FOUR riders have now been disqualified from the Olympic show jumping in Rio de Janeiro under the FEI rule on horse bleeding due to excessive use of spurs or whip.

The Ukraine’s Cassio Rivetti (Fine Fleur du Marais) and Brazil’s home crowd favourite Stephan De Freitas Barcha (Landpeter Do Feroleto) will not be eligible to participate in the second round of the competition today, which is the third individual qualifier and the team final.

Jur Vireling of the Netherlands and Belgian rider Nicola Philippaerts were also disqualified under the so-called blood rule on Sunday.

Stephan Ellenbruch, president of the Rio 2016 Equestrian Olympic Ground Jury, stated: “Horse welfare is the most important element of equestrian sport. Disqualification under this rule does not imply that there was intent to injure the horse, but it is essential that the rules are enforced in order to ensure that horse welfare is protected.”

Disqualification under this rule does not imply that there was intent to injure the horse

THE FEI RULE

Article 242.3.1 Horses bleeding on the flank(s), in the mouth or nose or marks indicating excessive use of spurs or of the whip anywhere on the Horse (in minor cases of blood in the mouth, such as where a Horse appears to have bitten its tongue or lip, Officials may authorize the rinsing or wiping of the mouth and allow the Athlete to continue; any further evidence of blood in the mouth will result in Disqualification.)

"Stephan used the spurs during the competition to encourage the horse but unfortunately broke the skin, resulting in mandatory disqualification, which is clearly set out in the rules of our sport,” Brazilian team veterinarian Rogério Saito said.

The Brazilian team filed a protest to the Ground Jury against Stephan de Freitas Barcha’s disqualification.

However the Ground Jury issued their decision confirming the disqualification. An appeal against the decision of the Ground Jury was subsequently lodged with the Appeals Committee, which also confirmed the disqualification.

EXCESSIVE

On Sunday, Dutch rider Jur Vrieling was disqualified after the opening round of Olympic show jumping for ‘excessive use of spurs or whip’ on his mount Zirocco Blue.

He was disqualified from the individual show jumping competition but was allowed to jump again on Tuesday as part of the Dutch team.

Vrieling was booed by the crowd at Deodoro when he overused the whip on Zirocco Blue after the horse refused twice on Sunday

It is stupid, this happened in the heat of the moment, and it will not happen again

Vrieling said: “I was encouraging him, saying ‘come on boy, don’t do this again’. I should not have given him these extra pushes. It is stupid, this happened in the heat of the moment, and it will not happen again.”

Zirocco Blue refused twice again in the team competition yesterday, resulting in elimination for the pair.

Also on Sunday, Belgian rider Nicola Philippaerts was disqualified for overuse of his spurs when Zilverstar T was another to refuse at the Musical Instruments bogey double.

As he was competing as an individual only, Philippaerts did not participate any further in the competition.

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