Irish rider suspended as death of his horse is investigated

A Switzerland-based Irish show jumping rider has been suspended from competing in Cagnes-Sur-Mer while investigations are carried out into the death of one of his horses at the two-star show.

The incident, which occurred out of competition at the French venue, was first brought into the public domain when, calling for witnesses, a document was released by the show’s organisers on Monday.

On Tuesday night the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) released the following statement: "The FEI has launched a full investigation into the death of the horse Flogas Sunset Cruise (FEI ID 103KQ92), ridden by Kevin Thornton (IRL), which occurred at the Cagnes-sur-Mer racetrack in France on Monday 10 October.

“We are in direct contact with the Cagnes-sur-Mer Organising Committee, which has filed a report on the incident with the police. A post mortem is scheduled to be carried out on the horse today.

“The welfare of our equine athletes is our number one priority and, although this incident took place on a rest day between two international events, the FEI has rules in place that mean any horse welfare issues can be addressed, even if they happen outside the duration of an FEI event.

“In order to protect the integrity of the investigation we will not give any further comment at this point in time.”

Earlier Horse Sport Ireland issued the following statement: “Horse Sport Ireland, the national Governing Body for equestrian sport in Ireland, are extremely concerned about reports of the alleged circumstances leading to the death of a horse ridden by Swiss-based Irish rider Kevin Thornton in Cagnes-Sur-Mer in France on Monday October 10th 2016.

"Last night, Horse Sport Ireland was in contact with our colleagues in the French Equestrian Federation, and the rider, to gather information on what happened. We will be continuing with this process.

“Any rider who obtains a licence from Horse Sport Ireland is also subject to the Horse Sport Ireland rules and code of conduct. Accordingly, it would not be appropriate for Horse Sport Ireland to comment further on the specifics of the case at this time as the matter will be subject to due process.

“Horse welfare is a core value of Horse Sport Ireland. The horse is the silent partner in our sport and everyone involved has a responsibility to ensure that the welfare of the horses participating in our sport is never compromised.”