by KatyM, Community News 

Yvonne Losos de Muñiz (Dominican Republic) will Cease Dressage Competition
over FEI Conduct

Yvonne Losos de Muñiz of the Dominican Republic has announced that she will no longer compete in dressage following the release of the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding her case about FEI Olympic qualifying for the South America region.

Losos de Muñiz earned Olympic qualifying scores in the US where all competitions were scored by at least three foreign judges per FEI qualifying procedures.  However, her scores were lower than the top scorer for the region, Luiza Tavares of Brazil who qualified at shows in Brazil that only used two foreign judges rather than the three specified.  The FEI designated Tavares as qualified for the Olympics, justified by a 2010 memo that had been used specifically for World Equestrian Games qualifying and was not incorporated into permanent FEI qualifying procedures.  Losos de Muñiz appealed the to the FEI regarding the decision for Taveres, then took the case to the CAS prior to the start of the Olympics.  The CAS announced its decision in favor of Taveres, but did not release its full report until yesterday.  

In her statement regarding the CAS report, Losos de Muñiz said:

"I have concluded that much to my regret it is now time for me to withdraw from participating in the sport I love, to which I have dedicated much effort for so many years. My decision is not a result of losing the appeal, but rather a direct and unfortunate consequence of the manner in which I was treated by the FEI, specifically by its Dressage and Legal departments, during my protest and appeal. ...

"... the panel repeatedly points out how the FEI and its Legal Department failed to convince them that the famous 2010 Exception Memo was correct in its application and spirit, and instead maintains that the FEI failed in doing its job of applying the Olympic Qualification rules correctly in the Brazilian events. ...

" ... it will be very difficult for me to continue competing in the sport of dressage after witnessing the unjustified, unfair and biased approach that the FEI Legal Department, headed by its Legal Counsel Lisa Lazarus-who worked in very close coordination with the other respondent, Brazil-used to confront our protest and latter appeal before both the FEI Tribunal and CAS, despite being at fault for its mismanagement of the 2012 Olympic Qualification events held in Brazil. The FEI legal team went to unacceptable extremes during the entire process by questioning the motives for my protest and appeal, diminishing my professional capabilities and dismissing my personal accomplishments in an all-out attempt to ensure that we lost the case. ...

"I was repeatedly portrayed by the FEI in a manner which totally contradicts my values as a professional athlete with regards to fair play, sportsmanship, training and riding. My motives for filing the protest were characterized by Mrs. Lazarus as those of a sore loser and improviser. My personal life and my decision to train and compete in the USA, as do many other international riders in that country or in Europe, was examined and questioned to the point of promoting ridiculous, unfounded allegations."

For the full statement, check Eurodressage.com.

Discover the latest innovations in equine nutrition and much, much more at SmartPak.com: