Taipei, 5 November 2010 – The FEI General Assembly has unanimously accepted the recommendations of the FEI List Group and approved the updated Equine Prohibited Substances List for the 2011 season. National Federation delegates applauded spontaneously at the announcement of the vote.
The List was put forward by the FEI List Group following a year of consultation with National Federations and experts, and after the highly successful Congress on the use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) in the equine athlete hosted by the FEI in Lausanne, Switzerland in August.
The 2011 List respects horse welfare and ensures a level playing field.
The List does not allow the use of NSAIDs in competition. However it was agreed that the FEI should provide a greater level of guidance regarding the detection times for the post-event usage of certain NSAIDs, specifically Phenylbutazone and Flunixin, in commonly used low dosages.
Lausanne, 2 November 2010 – The FEI has today launched a mobile phone application which gives those involved in horse sport much faster and easier access to crucial information on prohibited substances.
The Clean Sport app allows immediate access to the FEI Equine Prohibited Substances online database, which was developed early in 2010.
The app will initially be available for iPhone users only, however the FEI is investigating how the technology could be adapted for other smart phones.
The app is available to download Free of Charge from today at the iTunes Store.
As well as enabling users to easily navigate the Equine Prohibited Substances database, the app also includes short definitions on each substance as well as a selection of common trade names to avoid confusion.
22 October 2010 – The FEI has today announced that all urine samples taken from athletes competing at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games have tested negative for prohibited substances.
The announcement comes just one week after the FEI revealed that all equine blood and urine samples were also free of prohibited substances.
“Clean sport is one of the FEI’s major goals,” FEI President HRH Princess Haya said, “and it is wonderful news that all tests on our human and equine athletes at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games were negative. The FEI Clean Sport Campaign is all inclusive and covers every aspect of our sport. With everyone on side we really can move forward in the drive for fair play and a level playing field for all.”
A total of 24 human athletes were tested for prohibited substances during the 16 day Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, with urine samples taken from three athletes in each of the eight disciplines.
15 October 2010 – The FEI has announced today that all blood and urine samples taken from horses competing at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games were negative for all prohibited substances.
Under FEI Veterinary Regulations, samples from a minimum of 5% of competing horses are tested, but almost 11% of the 752 horses competing in Kentucky were tested. A total of 140 samples were taken from 82 horses, with blood being taken from all 82, plus urine where possible. All individual medal horses were tested, as well as one member of each medal winning team. Random samples were also taken throughout the 16-day event.
“This is a great success for everyone involved in equestrian sport and is the best possible endorsement of the FEI’s Clean Sport Campaign,” FEI President HRH Princess Haya said. “It also proves the value of the FEI’s educational programme, as athletes and their supporters now have the knowledge to make a clear distinction between the use of routine, legitimate medication and deliberate doping to affect a horse’s performance. Everyone has a role to play in maintaining this clean record going forward.”
NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) may help mask lameness while reducing pain, swelling, and inflammation, but they can also be very harmful to the equine athlete. NSAIDs can contribute to GI ulcers and colic, renal and liver toxicity, and decrease a horse’s health and performance.
The USEF now requires a “NSAID Disclosure form” to be filed with the Steward/Technical Delegate if more than one NSAID is used during a competition or in the 5 days preceding a USEF competition. Starting December 1, 2011, the presence of only one NSAID will be allowed! The seven NSAIDs currently allowed with quantitative restrictions are Bute, Banamine, Naproxen, Ketofen, Arquel, Equioxx, and topical Surpass.
KAM Animal Services offers FRE Choice Liquid as a safe effective NSAID alternative. FRE Liquid has been used in show and race horses for years with great success and is veterinarian tested and endorsed. It has none of the negative side effects or risks that the above NSAIDs are known for.
15 September 2010 – In the final countdown to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, the FEI has published an updated version of the FEI Elective Testing List. Elective Testing allows Team Veterinarians to submit urine from FEI-registered competition horses to an FEI Reference Laboratory to test for up to four Prohibited Substances.
