By Jean Llewellyn
Over the decades since an equestrian discipline first became an Olympic Sport, in Paris 1900, showjumping, dressage and eventing have become high-profile commodities, attracting huge audiences and mega prize. Recently, Spruce Meadows announced an increase for the coveted CP International Grand Prix at the ‘Masters’ to $1.5 million, with $500,000 going to the winner.
As the various disciplines have evolved, ‘abuse’ has also progressed from the unsophisticated physical ‘motivations’ (some of which continue today in one form or another), to modern, high-tech science (doping), as this article will show. So, is the FEI staying ahead of the game?
According to Dr. Graeme Cook, director of the FEI’s veterinary department, “It is a matter of great satisfaction for the FEI that the number of horses testing positive for banned substances, which are very obviously doping substances and have no place in equestrian sport, has dropped very significantly from over 33% to 14% in the last four years.”
“Of course, positive cases can still happen. They are indicative of an active testing system that reminds people they must manage treatment properly and acts as a deterrent for those who would seek to abuse the effect of prohibited substances.”
FROM HEDGEHOG SKINS TO HYDROCORTISONE
In the fifties and sixties it was hedgehog skins wrapped around jumping rails, then it was tin tacks, astringent lotions or plastic chips under bandages…. all designed to sensitize a horse’s legs and create an aversion to touching a fence. Rapping – the use of hand-held bamboo poles to ‘encourage’ a horse to jump higher – reared its ugly head and hit the headlines with the shady Schockemöhle scandal on the eve of the inaugural World Equestrian Games in Stockholm in 1990 that prompted the German Equestrian Federation to spot-check training establishments.
More recently, dressage came under the abuse microscope spawning numerous debates about the ethicality of the rollkür (hyperflexion of a horse’s neck) as a training method, and the heinous ‘blue tongue’ affair that went viral on YouTube via a network of anguished horse fans. Of course, with any allegation of physical abuse, unless someone is unequivocally caught red-handed, the burden of proof rests with statements provided by officials or independent witnesses, which may not always be upheld with sufficient supporting evidence. Ironically, when the FEI met to discuss the practice of rollkür in February 2010, rules against the use of aggressive force in training were already in place, and the problem was identified more as being an issue of better training show stewards to recognize when a rider has crossed the line. And then to have the guts to report any infringements! We’ve all heard the rumours about threats and intimidation when the stakes are high.
The use of pharmaceuticals classified as ‘banned substances’ or ‘controlled medication substances’ has been omnipresent in one form or another for decades, and considered as ‘abuse’ under the ‘anti-doping’ heading. As science becomes more state-of-the-art and masking agents more devious, sporting federations tasked with upholding anti-doping regulations have often played a game of research catch-up, having to create testing protocols after a positive dope test has identified a previously unknown substance in the performance-enhancing context.
A banned substance may be topical rather than ingested or intravenous: Something applied to the skin and absorbed into the bloodstream, subsequently producing a positive urine or blood sample. Remember the Irish showjumping incident involving Denis Lynch and Latinus during the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong. With the most state-of-the-art drug testing laboratory on the planet right on site at the Sha Tin racetrack, within spitting distance of the Olympic arena, there was little doubt that no one was going to slip through the anti-doping net on this occasion, especially following the embarrassment that overshadowed the 2004 Olympic Games and later robbed Germany and Ireland of team and individual medals.
Undoubtedly mindful of the death threats that shadowed Cian O’Connor for nearly two years following his anti-doping disgrace post-Athens, an Irish equestrian contingent, including the offending rider, Denis Lynch, and team vet Damian Swaile surrendered themselves for questioning to the media, perhaps hopeful of exercising a degree of damage control. Veterinarian Swaile entered a jar of Equiblok linament into evidence – the preparation allegedly used by Lynch – highlighting a message on the label that contra-indicated a positive doping test! Hmmm! Is every Rolex watch you can buy in Hong Kong genuine? However, when Swaile was asked to read out the contents, the first active ingredient was ‘capsaicin’ – a chili-pepper derivative that appears on the FEI’s list of banned substances as a ‘topical analgesic/irritant’.
