Cesar Parra, USA Dressage Trainer, to Face Disciplinary Proceedings by FEI
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June 4, 2024
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
Cesar Parra, the United States dressage competitor and trainer “provisionally” suspended four months ago from horse sports for alleged abuse, will face disciplinary proceedings by the FEI, International Equestrian Federation, according to knowledgeable sources.
The FEI is expected to confirm the proceedings soon after the organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland pursued the investigation of Parra whose stables are located in Jupiter, Florida, about 30 miles/48 km north of Wellington.
The FEI took over the investigation and a decision on action against Parra when the United States Equestrian Federation considered its current rules limited its ability to deal with out-of-competition offenses. Proposed changes to the rules are on the agenda of the USEF mid-year board meeting later this month.
In addition to the horse abuse allegations, Parra is being sued in federal court over the ownership of a horse on which he was disciplined by the FEI for the presence of a drug–but implementation of the penalty by the USEF was not enforced for about a year until it was found in the records by a private lawyer involved in a separate case.
Parra, 61 years old, formerly competed for his native Colombia at the 2004 Olympics and the 2002 and 2006 World Equestrian Games.
He became an American citizen and was on the gold medal U.S. team at the 2011 Pan American Games and three years later competed at the World Cup Final.
His suspension on Feb. 1 this year was initially imposed by the FEI after numerous videos showing Parra involved in abuse of horses were made public by current and former employees of Parra.
The German federation and several horse breed groups quickly acted against two trainers involved.
USEF leadership pledged initially to “pursue disciplinary action to the highest degree” against Parra.
But some individuals report that after the initial publicity nothing further was heard from the USEF.
Questions following up the case came on internet video conference calls from the FEI legal department in Switzerland, which is seen to have broader powers than the USEF.
However, some riders privately sharply criticize the failure of the USEF and of U.S. Safe Sport, a Congressionally-mandated body set up to deal with abuse and is mandatory for both U.S. and foreign participants in American horse shows, for failure to take action despite filing of reports.
