FEI Issues Two Yellow Warning Cards to Dressage Riders for Abuse of Horse

Dressage

FEI

In the spring and summer FEI officials issued yellow warning cards to two dressage riders for "Abuse of Horse".

Yellow Warning Cards

A Yellow Warning Card may be issued to a Person Responsible by the President of the Ground Jury, the Chief Steward or the Technical Delegate during the Period of Jurisdiction for the following offences:

Abuse of Horse
Incorrect Behaviour by the Person Responsible and/or Incorrect Behaviour by a member of their entourage. For the purpose of this article, the term "entourage" shall mean the Person Responsible's parent, spouse or partner, family member, coach, trainer, groom, crew or other person directly connected with the Person Responsible and includes the owner(s) of the Person Responsible's Horse.
Non-compliance with applicable Sport Rules
Non-compliance with Protective Headgear Rules

2024 European Under 25 Championships

At the 2024 European Under 25 Championships in St. Margarethen (AUT), British team rider Angus Corrie-Deane was eliminated from the U25 Grand Prix on 19 July 2024, based on actions that happened in the warm up. The days before Team GB placed fourth in the nations' competition. Corrie-Deane and his horse Jack Johnson had scored 66.588% (Intermediaire II).

British Dressage issued the following statement:

"Angus Corrie-Deane was issued with a Yellow Card at the FEI European Championships for Under 25 riders hosted at St. Margarethen in July. The card was issued by the stewards for a breach of the FEI equine welfare policies, under General Regulations Articles 142 and 164.3, due to misuse of the whip. This resulted in Angus’s elimination from the individual medal competition. British Dressage reciprocated this action by the FEI, issuing a formal written warning to the rider about his future conduct."

BD continued, "Horse welfare is at the heart of everything we do at British Dressage and therefore we take all matters seriously, in accordance with our policies and procedures published in the British Dressage Members’ Handbook."

2024 CDIO Compiègne

At the 2024 CDIO Compiegne Belgian Laura Luyten received a Yellow Card and did not compete Impressive Star in the small tour classes.

An FEI spokesperson explained to Eurodressage that, "during the familiarisation at the CDI 1* in Compiègne (FRA) in May 2024, a steward observed the Athlete riding in a way that was contrary to the welfare of the horse and decided that a Yellow Warning Card was appropriate. The athlete and the Belgian chef d’équipe were informed of the incident and a decision was made by the Chief Steward to issue a Yellow Warning Card under Article 142 of the FEI General Regulations."

Four More

Four more dressage riders or dressage entourage were yellow carded in the past year, but all for either "incorrect behaviour" or "none-compliance with the applicable sport rules."

The latter reason could pertain to riding in the wrong arena at times not-allowed, or the trainer working a horse/pony, which is not allowed either.

Lowest Amount of Yellow Cards in Dressage

FEI Yellow Warning cards for Abuse of Horse are rather rare in the discipline of dressage compared to other disciplines.

Six cards have been issued for dressage in the last year, compared to 50 in show jumping (25 for abuse of horse), 191 in eventing (63 Abuse of horse) and 29 in endurance (3 for Abuse).

With eventing and show jumping whips are allowed on course and often lead to mis-use. In addition, eventing does not have the blood rule and can only issue a yellow card instead of elimination in case of blood.