Andrew McConnon and Wakita 54. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
After a protracted tribunal, North Carolina-based eventer Andrew McConnon has been given a 20-month suspension by the FEI for horse abuse. The suspension is backdated to the start of the provisional suspension McConnon received on January 8, 2025, and will as such finish on September 8, 2026.
The suspension means that McConnon is “banned from taking part in any competition or event, or in any related activity under the jurisdiction of the FEI or any National Federation [and] also prohibited from training any FEI/NF registered athletes and/or FEI/NF registered horses,” per a statement released by the FEI this morning.
He has also been fined 2,500 Swiss francs (approximately $3093).
The tribunal reached its decision on Monday, November 24, and found McConnon “to have engaged in abuse of horse as well as in a conduct that has brought the FEI and equestrian sport into disrepute thereby violating Article 142.1 (Abuse of Horse) in conjunction with Article 164.11 (Offences) of the FEI General Regulations. McConnon was further found to have breached the FEI Code of Conduct on the Welfare of the Horse by those same actions.”
The FEI’s full reasoned decision will be published soon; in the meantime, McConnon has 21 days to lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, if he chooses. We’ll bring you further updates as soon as we have them. You can catch up on all the information and reporting about the opening of the case and the timeline of events here.
