Showjumpers disqualified from Rio GCT event

SHOW jumper Billy Twomey said a “few scrapes and cuts” to his horse Romanov were the reason he was disqualified from the €1 million Global Champions Tour contest at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday.

The Nottinghamshire-based Corkman was one of three riders barred from the competition as a result of hypersensitivity to their horses’ legs, along with Tipperary rider Denis Lynch, who was set to ride All Inclusive NRW, and France’s Simon Delestre on Vancouver DML.

The world governing body, the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) yesterday stressed there was no suggestion of “malpractice” on the part of the riders.

Twomey last night said Romanov had not travelled well to the South American fixture.

“The horse did not have a great journey going over and got a few scrapes and cuts. One in particular became a little infected and angry. I was managing it throughout the show, but, come Sunday, in this one area, he was sore on palpation.

“I felt he was fine to jump, but I have to respect their [the officials] decision. It was a long way to travel and not to be able to jump was frustrating. I really felt I would have had a decent chance of doing well,” said Twomey, who is ranked 11 in the world.

“I’ve never had anything like this happen to me in my whole career. There is no slant on this, it is the basic truth...

“Horses can genuinely get sore on their legs, particularly when flying from one end of the world to the other and stallions can be a bit more feisty. They can be a little bit more difficult to manage and they do travel in small stalls.

“But having these people around to look after the welfare of the horse is good and you have to respect their decisions and I think it is better for the sport in the long run.”

The disqualifications come at a critical time for Irish show jumping, with just over a week to go to the European Championships in Madrid, Spain, where Lynch and Twomey form the backbone of the squad bidding to achieve qualification for next year’s Olympics.

In a statement, Horse Sport Ireland said it had “noted the comments by the FEI that, while the horses in question at Rio de Janeiro were not allowed to compete in the grand prix, there was ‘no indication of malpractice’.

“Obviously, not being allowed to compete in such a prestigious and valuable competition, having travelled all the way to Brazil, was a major blow for the riders. However, the welfare of the horse has to be at the core of the sport and, if the veterinary surgeons present felt the horses should not compete, then that has to be respected.”

Explaining the background to the positive tests, the Swiss-based FEI said the three horses were subjected to veterinary inspection and inspection using a thermography camera, designed to detect abnormal heat patterns. Both examinations are made on the front of all four limbs of the horse, particularly from the fetlock to the hoof.

“The thermography team in Rio, with the unanimous agreement of all veterinary and FEI officials present, concluded that the three horses were unfit to compete due to signs of hypersensitivity. There was no indication of malpractice. The team’s findings were reported to the Ground Jury who requested a re-inspection, which confirmed the positive results for all three horses.

“The FEI has very clear policies and rules and where there are welfare concerns the FEI will always act to ensure the protection of our horses and to provide a level playing field for our athletes. The FEI rules and protocols... allow for disqualification at any stage on welfare grounds.”

It is believed that a horse with hypersensitive legs will try harder to avoid hitting a pole when jumping.

The FEI acknowledges that it is not unnatural for horses to be affected by hypersensitivity.

However, it also concedes a rider can attempt to deliberately affect the performance of the horse by such means, which it terms hypersensitisation, a much more serious misdemeanour.

The FEI stresses the difference between both: “All horses show normal nerve sensation or sensitivity. Where that sensation is increased beyond normal limits it is called hypersensitivity. Hypersensitivity can be produced by a range of normal occurrences, such as an insect sting or accidental, self-inflicted injury.

“Hypersensitisation is the term used to define the artificial production of hypersensitivity and is contrary to horse welfare and fair play.”

German-based Lynch is Ireland’s most successful rider in recent years and currently lies sixth in the global rankings as a result of a high-class string of horses. He could not be contacted yesterday for comment.

This is not the first time he has been connected to hypersensitivity. He entered the consciousness of the general public during the 2008 Olympics when he was disqualified after Lantinus — the horse he is likely to ride in Madrid next week — tested positive for the prohibited substance capsaicin. It was the first time the FEI had tested for the substance and it was detected in a number of horses. Lynch said he had been innocently using a cream containing capsaicin on Lantinus’s back to warm his muscles and the FEI subsequently determined it as a medication, not a doping, offence. However, under strict liability, Lynch was suspended and, in its judgment, the FEI noted that capsaicin, which is derived from peppers, “is not only a pain-relieving substance, but also an agent that can be used for hypersensitisation purposes”.