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Sheikh Hazza's doping suspension reduced
horse
Sheikh Hazza challenged FEI's principle of strict liability. (stock photo)
Appeal challenged FEI's strict liability principle

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has reduced a suspension imposed on Sheikh Hazza after a horse he rode tested positive for a banned substance in 2012.

Last year, HH Sheikh Hazza Bin Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (United Arab Emirates) lodged an appeal against the FEI Tribunal's decision to disqualify and suspend him.

FEI is the international olympic equestrian governing body.

The sheikh challenged FEI's principle of strict liability which means that if a horse tests positive for a banned substance, the rider is held as the 'person responsible' and receives an automatic ban and disqualification, unless they can prove the substance got into the horse's system through no fault or negligence of the athlete.

Sheikh Hazza rode the horse Glenmorgan on 11 February 2012, winning the CE13 in Al Wathba, UAE.

Glenmorgan tested positive for propoxyphene, an opiate analgesic classified as a banned substance under FEI regulations, and its metabolite norpropoxyphene.

As the rider and person responsible, the sheikh was disqualified and suspended by the FEI Tribunal, which took into account a previous rule violation in 2005.

Following this he conducted investigations to determine the source of the doping from mid-June, 2012 to late February, 2014 and lodged an appeal against the tribunal's final decision with the CAS.

CAS rejected the sheikh's argument that making the rider the person responsible is "an unnecessary and/or disproportionate interference with fundamental rights, and so unlawful and therefore outside the powers of the FEI".

However, the CAS took into account the systems put in place by Sheikh Hazza to avoid inadvertent doping. It was decided therefore that his fault was "not significant" and the suspension was reduced from 27 months to 18. The sheikh's disqualification from the event still stands, however.

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.