A quick glance at the most recent ‘Table of Suspensions’ posted by the FEI on 1 May 2014 shows endurance sport heading the leaderboard with seven anti-doping cases, including one “alleged refusal to submit to sample collection”.
The statistics are certainly interesting because endurance doesn’t enjoy the high-profile of the Olympic disciplines, nor does it offer similar prize money. The coveted Al Wathba Challenge held annually at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Dubai, UAE, offered a total of just over $250,000 in February 2014, which was considered huge by endurance standards. Of course, the net worth of individual endurance riders is likely the highest of all the equestrian disciplines, so perhaps the only conclusion to be drawn from the high percentage of anti-doping cases comparative to other disciplines, is that the financial rewards are eclipsed by an overriding need to win.
Historically, penalties for proven abuse cases have ranged from fines amounting to a few dollars to life-time bans for riders and trainers alike, imposed by either a national federation or the FEI. The most serious aforementioned endurance case incurred a five-year rider ban, while other horse suspensions ranged from one month to two years. There are currently no outstanding cases of substance abuse in riders.
Ignorance no longer has any cop-out value in cases of substance abuse, regardless of whether it’s ‘banned’ or is a ‘controlled medication substance’ – the buck stops with the rider. Certain ‘controlled medication substances’ may be permissible under the well-documented veterinary protocols regulated by the FEI if they are deemed to have “therapeutic value and/or to be commonly used in equine medicine.” However, the FEI regulations also acknowledge that “Medication substances have the potential to: a) affect performance, and/or b) be a welfare risk to the horse.”
The names of all controlled medication substances and banned substances are regularly updated and published on the FEI Equine Prohibited Substances List (EPSL), the latest of which came into effect in January 2014 and runs to 29 pages (24 pages of banned substances) with over 1,000 items. There are the usual offenders, variously characterized as sedative, beta blocker, stimulant, analgesic, anabolic, corticosteroid…. Although I confess that three categories I found surprising were ‘nicotine metabolite’, ‘anti-depressant’ and ‘anti-psychotic’. How many horses do you know that are depressed schizophrenics and former smokers? There is also one page of ‘Threshold Substances’ that includes salicyclic acid, testosterone and hydrocortisone.
In 1992, Eric Navet’s world and European championship stallion, Quito de Baussy, famously tested positive to cortisol – a steroid hormone with an identical molecular structure to hydrocortisone – while the rider adamantly disputed that no ‘forbidden’ substance had ever passed the horse’s lips. The Quito affair was reminiscent of an earlier case in a Thoroughbred racehorse that had similarly tested positive to atypical levels of hydrocortisone (a substance produced naturally by the adrenal glands) amidst claims of innocence by the jockey and trainer. The Thoroughbred was quarantined and was subsequently proven to have naturally produced higher than average levels of a ‘banned substance’. Quito’s case was dismissed, and hydrocortisone is now considered a ‘controlled substance’ at 1 microgram per millilitre in urine.
Following the Denis Lynch disgrace of 2008, it was implied that the FEI list had become so extensive that it was impossible to be familiar with every item. However, the majority would contend that it’s a team veterinarians job to know and to exercise surveillance to avoid anti-doping infractions. This case perhaps spotlighted a certain level of persistent naivete that using ‘natural’ remedies from naturally occurring substances does not produce a positive drug result. Wrong!
In 1997, a doping scandal overshadowed the European championships in Mannheim when Hugo Simon’s groom was allegedly caught red-handed holding a syringe to ET’s neck between the two final rounds of competition. According to German chief steward Hans Wall Meier, when he asked “What are you doing?”, the groom dropped the syringe into the straw. Meier called chief veterinarian Peter Cronau who immediately sealed and froze the syringe. The groom denied using and hiding the syringe, Simon claimed ignorance, saying he was nowhere near the barn at the time, and later stormed out of a press conference following the medal ceremony where he was awarded the individual silver medal. To say he used some choice words about Cronau would be an understatement. One month later, it was confirmed that the testing laboratory at Newmarket had found no banned substance in either the blood or urine of ET, so Simon was acquitted of doping, although unauthorized use of the syringe was investigated further. Graeme Cook concludes that, “Following a report to the Ground Jury at the event, the circumstances surrounding the horse and riders were thoroughly investigated and the horse was tested. All samples came back negative and there was no evidence of treatment. Having an empty syringe was not prohibited at that time, but the issue is now covered in the Veterinary Regulations.”
