Protecting horse welfare prioritised by tribunal panel
Horse welfare must come first, is the message from the FEI Tribunal as it rejects the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) bid to lift its suspension from endurance events.
Following an FEI investigation into serious horse welfare concerns and non-compliance with rules and regulations in the discipline of endurance, the UAE National Federation was provisionally suspended in March.
Dismissing a request for the suspension to be lifted prior to a full hearing, the FEI Tribunal said it had "taken note of the FEI’s argument that the FEI Bureau Decision had been taken primarily on horse welfare grounds, due to consistent rule breaching by the Appellant, the effects of which was jeopardising horse welfare…
"The Tribunal therefore finds that the Appellant’s interest in having the suspension lifted does not outweigh the FEI’s interest in protecting horse welfare."
The suspension will now remain in force pending the results of a formal appeal lodged by the UAE National Federation. This prevents it from organising or participating in international events, though UAE athletes from disciplines other than endurance may compete in international competitions outside the UAE under the FEI flag.
Suspending the UAE Federation in March this year, the FEI Bureau stated that in order to be reinstated it would need to make a pledge to undertake any action the FEI deemed necessary to protect horse welfare and comply with the rules.
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