At the 2012 FEI General Assembly in Instanbul, Turkey, the delegates of 104 National Federations voted on a new "Blood Rule" for dressage. The approved modication to the rule states that any horse showing "fresh" blood in the show ring will get eliminated.
The modifications to the FEI Rules for Dressage Events, 24th edition, were approved today at the Assembly. The main change consists of the addition of a specific provision regarding elimination in the case of blood showing anywhere on the horse during competition.
The new Art. 430.7.6, developed in close cooperation with the Veterinary Committee, is as follows:
“Bleeding: If the Judge at C suspects fresh blood anywhere on the horse during the test, he will stop the horse to check for blood. If the horse shows fresh blood, it will be eliminated. The elimination is final. If the Judge through examination clarifies that the horse has no fresh blood, the horse may resume and finish its test.
“If the horse is eliminated pursuant to the above, or if the horse is injured during the test and starts bleeding after finishing the test, it should be examined by an FEI Veterinarian prior to the next Competition to determine if it is fit to continue in the Event the following day(s). The decision of the FEI Veterinarian is not subject to appeal.”
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