By Staff writer
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, on Monday issued a new law to combat the trade or use of banned substances in horse racing and equestrian sports events in the country.
The law aims to protect legitimate competition in the sport and eliminate fraud while promoting the principle of sportsmanship, news agency WAM reported.
It added that the legislation will also encourage research on combating banned materials in horse racing and equestrian events, help develop the detection process to maximise the effectiveness of preventive strategies and educate owners and professionals about the seriousness of the use of prohibited substances.
In May 2013, Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who owns the Godolphin stables where 18 horses failed tests for anabolic steroids last year, said doping horses would become a criminal offence in the UAE.
In February 2014, Godolphin’s former trainer Mahmood al-Zarooni was banned by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) after being found guilty of administering anabolic steroids at stables in Newmarket.
Under the new law, the Ministry of Environment and Water will grant approvals for the use of restricted substances for therapeutic purposes and research only after the requesting party meets certain conditions.
The law prohibits giving or injecting or trying to give or inject any prohibited substance to horses in any way or manner, using of banned substances without obtaining a licence from the ministry, as well as refusing to test the horses or manipulating any of the control procedures of using banned substances, or helping the owner or arranging or encouraging or covering up any process related to giving banned materials to horses.
In addition, the law prohibits any other act related to the distribution or use of prohibited substances in horse racing and equestrian sports in the UAE.
Anyone who violates any provision of this law will be fined between AED20,000-200,000.
The fine will be doubled in the event of repeat violation within three years from the date of committing the previous offence, to not more than AED500,000.
The law also takes a number of administrative decisions against the offender which includes a ban from participating in horse racing and equestrian sport for up to three years, the closure of offending establishments for the same period as well as the cancellation of the offending establishment’s licence.
