The allegation that a schizophrenia drug was found in one of Cian O'Connor's horses has shocked the equestrian world, writes Grania Willis
The use of human drugs in horses is not a new phenomenon, but reports yesterday that one of the two drugs allegedly found in a sample from Cian O'Connor's horse ABC Landliebe is used to treat schizophrenia has sent shock waves throughout the equestrian industry and beyond.
A document faxed anonymously to the RTÉ newsroom yesterday morning said that ABC Landliebe had tested positive in Rome for Fluphenazine, an anti-psychotic drug used to treat schizophrenic patients.
Guanabenz, a drug used to treat high-blood pressure in humans, was also found in the sample from ABC Landliebe, which was tested at the Italian Nations Cup fixture in Rome last May, according to the document sent to RTÉ.
O'Connor opted not to ask for confirmatory analysis on the positive result from ABC Landliebe and had to forfeit prizemoney from his three wins with the mare at the Italian fixture.
"The FEI found me innocent of any wrongdoing in Landliebe's situation," O'Connor told The Irish Times last night.
"They accepted the explanation from me that the medication wasn't administered to affect the horse's performance.
"As I'm the person responsible and the medication was found in the horse's system, I had to pay a small fine and forfeit the classes in Rome. But they didn't suspend me, which they would have done if they had found that I was trying to affect the horse's performance."
O'Connor did request confirmatory analysis on the B sample from Waterford Crystal, but the theft of the urine sample en route to the laboratory in Newmarket has now put that analysis in jeopardy.
There are still blood samples available for testing and these have been sent from the FEI's central laboratory in Paris to Hong Kong for confirmatory analysis.
Both urine and blood samples are routinely taken from horses under the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) medication control programme, but many drugs that are traceable in urine do not show up in blood.
The metabolites or chemical transformation of these drugs are concentrated in the kidneys for excretion. This results in concentrated levels in the urine making detection of these samples relatively easily.
But proteins and cells in the blood can bind to the drugs, making them much more difficult to detect in blood samples.
Although Waterford Crystal's B sample urine was stolen, the A sample has already tested positive for prohibited substances.
No confirmatory analysis can now be carried out on the urine. So this case now hangs on what is found in the blood samples that have been flown to Hong Kong.
O'Connor said yesterday that his witnessing analyst will be present at the testing on Friday.
"Thank God something is remaining intact," he said last night.
"I hope that the Hong Kong lab can conduct the analysis within the FEI rules and regulations," he said
Under its own regulations, which state that testing must commence within 21 days of the rider requesting confirmatory analysis, the FEI has until November 8th to commence testing on what remains of the B sample.
Although the FEI has stated that it is continuing with the Waterford Crystal medication case, there have now been so many procedural irregularities it is hard to believe that any findings would survive an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.