Two show jumpers, Brazil’s Bernardo Alves and Ireland’s Denis Lynch, attended Fédération Equestre Internationale hearings on Sep. 5-7 in Lausanne, Switzerland, to decide the outcome of their horses’—Chupa Chup and Latinus, respectively—positive drug tests for capsaicin at the Olympic Games this year.
Dressage rider Courtney King-Dye from the United States also attended a hearing regarding her horse Mythilus’ positive drug test for the prohibited substance Felbinac. The riders were accompanied by their legal counsel, and the FEI was represented by members of its Legal Department.
In all three cases, the riders and their legal team presented evidence and made arguments before the panel. In the cases involving Alves and Lynch, the FEI Tribunal issued interim decisions.
For Alves, the Tribunal indicated that the parties were both granted deadlines by which to submit and/or respond to additional statements and pleadings. A final decision should be issued by Sept. 30.
In the case of Lynch, the Tribunal indicated a timeline that allows for additional correspondence between the parties, including deadlines for additional statements and pleadings, and that final decision should also be made by Sept. 30.
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Courtney King-Dye’s decision will be issued by Sept. 19.
All three riders remain under provisional suspension from competition until the final decision is issued. At the Alves hearing, the Tribunal members initially planned to lift the provisional suspension in his case on the basis of arguments raised by his legal team as to the categorization of the prohibited substance and other factors, but Tribunal members didn’t provide a reason why. After additional pleadings filed by the FEI over the weekend in which the FEI argued that the provisional suspension should be maintained in the interests of the sport, the Tribunal modified its interim decision such that the provisional suspension remains in effect, and the rider was notified accordingly.
The interim decisions of the FEI Tribunal are available on the FEI website.
Hearings in the Olympic cases involving Norway’s Tony Andre Hansen and the horse Camiro, Germany’s Christian Ahlmann and Cöster and Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa and Rufus are scheduled for 25 and 26 September in Lausanne.
