Agusti Elias' Suspension Ended After CAS Appeal, Altaneiro Retired, New Grand Prix Horse to Ride

Dressage

Spain

Spanish Grand Prix rider Agusti Elias is no longer suspended from competition sport. The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland shortened his suspension time from four to two years and his time has been served.

Elias has much to look forward to with a new Grand Prix horse in the barn, Iejoor.

Double Positive Doping Test

Elias personally twice tested positive to clenbuterol. He was tested at the CDIO Compiegne in France on 19 - 22 May 2022 and at the CDI Fritzens in Austria on 8 - 10 July 2022.

As a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code, the FEI has developed Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA) which comply with the code as well as with WADA’s International Standards. In the FEI's ADRHA, specific requirements apply to "International-Level Athletes". For dressage this counts for athletes ranked in the Top 300 of the FEI World Rider Ranking.

The Athlete did not have a TUE to justify the Presence of Clenbuterol in his system.

Clenbuterol

Agusti and Altaneiro at the 2018 CDI Fritzens

According to the WADA Prohibited List, anabolic agents (AAS) are prohibited. In addition, they mention that clenbuterol is "an anabolic agent that is prohibited at all times (i.e., both in- and out-of-competition). There is no threshold under which this substance is not prohibited."

Wada also mentions that, "It is possible that under certain circumstances the presence of a low level of clenbuterol in an athlete sample can be the result of food contamination. In this regard a Stakeholder Notice on Meat Contamination was published by WADA on 1 June 2019.

However, each case is different and all aspects and context of the case need to be taken into account during the results management process. According to the World Anti-Doping Code, the athlete has the opportunity to explain how a prohibited substance entered his/her body during the results management and/or the hearing phase of their case."

Four Year Suspension

Elias was notified of the violation on 1 September 2022 and was provisionally suspended by the FEI.

Agusti with Juliette Ramel's Wall Street JV

In his FEI hearing Elias argued that a horse in his barn, Silvio, was administered spasmobronchal medication containing clenbuterol in that time period. Elias changed lawyers in the process of his case and provided conflicting statements, first saying he used no protective equipment (such as gloves, glasses or a mask) while treating his horse while in the Judicial Expert Report it said that “he never used goggles or a protective mask, but always used latex gloves during the administration"

The FEI Tribunal decided to suspend the athlete for a period of four years, starting from the date of the FEI Tribunal Final Decision (4 June 2024). The provisional suspension already served by the athlete was credited against the ineligibility period.

CAS Reduces Suspension Time to Two Years

Elias' legal team appealed the decision on 20 June 2024 with CAS. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on 16 October 2024 and decided to reduce the suspension time from four years to two years.

Agusti back in the show ring with Iejoor

CAS declared that Elias is "ineligible to participate in any competition or other activity for a period of two years (...) as from the day of notification of this Award with credit given for the period of Provisional Suspension and of ineligibility already served. All other points of the decision rendered on 4 June 2024 by the FEI Tribunal are confirmed."

As Elias had already been provisionally suspended since 1 September 2022 he had served his time.

"It has been a very hard two years for me, but I can happily tell everyone my nightmare is finally over," Agusti stated on 20 October 2024. "We won the case against the FEI thanks to the CAS and my lawyers."

Return to Competition with New Grand Prix Horse

Antonia Ramel and Iejoor at the 2022 CDN Hagen

Agusti immediately returned to competition four days after the verdict with a new Grand Prix horse, Iejoor, an 11-year old KWPN gelding by Charmeur out of Bachelor Girl (by UB 40), bred by Dirk Fiechter.

Iejoor is listed as owned by La Pomme HB, the company behind the Swedish Ramel sisters. The black gelding competed in two CDI's so far under Antonia Ramel in 2023. She premiered him at the CDI Lier in February 2023, posting 64.00% in the Grand Prix. Six months later she showed him at the CDI Hagen in September and got 62.391%

The Ramel sisters, who have collaborated with Elias in the past, sent Iejoor to Elias in Barcelona, Spain.

"It feels great to be back competing again," said Agusti.

Retirement of Altaneiro

Iejoor has taken over the baton from Agusti's celebrated Grand Prix horse Altaneiro.

With Altaneiro at the 2021 CDI Grote Brogel,
which counted as Spanish Olympic team selection trial

The Lusitano bred Altaneiro (by Altivo x Haxixe) made his Grand Prix debut under Spaniard Sergio Martin Palos in 2015. Agusti competed him between 2017 and 2022 with starts at big shows in Fritzens, Geesteren, Falsterbo, Hagen, Aachen, London, and Compiegne. During his suspension Agusti's wife Annabelle Collins showed the horse at the 2023 CDI Waregem and Lisbon, while student Adan Esterlich Arasa rode him in the U25 at the 2024 CDI's in Camera de Esteruelas and Esposende.

The 19-year old was retired from competition sport at the start of November at the 2024 Catalonian regional championships, where Agusti won silver in their last show together.

"Alti is the horse of my life and I will have him in my heart forever," said Agusti. "

Now with 19 years of age it is time to enjoy the retirement in the green fields of Can Alzina."