Kurten confirms positive test

Show Jumping:    Ireland's leading show jumper Jessica Kurten confirmed that one of her horses Castle Forbes Maike has tested…

Show Jumping:   Ireland's leading show jumper Jessica Kurten confirmed that one of her horses Castle Forbes Maike has tested positive for a banned substance.

The news emerged when world number four was competing in the European Championships in Mannheim, Germany after the positive A Sample was found at La Baule in May.

"There is a positive dope test," confirmed Kurten, "But there is absolutely nothing to ground this, I didn't give the horse anything."

Kurten will now wait to learn of the findings from the B Sample. Should this also test positive the case will go before the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), who could hand down sanctions, including a suspension and, or loss of prize money from the La Baule event where she won the €100,000 Grand Prix.

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"I don't know the substance", added Kurtern. "I've left it in the hands of my lawyer. I gave everything to my lawyer just before the Europeans so that I could concentrate on my riding. I didn't give my horse anything."

The horse Kurten was competing on this week, Castle Forbes Libertina, had tested positive for a prohibited substance at the Canadian fixture in Calgary in 2004 but the case was later dropped.

Perhaps the most notable Irish doping case within the sport was when Ireland's Cian O'Connor was stripped of his 2004 Olympic gold medal when the Kildare rider's horse Waterford Crystal tested positive.