Horses, Drugs and Lost Medals

This week the show jumping team must have set a new national record in press coverage for the equestrian disciplines. Suddenly there were double spreads in the national press after our team secured the bronze medal. Ankerman Tony Andre Hansen was the new name on everyone's lips and we were trying to get our heads around the fact that the rider with least faults ahead of the individual finals was actually Norwegian.

Unfortunately though, yesterday's developments no doubt wiped out that record in one little afternoon. Headlines containing 'drugs' easily beat the ones containing 'Olympic medal'. One containing both is any journalists wet dream.

Suddenly Tony was accused of cheating and using illegal substances and the teams' much celebrated medals in danger of being taken away.

Anyone who has dealt with horses who are competing at a certain level on a daily basis knows that you have to be very careful with what you feed them and apply to any cuts, bruises or sore muscles they might get. Something as innocent sounding as a vitamin supplement could contain something that is on the list of banned substances. In the case of Tony, and three other riders, it is something called Capsaicin.

"Capsaicin is classified as a 'doping' prohibited substance given its hypersensitising properties, and as a 'medication class A' prohibited substance for its pain relieving properties." (source: BBC Sports)

By early afternoon yesterday all the main news sites had picked up the story. Some stuck to the few facts that were available, others speculated in various rumours going around and some quoted sudden 'experts' on the matter saying things like "It's a cream that makes horses jump higher and hides lameness. It is cruelty". Try to explain to your average tabloid reader that cooling gels are not exactly EPO and that applying them hardly qualifies as animal abuse. You will fail.

But all that nonsense aside - these four have tested positive for illegal substances. I don't know enough about this stuff to know what to believe. Ludger Beerbaum lost his gold medal over some cream applied to a small cut on his horse. That seems pretty idiotic to me. There are other aspects of the sport that it is a lot more important to crack down on.

Anyway, our man has been suspended and we might loose our medal. Now we just have to wait for the B-sample. But one thing is for sure - it is a sad, sad day.