The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has pledged to fast-track the Waterford Crystal drugs case and is to set up a task force in an attempt to eliminate the use of banned substances in equestrian sport. Grania Willis, Equestrian Correspondent, reports.
In a statement issued from Buenos Aires, where it is holding a two-day meeting, the FEI said that it was seeking "a quick resolution within the rules" of all pending medication cases, which include Irish Olympic gold medal horse Waterford Crystal.
The president of FEI, the Infanta Dona Pilar de Borbon, acknowledged there had been "problems in communication on the progress of the Irish case". However, the Infanta emphasised that the Waterford Crystal case was a complex one and that "criminal activities" - referring to the theft of the horse's B urine sample in Britain and the break-in at the Irish federation offices in Kill - had created additional complications.
Despite concerns that official confirmation of the positive result on Waterford Crystal's B blood sample would be stalled until next week, prompting from FEI bureau members resulted in an official announcement late on Tuesday night.
In its statement, the FEI declared that its medication sub-committee had provided reports confirming the presence of prohibited substances in the B samples taken from four horses at the Athens Olympics. However, it was not until yesterday that the Irish federation and Cian O'Connor received official confirmation of the positive result.
The rider is usually given only 10 days after official notification to provide an explanation for a positive result. However, O'Connor was officially informed yesterday that he has 15 days - until December 2nd - to respond.
O'Connor's explanation will be sent to the FEI legal department, which will then compile a case file that is then submitted to the judicial committee for a decision.
During the Buenos Aires meeting, both the president and members of the FEI bureau, the policy-making arm of the federation, expressed their concern at the current batch of high-profile positive medication cases. These cases include not just two Olympic gold medal showjumpers - Cian O'Connor and Germany's team gold medallist Ludger Beerbaum - but also the German winners of the world championships in both carriage driving and vaulting.
"The FEI is particularly disturbed about the current situation, as it reflects so badly on equestrian sport," the FEI president said. "The FEI has continually endeavoured to maintain a clean equestrian sport."
Prof Leo Jeffcott, chairman of the FEI veterinary committee, presented an update on the medication control programme to the meeting. He stated that samples from 1,250 horses had been tested so far this year and that 69 positives, the equivalent of 4.6 per cent, had been reported.
The president and bureau members expressed their "distress" that, under present FEI rules, "immediate and strict action cannot be taken against alleged misuse of medication in horses before the completion of testing and legal procedures".
It was agreed at the meeting that a task force should be set up to review policies "necessary for the elimination of . . . performance-enhancing drugs and to review the general medication control of horses". Recommendations will be put forward to the federation's 2005 general assembly in London.
Meanwhile, police investigations into the theft of Waterford Crystal's B urine sample on October 21st are continuing in England. "There are no arrests on the immediate horizon," a police spokesman said yesterday.