THE NEW FEI BLOOD RULE: WHAT DO ATHLETES NEED TO KNOW
On the 7th of November 2025, the FEI General Assembly voted in favour of an amendment to Jumping Rules in respect of the applicable sanction to a horse with visible blood. The new rule, which is due to come into force on 1 January 2026, moves away from automatic elimination for visible blood and introduces a tiered warning system in circumstances where the blood is caused by a rider, equipment, or tack, and a discretionary ability for the horse to continue to compete in other cases. The previous rules gave discretion for the horse to continue only where blood was coming from the mouth, where it appeared to be minor and where it could be wiped or rinsed. Blood on a horse’s flank was cause for elimination, without discretion.
Blood caused by a rider, equipment, or tack will now result in a recorded warning, and if the same Person Responsible receives two or more recorded warnings within 12 months of the delivery of the first recorded warning, they will be automatically suspended for one month and will receive a fine of CHF 1,000 ($ 1,200). Recorded warnings will be published by the FEI and notified to National Federations.
The rule has provoked a lot of debate. Many athletes may welcome the change, and the resulting reduced risk of an elimination where blood is present not due to rider fault or error, for example, from an overreach. However, many stakeholders have criticised the change, expressing that it represents a serious risk to horse welfare and the trust of the public in the sport.
The rule changes permit the Ground Jury, in consultation with the Veterinary Delegate, to decide a horse may continue in cases where the blood is not caused by tack, equipment, or the athlete, where blood can be rinsed or wiped, and where the horse is deemed as “fit to compete”. The rule cites examples of where the horse appears to have bitten its tongue or lip or where it is bleeding from the nose.
We address in this article some possible difficulties which may arise from the new rule for athletes in navigating the rule change.
The fitness to compete provision confers discretion on the Ground Jury and Veterinary Delegate. It is possible that inconsistencies may arise with the interpretation of the rule at competition level. The previous rule concerning visible blood was a default elimination. The new rule provides the following discretionary decisions to be made at competition level when an incident of blood arises:-
- Whether the blood was rider or tack induced: there may be cases where this is not entirely clear, for example, where the horse is bleeding from the mouth but when it is unclear what the cause is.
- Whether the horse is fit to compete: this is a subjective decision made under necessary time pressure. It is possible that different veterinary surgeons, on different days, in different conditions, will reach a different decision when presented with similar circumstances, albeit that veterinary surgeons will of course have regard to the provisions of the FEI Veterinary Regulations.
Two events may therefore handle a similar blood incident differently. Inconsistent procedural interpretation of the regulations may pose a risk to athletes being treated fairly and equally.
From a legal perspective, a pure field of play decision is generally not able to be protested. A serious procedural and prejudicial error may be.
Athletes who experience a blood related incident at a competition may wish to keep in mind the following points:-
- Be aware in advance of the procedure which should be followed by ground officials
- Be mindful of the limited scope and time to protest as set out at Article 161.3 of the FEI General Regulations
- It will usually be advisable to request copies of all documentary evidence which you may be entitled to
- Give careful consideration to optics, and to your relationship with owners, sponsors and the public
The rule amendments aim to provide a more nuanced approach to blood in competition- an issue which is clearly important for equine welfare. It remains to be seen if the discretionary elements introduced will result in procedural issues. HT
Hannah Bradley is an equine lawyer at Aria Grace Law. More information is available here
For all FEI GA related documents, click here
For FEI GA synopsis, click here
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