With the adoption of the new Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMR), effective since April 2010, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) has reinforced the concept of the Person Responsible in doping cases.

The recent doping case of German rider Marco Kutscher, who was tried under the previous FEI anti-doping rules, highlighted this definition of Person Responsible. Kutscher claimed he relied on his team veterinarian to know whether the medication given to his horse, Cornet Obolensky, was permitted. It wasn't, and Kutscher was disqualified retroactively from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and given the highest fine in the history of FEI anti-doping cases.

Although the new rules provide for the addition of other responsible parties, the FEI stands firm in its decision to maintain the human athlete–the rider or driver–as the primary Person Responsible in every situation.

"It's really the best way to maintain a strong system," said Lisa Lazarus, JD, FEI general counsel. The athlete is like the CEO of a company who must rely on his or her teams for complicated decisions, she said. "If there's financial mismanagement, then the CEO is the one who's ultimately responsible, and it's the same for these riders