Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2016 – Round 1: French To The Fore At Opening Leg Of 2016 Furusiyya Season In Al Ain

Team France were convincing winners of today’s opening leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2016 series at Al Ain (UAE). In a competition that proved tough for some, but which also exposed some very exciting new talent, the side led by Chef d’Equipe Philippe Guerdat cruised to victory ahead of Qatar, while Switzerland slotted into third place.

Ukraine clinched fourth spot ahead of Italy in fifth, while Team Ireland made an extraordinary recovery after a shaky start to line up sixth. The Egyptian foursome put up a courageous and impressive effort to fill seventh place ahead of the considerably more-experienced side from Saudi Arabia side who had to settle for eighth place on a day when things didn’t go their way.

A total of 11 nations started in this competition, and when the host country didn’t make the cut into the second round then the two qualifying spots for the 2016 Furusiyya Final which were on offer to teams from the Middle East were already decided at the half-way stage. Qatar and Saudi Arabia can now book their tickets to Barcelona (ESP) in September.

And Team Qatar had even more to celebrate when their last-line rider, Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani, produced one of just two double-clear performances on the day with First Devision, the other coming from Ireland’s Anthony Condon with the very exciting stallion, Aristio.

Took its toll

The UAE, Syria and an experimental British side all went out at the end of the first round as the 12-fence course, designed by Italy’s Uliano Vezzani, took its toll. The faults were spread all around the course, with the wide oxer at fence five, the open water which was only 3.8m wide at fence six and the double of vertical to oxer at seven all proving influential. Vezzani increased the degree of difficulty as the track progressed, and the distance from the oxer at eight to the Longines planks at nine caught out a few. The vertical at 10 also hit the ground a number of times but the biggest test was down the last line that began with the triple combination and ended with a water-tray oxer.

A good approach to the combination was vital, and those who didn’t get in there comfortably found the distance to the final oxer very difficult to get, including Irish pathfinder Brian Cournane who couldn’t find a stride and who was decanted from the saddle by the fiery Java’s Keltic Mist. He somehow managed to cling on to the horse until he went through the finish however, so avoided elimination despite hitting the floor and collected a relatively modest eight faults on his tour of duty.

Complete contrast

In complete contrast, three of the four French contenders made it look quite elementary, Matthiew Billot (Shiva D’Amaury), Frederic David (Equador van’t Roosakker) and anchorman Jerome Hurel (OHM de Ponthual) all keeping a clean sheet while Julien Gonin’s only mistake with Soleil de Cornu was an unfortunate one at the very last fence.

As the second round began the French looked completely secure on their zero score, with Qatar next in line carrying eight, Switzerland on nine and Italy and Egypt on 10. With 13 faults on the scoreboard the Ukrainian team were just ahead of Saudi Arabia who had 14, while the Irish looked well out of the picture when just scraping in on a first-round tally of 20. But they would make a real come-back with the best second-round performance of all eight teams that made the cut, when adding only four more to their scoreline.

Fascinating

The second round proved fascinating, with many of the horses that went well first time out showing less enthusiasm, while many of those that looked hesitant and sometimes a little green earlier in the day raising their game and relishing the challenge on returning to the arena. Condon’s Aristio was one of the latter, looking promising first time out but in the second round showing the real class of a son of the great Arko who carried Britain’s Nick Skelton to glory during his illustrious career.

On the other hand, Qatari chances looked shaken when the much-celebrated grey mare, California, who has carried Bassem Hassan Mohammed to many glorious victories, threw in an uncharacteristic objection to going forward after passing the entrance to the arena on her way to fence five. And when she subsequently lost her concentration and returned with 19 faults on the board it looked like Qatari hopes might be dashed.

But at the core of the sport of Nations Cup Jumping is the capacity for others to turn it all around, and when Hamad Al Attiya (Appagino 2) and Khalid Al Emadi (Tamira) each added just five faults apiece, Sheik Ali’s second clear ensured his side stayed competitive to the very end.

