Following news of his Fédération Equestre Internationale suspension, France’s Maxime Livio announced he will appeal the decision and length of suspension to the FEI’s Court Of Arbitration.
Livio is suspended for six months following a positive finding for a controlled medication substance, hydroxyethylpromazine sulfoxide which is a metabolite of the sedative acepromazine, in his 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games mount Qalao des Mers
“Following receipt of the final court decision regarding me and the official press release the FEI issued [on May 8], I have had to learn to live with an unjust penalty,” Livio said in a statement. “My education did not prepare me for this, and it’s difficult. The facts are simple. I have not given this product to my horse, and no person around me did either.”
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Livio stated that his mount was also tested after the Saumur CCI*** (France), in May of last year, and at the Aachen CIC*** (Germany) in July.
“All the results of these tests were negative with excellent grades in dressage,” he said. “So I had absolutely no sports or medical interest to give my horse any drug product without permission.”
