Following a hearing held in Zurich, Switzerland, Dec. 2, the FEI Judicial Committee determined that the presence of the prohibited substance Betamethasone in the horse German-team horse, Goldfever 3, detected in urine samples taken after his gold-medal performance at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, was a breach of FEI General Regulations Art. 146.2.
Goldfever was ridden by Ludger Beerbaum and FEI rules state that the rider is the person responsible for the horse. During the hearing, Beerbaum admitted that he had treated Goldfever with a skin ointment and in error had not followed all the procedures and formal requirements provided by FEI veterinary regulations.
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The FEI Judicial Committee accepted that the medication applied to the horse had been a “legitimate treatment” for the welfare of the horse arising from a skin irritation of the near forefoot. Furthermore, the FEI Judicial Committee accepted Beerbaum