Uruguay’s Juan Manuel Luzardo and Stan are the winners of the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping qualifier in Valle de Bravo (MEX). (FEI/Paolo Ballarini)

Drop score

The Swiss also added 10 to their tally, counting the five faults each from first-line rider Werner Muff (Pollendr) and anchor Claudia Gisler (Cordel), while Christina Liebherr’s great clear with LB Akteur allowed the nine picked by Edwin Smits (Copain du Perchet) to be the drop score. Meanwhile the Italians and Egyptians were overtaken by Ukraine who posted just nine this time out. But there was plenty more magic on the way with Egyptian 27-year-old, Mohamed Talaat, improving from a 13-fault first round to pick up just one time fault at his second attempt while, at the tender age of just 17, Saudi Arabia’s Khaled Al Mobty, who sensibly decided to retire with Dona Evita when he couldn’t string the fences together in the first round, returned to finish with 12 at his second attempt to a rousing cheer from the crowd.

The French looked a little less confident in the closing stages when Billot hit the last fence, David lowered the second element of the double and Gonin kicked out both elements here to leave them carrying 16 faults. But with their closest rivals from Saudi Arabia already obliged to add at least 10 to their scoreline, French anchorman Hurel didn’t need to go into the ring for a second time because it was already a done deal.

France completed with 16 faults, Saudi Arabia with 18, Switzerland on 19, Ukraine on 22, Italy on 23, Ireland on 24, Egypt on 28 and Saudi Arabia filled eighth spot with 33 on the board.

After the prize-giving

HH Sheikha Latifa Bint Ahmed Al Maktoum (UAE), niece of HE Sheikh Mohammed, and FEI Steward Maria Hernek (SWE) suffered minor injuries when the in-gate arch was blown over into the warm-up arena by a powerful gust of wind after the prize-giving.

The two women were taken to hospital for assessment and, after treatment for minor injuries, will remain in hospital overnight as a precautionary measure. It is expected they will both be discharged tomorrow.

No horses were in the vicinity when the incident occurred.

Taleb Al Mheiri, Secretary General of the Emirates Equestrian Federation (EEF), has formally requested the Organising Committee of the CSIO5* and the EEF Showjumping Committee to investigate the cause of the incident.

Strong start

French Chef d’Equipe, Philippe Guerdat, talked about today’s strong start to the new Furusiyya season.

“It was great to be in the lead after the first round, but everything can change in the second round. Last year we were in the lead with Qatar, and ended up fourth or fifth. Today our goal was to be in the lead and to stay there, so we are vey happy! The second round was difficult, but some of our horses have not done an international show before”, he explained.

He said course designer, Uliano Vezzani, “did a great job – there was a difficult combination with lots of mistakes but it was not unfair. He found a great balance between being too big and being too easy.”

The French Chef d’Equipe continued, “this year is very important being an Olympic year. We will try and do our best because we have some good horses and a lot of riders at the top of the rankings. Jerome (Hurel) has a good chance to go to Rio having been in the team for the Europeans. He will be in the team in Lummen, La Baule, Rome, Rotterdam and Dublin which will be our counting shows” he said, referring to the Europe Division 1 series.

“Hopefully we won’t need too strong a team in Dublin because I will be saving the horses for Rio!” he added.

The French team of Mathieu Billot, Frederic David, Julien Gonin and Jerome Hurel pictured with Chef d’Equipe Philippe Guerdat after victory today in the opening leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2016 series at Al Ain (UAE). (FEI/Richard Juillart)

Result:

1. France 16 faults: Shiva D’Amaury (Mathieu Billot) 0/4, Equador van’t Roosakker (Frederic David) 0/4, Soleil de Cornu CH (Julien Gonin) 4/8, OHM de Ponthual (Jerome Hurel) 0/DNS.

2. Qatar 18 faults: California (Bassem Mohammed) 4/19, Appagino 2 (Hamad Ali Al Attiya) 4/5, Tamira IV (Khalid Al Emadi) 5/5, First Devision (Shk, Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani) 0/0.

3. Switzerland 19 faults: Pollendr (Werner Muff) 1/5, LB Akteur (Christina Liebherr) 4/0, Copain du Perchet CH (Edwin Smits) 4/9, Cordel (Claudia Gisler) 16/5.

