Following prolonged attraction proceedings, the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed and upheld the FEI Tribunal’s choice within the case towards Andrew Kocher delivered in June 2021, which noticed the US Athlete suspended for 10 years for the usage of electrical spurs on a number of horses all through a chronic time frame.
Different sanctions within the FEI Tribunal choice rendered two years in the past additionally included the disqualification of outcomes from eight FEI occasions between June 2018 and November 2019 the place proof supported the athlete’s use of electrical spurs on horses, alongside a CHF 10,000 high quality and authorized prices to the quantity of CHF 7,500. Kocher appealed the stated FEI Tribunal choice on 1 July 2021, searching for to eradicate or in any other case cut back the sanctions imposed.
The FEI Tribunal choice was the results of a prolonged investigation by the FEI, beginning in June 2020 following allegations of electrical spur use reported to the unbiased Equestrian Group Integrity Unit (ECIU). It was alleged that Kocher had used electrical spurs on a variety of FEI registered and nationwide horses in worldwide and nationwide occasions, in addition to throughout coaching.
Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the FEI formally opened disciplinary proceedings towards Kocher in October 2020. Through the continuing earlier than the FEI Tribunal, it was additionally found that Kocher instructed his workers to make use of the electrical spurs on particular horses. For that objective, Kocher supplied to his workers a number of electrical spurs units which he manufactured himself.
In its choice, the CAS Panel reached the identical conclusion because the FEI Tribunal, to the impact {that a} ten-year suspension was merited, throughout which Kocher is barred from taking part in or attending, in any capability, together with as a spectator, any competitors or occasion that’s authorised or organised by the FEI or any Nationwide Federation. The provisional suspension served by Kocher since 28 October 2020 shall be credited towards this era of suspension, which can subsequently come to an finish on 27 October 2030. The CHF 10,000 high quality was additionally upheld, and Kocher is moreover ordered to pay prices of CHF 7,500.
“We’re extraordinarily happy with this consequence and that the sanctions the FEI Tribunal imposed, to replicate the severity of the offenses dedicated by Mr Kocher, have been upheld by CAS,” stated FEI Authorized Director Mikael Rentsch.
“It could have taken two years to finish this course of, nevertheless it confirms that we had the precise choice to start out with, and that there isn’t any room for leniency in relation to circumstances of horse abuse.
“Now we have guidelines and rules in place to guard the integrity of our competitions and the wellbeing of our horses, and when these guidelines are breached and their welfare is jeopardised, we are going to proceed to hunt to impose most sentences.”
The total CAS choice is on the market right here.
The FEI Tribunal Resolution is on the market right here.
Media contact:
Olivia Robinson
Director, FEI Communications
olivia.robinson@fei.org
