Legal Update

The Horseracing Forensic Laboratory in Newmarket (Fordham, UK) today informed the FEI that the confirmatory analysis (B sample) of the urine sample collected from the horse Castle Forbes Libertina at CSIO Calgary (8-12 September 2004) was negative.

Analysis of B Sample had been requested by the Person Responsible Jessica Kürten (IRL) after the notification of the presence of prohibited substances caffeine and theophylline in Sample A.

The aim of the FEI’s Medication Control Programme is to ensure a level playing field as well as the welfare of the horse.

As of the beginning of this year and for certain events, persons responsible for horses that initially test positive for prohibited substances that have a relatively low potential to affect performance, as long as they are first time offenders, have the option of accepting an administrative penalty that includes disqualification and a fine, without suspension. This “fast track” procedure presents the advantages of expediency and minimized costs by avoiding review of the matter by the FEI Judicial Committee. As illustrated in the case of Jessica Kürten, who declined the fast track procedure, it maintains due process for its subjects as it is a simple, additional option to existing system which allows those responsible to ask for a confirmatory analysis, provide explanations and request a hearing.

The negative result of the confirmatory analysis and consequent closing of the case were officially notified to Mrs Jessica Kürten through the Irish Equestrian Federation.