FEI hearing started on allegations of abuse against Cesar Parra

The two-day hearing into the allegations of abuse against dressage rider Cesar Parra has begun. More than a year after his provisional suspension, the former Colombian and US team rider must now face the accusations.

Parra was suspended in February 2024 after extensive video footage of Adam Steffens and Sven Smienk was leaked to the FEI and other organizations. Smienk, now a Canadian rider, had previously worked for Parra. The FEI has since interviewed numerous witnesses and wants to conduct as robust a case as possible in order to withstand a potential appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The hearing was originally scheduled two months ago, but was postponed by Parra due to health reasons. The rider, who currently lives on his farm in Jupiter, Florida - a property that, according to information from horses.nl is for sale for four million US dollars - now took part in the non-public proceedings.

USEF, the American federation, stated that it could only take action outside of competition venues after a rule change in December 2024. Nevertheless, it supported the provisional suspension by the FEI and announced that it would follow the final decision. The US Center for Safe Sport, which is also said to have received complaints, has not yet taken any action.

In Germany, two horse dealers who are said to have worked with Parra were suspended shortly after the videos were published.

‍