Ukrainian judges Maria Dzhumadzhuk and Iryna Shulga have both been suspended for three months by the FEI Dressage Committee and Executive Board for nationalistic judging. Both judges are currently appealing the decision.
At the CDI 3* Lier on 1 - 6 March 2016, the final show which was key for the final ranking for the last six individual Olympic slots, four separate Grand Prix classes, including a Grand Prix Special, were held.
The FEI Dressage Committee ruled that, in the Grand Prix Special test on 2 March 2016, there was nationalistic judging in favour of a Ukrainian athlete, Inna Logutenkova, by two Ukrainian judges (Mrs Maria Dzhumadzhuk and Mrs Iryna Shulga) . The third Ukrainian judge, Mrs Larysa Velyka, did not judge the Grand Prix Special.
The remarkable scoring in the Grand Prix classes on the first two days of competition in Lier were not considered "nationalistic" by the FEI Dressage Committee.
The FEI Dressage Committee decided to remove the results of the Grand Prix Special test from the Olympic and World Rankings, and this was approved by the FEI Executive Board.
The FEI subsequently commenced disciplinary proceedings in relation to Mrs Dzhumadzhuk’s and Mrs Shulga’s judging performance in the Grand Prix Special and each was suspended for a period of three months, commencing on 25 April 2016 (Mrs Dzhumadzhuk) and 28 April 2016 (Mrs Shulga).
Both Dzhumadzhuk and Shulga have appealed their suspensions to the FEI Tribunal and the appeal proceedings are ongoing. The disciplinary process was managed by FEI headquarters in accordance with the FEI Dressage Rules and the Codex for Dressage Judges.
The decisions to suspend the judges was issued by the FEI. Once the FEI Tribunal reaches its final decision, this will be published.
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