1. Veterinary Inspection

The veterinary inspection and the checking of passports and identification documents will commence on Wednesday 24^th January 2024 at 11.00am.

2. Vaccination against equine influenza

All horses must be up to date with their influenza vaccination.  The confirmation of the vaccination history must be included in the horse passport and validated by the Organiser’s Veterinarian.

EQUINE INFLUENZA VACCINATION REGULATION for all horses competing in ECAHO competitions

-All horses (except foals at foot of the dam) must have received an initial Primary Course of two vaccination doses administered a minimum of 21 and a maximum of 92 days apart.

-Foals should begin the primary course of vaccination at 6 months of age. It is under the owners´ responsibility if they are shown before the primary course of vaccination is complete.

-Foals should begin the primary course of vaccination at 6 months of age.  It is under the owner’s responsibility if they are shown before the primary course of vaccination is complete.

-The First Booster must be given within 7 calendar months following the date of administration of the second vaccination of the primary course.

-Horses which have received a correct primary course of vaccinations may arrive at an ECAHO event up to 6 months + 21 days after the second dose of the Primary Course.

-Horses that were correctly certified as receiving the primary course prior to 2009 are not required to fulfil the requirement of the first booster, providing there has been no lapse in their vaccination regime.

-Further booster vaccinations must be given within 12 months of the last dose, or shorter intervals where local or national authorities require it.  However, horses that are competing must have been vaccinated with 6 months + 21 days of arriving at the show an ECAHO event.

-No vaccination may be given within 7 days of the day of arrival at the ECAHO event.

Vaccines must be administered by a veterinarian. The details of the vaccine, serial/batch number and the date of administration must be recorded in the passport, signed and stamped by the veterinarian who administered the vaccination.

The entering of vaccination details in a new passport or a duplicate: if the vaccination history of a horse is very long, the veterinarian may use the following statement “The vaccination history of this horse is correct to date……. (Enter the last vaccination date)”, signed and stamped by a veterinarian.

Sanctions for vaccination irregularities:

a) regarding the 6 months + 21 days from last vaccination date:

· Up to 1 week late: a fine of €130. The horse will be allowed to compete.

· Between 1 and 2 weeks late: a fine of € 200. The horse will be allowed to compete.

· More than 2 Weeks late or – Last vaccination within the last 7 days of arrival:

a fine of € 280, the horse will not be allowed to compete and must leave the show ground

as soon as possible.

-Sanctions for vaccination irregularities

-Regarding the 6 months + 21 days from last vaccination date:

1. 1. Up to 1 week late: a fine of €130 – The horse will be allowed to compete.
   2. Between 1 and 2 weeks late: a fine of € 200 – The horse will be allowed to compete.
   3. More than 2 weeks late or – Last vaccination within the last 7 days of arrival: a fine of € 280, the horse will not be allowed to compete and must leave the show ground as soon as possible. Regarding incorrect, incomplete or missing Primary course, Incorrect or missing First booster vaccination and/or overdue yearly booster:

Where required: a fine of € 280, the horse will not be allowed to compete and must leave the show ground as soon as possible.  (The vaccinations must be restarted as in articles 1 and 2).

-Repeat offenders of any minimum vaccination requirement contravention will be reported to the SDC for consideration of higher sanctions.

– Preface

For the ECAHO Rules for Medication Control the following definitions shall apply:

-The term “sampling veterinarians” refers to any FEI approved veterinarians and those veterinarians included in the List of ECAHO approved sampling veterinarians as available at www.ecaho.org.

-The term “ECAHO approved testing laboratory” defines the Laboratoire des Courses Hippiques (LCH), 15 Rue de Paradis, ZAC Pompidou, 91370, Verrieres le Buisson, France.

-The term “Prohibited substances” defines zero tolerance for those substances which are listed in the “FEI Equine Prohibited Substances List” as valid at the time of sample taking.

-The testing procedures will follow the current “Manual for sampling veterinarians” as issued by LCH laboratory.

-The person responsible for the horse is the registered owner of the lessee, but the person who signs the entry form, the handler, and other support personnel including but not limited to grooms and veterinarians may be regarded as additional persons responsible if they are present at the event or have made a relevant decision about the horse.  Should the person responsible designate someone to represent them (e.g. a lawyer) any correspondence sent to this representative will be deemed to have been communicated to the person responsible.

Rules

–The administration of any substance not a normal nutrient (including irritants applied to the skin and mucous membranes), whether intentionally or unintentionally, which may affect the performance, temperament or soundness of an exhibit is forbidden. Such substances are listed in the list of prohibited substances.

2 a) At all ECAHO affiliated shows medication testing may be carried out at the discretion of the DC or the judges.

b) At all Title shows and A-shows the medication testing of all Gold Medal champions is compulsory.

c) Any horse at any show may be tested at the discretion of the DC or judges.

3. Both urine – and blood samples must be taken according to the “Manual for sampling veterinarians” which is enclosed with the sampling kits. If after a prolonged wait (no less than 30 minutes), no urine sample can be obtained, blood collection only is acceptable. Only sampling veterinarians may collect the samples and they may not act in any other capacity at a show in which they have been appointed sampling veterinarians.

4 The organiser will provide fresh bedding and a clean box for each horse to be tested. These boxes will be marked as sampling boxes and will be used exclusively for this purpose. They should be located in a quiet environment with no public access.

