The International Equestrian Federation, FEI, continues to remain silent on possible sanctions against countries with doping issues, despite repeated requests for clarification. This comes after Saudi Arabia reported an alarming number of positive doping tests last year, prompting the FEI to promise action.
However, the FEI has backed away from the proposal to penalize national equestrian federations for a "prevalence" of doping. This measure would likely have affected the financially most powerful federations, particularly those in the Middle East, where endurance racing still reports a high number of doping cases.
New sanctions were proposed following the rise in positive tests in Saudi Arabia, but the FEI refuses to confirm whether these have been included in the draft EADCMP rules for 2025, which are on the agenda for the FEI Sport Forum later this month.
The FEI has faced criticism for awarding prestigious events, such as the World Cup jumping and dressage, to Saudi Arabia, despite concerns over human rights and doping issues. Despite promises to improve the welfare of sport horses and maintain a social license to operate, the FEI seems to be sticking to allocating championships to countries with known issues.
The FEI has defended that awarding events to countries like Saudi Arabia serves as an incentive for improvements in the equestrian community of that country. However, critics argue that this is rewarding bad behavior and undermines the credibility of the FEI.
The lack of transparency and action from the FEI raises questions about its commitment to combating doping in equestrian sports and ensuring a level playing field for all participants.
Source: HorseSport.com