Decision on Cesar Parra’s Alleged Abuse of Horses Expected Any Day Now. Thursday Marks His 62nd Birthday
3 weeks ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Decision on Cesar Parra’s Alleged Abuse of Horses Expected Any Day Now. Thursday Marks His 62nd Birthday
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
May 1, 2025
A decision on Cesar Parra’s alleged abuse of horses as shown in multiple videos reportedly from the American-Colombian’s own collection is expected from the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) any day now, 15 months since he was provisionally suspended from the sport. Thursday marks his 62nd birthday.
Suspension of the Olympic and championship rider is viewed by most in horse sports as years overdue but will likely have little impact on Parra who is still actively teaching and selling horses from his farm in Jupiter, about 30 miles/48km north of Wellington, Florida. The 4.5-acre farm with stables for 20 horses has been for sale since early this year, and is slightly under its initial asking price of $4 million.
Parra was suspended by the FEI and simultaneously by US Equestrian Feb. 2, 2024, after release of a large number of videos that apparently were taken by a former employee from the rider’s own system.
US Equestrian has cited a rule that it says prevented acting on behavior outside of a competition arena until it was changed last year. The Congressionally-mandated U.S. Center for SafeSport likewise has not reported any action involving Parra despite claims of sexual abuse. Parra’s SafeSport approval to compete expired in January and as of Wednesday had not been renewed.
The German Equestrian Federation and some horse breeding associations took quick action to ban Stefan Sandbrink and Dr Kerstin Klieber, two individuals shown in the Parra videos, from participating in activities until 2028. Oldenburg and Hanoverian horse bans were imposed on Parra for life.
The FEI, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, held a two-day closed door hearing in mid-March, taking evidence over an Internet link from some former employees of Parra.
The governing body of international horse sports is reported to be seeking to make its case as ironclad as possible to withstand a possible appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
American jumper rider Andrew Kocher was banned by the FEI in 2021 for 10 years for use of electric battery operated spurs. An appeal to CAS was rejected and the 10-year ban upheld.
Parra competed at the 2004 Olympics, the 2002 and 2006 World Equestrian Games and 2005 World Cup Final for his native Colombia.
He switched to ride for the United States in 2008 and was selected for the American team at the 2011 Pan American Games and the 2014 World Cup Final.