5. All samples taken at a show must only be sent to the ECAHO approved testing laboratory               which is the Laboratoire des Courses Hippiques, 15 rue de Paradis, ZAC Pompidou,                         91370 Verrieres le Buisson, France.

The sampling kits, their transport from and to the ECAHO approved testing laboratory, analyses and honoraria of sampling veterinarians will be paid by the show organizer or by the National Registry/Association.

6. Any exhibit for which the sampling veterinarian certifies that in his opinion the collection of blood, urine or other substances may endanger the exhibit concerned or the persons handling such exhibit, will inform the DC’s who will disqualify the horse and forward the case to the SDC. Any horse so disqualified will not receive any prize or title and will not compete further at the show concerned.

7. Horses withdrawn from such test by the person responsible will not receive any prize or title, will not compete further at the show concerned and will be treated as if positive. The case will be forwarded to the SDC.

8. The ECAHO approved testing laboratory will send the results of the tests to the ECAHO Executive Secretary and the organizer of the show.

1. All offences of the Medication Control rules will be dealt with by the Standing Disciplinary Committee (SDC).

10. In the event that an exhibit is tested positive, the person responsible will be held fully responsible for the horse unless such person can provide full and proper evidence implicating some other person.

11. When a notification is received that a horse tested positive for prohibited substances, the Executive    Secretary will forward the test results to the SDC, together with the details of horse and show concerned and will ask the show organiser for copies of the entry forms to be sent to the SDC. The SDC will consider all evidence available.

12. a) When a horse has been tested positive for prohibited substances, the person responsible will be informed and be offered the option of having the B sample tested. The request for testing the B sample, together with the election of the laboratory to be used for the analysis must be directed to the Executive Secretary in writing within 30 days after the receipt of notification is confirmed.  The person responsible may elect to have the B sample analyzed at one of the following approved laboratories for B tests:

1. Laboratoire des Courses Hippiques LCH, 13 Rue de Paradis, 91370, Verrieres le Buisson, France
2. LGC Ltd, Newmarket Road, Fordham, Cambridgeshire, CB7 5WW, United Kingdom
3. The Honk Kong Jockey Club – Racing Laboratory, Shatin Racecourse, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.

In the event there is no specific confirmation of receipt, receipt shall be assumed to have occurred after ten (10) days from dispatch of the notice.

b)  With such request, the person responsible may request a hearing at which the SDC will meet and the person responsible or his representative may be heard.  Such hearing may be held not less than 42 days after the person responsible or his representative has been informed.  The SDC will decide what form the hearing will take physical presence, via telecommunication or written – and communicate the estimated costs of the hearing to the person responsible who must advance the cost of said hearing within ten (10) days of receiving the estimate.  Should ECAHO not receive the full amount of the estimated costs within the time stipulated these proceedings will be terminated.  The request for a hearing will have no suspensory effect on any penalty imposed by the SDC.

1. The SDC may provisionally suspend a horse from participating in any show prior to the opportunity of a full hearing if that horse was tested positive for prohibited substances (A sample or B sample).  If a provisional suspension is imposed by the SDC the person responsible may submit to the SDC a short statement in writing in order to show cause why the provisional suspension should be lifted.  The provisional suspension shall be maintained unless the person responsible establishes to the satisfaction of the SDC that exceptional circumstances exist that make it clearly unfair, taking into account all of the circumstances of the case, to impose a provisional suspension prior to the hearing.

13. a) Horses in whose body fluids a forbidden substance is discovered are automatically disqualified from the competition concerned if no second test (B sample) is requested.  Should a second test (B sample) be requested by the person responsible and found positive, the disqualification shall become effective after this second result has been communicated to the person responsible or his representative.

b) If the person responsible requested the B sample to be analyzed, but did not elect a laboratory in time.  ECAHO shall solely determine which one of the following laboratories shall analyze the B sample: Laboratoire des Course Hippiques (L.C.H), France; LGC Ltd, United Kingdom; The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Sha Tin, Hong Kong.

1. Should the B sample result be negative all proceedings will be terminated.

14 a) The penalty for the use of prohibited medication will be a fine of up to 4,000 Euro per horse, and the loss of place, title, qualification and the return of any trophies and/or prize money, and the horse will be suspended from participating in any ECAHO affiliated show for a period of one (1) year after the day the sanctions were imposed by the SDC.  If the fine is not paid within one year, the horse will continue to be banned for a longer period of time until the full amount of the fine is received by ECAHO.  Any other horses owned by the person responsible, stud farm or breeding entity will also be banned from participating in any ECAHO affiliated shows until the full amount of the fine is received by ECAHO.

b) The penalty for the use of irritants will be a fine of up to 1000 Euro per horse, and the loss of place, title and qualification and the return of any trophies and/or prize money.  The horse will be banned from participating in any ECAHO affiliated show until the full amount of the fine is received by ECAHO.  Any other horses owned by the person responsible, stud farm or breeding entity will also be banned from participating in any ECAHO affiliated shows until the full amount of the fine is received by ECAHO.

15. The person responsible will be liable for all costs of medication testing and subsequent costs of investigation, possible legal proceedings and all other follow-up costs arising out of this case (See articles 33 and 34 RDC).  With regards to further sanctions against the person responsible and the horse concerned, rule 24 of RDC is applicable.  All horses owned by the person responsible, stud farm or breeding entity will be banned from participating in any ECAHO affiliated shows until the full amount of the costs is received by ECAHO. 

16.  Decisions may be made public at the conclusion of the proceedings.