FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos has spoken publicly for the first time about the Canadian team Jumping horse Victor, which was disqualified under the FEI’s hypersensitivity protocol shortly before the Olympic team competition in London on 5 August.

“Disqualification of an athlete will always spark speculation, but in the case of Tiffany Foster’s horse Victor the protocol established very clearly that this was an obvious case of hypersensitivity”, Ingmar De Vos said today. “This was a unanimous decision, supported by four highly qualified veterinarians who specialise in testing for hypersensitivity using a system that has been monitoring FEI competitions since 2005.”

“These have been really great Games, and all the equestrian disciplines at Greenwich have been very special. The spectacular sport and the fantastic crowds are the memories that we will take away from London 2012.”

Notes to Editors:

The horse Victor, ridden by Tiffany Foster, was disqualified under the FEI hypersensitivity protocol due to an area of clear and obvious hypersensitivity on the front of the coronary band on the left forelimb. The FEI Veterinary Commission stated that the horse had an area of inflammation and excessive sensitivity on the left forelimb and was deemed unfit to compete by the Ground Jury.

A protest lodged by the Canadian chef d’equipe was heard by the FEI Appeal Committee and was denied based on Annex XI of the FEI Veterinary Regulations, which state: "there is no appeal against the decision of the Ground Jury to disqualify a horse for abnormal sensitivity from an Event". The FEI General Regulations also clearly state that there is no appeal against an elimination of a horse for veterinary reasons.