SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

Sidelines MagazineSidelines Magazine

  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Flipbook
    • Subscribe Options
    • Order Individual & Back Issues
  • Podcast
  • Marketplace
    • Business Ads
    • Directories
      • Barns, Farms, Trainers & Clubs
      • Equestrian Services
      • Real Estate
      • Stallions
      • Tack & Feed Stores
    • Classifieds
    • Horse Trailers for Sale
  • Advertise
  • Blogs
    • Show World
    • What’s Happenin’
  • Partners
  • Contacts
    • Contacts
    • Employment
0
Monday, December 13 2021 / Published in Sidelines Feature

The Olympic Movement’s Role in Equestrian Athletes’ Right to Compete

By Armand Leone, Jr. 

In the U.S. horse community, judicial courts exist to address criminal matters such as horse abuse and insurance fraud, while civil courts address other types of fraud as well as things like contract breaches and misrepresentation.

However, in the U.S. and internationally, when a dispute arises about an equestrian athlete’s ability to compete on a national team or to be a member of an organization such as US Equestrian (USEF) or the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), litigation in a court of law is not well-suited for solving violations of equestrian competition and team selection rules. Instead, the right to compete is protected by the right to a hearing before the USEF Hearing Committee or FEI Tribunal, where the athlete, owner or official has an opportunity to contest charges of rule violations and present evidence in his or her favor and a defense to a panel of experienced horse people in an arbitration setting. 

The right to compete can be suspended if federation rules are violated. Offenses that can affect a member’s right to compete are drug violations, failure to pay competition fees, horse abuse and violating rules for fair competition. If a decision is unfavorable to the athlete or member, there is an opportunity to appeal it to the American Arbitration Association (AAA) or to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), respectively.

The ability to compete as an equestrian athlete in the U.S. is a very valuable right. For many people in the equestrian community, competing is their livelihood. When an equestrian is charged with an alleged wrongdoing by their member organization, this right is put in jeopardy as suspensions and fines may be handed down. What’s more, these allegations and disputes can lead to reputational damage and ostracism. So, for equestrian athletes, it’s important to understand how this arbitration system works and the Olympic Movement’s role in it. Let’s start by looking at how the Olympic Movement is structured, and why courts are not suited to resolve these disputes. 

The global Olympic Movement is supported by 40 international federations (such as the FEI) that govern various sports on a global level and 206 National Olympic Committees (such as the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, or USOPC), which oversee Olympic sport as a whole in each nation. International sport organizations cross many jurisdictions and countries.

In the U.S., the USOPC charters a National Governing Body (NGB), which is a sports member organization that promotes and manages the sport; fields, trains and sends teams to Olympic Games and World Championships; establishes the rules for its U.S. Olympic team; and enforces rules and maintains the integrity of the sport. For equestrian sport in the U.S., the NGB is USEF.

When a dispute over the association’s rules arises against a member of the USEF or FEI, for example, courts are generally ineffective in reaching a resolution due to lack of jurisdiction over the foreign individuals and organizations that organize the international sport. Courts also lack the knowledge of equestrian sport that is essential to understanding the issues. Most importantly, many issues about the right to compete require rapid resolution before a competition deadline, and courts are not designed to address these situations.

Sports disputes are resolved by arbitration with limited ability to overturn a decision of the member organization or association. The case Reynolds v. Int. Amateur Athletic Federation, 112 U.S.2512, demonstrated the inability of U.S. courts to resolve right-to-compete disputes in international competition. The Reynolds case ended in a standoff between the U.S. Court and the International Association of International Amateur Athletic Association (IAAF). As a result, the IOC developed CAS to avoid future litigation stalemates in courts and to resolve right-to-compete issues. The AAA in the U.S. and the CAS in Switzerland hear appeals of decisions and the parties present their case for a rehearing. After the appeal has been decided, the ability to challenge the arbitral decision in the courts is limited. 

In the Reynolds case, the U.S. sprinter and Olympic gold and silver medalist Butch Reynolds was tested for illegal performance-enhancing drugs following a race in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Two samples were taken, and both tested positive for containing trace amounts of a steroid banned by international track regulations created by the IAAF. At the time, IAAF was the international association made up of track and field organizations for 205 nations and territories, including The Athletics Congress of the United States, Inc. (TAC), the U.S. NGB for track and field. As a result, the IAAF suspended Reynolds from all international meets for two years, banishing his hopes of competing in the 1991 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. 