4. Ukraine 22 faults: Fine Fleur du Marais (Cassio Rivetti) 0/1, Valentino Velvet (Oleksandr Onishchenko) 17/4, Quick Diamond (Ferenc Szentirmai) 8/5, Prince de la Mare (Ulrich Kirchhoff) 5/4.

5. Italy 23 faults: Connery (Luca Maria Moneta) 4/4, HW ’S Saskia (Andre Sakakini) 12/13, Ares (Emilio Bicocchi) 1/4, Gitano v Berkenbroeck (Juan Carlos Garcia) 5/5.

6. Ireland 24 faults: Javas Keltic Mist (Brian Cournane) 8/4, Aristio (Anthony Condon) 0/0, Can Ya Makan (Marion Hughes) 13/5, Fleur IV (Dermott Lennon) 12/0.

7. Egypt 28 faults: Zarco (Mohamed Taher Zeyada) 1/13, Connaught (Mohamed Talaat) 13/1, Dina (Mohamed Osama El Boraie) 4/Elim, Amelia (Karim El Zoghby) 5/4.

8. Saudi Arabia 47 faults: Al Capone (Ramzy Al Duhami) 5/12, Dona Evita (Khaled Al Mobty) Ret/12, Sansibar (Kamal Bahamdan) 9/9, Tobalio (Abdullah Alsharbatly) 0/12.

FEI And EEF Agree Endurance Measures For 2016 Season

The FEI, as part of its continued efforts to ensure strong measures for Endurance in the UAE are taken, has today held talks with the Emirates Equestrian Federation (EEF) in Abu Dhabi (UAE).

FEI Endurance Director Manuel Bandeira de Mello met with EEF Vice President Mohammad Alkamali, EEF Secretary General Taleb Dhaher Al Mheiri and EEF Executive Board Member Faisal Al Ali to work through the exact measures that will be implemented at international (CEIs) and national (CENs) Endurance events in the UAE for the remainder of the current season, which runs until early April.

Almost 1,400 people have attended a series of FEI Endurance educational courses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi (UAE) over the past four days as part of the agreement signed between the Emirates Equestrian Federation (EEF) and the FEI. (EEF Media Centre)

These talks follow recent meetings between the FEI and the EEF in both Switzerland and the UAE, after which the EEF postponed four Endurance events so that agreement could be reached on proposed measures to urgently address a number of serious issues in Endurance in the region. The CEI1* in Dubai on 8 February was postponed, along with national events on 4, 5 and 6 February. In addition, the EEF took further action, suspending five riders and five trainers for a six-month period and imposed fines following what they termed “gross offences” at the national junior and young rider 120km ride at Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, on 30 January.

The FEI had set the deadline of 11 February for the EEF to come back with an agreement on the proposed measures, with the caveat that no further events would be held in the region until agreement on these measures had been reached.

The CEI 3* 160km HH The President of UAE Endurance Cup, attended by Mr De Mello, took place today in Al Wathba, following agreement with the FEI on the measures. The event, held at the Emirates International Endurance Village, was well organised with the winning combination averaging a speed of 26.3 kph and all horses crossing the line in good health.

The twelve approved measures, which will be applied for the rest of the UAE Endurance season, are:

