12/05 : Annulation des Championnats d'Europe en Angleterre - communiqué
May 10, 2005Funding problems has forced the organising committee of the FEI Emirates International Endurance Open European Championships to pull the plug on the event Britain will not host the FEI Emirates International Endurance Open European Championships, which were planned to take place at Alfred's Tower on the Stourhead Estate in early August. The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) is now looking at rescheduling the championships somewhere else. The organising committee decided to cancel the event yesterday (Monday 9 May), after consulting with the FEI, the British Equestrian Federation and title sponsor Emirates International Endurance Racing (EIER). Had the event gone ahead it would have been the second time in the championships' history that it had been held in Britain. "The organising committee is devastated to have cancelled the event. We felt we had an exciting event which would have been very attractive to spectators," said committee member John Hudson. He quoted funding problems as the reason behind the cancellation. "It was for funding reasons. I am not prepared to say any more," he said, before ruling out the possibility of organising any future events at the venue. "There won't be further events at Alfred's Tower run by this organising committee. It's a terrible shame." EIER agreed that the organising committee won't have to return the funds it has spent so far in putting the event together. "The OC are very grateful to Emirates International Endurance Racing for their continued assistance in this way, without which cancellation would incur a significant loss," the committee said in a statement. Hudson went on to thank the BEF and the FEI for their support "and especially the many Endurance GB members, friends and other volunteers who have given up many days of time and effort to help in this venture." The FEI has already identified a potential replacement venue to run the Championships and is currently discussing this arrangement with the event's organising committee and the relevant national federation. "Details of the rescheduled championships will be announced shortly and all National Federations advised accordingly," they wrote in a statement.

Commentaires : il faut bien constater l'étrangeté de la situation. D'une part, le championnat est annulé pour manque de finances, alors que celui-ci est sponsorisé par les Emirats (Dubai - Emirates Internationsl). Ce ne sont pourtant pas les fonds qui manquent de ce côté. Il y a donc un problème que Hudson n'ose pas avouer : Mésentente Comité Organisateur  et sponsor? Connexion avec l'affaire "Dubai-Hazza-doping"? Mésentente FEI-Dubai?
Il y d'autre part la démission récente de Bo Helander, Sec Général de la FEI, celui-là même qui avait remis la médaille d'or à barbara Lissarague. Y-a-t-il un lien?

09/05 : Annulation des Championnats d'Europe en Angleterre
Le comité organisateur va officiellement annoncer l'annulation des championnats. Il n'y aurait pas suffisamment de fonds pour couvrir l'organisation des championnats.

La France pourrais se porter candidate pour organiser les Championnats. De là à penser que Compiègne qui organise déjà un CEIO fin août pourrait être le lieu de ces Championnats, qui est en fait vite franchi. Tout est là pour remplacer le CEIO par un Championnat d'Europe.

FEI Press News
09/05/2005
2005 FEI European Endurance Championship cancelled

The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) today announced that the Organising Committee of the European Endurance Championships, due to take place on 6 August 2005 in Stourhead House, Wiltshire (GBR) had taken the decision to cancel the event to be held in August.
The OC commented as follows “The level of total funds available had not reached initial expectations, requiring the OC to take action now”. John Hudson, a member of the Organising Committee went on to say, “The Organising Committee wishes to express it’s thanks to the BEF and the FEI for their support during this difficult time for everyone, and especially wish to thank the many Endurance GB members, friends and other volunteers who have given up many days of time and effort to help in this venture”.
The FEI has found a potential replacement to ensure the Championship will still take place and is in contact with the OC and the NF concerned to finalise arrangements at this time.
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Details of the rescheduled Championship will be announced shortly and all National Federations advised accordingly

04/05 : Sheikh Hazza finalement Champion du Monde, mais...

En résumé, l'analyse d'urine sur le premier échantillon (par un labo accrédité FEI des UAE) était bien positive au Methylprednisolone, un anti inflammatoire de niveau 3 agissant sur le système locomoteur.
Une seconde analyse contradictoire a été demandée par la PR (personne responsable). Cette analyse a été effectuée au labo central FEI (Labo des courses hippiques, France) le 24 mars 2005. L'analyse était également positive.

