Canadian Olympic Team member for Show Jumping Tiffany Foster of Schomberg, ON, was disqualified from Olympic competition on August 5.
Less than one hour before the start of team competition, scheduled to commence at 11 a.m., FEI veterinarians entered the stall of Victor, the horse ridden by Foster. Following a routine examination of the horse in its stall, Terrance Millar, chef d’équipe of the Canadian Olympic Team for Show Jumping, was informed that Foster was disqualified under the International Equestrian Federation’s (FEI) hypersensitivity protocol.
An official communication issued by the FEI read: “The Veterinary Commission have stated that the horse has an area of inflammation and sensitivity on the forelimb just above the hoof. There is no accusation of malpractice, but the horse has been deemed unfit to compete by the Ground Jury.”
Millar lodged a protest which was heard by the FEI Appeal Committee before the end of the competition. However, the protest was denied based on Annex XI of the FEI Veterinary Regulations, which state: “there is no appeal against the decision of the Ground Jury to disqualify a horse for abnormal sensitivity from an Event.”
Foster and Victor, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Artisan Farms and Torrey Pines Stable, were disqualified from further Olympic participation.
“We are extremely disappointed with this decision as Tiffany Foster should have been allowed to compete,” said Terrance Millar.
Terrance Millar further explained, “The horse has a scratch on its coronary band that occurred overnight.”
“This is an unfortunate application of a rule in the absence of context, which has shattered a young woman’s Olympic dream,” concluded Millar.
Despite the disadvantage of having no drop score following Foster’s disqualification on Sunday, the Canadian Olympic Team for Show Jumping qualified for Monday’s team final and is currently ranked sixth. The scores of Jill Henselwood of Oxford Mills, ON, defending Olympic Champion Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, and ten-time Olympian Ian Millar of Perth, ON, will all be counted towards the final result.
For more information, including live scoring and results, please visit the equestrian sport section of the official 2012 London Olympic Games website at www.london2012.com/equestrian.
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