May 27, 2010

The FEI says its testing of leg swabs from horses at the World Cup Final in Geneva in April found no prohibited substances.

Sapphire and McLain Ward © Erin Cowgill

The news will come as cold comfort to US rider McLain Ward, who was leading the event when his horse, Sapphire, was disaqualified for what the FEI said was a positive hypersensitivity test.

The decision by the ground jury to disqualify the Olympic gold medalist was met with disbelief from many quarters, and was disputed by US team management.

US Equestrian Federation team vet Dr Tim Ober said at the time the decision was "incorrect, subjective and unsubstantiated."

Dr Ober also said that Sapphire was in normal form and fit to compete and that her performance over the last two days "was not unusual in any way. In fact, she produced the same result - two clear rounds - in the last World Cup Final in 2009."

The Ground Jury of the World Cup Final in Geneva, Switzerland disqualified Sapphire in the early hours of April 17 after she placed second in the second leg of the competition, on the grounds that there was hypersensitivity in the horse's leg.

The FEI had acknowledged Sapphire was fit to compete based on a hypersensitivity test before entering the ring. FEI Veterinarian Dr Paul Farrington informed Dr Ober and the two grooms that were present at the test that the horse was showing sensitivity in her near foreleg but "was fit to compete at that time."

After jumping to second place in the class and the overall lead, Sapphire was retested with both thermography and by clinical examination. Three veterinarians - Dr Farrington, Foreign Veterinary Delegate Dr Emile Welling (BEL) and Dr Markus Mueller (SUI) - examined Sapphire and recommended to the Ground Jury the horse be disqualified "based on the fact that she was unfit to take any further part in the competition."

The FEI announced last week that analysis of all urine and blood samples taken in Geneva had proved negative. All Medication Control Programme (MCP) testing results from Geneva are now competed.

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