A well deserved suspension, he is a despicable human being. I wonder if h.e will appeal to CAS
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‘Bye, Andy! We won’t miss you!
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I find that a slightly disturbing statement. USEF had failed to observe or act until a complaint was made to the FEI via a French magazine. Does the acknowledgement mean that USEF recognises its lack of effectiveness, possibly incompetence, in this case? Will anything change? Very glad the FEI have taken action.
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Good riddance to hot garbage. Thrilled I won’t have to witness his horrific abusive riding for the next 10 years.
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I hope that the people who think it’s OK to buy horses from him will reconsider. Why help him pay his FEI fines for animal cruelty?
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The FEI has more resources for, and latitude during, investigations. One example being the FEI’s ability to punish members for their behavior outside of competition (see the abuse case of the pony.)
USEF is hampered by jurisdictional issues. The FEI was the right body to investigate since only they can take away his FEI wins and placings.
.Still, you’d think the U.S. Chef d’equipe might have noticed the wires…
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I never in million years thought he would get this type of suspension. What a wonderful surprise when I read the news. He is a despicable human being who should never be allowed anywhere near a horse. Hope this makes those who have horses with him feel totally ashamed. Well done FEI.
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I wonder if he has to pay back any prize monies.
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He will, because the prizes must be redistributed now that he has lost the placings.
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As Skydy said, the FEI had jurisdiction over these classes and the resources to investigate. USEF can only uphold what the FEI sets out as punishment. In this care, it is definitely a case of punishment fitting the crime. I think the FEI is making a strong statement with a 10 year suspension and I’m happy to see them do it. Cruelty is never ok.
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I did read that he lost the placings and had to pay fines but nothing regarding the prize money. I hope they extract it from his hide.
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Thank goodness.
Time to start introducing tack checks in all equestrian sports.
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FEI rules state that disqualification from a class or event includes the forfeiture of prize money.
Article 164.6 in the FEI General regulations.
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Interesting that he is forbidden to attend FEI events even as a spectator. The FEI doesn’t always prohibit suspended people from spectating, though they probably will begin doing so.
They had an issue with a suspended person who was at a show claiming to be a spectator when others thought he was “participating” as a coach or trainer. Too difficult for them to prove what he was doing, so I bet they’ll go with a complete ban from the show grounds (more often) from now on.
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Plus like spectators aren’t allowed into the barn area but there’s really not a lot of people to stop them and would rely too much on the community policing itself…and horse people are notoriously bad at this!
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I know, but I’m wondering if he has it 
especially since it goes back several years and I think includes his win at Spruce, doesn’t it?
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Doesn’t the owner of the horse receive the prize money? That will complicate matters if some of those wins were made on horses not owned by him. 
There will be some unhappy owners…of course if they knew what he was doing, they’ve got it coming to them.
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The sanctions include disqualification of all results obtained at events for which the FEI Tribunal was provided with photographic evidence establishing the athlete’s use of electric spurs. The eight events are: Hickstead CSI4* (Great Britain), June 21-24, 2018; Lexington CSI3* (Kentucky), May 14-18, 2019; Lexington CSI2*, May 22-26, 2019; Calgary CSI5* (Alberta), June 5-9, 2019; Calgary CSI5*, June 27-39, 2019; Traverse City CSI3* (Michigan), Aug. 7-11, 2019; Columbus CSI3*-W (Ohio), Oct. 2-6, 2019; and Toronto CSI4*-W, Nov. 5-9, 2019
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They do have, or are supposed to have, spur checks. Of courseThe TDs or stewards didn’t realize that they needed to pat the riders down for wire weapons or look for holes in riders’ boots that have wires connecting to their spurs.
I can’t blame them. Who would imagine that someone would have a wire down their pants, through their boot and into their spurs, with a hand held trigger that sends an electrical shock to the horse? Most horse people would never think of such a thing.
I know that I have never seen or heard of such a rig. Another jerk finds another horrible way to cheat and who knows how many horses are now worried and upset because of what has been done to them. Good riddance Kocher.
If Devin Ryan had done his horse soring at an FEI event he may have had his comeuppance and probably wouldn’t be on any U.S. teams or the Olympic Short List. Here’s one https://horseauthority.co/nj-jumper-trainer-accused-of-abusing-horses-at-hampton-classic-horse-show/https://horseauthority.co/nj-jumper-trainer-accused-of-abusing-horses-at-hampton-classic-horse-show/
Here’s another https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/usef-suspends-devin-ryan-after-hampton-classic-horse-welfare-concerns
and then this nauseating tribute to the “undaunted” poor man that can’t afford to ride at the level he wanted etc… https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2019/06/06/devin-ryan-15-years-later-an-overnight-sensation/ no mention about being thrown off the show grounds by the stewards and the vet or his 6 month suspension for cruelty to horses at the Hampton Classic.
USEF could have thrown the book at him, but they didn’t, and they should be ashamed.
ETA I can find information about Ryan’s suspension everywhere on the internet, but not on the USEF website. Perhaps it’s my fault for being rather computer illiterate. Can anyone else find his 2016 suspension (for the 2015 “infraction”) on the USEF site?
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I wish owners would also be fined and suspended! Then there might be some real progress in ousting these people from the show ring.
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