Global Champions League: FEI Officials erhalten ‚Einsatzverbot‘

Das scheinbar nicht enden wollende Hin und Her zwischen den Initiatoren der Global Champions League (GCL) und dem Weltverband des Pferdesportes FEI geht in die nächste Runde. Seit Juni diesen Jahres kämpfen die beiden Reitsport-Großmächte vor allen möglichen Instanzen gegeneinander (EQWO.net berichtete). Der Grund? Die FEI will den Launch der von ihr nicht genehmigte Serie mit allen Mitteln verhindern – zuletzt mit dem Argument des Tierschutzes (EQWO.net berichtete).

Alle Einsprüche der FEI blieben bislang ohne Erfolg und der Start des neuen Teamformates schien für 2016 fix zu sein. Doch nun fährt die FEI weitere Geschütze auf und verbietet ihren Offiziellen die Teilnahme an der GCL.

Ein entsprechendes Schreiben wurde allen Officials am 8. Dezember von der FEI übermittelt. Darin steht, dass es ihnen nicht gestattet ist, für die GCL tätig zu werden. Die FEI wolle sie schützen, da bei einer von der FEI nicht genehmigten Veranstaltung kein Rechtsschutz vom Verband gelten würde. Weiter hieß es, dass das enorme Preisgeld der GCL dafür sorgen könne, das die Entscheidung eines Offiziellen als strittig angesehen oder angefochten wird. Die FEI hätte dann keine Handhabe, da die GCL außerhalb des FEI Rechtsrahmens liege. Sollte ein Official gegen dieses auferlegte Verbot verstoßen, droht ihm eine sechsmonatige Sperre.

Dies sei rechtlich in Ordnung, da man lediglich den Reitern kein Teilnahmeverbot erteilen dürfe – den Offiziellen hingegen schon.

Hier das Schreiben, welches alle FEI Officials von der FEI erhielten:

To all FEI Officials – Jumping
Re: Officiating at the Global Champions League Events

Dear FEI Officials,

This is to officially inform you that the Global Champions League (GCL) Events have not been sanctioned/approved by the FEI and, as a result, FEI Officials will not be authorised to officiate in any capacity at any GCL Event(s).

Please kindly note that this decision has been approved by the FEI Bureau on the basis that the FEI wishes to protect all its Officials. The Global Champions League rules have neither been submitted nor approved by the FEI, meaning that the FEI cannot endorse these rules from either a legal or sporting perspective. Given the very large prize money on offer, the potential for Officials’ decision to be challenged is high. If you were to officiate at these Unsanctioned Events (i.e. outside the jurisdiction of the FEI), the FEI Rules would not apply and the FEI would be unable to protect you in the event of, for instance, a legal action arising from any decision that an FEI Official may take.

Additionally, there is also no FEI insurance coverage for FEI Officials at Unsanctioned Events. The FEI’s Unsanctioned Events rule specifically states that it is applicable to Officials, so if an FEI Official participates in an Unsanctioned Event then such FEI Official will be ineligible to participate in an International or National Event for the next six months (please see art. 156.8 of the FEI General Regulations: “An Official is not eligible to participate in an International Event or National Event (and so may not be invited or nominated to participate in such event) if he has participated, in the six (6) months prior to the first day of the International Event or National Event in question, in an Unsanctioned Event.

An Official or his National Federation may challenge the application of this Article 156.9, or seek a waiver thereof in exceptional circumstances, by application to the Secretary General. A denial of that application may be appealed to the FEI Tribunal, such appeal to be heard on the papers without a live hearing unless the FEI Tribunal orders otherwise.”). Please kindly note also that the recent Belgian Competition Authority decision specifically does not order the suspension of art.156.8 with regard to FEI Officials and therefore the FEI is entitled to apply the Unsanctioned Event rule against FEI Officials.

As you may know, the Global Champions League has invited the FEI to send veterinarians to its Events and to sample horses, but if a horse were to test positive 2 the FEI would have no jurisdiction to prosecute the case and therefore cannot guarantee in accordance with its own rules that horses would be competing clean of prohibited substances. Therefore the FEI will not do any testing at such Unsanctioned Events.

Finally, and for the avoidance of any doubt, FEI Officials are allowed to officiate at the Global Champions Tour, which is an FEI sanctioned event, and other events if the Schedule has been approved by the FEI, but not at the Global Champions League competition. I thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter and please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or comments.

Sincerely yours,

Sabrina Ibáñez
FEI Secretary General

Quelle: cavallomagazine.it

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