1. Reduced number of events for the rest of the season. *Events for the rest of the international season will be confirmed on the FEI Calendar; the EEF will confirm its national events in due course
2. Limit the number of horse and rider combinations entered into each international and national event to 150.
3. Heart rate presentation times reduced to between 56 and 60 bpm for all loops in one-star competitions, and in the final loop for two- and three-star CEIs and CENs.
4. Recovery time reduced to between 10 and 15 minutes for all loops in one-star and in the final loop for two-and three-star CEIs and CENs.
*Heart rates and recovery times will be monitored closely by the FEI and EEF, with action taken where needed (if athletes exceed these limits they will be eliminated)
5. Rest periods between loops will be reviewed by Veterinary Officials to determine whether 50-minute holds will be more beneficial to the horses.
6. The last 2-5 kms of the final loop will be designated and controlled so that no cars or crews can access.
7. In the final loop, crewing in the form of offering cooling water bottles will only be allowed at designated crewing points every 2-5 kms – no other crewing will be allowed.
8. In all CEI 3* and CEI 4* events, all horses will be confined in Secure Overnight Stabling, in accordance with FEI Regulations.
9. The Official TV Broadcasters have been named; as such the film/video recordings are the official record of the event and hence legal actions may be taken against the violators of any regulation viewed on this footage.
10. Crews will be identified with numbered bibs that match the number of the horse to enable easy identification; should a horse be eliminated from the competition, the bibs will be surrendered immediately; only those people with a numbered bib matching that of the horse still in competition will be allowed to crew or to accompany the horse at any time during the event.
11. A ride briefing will be held at each event to review regulations, and to update everyone involved of any changes in regulations for the event; attendance will be compulsory; failure to attend shall result in immediate elimination from the event.
12. All officials will now be appointed by the EEF instead of Organising Committees; no non-EEF appointed officials will be able to officiate at international and national events.

“We need to change hearts as well as minds, and the solution lies in education and dialogue, as well as taking a tough line with sanctions,” explained FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez.

“The Emirates Equestrian Federation has been bold, taking stringent action as seen recently with the suspension of events and sanctioning athletes and trainers, clearly demonstrating their commitment to work together with the FEI to eradicate the incidents that have tarnished the sport. We will continue to work together to ensure progress.

“Protecting horses comes first and we are determined that this specific value is upheld at international and national level Endurance competitions. While the FEI does not have jurisdiction over national events, we will continue to do our utmost to ensure that changes at an international level are also felt nationally.

“It is clear for everyone what is at stake, and the FEI is working closely with the EEF to make sure that any challenges to run the sport within the FEI’s clearly mapped rules are overcome, and that everyone in the sport understands the importance of standing by the measures implemented for the rest of the season.

“By continuing to work together we feel we can greatly impact the sport in the region long term.”

Hugely Successful Fei Endurance Courses Attract Almost 1,400 delegates in UAE

Close to 1,400 people have attended a series of FEI Endurance educational courses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi (UAE) over the past four days in advance of this week’s Endurance season opener, a CEI1* 80-kilometre ride. The attendees, numbering 1,347 in total, included athletes, trainers, grooms, Veterinarians, Judges, Technical Delegates and Stewards.

The courses were an important element in the legally binding agreement signed between the Emirates Equestrian Federation (EEF) and the FEI prior to the lifting of the provisional suspension at the end of July. The FEI Bureau had suspended the EEF in March of this year following an investigation into major horse welfare issues and non-compliance with FEI Rules and Regulations in the country.

Chair of the FEI Endurance Committee, Brian Sheahan, acted as Course Director alongside Dwight Hooton (USA) a member of the FEI Veterinary Committee and veterinary advisor to the EEF, and FEI Endurance Director Manuel Bandeira de Mello. The EEF Assistant Secretary General Faisal al Ali attended the first session on 10 October, and Dr Ali Al Twessi from the EEF Endurance Department was also on hand to offer translation services.

The athletes, trainers and grooms’ sessions, which attracted 1,065 attendees, 25% of which were female, covered FEI and national rules, mandatory rest periods, penalty points, the entry system, field of play and veterinary aspects, including Vet Gate procedures, anti-doping rules (human and equine) and medication procedures.

John Robertson, Deputy Chair of the FEI Endurance Committee, was in charge of the courses for FEI Judges (Levels 1, 2 and 4), Stewards and Technical Delegates. A total of 190 Stewards attended, including 160 from the police force who will be working at events, as the national rules are now fully compliant with FEI rules.

Brian Sheahan and Dwight Hooton also ran a course for Veterinarians, with 68 attendees. Both the Veterinarians and Judges were then required to sit an exam, with a 100% pass rate.

The EEF’s new entry system, delivery of results to the FEI, horse welfare issues including cars in the field of play, video cameras in the stabling area and prevention of accidents in the vet gate area were discussed at two separate meetings, one with Adnan Sultan Saif Al Nuaimi, General Manager of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, and the other with Dubai Equestrian Club General Manager Mohammed Essa Al Adhad.

