FEI jurisdiction goes further than is generally realised, illustrated by a decision of the FEI Tribunal over the status of a jumping show in Bolivia. A “private” gathering at the Centro Ecuestre Amandari (CEA) in Santa Cruz in April 2024 was recently ruled to fall within the scope of FEI’s disciplinary proceedings because of various “characteristics,” plus the venue’s links to another organisation affiliated to the Bolivian national federation.
The ruling results from a new case against Brazilian jumping rider Lucio Osório, who in 2023 admitted to a stanozolol (banned steroid) positive returned by his horse Quastina. He was suspended for 18 months, meaning he was excluded from all FEI activities and those of its member national federations until its expiry in April this year.
However, Osório is now suspended a further nine months, through March 2026, for his one-off appearance at the CEA in April 2024.
Earlier in 2024, Osório met the FEI by video link to clarify what he could do while suspended. Generally, a suspended (“ineligible”) rider may not attend FEI or NF activities in any capacity other than as a spectator. The only training can be of his or her own horses, at home.
In April 2024, Osório accepted an invitation to the “private” jumping show organised by the vice-president of the Bolivian NF, Ignacio Bedoya. Osório won the Grand Prix Amandari with Quastina, receiving a motorbike as a prize. This was well covered in local media and on social media platforms.
Other Brazilian riders reported Osório to the Brazilian NF, who in turn told the FEI. The FEI commenced proceedings under Article 10.14.1 of the Equine Anti-Doping Rules – Prohibition Against Participation during Ineligibility or Provisional Suspension.
Osório had no legal counsel at the Tribunal hearing and represented himself with help from an interpreter. Neither did anyone from the Bolivian NF appear as a witness, despite early indications they would do so.
Osório’s defence relied on the show being a private event not covered by said provision, in which argument he had initially been supported by the Bolivian NF. In the early stage of investigations, they stated that some references to the show as “international” were because foreign riders (from Brazil and Argentina) would take part; it was not open to all, nor in the official calendar. Some Bolivian NF members participated as riders or coaches, but this did not affect national or local rankings or qualifications.
Separately, Ignacio Bedoya informed the FEI via email that the GP Amandari was a private event for his birthday. He had invited participants in his personal capacity, emphasizing it was informal, with no official status.
The FEI Tribunal queried why another member of the Bedoya family, Eduardo Bedoya, had in 2021 (when president of the Bolivian Federation of Equestrian Sports) described this same tournament as “one of the most important at national level and chosen to culminate the season.” Furthermore, the Equestrian Association of La Paz’s calendar listed the GP Amandari as “2024 National championships and FEI World Challenge 3 events.”
Osório firmly maintained that he was never aware participating could constitute a breach of his Ineligibility. He felt his conduct had been cooperative, diligent, and rule-abiding. He argued that it defies logic to believe he would jeopardize his eligibility by knowingly attending a low-profile and private gathering; the historic comment about the show’s status in 2021 was irrelevant.
He raised serious concerns about procedural fairness. After submitting his defence on September 10, 2024, he had to wait until March 25, 2025 – less than one month before the end of his previous Ineligibility Period – for the FEI to bring the matter to Tribunal.
He challenged the “vague” definition of “Event” under FEI Rules and argued that the FEI, as a body governed by Swiss law, must adhere to legal interpretation principles such as contra proferentem and in dubio contra stipulatorem; where meanings are unclear, this should go against the drafter of the rule; ambiguity should not disadvantage the athlete.
From the legal aspect, the Tribunal said that the term Event in FEI anti-doping rules is defined as: “A complete meeting, ‘Show’, ‘Championship’ or ‘Games’. Events may be organised for one or more than one Discipline.” A Competition “refers to each individual class in which Athletes are placed in an order of merit and for which prizes may be awarded.”
The Tribunal concluded that all past and contemporaneous evidence pointed towards GP Amandari being a well-known riding event in Bolivia over many years, with characteristics meeting the definition of Competition. Even though the CEA was not directly affiliated to the FEI or Bolivian NF, CEA belongs to the Asociacion de Deportes Ecuestres La Paz (ADELP), a regional organisation which is affiliated to the Bolivian NF; and fell under the category of an “international or national-level Event organisation” to which FEI jurisdiction applied.
There was some leniency towards for Osório over the FEI’s long delay in taking the case to Tribunal. A new suspension for this type of offence is usually the same duration as the original and served contiguously, which could not happen in this case. Osório was therefore suspended for nine more months rather than 18. He was also fined CHF 5,000, with costs of CHF 1,000, and ordered to return prizes won at Santa Cruz.
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