A huge thanks to Angela Corner for her effort in detailing in italics the frankly incredible statistics below.

This is the link to the FEI results of The President’s Cup 13 Feb 2015 she discusses, clearly showing the disqualifications.

“Faked Endurance rides/qualifications FEI investigation Update

The purge of results from the faked UAE endurance races has begun and the fall out has being seen in real races.

The main target for many of the horses involved in the faked rides/qualifications scandal seems to have been the HH President of the UAE Endurance Cup held on 14.02.15.

The President’s Cup 160km*** race is one of the biggest and most prestigious races of the international calendar and attracts riders from around the world each year. This year the prizes included 4WD cars for the first 11 finishers as well as prize money.

Let’s look at the stats which show the scale of what has been going on:

There were 158 starters in the race in Feb 2015. THIRTY of those horses were ineligible to start in the race because they had not completed the necessary qualifiying rides. That’s 19% of all the horses that started.

Nearly ONE FIFTH of the horses have now been DISQUALIFIED from the race. Those 30 horses were trained by 13 DIFFERENT trainers.

The stables involved include:

The stables of HH Sh Hamdan Bin Mohammad – two horses disqualified.

The Fazaa Endurance Team (the stable set up by Sheikh Hamdan, Crown Prince of Dubai) – two horses disqualified including one ridden by Sheikh Hamdan himself.

MRM Stables and joint top of the disqualified horse leader board Al Jazeera Stables with 5 horses disqualified from the race.

These are some of the leading stables in the UAE run by professional endurance trainers. These results show the scale of the problems in the UAE. Not just one or two bad apples as some would like to think but many of the leading stables are implicated. Let us hope that everyone will start to obey the rules from now on … otherwise the recently temporary suspension is very likely to become permanent. “

For ERF welfare concerns, this begs several major questions.

1. Not only are there serious integrity and fraudulent issues at play, but the horses concerned will not have had the necessary steps to prepare them for such a major race.

2. Why was the UAE suspension lifted before this was all investigated and the guilty parties suitably punished? Allowing the UAE to continue competing on the international stage is tantamount to condoning these actions, as the horses will continue to suffer.

3. Many of these involved in the faking of the qualifications are major players in European Thoroughbred racing and bloodstock, so doubts have to be cast on their management in those areas also.

4. The horse at the top of the page as the header image, with the eyes taped over and wearing earplugs was one of the disqualified horses, ineligible to compete. ‘Trained’ by Al Jazeea Stables 2. Why would they need to make him so unaware of his surroundings? This is unacceptable abuse of horses.

Never forget what happened to Splitters Creek Bundy. Please beware of disturbing images before you open this link. His horrendous death was the catalyst for many to fight for change. Please continue that fight.