There was a general consensus that the courses and the individual meetings had all been extremely successful and effective.

“We have a fantastic sport in Endurance and it was wonderful to have had such successful courses in Group VII, particularly from an attendance perspective but also for the enthusiasm of all the delegates”, FEI Endurance Director Manuel Bandeira de Mello said at the end of the four days. “The courses were really interactive and there was a huge thirst for knowledge and a desire to increase the depth of understanding of all aspects of the discipline from everyone who attended. There has been great team work here in Dubai, and everybody is fully committed to success.”

Almost 1,400 people have attended a series of FEI Endurance educational courses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi (UAE) over the past four days as part of the agreement signed between the Emirates Equestrian Federation (EEF) and the FEI. (EEF Media Centre)

Provisional suspension

As part of the ongoing clean-up of the discipline in Group VII, Abdul Aziz Mohd Yasin Sheikh, Head of Endurance at the United Arab Emirates Equestrian Federation (EEF), has been provisionally suspended as an FEI Official by the FEI Secretary General, Sabrina Zeender, for consistently failing to observe the FEI Rules and Regulations at a number of events from which duplicate results were submitted to the FEI.

The provisional suspension, which is in accordance with Article 156.1 of the FEI General Regulations and which comes into immediate effect, is for an indefinite period. For the duration of the suspension, Mr Sheikh may not take part or be involved in the organisation of any FEI competitions or events, or any event under the jurisdiction of a National Federation.

Mr Sheikh has 30 days to appeal the decision to the FEI Tribunal from the date of notification (13 October 2015). He is the second UAE official to have been provisionally suspended by the FEI Secretary General following the suspension of Dr Hallvard Sommerseth, Head of the EEF Veterinary Department, last month. Both suspensions have the full support of FEI President Ingmar De Vos.

The events and duplicate results in the UAE that were used specifically for qualification purposes have now been deleted by the FEI IT Department. Any horse/rider combinations that used these duplicate results as qualification for subsequent events, and were therefore ineligible to compete, have now been disqualified.

UAE National Federation Suspension Lifted By FEI Bureau…

UAE National Federation Suspension Lifted By FEI Bureau…

The FEI Bureau has unanimously approved the immediate reinstatement of the United Arab Emirates National Federation to full membership of the FEI following signature of a legally binding agreement between the two parties in which the Emirates Equestrian Federation (EEF) guarantees that horse welfare will be fully respected and that FEI Rules will be stringently enforced at all Endurance events, both national and international, in the country.

The agreement has been signed by FEI President Ingmar De Vos and Secretary General Sabrina Zeender, and by EEF President HE Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Secretary General Taleb Dhaher Al Mheiri, and Mohammad Al Kamali, Secretary General of the UAE National Olympic Committee.

The EEF was provisionally suspended by the FEI Bureau in mid-March following an investigation by the FEI into major horse welfare issues and non-compliance with FEI Rules and Regulations in Endurance in the UAE.

Following the suspension and at the request of the FEI Bureau, the EEF proposed an extensive list of actions it would undertake to address the issues. These were integrated into a draft agreement that the EEF sent to the FEI in early June. The FEI Bureau unanimously welcomed the proposals, but informed the EEF that more areas needed to be covered before the agreement that would allow the provisional suspension to be lifted could be signed. The two parties have spent the intervening weeks reviewing and revising the terms of the agreement.