An element of subterfuge dogged Cian O’Connor being stripped of his Athens 2004 Olympic gold medal, some six months after the event. On the night of his victory, a banned substance was discovered in the urine sample taken from Waterford Crystal. Following normal protocols, the ‘B’ sample of urine was sent to a second, independent testing laboratory in the UK (Newmarket). It was, however, hijacked en route and stolen! As luck would have it, another ‘B’ blood sample confirmed traces of a prohibited anti-depressant typically prescribed for human use. O’Connor maintained that his veterinarian, James Sheeran, had administered the mild sedative for therapeutic reasons several weeks earlier, assuring O’Connor that it would disperse from the horse’s system within two weeks. Rider naiveté vs. veterinary irresponsibility? The rider was banned for three months for breaching medication regulations following a 12-hour FEI hearing in March 2005.
Once again Cooke explained: “The FEI has established, in cooperation with global experts, a comprehensive and detailed FEI Equine Prohibited Substance (EPSL).”
“The EPSL is kept up to date through an annual review and a 90-day notice of newly added prohibited substances. It is available on the FEI website and also through the Prohibited Substance Database which is accessible online and via smartphone. The intention is to help everyone easily identify which substances are prohibited under FEI regulations, and to facilitate the distinction between Controlled Medication Substances and Banned Substances. The Prohibited Substances Database contains key information, such as the definition of a substance, its common usage and the most popular, but not all, trade names. The important name to search for is the active substance contained in a product, and not just use a trade name.”
“The FEI approved laboratories, which are recognised as elite level and a repository of global expertise, have active research programmes and develop new testing techniques. We also actively cooperate with other equine regulators with whom we share intelligence.”
NEW TESTING
As the eyes of horse fans turn to Normandy, France for the 2014 World Equestrian Games, new testing protocols will be unveiled. Graeme Cooke explained: “One of the measures that has been successfully used for the Olympic Games, and was put in place for the first time for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy, is pre-arrival testing (PAT). It allows team veterinarians to submit urine and blood from FEI-registered competition horses to an FEI Reference Laboratory to test for all FEI prohibited substances for a period of time before the event up until two weeks before the horses arrive at the venue. Initially a full screen is available and then, as the event gets closer, elective testing is available for up to four prohibited substances.”
Horse welfare, aka anti-abuse, also rests in the hands of course designers, and FEI officials, alike. At Aachen CHIO in 1997, then resident course designer Arno Gego came under attack by the riders when he allegedly failed to fully consider the worsening ground conditions during an appallingly wet week. Aachen sport director Anton Fischer and Gego reportedly ignored a request from riders and team managers to reduce the Grand Prix format to one round with a jump-off, with Fischer saying; “We have an obligation to the spectators who have bought their tickets to watch the Grand Prix.” To which Gego added; “It wouldn’t have been an Aachen Grand Prix without two rounds.” Needless to say, verbal sparks flew during the post-Grand Prix press conference when it was noted that no fewer than six horses had sustained tendon injuries, sprains or general lameness ostensibly attributed to the poor ground conditions.
Obligation to spectators vs. horse welfare? My opinion at the time was that the knowledgeable Aachen audience would have applauded the decision to first and foremost support horse welfare. After all, when the public buys tickets to Wimbledon – considerably more expensive than Aachen – there’s no guarantee that you’ll see a full day’s play if it rains, and no refunds!
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
In a 1970s poll conducted by Gabe Mirkin, and another by Bob Goldman subsequent to the publication of Mirkin’s results, world-class athletes were asked whether they would ever consider taking a magic pill that would guarantee them becoming an Olympic champion but kill them five years later. More than half said they would take it!
Will the spectre of substance abuse continue? Your guess is as good as mine…