Thursday, December 28, 2006

FEI upholds one doping suspension, reduces another



The Associated PressPublished: December 21, 2006

LAUSANNE, Switzerland: The International Equestrian Federation upheld one doping ban and reduced another on appeal.

An FEI arbitration court upheld rider Thierry Rozier's three-month suspension and disqualification from the Mediterranean Games in July 2005. Rozier's horse, Dusty Star, tested positive for dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid.

The panel reduced trainer Ismail Mohammed's 12-month suspension to eight months after noting concerns over "proportionality" in the case.

Mohammed's horse, Orkara, tested positive for the prohibited substance guanabenz — which lowers blood pressure — at the Open Endurance Championships in Compiegne, France, in August 2005.

The court has asked the FEI to review its rules, as the case "highlighted difficulties involved in designating persons responsible when the rider was a minor."

The rider, Sheikh Majid bin Mohd Al Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates, was under 18 at the time and disqualified from the competition.

International Herald Tribune. Sports

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