Under the key terms of the agreement, the EEF must ensure that:

Protocols are put in place to avoid equine fatalities;

Applicable rest periods are respected;

Horses on rest periods are blocked from entry in national events (the FEI system already blocks entries in international events);

Use of prohibited fluid administration and any substances prohibited under the FEI Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMRs) in and around the Field of Play and at the Vet Gate is prevented;

Prohibited substitution of horses is prevented;

Prohibited vehicles on the Field of Play are prevented;

Any individual or horse suspended by the FEI is automatically blocked by the EEF IT system from competing at national events;

The role and authority of officials in carrying out their duties is respected at all times;

Training and education of Athletes, Trainers, Support Personnel, National Federation Staff Members and Stable Veterinarians is conducted prior to the start of the 2015/2016 Endurance season in October;

FEI rules on post mortems are adhered to and, where possible, the same procedure is applied in the event of fatalities at national competitions;

A national Independent Governance Advisor, approved by the FEI is appointed;

Conflicts of interest are avoided;

Distribution of prize money is in accordance with the FEI approved schedule;

Rules for National Endurance events in the UAE are fully compliant with the FEI Rules and Regulations.

The EEF will provide monthly written reports during the 2015/2016 season on steps taken to ensure ongoing compliance with FEI Rules and Regulations, and agrees to abide by any further recommendations put forward by the FEI. Following completion of the 2015/2016 season, the EEF will provide reports whenever requested by the FEI.

Additionally, the EEF will support a research project to evaluate the causes of injuries linked to the design of desert endurance courses. Endurance Trainers will be obliged to cooperate with this research project.

The agreement also details the new legislation that has been introduced in the UAE prohibiting the trade or use of banned substances in horse racing and equestrian sports in the country and the sanctions that will be imposed for breaches.

“We are very pleased that, after four months of very hard work, the United Arab Emirates have demonstrated with the signature of this agreement that they are fully committed to ensuring horse welfare and complying with FEI rules at both international and national level in the country”, FEI Secretary General Sabrina said. “They are absolutely committed to making this work so that they can return to playing an active and leading role in Endurance once again and, to demonstrate that commitment, they have included the UAE’s highest sporting body, the National Olympic Committee, in the agreement.”

“We are very pleased that the FEI Bureau has unanimously agreed to lift the suspension based on the considerable actions and solutions we have put in place together”, EEF Secretary General Taleb Dhaher Al Mheiri said. “We will continue to work with them to ensure all their requirements are applied in endurance racing across the UAE. As the governing body of equestrian sports in the UAE we take our responsibility seriously. It is our goal to pursue excellence while promoting the growth of the sport and safeguarding the welfare of equine and human athletes.”

Separately, the FEI had commissioned the Equestrian Community Integrity Unit (ECIU) to conduct an extensive inquiry into allegations of fake events and duplicate results in the UAE. These allegations were not taken into account when the FEI Bureau imposed the suspension, and were dealt with independently, but provisions have been included in the agreement to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

The EEF cooperated fully with the inquiry and the detailed report has now been received by the FEI. The report is currently being reviewed by the FEI and a file will be submitted to the FEI Tribunal for further action. Sanctions will be taken against any FEI Officials found to be involved. In addition, the FEI will annul all duplicated results and review any connected results.

At the same time, the EEF Endurance Committee conducted its own investigation into the allegations and has authorised sanctions on any Organisers and EEF staff that are found to be involved. The EEF is currently restructuring its organisational policies to ensure that similar events cannot occur again and will put rules in place for all future FEI events under which either the National Federation or the Organising Committee must provide all equipment, including the timing system.

The EEF accepts that the FEI will be entitled to impose sanctions in case of non-compliance with all the terms of the agreement. These sanctions would include, but are not limited to, the immediate reinstatement of the suspension and withdrawal of the allocation of the 2016 FEI World Endurance Championships, which are due to be held in Dubai in mid-December next year.

The agreement will remain in effect for a three-year period. During that time, the FEI and EEF will meet at least once a year for an in-depth review, in addition to the monthly written reports required under the agreement. The FEI reserves the right to extend the term of the agreement if appropriate.

FEI Bureau Unanimously Agrees Next Steps On United Arab Emirates Endurance Proposals

The FEI Bureau has today welcomed a series of proposals for reform of the Endurance discipline in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but agreed unanimously that further information needs to be provided by the UAE National Federation before lifting of the provisional suspension can be considered. The FEI Bureau provisionally suspended the UAE National Federation in March of this year following an investigation by the FEI into major horse welfare issues and non-compliance with FEI Rules and Regulations in Endurance.

