I received an email from Claude Nordmann at the Swiss Federation this morning, with a press release attached and a request that I share it with readers. As Pippa’s guest blog of today has revealed, things have gone from bad to worse to insanely awful this past week. At least the Swiss and Dutch federations are standing up as the members to which the FEI is ultimately accountable. They are almost alone among their fellow member nations, all of whom have apparently drunk the Royal Kool-Aid.
Here is the official statement issued by the Swiss and Dutch federations today (it has tomorrow’s date on it – that’s how fresh it is):
Media release
Bern, 15th of April 2014
The Dutch and the Swiss Federations regret the FEI collaboration with HH Sheikh Mohammed and the composition of the FEI new task force on endurance
The Dutch and the Swiss Federations are satisfied, that the FEI is still and further on taking the issues in Endurance very seriously as related in recent press releases. But both Federations are questioning the choice of HH Sheikh Mohammed as a sort of consultant in doping prevention, the composition of this new task force and the on going evolution in endurance.
The Dutch and the Swiss Federations are pleased to notice that the FEI endorses the Endurance Strategic Planning Group (ESPG) recommendations and pushes ahead with its implementation as stated in the press releases from the FEI dated 8th and the 11th April 2014.
Nonetheless, they express their regrets concerning the superficial attendance of formation of the riders, the trainers and the officials, as well as the selection of HH Sheikh Mohammed for an essential role on the way of finding solutions concerning the issues in endurance.
Even if HH Sheikh Mohammed is the current World Endurance champion, his 6 months suspension for using prohibited substances* cannot be denied (Not mentioning more than 24 positive cases concerning horses from the stables of HH Sheikh Mohammed the past years (all equine anti-doping decisions here).
Further, the Dutch and the Swiss Federations are extremely concerned about the choice of the participants in the new Task Force consisting of six persons: Two are very close to HH Sheikh Mohammed, one is specialist in racing. No Europeans or Americans have been selected, although the movement against the issues in endurance started in Europe and the Americans were the initiators of the discipline. During the Round Table and the presentations at the General Assembly and the Endurance Conference, it was clearly requested not to split the discipline of Endurance in “flat racing” and “classical Endurance” and to keep it in the spirit of its original definition for the welfare of the horse.
The mission of this new Task Force is to look for deployment of “modern technology” but the basic as education of all the parties involved, the transparency in the reporting etc. are not part of its objectives. For the Dutch and Swiss federations there are evident conflicts of interest.
Both federations are still extremely worried about the evolution in endurance. The development is more and more going in the direction of “flat endurance-racing”. This should not in any case be supported by the FEI, because of severe horse welfare concerns.
Even if the issues in Endurance are discussed for more than one year, almost nothing has changed. It is not the creation of new bodies, committees, commissions which will cure the situation in Endurance but the full implementation of the existing rules in all part of the world by incorruptible officials for the sake of horse welfare and sport equity.
* (Guanabenz, 16-b Hydroxy-Stanozolol) in two different events on the horse Tahhan – as described in the decision of the FEI tribunal dated 31st July 2009 which can be found here)
For further information:
– Dr Charles F. Trolliet, President of the Swiss Equestrian Federation,
Tel. +41 79 205 32 91, E-mail: trolliet@swissonline.ch
– Dr. Claude Nordmann, International Relations, Swiss Equestrian Federation,
Tel. +41 79 353 75 54, E-mail: claude.nordmann@bluewin.ch