Cependant la PR n'a pas été informée de la date ni de l'endroit de l'analyse et n'a pas été en mesure d'envoyer un représentant, bien que cette demande ait été fait expressément. La commission judiciaire a donc estimé que le fait que la PR n'a pu assister à l'analyse porte atteinte à ses droits et que le résultat des analyses ne peut être pris en considération. La commission judiciaire a cité plusieurs cas de ce type faisant jurisprudence.
En conséquence le résultat du Ch Monde est inchangé. Sh Hazza va recevoir sa médaille et tous les prix remportés. La commission judiciaire ne demande pas une nouvelle cérémonie de remise des prix.

Une enquête est ouverte afin de déterminer pourquoi le Comité organisateur a pris cette décision...

Bref, un panier de crabes duquel la FEI ne sort pas grandie, ni le sport d'endurance en général.

Chacun reste avec ses questions :
- pourquoi le Comité Organisateur a-t-il déclassé Sh. Hazza ?
- pourquoi les officiels FEI présents n'ont-ils pas réagi suite à ce non-respect de la procédure ?
- quelle quantité (significative ou non) a-t-on trouvé ?
- pourquoi le labo français responsable de l'analyse B n'a-t-il pas prévenu la PR?
- etc, etc...
 

LEGAL UPDATE FEI ENDURANCE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FEI JUDICIAL COMMITTEE DISMISSES POSITIVE MEDICATION CASE OF GOLD MEDALLIST

On 28 April 2005, the FEI Judicial Committee decided the positive medication case concerning the horse Hachim and rider HH Sheik Hazza Bin Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (UAE), who won the gold medal of the World Endurance Championship in Dubai last January.

Analysis of the urine sample taken from Hachim, conducted by the associate Laboratory of the FEI Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Equine Forensic Unit (UAE), revealed the presence of Methylprednisolone, which is a prohibited substance according to FEI Rules. A confirmatory analysis was requested by the Person Responsible (PR) and was performed by the FEI approved central laboratory, Laboratoire des Courses Hippiques, France, on 24 March 2005. This analysis confirmed the presence of Methylprednisolone.

However the PR was not duly informed of the date and place of the confirmatory analysis (B Sample) and was therefore unable to send a witnessing analyst to the laboratory, despite having requested the opportunity to be represented. While noting the existence of two positive results, the Judicial Committee nevertheless decided that the fact that the PR did not have the opportunity to have a witness present at the confirmatory analysis compromised his rights to such an extent that the results had to be disregarded. The Judicial Committee cited several relevant decisions of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in reaching its ruling, which terminates the proceedings.

Consequently, the results of the FEI World Endurance Championship remain unchanged as published on the FEI website. The FEI Secretariat will ensure that HH Sheik Hazza Bin Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan will receive the Gold medal and all relevant prizes won by him. The Judicial Committee is not ordering a new Official Award Ceremony to be held.

Note to the editor:

Hachim, ridden by HH Sheik Hazza Bin Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (UAE) won the FEI World Endurance Championship held in Dubai on 27 January 2005. Metylprednisolone is an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid acting on the locomotor system and is graded 3 by the Medication Sub-Committee of the FEI. Under the FEI grading system, a substance is graded “1” if it has a relative high potential to affect the performance of the horse and is grade “5” if it has a relative low potential to affect the performance of the horse.

The Official Award Ceremony by the Organising Committee, who did not invite HH Sheik Hazza Bin Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to receive his gold medal, is the subject of a separate inquiry and may be examined by the Judicial Committee at a later stage. The list of prohibited substances for horses is published on the FEI website

www.horsesport.org section veterinary – medication control. The FEI complete legal procedure for positive medication cases is published in the section legal – legal procedure. The full decision will be published today on the FEI website section Legal/Judicial Committee