It was very odd…I consulted with my farrier and he said that no farrier would EVER administer medications to a client horse. Also, Romifidine, the drug he tested positive for, is a slow acting long lasting sedative…that’s definitely not what you would give a horse that’s misbehaving for say vet, farrier or clipping.
4 Likes
Oh that excuse is 100% bull and I don’t believe it for a second, but even if it was a mistake, him throwing the farrier under the bus is just another issue.
4 Likes
I saw from the Tik Tok his personal horse was allowed to be leased a month before his suspension began. How is USEF allowing this??
1 Like
Isn’t the rule if you’re suspended then your horses are too?
1 Like
Romifidine is Sedivet. It’s much like xylazine or detomidine. It doesn’t last for days or weeks. Are you confusing it with reserpine?
4 Likes
The hearing committee report says Romifidine. They gave him a 2 month suspension and a $3,000 fine. Interesting that the infraction occurred at a show held July 25-28 2024, but the suspension starts June 1 2025. Had they made the suspension start on the anniversary of the infraction (as they have frequently done with other offenders) he would be excluded from International Derby Finals. But since they started it earlier than the anniversary, he will be able to compete…
1 Like
I know what romifidine is 
I think @Sands_644 has it confused with reserpine, which IS a slow onset, long-acting sedative. Romifidine is a quick onset, short acting alpha 2 commonly used for procedural sedation like joint injections, tooth floating, etc. It’s also the drug the reiners made legal to show on!!!
Good point about derby finals… I agree that they typically make the suspension for the same time as the offense.
1 Like
Per USEF “SUSPENSION for any period of the horse or horses, owned by them, or shown in any name or for their credit or reputation, whether such interest was held at the time of the alleged violation or acquired thereafter. The Board of Directors or the Hearing Committee may at a later date remove the suspension of said horse or horses if it is demonstrated to their satisfaction that a sale or transfer thereof was made by such person, partnership, or corporation in such as to be a bona fide transaction and not with the intention of relieving the suspended owner of penalty.” Except they clearly let him transfer the horse with the intention of relieving the suspended owner of penalty. Why else would you transfer the horse one month before the suspension.
2 Likes
Look, we are all splitting hairs. Regardless of how long the sedative lasts, the underling principle in the same - it should only be administered by a vet or under the prescription and oversight of a vet, so why would a farrier inject a horse with anything, especially during a show week? I would personally be interested in the perspective from said farrier…
Editing to add: If this is truly the case that the farrier did this, wouldn’t every barn in Atlanta want to know so they could avoid utilizing that farrier, since the farrier allegedly is the one responsible? Personally, I am not aware of any farriers in the area that would do such a thing. Generally, the staff would be the ones sedating the horse - NOT the farrier. So this is a new one for me!
Very interesting, wonder why USEF did that. They are probably wanting his sponsorship money for derby finals…
1 Like
You would think if it was the farrier, he would be outing them…
1 Like
I mean, if it WAS the farrier, everyone in Georgia would want to know, right? He should be warning us all off about this particular farrier so we can be aware - that is what a fellow horseman should do, right? How could a farrier possibly be licensed for a client’s horse to administer a sedative? This really makes no sense and is quite concerning!
I mean, if he won’t out the farrier, maybe we should have the state veterinary board look into this case - no farrier should ever be injecting a horse with a sedative. This is WILD!!!
Edited to add: Maybe someone from Windsor can weigh in on here and add more color - perhaps the staff were the ones who administered this injection?
The way to make suspensions and the rules around them stiffer/stronger/etc. is to continually bring changes to the USEF. Much like local/state/federal statutes and laws, they are the law until they are changed. If we, as members, want them to be different, we must push hard on our ‘representatives’ to change them (just like in government). I get frustrated by these threads: “why isn’t he/she banned for life/hanged and quartered/name your punishment” for whatever they’ve done? Well, that’s because the rules are the rules. Don’t like them? Either change them through the process or don’t be a member of the club. Get involved!!
At least there’s someone, somewhere, punishing offenders for actions against horses and people. I shudder to think about what is happening constantly to horses and people not under the eye of a governing body.
2 Likes
How would you define “long lasting” in this context?
1 Like
The thing about Romifidine is that it works pretty quickly. But how long the animal stays sedated depends on the dose the vet gives. It can be a short snooze of 30 minutes or a longer snooze for up to 3 hours. This lets the vet choose just the right amount for the job, whether it’s a quick check-up or a minor procedure. That’s why it’s so important for the vet to be the one to prescribe and administer it—they know exactly how much is safe and effective. This really baffles me how a farrier was able to do this - unless the staff were the ones who administered it, but then how did they know how much to dose? YIKES!
He has a 12-page spread released in the most recent issue of The Plaid Horse… showing off lots of WEF wins, USHJA adult hunter championship qualifications, advertising him as the “head trainer and rider”, also showing Windsor Stables to belong to Michael & Chess Britt-Leon… if they’re trying to hide something, maybe buying a giant spread in one of the biggest horse magazines isn’t the way to do it… crazy that this isn’t bringing more red flags…
5 Likes
I wonder if an “open letter” submitted to the Chronicle (by someone who is a better writer than I am) especially noting the timing of the suspension, would cause USEF to respond. At least they’d know that people are paying attention. If suspensions don’t really sting, what’s the point?
Leon wouldn’t have to be specifically named although everyone knows that it’s him.
I believe there was at least one other person in the most recent issue of the USEF magazine who was also set down for not exactly the same time of year as the infraction.
So I wonder if perhaps they are not sticking to that approach as much as they used to in the past.
Instead of just posting about people breaking rules (whether this topic or anything related to USEF not taking action, such as ongoing horse abuse), I’m begging you: FILE A USEF REPORT.
Complaining online doesn’t start an investigation.
- See abuse? Report it.
- See a rule violation? Report it.
- See someone skirting a suspension? Report it.
Your report is strongest with proof—a quick video or a photo can make all the difference. Please, take the five minutes to submit the form.
This is how we give USEF the chance to prove they are listening. The responsibility for “social license to operate” rests on USEF’s leadership to address problems head-on, not to manage online chatter after the fact or chastise the members by discussing the issues openly and honestly as with the latest press releases. By filing a report, we are not just complaining; we are demanding accountability and giving the CEO, Bill Moroney, a chance to prove he is committed to fixing the issues at their source, and that he doesn’t have any personal conflicts of interests with any of the sanctions. Let’s make USEF do their job.
5 Likes
