The FEI lifted Adrienne Lyle’s provisional suspension for a drug positive after she was able to prove her feed supplement had been contaminated. Photo by Lindsay Berreth

The Fédération Equestre Internationale has lifted the suspensions placed on Olympic dressage rider Adrienne Lyle and Grand Prix dressage rider Kaitlin Blythe after the riders were able to prove the positive drug tests for ractopamine were a result of feed supplement contamination.

Ractopamine, an FEI banned substance, is a beta agonist that increases protein synthesis. It’s a controversial feed additive for swine—banned in many countries but legal in the United States—and it’s used to add weight and muscle without increasing fat.

The FEI has not lifted the two-month provisional suspensions on Lyle’s small tour mount Horizon, a 10-year-old Oldenburg owned by Betsy Juliano, or Blythe’s U25 Grand Prix mount Don Principe, an 18-year-old Hanoverian owned by Maryanna Haymon. Both horses were showing at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (Fla.), Feb. 8-12, at the time of the positive test, and the horses and riders were suspended on April 5.

“We are pleased that, in recognition of the evidence showing that Don Principe and Horizon tested positive as a result of ingesting a product contaminated with trace levels of ractopamine, the provisional suspensions of Kaitlin Blythe and Adrienne Lyle have been lifted,” read a statement put out by Blythe, Lyle, Haymon and Juliano. “But despite being presented with test results showing that Don Principe and Horizon no longer have ractopamine in their systems, the FEI has refused to lift its two-month suspensions of the horses. We are currently challenging this decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and we expect a ruling in the near future. We do not feel that it would be appropriate to comment further on the matter until the CAS has considered it and issued a ruling.”

Both riders used products produced by Cargill, and an investigation by the company determined that Progressive Nutrition® Soothing Pink™, a supplement used to prevent gastric upset “contained an ingredient that included trace amounts of ractopamine,” read a Cargill press release. “Upon learning of this trace finding, we immediately withdrew our Progressive Nutrition® Soothing Pink™ product from the market. At this time, we have identified and isolated the ingredient that was the source of the contamination, and we have completely stopped use of the ingredient in all products.

“Cargill shares a passion for equestrian sports and is proud to support these riders,” the press release continued. “We are disappointed this happened and are very sorry for the temporary uncertainty. We are pleased that Adrienne and Kaitlin will be back competing very soon and thank them for their patience and understanding as we’ve worked through this issue with them, and we continue to support them and the owners in their efforts to address the FEI’s handling of this matter.”