September 2024 Issue

Page 28 September 2024 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN USEF press release The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) recently an- nounced three new initiatives to support sport horse welfare. The initiatives include revisions to the Horse Participation Consent Agreement, the development of a continuing education program for USEF team veterinarians, and the establishment of an education and research program in Chromatic BF’s name. The new initiatives follow the tragic death of Chromatic BF on April 18, 2024, at the 2024 World Cup Jumping Final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, following a spectacular round that earned him a podium finish. Since then, USEF has sought as much information as possible sur- rounding the circumstances that led to Chromatic BF’s death. The timing of Chromatic BF’s death raises questions about whether the medications administered that night contributed to the death. While the post-mortem report was inconclusive, fol- lowing USEF’s engagement of experts to study the find- ings, USEF believes the most probable contributor is related to medications administered to the horse by a USEF appoint- ed veterinarian shortly before the horse collapsed. The USEF appointed veterinarian made the decision to administer FEI-per- mitted medications that he believed would help sustain the horse’s performance in the days that followed. “I recognize Chromatic’s tragic death was the unintended consequence of a single vet- erinarian acting alone without prior consultation of anyone on Chromatic BF’s own team out of a well-intentioned but mistaken effort to help the horse prepare for the jumping final to be held two days later,” said Katharine C (Kc) Branscomb, the breeder and lifetime owner of Chromatic BF. “I truly ap- preciate that the USEF is taking substantive steps now towards improving sport horse welfare and better protecting all our competition horses.” USEF and Branscomb have worked together to develop a series of initiatives aimed at learning from this tragedy and mitigating the risk of a reoccur- rence. They include: 1. Revisions to the Horse Participation Consent Agree- ment: Revisions to the owner’s Horse Participation Consent Agreement, which will stipulate that, except in an emergency, no medications will be adminis- tered to horses by team veteri- narians at international compe- titions without prior consent of the athlete, who is the person responsible under FEI regula- tions for substances present in a horse. 2. Education Initiatives: USEF, in collaboration with American Association of Equine USEF Launches New Horse Welfare Initiatives (Continued on page 42)