Reynolds filed a suit in his home state of Ohio stating that the test was given negligently and provided a flawed result. The Southern District of Ohio dismissed one claim and noted that Reynolds hadn’t exhausted his internal remedies as required by the Amateur Sports Act, 36 U.S.C. § 371-396 (1988) and TAC. His case was dismissed until administrative remedies were exhausted. Once Reynolds went through the internal process, he was still suspended, and refiled with the court. The IAAF refused to subject itself to the jurisdiction of the U.S. courts. Reynolds succeeded in having the U.S. Supreme Court affirm his monetary award and his right to compete, but the IAAF still refused to recognize Reynolds’ right to compete. Although Reynolds was allowed to compete in the U.S., the IAAF maintained its decision and threatened to suspend any track and field athletes who competed against Reynolds while suspended. The IAAF also refused to hold any track events in the U.S. in order to avoid falling under the jurisdiction of the U.S. courts and in turn pay the damages awarded to Reynolds. In the end, Reynolds failed to qualify for future competitions and the matter became moot.

The IOC was determined to avoid this situation in the future, so it set up the rules for the CAS. Ultimately, CAS is the final decision maker in international right-to-compete disputes. CAS also oversees other aspects of international sport, but it is the resolution of right-to-compete disputes that most directly impacts equestrian athletes. 

While courts are suited to dealing with criminal and civil actions related to horses, it is the sport organizations that deal with membership right to compete. Members who violate sport rules can be suspended from participation in the sport and be required to pay a fine to USEF, FEI or both. These organizations are responsible for maintaining the integrity and safety of equestrian sport and enforcing the rules. Though USEF and FEI cannot put anyone in jail or require that money be transferred between individuals, both organizations can prevent athletes and professionals from participating in the sport if rules are not followed, which can be detrimental for those who have made a career in the sport. 

Photo:

The ability to compete as an equestrian athlete in the U.S. is a very valuable right.

Photo by Jump Media

Double D Trailers Info

Share this page:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

What you can read next

The Risk and Duty of Designing Jumping Courses
Celebrating the Power of Pony Riders
NEXT SIDELINES CONTEST – BACKSTAGE PASS PHOTO CONTEST

Download Sidelines Digital now from your favorite app store!

Sidelines Magazine - Apple store   Sidelines Magazine - Google Play store   Sidelines Magazine - Amazon store
Update iOS app. Re-download Google Play and Amazon app.

Follow on Instagram!

sidelines_magazine

Sidelines Magazine
Our favorite moments from Saturday’s CSI4* 216,0 Our favorite moments from Saturday’s CSI4* 216,000 @netjets Grand Prix at @wellingtoninternational_wef 🤩🌴

Which 📸 is your favorite?

@isabelkurek #wef #wellington #showjumping #grandprix #equestrian #horselover #showjumper #grandprixjumper #warmbloodsofinstagram #equinephotography #horseshow #wellyworld #sidelinesmagazine
Dedication, perseverance and a support team like n Dedication, perseverance and a support team like no other—that’s Liz Lund’s recipe for eventing success. An accomplished eventer, breeder and trainer, Liz splits her time between Copeland Farms North in her home state of Minnesota, and Copeland Farms South in sunny Ocala, Florida. As Liz continues growing her business, she has only one mantra: Love what you do, and the rest will fall in place. 

Get to know Liz and her journey as an eventer and businesswoman at the link in our bio!

📸 Melissa Fuller #eventing #equestrian #dressage #showjumping #horse #horsesofinstagram #horses #equine #equestrianlife #horseriding #crosscountry #pony #eventer #jumping #equestrianstyle #eventinghorse #hunterjumper #equestriansofinstagram #dressagehorse #instahorse #showjumper #horselife #horsebackriding #horselove #pferd #horserider #horselover #ocala #eventinglife #sidelinesmagazine
It’s been a while since I’ve shown. After Indo It’s been a while since I’ve shown. After Indoors we turned the horses out and let them be horses. But now it’s time and I’m getting ready to head to Florida for the winter circuit. I’m feeling a bit anxious about getting back into the competitive state of mind, doubting myself and feeling more stress than I did when I was showing. Is this normal? What’s happening to me? What do I do to get back into the right place in my head? Why do I keep going back to this if it does what it does to me at the start of each season? - a Sidelines fan

"Throughout human history, people have enjoyed organizing competitions—the Ancient Greek Olympic Games go back to 776 BC. If you look around, you’ll notice that competition is everywhere in the modern world. Many historians believe that 'competitiveness' is a biological trait that co-evolved with the basic need for human survival. However, returning to a competitive state after time off from being a competitive athlete can be quite daunting," says sports psychologist Margie Sugarman.

