On 3 February 2012 the FEI Dressage and Legal Departments issued the FEI Guidelines with the "regulatory explanation for eliminating horses with blood anywhere on their bodies." These guidelines were directed to all FEI Dressage Officials.
FEI Guidelines: Regulatory explanation for eliminating Horses with blood anywhere on their bodies
Given all of the debate last year that surrounded the rule for dealing with the presence of blood on a Dressage Horse, we would like to provide you with the legal basis for continuing to eliminate Horses that have blood anywhere on their bodies while competing.
1. First, the same rule and past practice as has been previously enforced will be followed. Therefore, a Dressage Horse that has blood anywhere on its body, including but not limited to its head, mouth, and tongue, whilst in the Competition arena will be immediately eliminated by the C-judge.
2. Second, the basis for this rule and past practice is set forth in Article 430, subsection 7.6 of the Dressage Rules which provides that elimination will occur when “the performance is against the welfare of the Horse.”
3. Third, the FEI General Regulations were established so that “individual Athletes and teams of Athletes from different National Federations (NFs) may compete against each other under fair and equal conditions with the welfare of Horse as paramount.”
4. Fourth, once the General Regulations established that the welfare of the Horse was paramount in FEI Competition, the “FEI Code of Conduct for the Welfare of the Horse” was developed as a method of implementing this concept in a regulatory framework. The Code of Conduct states in relevant part:
- “[...] at all times the welfare of the Horse must be paramount and must never be subordinated to competitive or commercial influences.”
- “Horses and Athletes must be fit, competent and in good health before they are allowed to compete.”
- “No Horse showing symptoms of disease, lameness or other significant ailments or pre- existing clinical conditions should compete or continue to compete when to do so would compromise its welfare. Veterinary advice must be sought whenever there is any doubt.”
5. For quite some time, it has been accepted and understood that blood on a Dressage Horse is a “significant ailment” which renders the Dressage Horse unfit to compete. There is always an underlying cause when a Horse starts bleeding. Even in cases where there are no signs of force, bleeding must be regarded as a sign of an unfit Horse, and there is no doubt that an unfit Horse constitutes a welfare issue. Therefore this past practice, along with the supporting regulations and Code of Conduct as above, provide the legal foundation for you, the FEI Officials, to continue eliminating Dressage Horses that have blood on any part of their body in the Competition arena.
6. You may be confronted with questions such as how is it legally defensible to continue this practice when a rule change on this exact subject was proposed but never voted on or passed. The answer to that question is that the rule change was to simplify and clarify the process and bring it in line with the other Sport Rules. The decision to postpone implementation of a more precise rule does not remove the ability of the FEI Officials to continue to eliminate Horses with blood on their bodies while in the Competition arena as has been the well-established past practice for many years.
7. Therefore, a Dressage Horse that has blood anywhere on its body whilst in the Competition arena will be immediately eliminated by the C-judge. Such decision by the C- judge is not subject to any Protest or Appeal and is therefore final. This approach is similar to the situation of the Ground Jury’s Decision under article 159.6.2 of the FEI General Regulations where there is no Appeal against Decisions of the Ground Jury in the case of elimination of a Horse for veterinary reasons.
8. Please note that article 141 of the FEI General Regulations does not apply in the event of elimination of a Dressage Horse that has blood whilst in the Competition arena for the current Competition, as such elimination is a “field of play” decision not subject to Appeal. However, article 141 of the FEI General Regulations applies for deciding if the Horse can continue competing in subsequent Competitions, i.e. the Ground Jury would need to decide, after consulting the Veterinary Delegate or Commission, whether the Horse is entitled to compete in other Competitions during the Event.
(Editor's Note: The FEI "Blood Rule" will be back under discussion at the 2012 FEI Sport Forums held in Lausanne, Switzerland, in April. It is the FEI's wish to have the same rule for all three Olympic disciplines which puts dressage in a precarious position as jumping has more power and they tolerate blood. The forum will be very important to decide on the integrity of dressage in the future!!)
Related Links
Editorial: Dressage to Become a Blood Sport?!
Sign Petition Against the Proposed Blood Rule!
Germany Has a Change of Heart and Says No to Blood Rule
Xenophon Society Appeals to the German Equestrian Federation on Blood Rule
Blood Rule Withdrawn, Nomination Dressage Committee Rider Rep Postponed