse recovery time, plus extra watering points. The test ride saw just four of 13 starters complete, plus longer presentation times as horses that managed to progress ..read more

Recently-retired top riders should be on hand to advise on any decision to eliminate jumpers for “bad pictures” when a controversial new FEI rule is applied next year, according to Nick Skelton. Prodded by public concerns about equestrianism’s social licence to operate, the FEI will allow the president of the ground jury to ring the bell if it would be “contrary to the principles of horse welfare to continue.” The issue came to a head at the Tokyo Olympic Games, where some horses appeared over-faced, plus one well-publicised equine nosebleed. Qualifying requirements were strengthened for Paris ..read more

Reallocation of the FEI 2022 World Endurance Championship to the last week of February 2023 at Boudheib in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has met pushback from a variety of stakeholders. Some competitors are dismayed that they now face a desert race after training for completely different terrain in Verona, Italy. Meanwhile the active “Clean Endurance” community is astonished that the UAE – a hub of doping and rule-breaking – has been rewarded with a prestigious championship, especially when equestrianism’s “social licence” is under the spotlight. Clean Endurance also queried the technical sui ..read more