The Bureau gave a clear mandate to FEI Secretary General Sabrina Zeender to work with the relevant departments in FEI Headquarters and seek additional feedback from the FEI Bureau members, before requesting more concrete details on the proposals from the Emirates Equestrian Federation (EEF). The proposals were contained in a 10-page document, which was sent to the FEI Secretary General Sabrina Zeender on Friday 5 June.

The EEF proposals include:

*Creation of an EEF Endurance Committee of Enquiry to oversee full application of the rules;

*Involvement of the National Olympic Committee and National Anti-Doping Committee;

*Training and education of athletes, trainers, owners and officials;

*The possibility to ban organisers for non-compliance with the rules;

*Ensuring EEF national rules are fully in compliance with the FEI rules and regulations;

*Working more closely with the FEI, including welcoming FEI observers at EEF national events;

*Full cooperation with the Equestrian Community Integrity Unit inquiry into the duplication of results at a number of events in the country.

The EEF accepts that any breach of these commitments could result in the suspension being reinstated and the withdrawal of the 2016 FEI World Endurance Championships, which were allocated to the UAE in December 2014.

The EEF also detailed the new legislation that has been introduced in the UAE prohibiting the trade or use of banned substances in horse racing and equestrian sports in the country and the substantial fines that will be imposed for breaches.

The Bureau discussed the proposals in detail before reaching unanimous agreement that the Secretary General and FEI Headquarters should work together with the EEF to finalise the agreement between the two organisations. At that point, and only once the Bureau is completely satisfied that horse welfare will be ensured at all times, that FEI Rules and Regulations will be fully implemented and rigorously enforced, and that all pending issues have been addressed, the Bureau will vote on the lifting of the suspension.

“We welcome the proposed agreement of the UAE and see it as a very positive development that they are working to come to a solution”, the FEI President Ingmar De Vos said today. “The provisional suspension can only be lifted if there is a clear commitment to respect the rules before the Bureau can consider the lifting of the suspension. It is clear that more still needs to be done and we require some further work on the details, but their proposals are a very good start to work on the process for reinstatement.”

FEI Meets With United Arab Emirates Delegation On Endurance Issues

An initial meeting between the FEI and representatives of the United Arab Emirates National Olympic Committee and National Federation was held at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) this afternoon to discuss the actions that need to be undertaken by the UAE National Federation before the FEI Bureau can consider lifting the suspension currently imposed on the UAE National Federation.

The FEI Bureau provisionally suspended the UAE National Federation in March of this year following an investigation by the FEI into major horse welfare issues and non-compliance with FEI Rules and Regulations in the discipline of Endurance.

Today’s meeting was chaired by FEI Secretary General Sabrina Zeender. The FEI was also represented by Brian Sheahan, Chair of the FEI Endurance Committee, Manuel Bandeira de Mello, FEI Endurance Director, and Mikael Rentsch, FEI Legal Director. The UAE delegation was made up of Taleb Daher Al Muhairi, Secretary General of the Emirates Equestrian Federation, Faisal Al Ali, Assistant Secretary General, and Abdullaziz Sheikh, Head of the Endurance Department.

“This was a very constructive meeting, during which we informed the National Federation exactly what they need to do before there can be any possibility of the suspension being lifted”, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Zeender said. “We are now writing to them to explain all the elements they need to fulfil and requesting a detailed plan on how they will deliver on this and the timelines involved. The meeting, which we hope was the first in a series, was only possible following the withdrawal of the UAE’s appeal against the suspension.”

The FEI made it clear to the UAE delegation that only the FEI Bureau can lift the suspension and confirmed that the suspension will remain in force until the Bureau has agreed that all necessary processes have been put in place by the UAE National Federation to ensure horse welfare at all times and that FEI Rules and Regulations will be fully implemented and enforced.

Prior to the meeting, FEI President Ingmar De Vos had welcomed to FEI Headquarters Mohammad Al Kamali, Secretary General of the UAE National Olympic Committee, who had accompanied the UAE National Federation representatives to Lausanne. Neither Mr De Vos nor Mr Al Kamali attended today’s meeting.