The Elective Testing List, approved by all the FEI Reference Laboratories, contains significantly more substances than was previously offered at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in order to provide the best service possible to the Treating Veterinarians. Only Controlled Medications (commonly-used substances with valid therapeutic uses in equine medicine) will be available for testing on this list. This is consistent with the FEI’s approach to Banned Substances not having a regular legitimate use.
Elective Testing is intended to assist Team Veterinarians in treating horses prior to competition ahead of routine in-competition testing. With this transparent approach the FEI aims to provide greater confidence for Treating Veterinarians to reduce the risk of required medication usage being above FEI levels at the time of competition.
September 15, 2010 – Lexington, KY – 9 days to go – A temporary equine quarantine facility at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport is ready to facilitate the entry of horses from around the world competing in the eight World Championships of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, September 25 – October 10 at the Kentucky Horse Park.
The World Games 2010 Foundation worked in conjunction with officials from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport, the US Department of Agriculture and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to have the airport classed as a temporary port of entry for the horses coming to compete.
Almost 500 horses are anticipated to pass through this new temporary facility on their way to the Kentucky Horse Park. The horses will be coming from Europe and the Middle East through Belgium on non-stop flights. The first horses are scheduled to arrive on September 16th. Approximately 50 horses and their attendants will travel on each of these special flights into the airport.
10 September 2010 – Following the success of last month’s FEI Congress on the in-competition use of NSAIDs, free-to-view videos of the entire event are now available on the FEI website here.
The Congress, which received widespread acclaim for the high calibre of speakers and the level of debate, was held at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland on 16/17 August and attracted over 200 delegates from 29 countries.
Presentations on both the scientific and non-scientific data available on NSAID usage and medication in the equine athlete featured at the Congress, generating lively debate during the panel sessions. The video coverage of the Congress now provides a valuable tool for all those interested in this debate – particularly those who were unable to attend the Congress – to access the most up-to-date information on the issue.
6 September 2010 – Following last month’s highly successful FEI Congress on NSAIDs and further discussion of the issues raised, the FEI List Group has proposed an Equine Prohibited Substances List for 2011 which simultaneously respects horse welfare and ensures a level playing field.
During its discussions, the List Group made a distinction between the use of NSAIDs during competition, and their use between competitions. With the exception of Salicylic Acid (aspirin), for which it is proposed to raise the current threshold to harmonise it with that of other international regulators, the List Group has unanimously concluded that the science available from the few limited studies carried out to date on the use of NSAIDs is contradictory and provides insufficient evidence for allowing levels in competition that are not a potential threat to horse welfare or enhance performance.
As a result, the List Group has proposed a list of prohibited substances for 2011 which represents a practical solution that respects horse welfare and ensures a level playing field. This list does not allow NSAIDs in competition, but does allow post-competition usage of certain NSAIDs, specifically Phenylbutazone and Flunixin, in low dosages between competitions for the well-being of the horse; but only to the extent that the medications will neither be detectable nor affect the performance or welfare of the horse at its next competition.
1 September 2010 – The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) has announced detection times for Methylprednisolone Acetate, a frontline treatment for lameness in the equine athlete. The findings from recently completed studies on the use of intra-articular Methylprednisolone Acetate show the detection times as 28 days for the 200mg dose and 14 days for the 100mg dose.
The FEI recognises that any strategy to reduce the level of doping and medication offences must contain an element of guidance and education. With this in mind there has been an increased effort to provide detection times for substances that are in common usage. The detection time is the time taken for an active substance administered to a horse by a specified route and dosage to fall below a level at which the FEI would declare a sample positive.
It is important to note that detection times may vary depending on dose and number of injection sites used. Please note that a detection time is not the same as a withdrawal time. The withdrawal time must be decided by the treating veterinarian and is likely to be based on the detection time plus an appropriate safety margin to allow for individual variation.
The full list of FEI detection times can be found here.
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