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FEI Tribunal lifts 11 provisional suspensions
Jockeys
Banned substances should never be found in the body of the horse.

Horses previously tested for banned substances

Provisional suspensions being served by 11 equine athletes - including two show jumping, two dressage, seven endurance and three endurance trainers - have been lifted by the FEI Tribunal.

The two show jumping athletes, Brazil’s Marlon Modolo Zanotelli and Great Britain’s Henry Turrell, both had their provisional suspensions lifted as of midnight on 27 April.
Their horses both tested positive for the banned substance Sparteine after competing at separate events last month.

The FEI Tribunal says that its decision to lift the provisional suspensions was mainly based on scientific evidence presented by the two athletes which suggests the likelihood of food contamination.

The provisional suspensions imposed on the endurance athletes and trainers were lifted at midnight on 30 April, due to the reclassification of a banned substance. Their horses tested positive for caffeine and a number of metabolites whilst completing at various events in Al Wathba earlier this year.

In a separate case, two dressage athletes - Adrienne Lyle and Kaitlin Blythe - had been provisionally suspended since 5 April. Their horses tested positive to the banned substance Ractopamine whilst competing in Dressage competitions in Wellington (USA) in February.
 
Their provisional suspensions were lifted at midnight on 28 April following evidence provided by the two athletes that a feed supplement given to the horses had been contaminated.

The FEI’s Prohibited Substances List is divided into two sections - Controlled Medication and Banned Substances. Controlled Medication substances are those that are used regularly to treat horses, but which must have been cleared from the horse’s system by the time of competition. Banned substances should never be found in the body of the horse.
 
In the case of an adverse analytical finding for a Banned Substance, the Person Responsible is automatically provisionally suspended from the date of notification. The horse is suspended for two months.

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

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News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.