PrintThe Fédération Equestre Internationale tribunal released their decision on Sept. 22 that Courtney King-Dye will be held responsible for her horse Mythilus’ positive test for the banned substance Felbinac at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong.
Mythilus was tested on Aug. 19 at the Olympic Games, and the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood tested positive for Felbinac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to reduce inflammation and pain and classified as “Medication A” Prohibited Substances under the FEI Equine Prohibited List (VR Annex III).
On Sept. 7, the FEI tribunal met to hear the case. In that hearing, tribunal members established that the laboratory reports relating to both the A-Sample and the B-sample reflect that the analytical tests were accurately performed in an acceptable method and that the findings of the laboratory were accurate.
King-Dye argued that her positive drug test was a case of environmental contamination, but the tribunal didn’t accept her argument because Felbinac doesn’t appear on the Equine Prohibited List as a threshold substance, and no specific criteria was established for it as a contaminant.
The tribunal repeated its stand that the FEI policy in regard to doping and medication does not only intend to ensure a level playing field but has the additional policy consideration of ensuring that the welfare of the horse is maintained and that horses compete only when they are physically fit and capable of competing. This requires doping and medication rule violations to be strict liability or no-fault offenses. King-Dye’s arguments that she gained no competitive advantage, and that the findings did not constitute any maltreatment of the horse, due to the nature of the substance and the minimal concentration detected, were therefore not relevant.
To avoid sanctions, King-Dye had to prove how the substance entered the horse's system in order to show that she bears no fault and no negligence. The tribunal determined that King-Dye’s explanations were only speculations.
The result is that King-Dye has been eliminated from the Olympic Games. The U.S. Dressage Team was also eliminated, since all three riders’ scores must count for a team result. The tribunal didn’t accept arguments from U.S. Equestrian Federation representatives that the drug testing was carried out days after the end of the team competition, so a team sanction shouldn’t be imposed.
Mythilus was tested on Aug. 19 at the Olympic Games, and the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood tested positive for Felbinac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to reduce inflammation and pain and classified as “Medication A” Prohibited Substances under the FEI Equine Prohibited List (VR Annex III).
On Sept. 7, the FEI tribunal met to hear the case. In that hearing, tribunal members established that the laboratory reports relating to both the A-Sample and the B-sample reflect that the analytical tests were accurately performed in an acceptable method and that the findings of the laboratory were accurate.
King-Dye argued that her positive drug test was a case of environmental contamination, but the tribunal didn’t accept her argument because Felbinac doesn’t appear on the Equine Prohibited List as a threshold substance, and no specific criteria was established for it as a contaminant.
The tribunal repeated its stand that the FEI policy in regard to doping and medication does not only intend to ensure a level playing field but has the additional policy consideration of ensuring that the welfare of the horse is maintained and that horses compete only when they are physically fit and capable of competing. This requires doping and medication rule violations to be strict liability or no-fault offenses. King-Dye’s arguments that she gained no competitive advantage, and that the findings did not constitute any maltreatment of the horse, due to the nature of the substance and the minimal concentration detected, were therefore not relevant.
To avoid sanctions, King-Dye had to prove how the substance entered the horse's system in order to show that she bears no fault and no negligence. The tribunal determined that King-Dye’s explanations were only speculations.
The result is that King-Dye has been eliminated from the Olympic Games. The U.S. Dressage Team was also eliminated, since all three riders’ scores must count for a team result. The tribunal didn’t accept arguments from U.S. Equestrian Federation representatives that the drug testing was carried out days after the end of the team competition, so a team sanction shouldn’t be imposed.
