‘Potential health risks were too high’: major show cancelled at 11th hour

An international dressage show was forced to cancel after some horses had already arrived on site, owing to the lack of a vet.

The CDI at Pôle International du Cheval Longines Deauville (11–14 July), which was set to host international classes to CDI3* plus international youth, young horse and amateur competition, was cancelled at the 11th hour.

The FEI claims that the organising committee “repeatedly provided [it with] misleading information” in the weeks leading up to the event, regarding the appointment of vets. The venue’s director general Franck Le Mestre has said it will not comment on the FEI’s decision, adding that it is a “particularly difficult time to live through and we will assume our responsibilities”.

An FEI statement said the decision to cancel was made on the evening of 9 July, owing to the organising committee’s failure to secure veterinary services for the event “despite several weeks of discussions and assurances”.

The statement added that the vets who the organisers claimed were appointed “reported that they had never been contacted by the organising committee and therefore could not accept the role”.

On 5 July, the FEI warned the organisers, which it says prompted the organisers “to assure that they would secure the necessary veterinarians to meet the requirements”.

“However, on receiving the organisers’ update on Tuesday [9 July] late afternoon that indicated a treating veterinarian might only be available after the arrival of the first horses, the FEI secretary general made the decision to cancel the event the same evening,” the FEI statement continued.

“Additionally, the FEI discovered that the stables were open and receiving horses one day ahead of schedule without a veterinarian team on-site. The stables were scheduled to open on Wednesday, 10 July, with the horse inspection set to commence the following day.”

FEI secretary general Sabrina Ibáñez said that the FEI “acknowledges the significant inconvenience”, particularly for those that were already en route.
“There were over 120 horses who were scheduled to attend the event, and the potential health risks arising from this situation were too high, especially so close to the Olympic Games,” said Ms Ibáñez.

“With the lessons from our 2021 experience still fresh in our minds, we are acutely aware of how quickly and severely a disease outbreak can impact both local and international horse populations, and the health and safety of the horses is a primary concern.

“This was not a decision that was taken lightly by the FEI, and we regret that the various assurances provided by the organising committee were not reliable. Our previous experience with this organiser raised trust concerns, and despite reservations, they were given an opportunity to rebuild this trust.

“We appreciate everyone’s understanding and, moving forward, we are committed to thoroughly reviewing the matter with the [French equestrian federation] FFE to prevent similar occurrences in the future.”

Mr Le Mestre said that the health, safety and wellbeing of horses “remains and will remain” a major priority of the venue.

“Our thoughts are with the competitors and federations who were to participate in this competition and are in contact with them for the formalities,” he said.

“We will review all of our processes for the organisation of future events.”

He added: “It should be remembered that the site hosts more than 90 days of competitions from departmental to international level, is classified as a site of excellence by the FFE and will continue to support national and international sports policy.”

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