"The proper mindset keeps you grounded in the present instead of solely focusing on the results. This automatically helps lower the performance brain state and allows for better focus, performance and results- Focus on what you can control."

Read the full column at the link in our bio!

📸 Ruby Tevis #paard #eventing #pferdeliebe #horsemanship #equinelife #jumping #horsepower #equestrianlifestyle #caballos #horsestagram #pferdefotografie #horsegirl #horseshow #equestrians #ponies #quarterhorse #horselovers #mare #thoroughbred #showjumper #equinephotographer #instagram #horsephotographer #equitation #horseaddict #horsetraining #horseoftheday #gelding #equestrianphotography #sidelinesmagazine
Emily Dulin has always been an animal lover, and h Emily Dulin has always been an animal lover, and helping others is in her blood. She’s the daughter of a Venezuelan ambassador and has spent much of her professional career working in social services and animal welfare. In 2015, Emily took on the role of chief executive officer of Brooke USA Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the welfare of working horses, donkeys and mules, and helping the people that depend on them for survival worldwide. 

“We are making a difference,” Emily said. “We will evaluate an animal at the start of a new program, and then just one, two and then five years later, we see marked improvements in terms of how they are handled, husbandry practices, what they eat and even how crops are being grown just to feed their animals—how feed is stored—and more. To see that end result firsthand is what I find most satisfying.”

Get to know Emily and how she helps working equines as the leader of @brooke_usa at the link in our bio!

Thank you to Brooke and Cody Holcomb of Wyco Ranch in Ft. Pierce, Florida, for the use of your farm, donkeys and horses for the Sidelines photo shoot.

📸 Melissa Fuller #equine #horse #equestrian #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrianlife #horseriding #dressage #instahorse #pony #horselove #pferd #equinephotography #showjumping #horselover #horselife #cheval #horsebackriding #horsephotography #equestrianstyle #donkey #pferde #horseofinstagram #equestriansofinstagram #riding #photography #equinesofinstagram #caballo #dressagehorse #sidelinesmagazine
Load More... Follow on Instagram

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • EASTERN HAY
    Your Best Hay 845-855-3291 www.easternhay.com New York

    [Read more]

  • A Wynning Advantage
    Take the Leap! Take your equestrian event or business to the next level. Lifestyle Marketing • Public Relations • Sponsorship Sales • Event Activation Sponsorship • Marketing • Promotion Event Management • Ananlytics Press/Email Campaigns • Editorial Photography • Social Media • Website Design Ad Copy • Onsite and Remote Activation Lisa Davis Engel • awynningadvantage@yahoo.com • 908-310-6248

    [Read more]

Sidelines Articles by Email

Subscribe to Sidelines Magazine Articles by Email

RSS Sidelines Blogs: What’s Happenin’

  • Longines Global Champions Tour of New York Returns to Governors Island
  • A Paris Horse Adventure: Saut Hermes 2022
  • Better Business with Malvern Bank: Michael Meller’s Secrets to Success

RSS Sidelines Blogs: Show World

  • Jung Ends as He Began — On Top — at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN™
  • ROLEX TESTIMONEE DANIEL DEUSSER WINS ROLEX GRAND PRIX AT 2022 DUTCH MASTERS
  • STABLE VIEW IN AIKEN POSTPONING ‘A’ RATED $400,000 H/J CHALLENGE SERIES DUE TO RESTRICTIVE MILEAGE RULE

Category

Recent Posts

  • Vanessa Whitell: Finding the Feeling Through Equine Art

    By Shya Beth What sets dressage rider and artis...
  • A Tale of Two Kiwis: The Wordley Martin Story

    By Amanda Picciotto Feitosa Getting to the top ...
  • Unbridled With Mary Choate

    By Ruby Tevis Mary Choate’s impact within the h...
  • Making Mistakes Is Part of Riding

    By Rob Jacobs I remind my students that human e...
  • The Challenges of Dressage Judging in Eventing 

    By Liz Halliday-Sharp The dressage phase in eve...

Copyright © 1987 - 2021 Sidelines Magazine
Privacy Policy · Returns & Refunds Policy · Hosting by Lucian Web Service
· Login

TOP
Get the Sidelines Scoop — your weekly look behind the scenes.Sign me up!