Ireland’s equestrian reputation in tatters again

FOR the second Olympics in a row Ireland’s reputation in world equestrian competition lies in tatters.

It is almost four years since Cian O’Connor was pictured biting his gold medal in Athens in what was seen as a historic achievement.

The 24-year-old and his horse, Waterford Crystal, had gone into the final round of the Olympic final on August 27, 2004, holding four penalty points. The pair performed flawlessly to win the coveted title.

Three days later he was greeted at Dublin Airport with a hero’s welcome.

However, fast-forward just six weeks to October 8 and the bubble of euphoria was dramatically burst. It was confirmed Waterford Crystal had tested positive for a banned substance which they claimed was a sedative and a “B” sample test was called for.

Cian O’Connor’s Olympic engagements were put on hold. A People of the Year award due to be presented to him on the following evening was abruptly pulled.

Two days later the media attention surrounding the rider intensified further when it was confirmed his mount from the Rome Grand Prix that previous May, ABC Landliebe, had also tested positive.

Within a month the situation descended into a farce.

First, a portion of the B sample from his horse Waterford Crystal was stolen from a British laboratory.

Then a few days later there was a robbery at the Equestrian Federation of Ireland office in Co Kildare in which files linked to the Olympic show jumper were taken.

However, despite the difficulties, the B sample was finally tested and “minute” traces of two banned substances — fluphenazine and zuclopenthixol — were found.

O’Connor claimed vindication given the small size of the samples: “To put it in context this is approximately one billion times less than the present drink driving limit in Ireland. This corroborates my explanation that the horse had been given a sedative by my vet well in advance of the Olympic Games in Athens. These readings are so minute that they confirm what I have said throughout this matter, that they had absolutely no therapeutic or performance-enhancing effect on my horse at the Games themselves.”

However, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) stripped him of the gold medal and suspended him for three months.

It was small consolation that the FEI said it was satisfied “the show jumper had established he was not involved in a deliberate attempt to affect the performance of the horse”.

Cian O’Connor is not the only Irish rider to be mired in controversy.

Jessica Kuerten, who refused to ride with O’Connor after the 2004 Olympics, is appealing to the Court of Arbitration of Sport against a ban following the alleged discovery of a prohibited medication in the horse Castle Forbes Maike last year.