Countries unite over endurance concerns
National federations and leading vets have voiced worries over ongoing welfare and doping issues within the sport
GERMANY is the latest country to voice concerns about cheating, doping and welfare problems in endurance, amid fears about the likely conduct in the World Equestrian Game (WEG) ride which was due to take place yesterday (12 September).
Both the German national organisation and six leading German endurance vets published open letters to the
FEI last week. This follows similar lobbying by the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) and the decision of a top French vet Dr Pierre Romantzoff to retire in protest at the lack of progress.
The Swiss federation met FEI endurance head Manuel Bandeira de Mello recently, and announced afterwards it had little confidence in the likelihood of the WEG ride running without incident.
The German vets, who include British-born Juliette Mallison, a veteran four-star official, highlight fast, flat, non-technical tracks.
They write: “The track
(terrain) in many major competitions is prepared, not left in its natural condition, and tracks are straight and flat. This means the ability of a rider to assess the track and ride tactically is not taken into account and riders can ride much faster.
“It was clearly shown at the
FEI forum (Spain, 2017) that increased speed increases the risk of the horses being overpaced and that the number that fail to qualify for not reaching gait or metabolic parameters rises considerably. Catastrophic injuries are more common. Is this what the FEI wants?”
The vets also allege “influencing [of ] the FEI as regards ride officials”, cite instances of “blind eyes” being turned, and call for tougher sanctions for riders, trainers and owners extending to bans of years or even life for doping offences.
Paul Latiolais, AERC president, and the German federation both flagged the
WEG test ride this spring, which included horses and vehicles disappearing off-piste and an unexplained dispute involving the UAE, which delayed the start while numbers were reallocated to meet their preferences.
Dr Romantzoff announced on Facebook his withdrawal from officiating in endurance after 33 years. “The unacceptable facts I have had to see these last years are peanuts compared with what is coming next,” he warned.
A change.org petition calling for an FEI crackdown (news, 6 September) has attracted 5,500 signatures. An FEI spokesman told H&H then: “The FEI is working with national federations, governing bodies for endurance and wider stakeholders, and believes education and open dialogue is key to change.
“The FEI is also proposing several changes to the endurance and veterinary rules that respond to some of the questions raised in the petition.”