O’Connor dispute not ‘helping’ the sport
Asked if it was doing irreparable damage to Irish showjumping, he said: “I don’t think it’s helping. For instance, if sponsors were considering a national league, they definitely are going to back off.
“Everyone here in the sport is talking about it too,” said the Cheshire-based rider. “But it’s not just in Ireland and England, the Olympics is of world-wide interest and this brings negative attention to the sport,” said Twomey, who jumped one of only three double clears to help Ireland claim the Aga Khan trophy this year, but was denied his ticket to Athens by injury to his mount Luidam.
Twomey said it was disingenuous to suggest O’Connor should return his medal in the light of this week’s positive test on the B blood sample, saying the embattled Meath-based rider deserved every opportunity to prove his innocence.
“Cian has the right to explain everything to the FEI. If he were to give his medal back now, it would be like he was guilty before being tried,” he said.
The Corkman also said it was understandable Sport Minister John O’Donoghue was concerned at the handling of the whole controversy, considering he was responsible for taxpayers’ money, but he said the minister was right to point out O’Connor’s right to justice.
O’Connor’s fellow Olympian Marion Hughes confirmed yesterday she had heard of others using the drugs - fluphenazine and zuclopenthixol - found in O’Connor’s gold medal-winning horse Waterford Crystal, but it was years ago.
“I knew a person in England who used them four years ago on a difficult young horse to get them going.
“It takes the edge off them, the fight out of them ... but it is used only in an extreme case,” she said, adding it was her understanding fluphenazine “worked over a long term.”
In summer, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) warned against the use of human sedatives in horses.
The FEI chief vet Frits Sluyter has confirmed they had instructed their Paris laboratory in May to focus on such substances amid speculation of their use. Subsequently, seven positive cases emerged.
The US Equestrian Federation also urges caution, advising equestrians not to use fluphenazine for at least 45 days prior to competition.
O’Connor has argued so minute were the traces of the substances found in Waterford Crystal, he did not gain any “therapeutic or performance-enhancing effect” on his horse during the games.
The vastly-experienced Hughes admitted she had received little instruction from the authorities on the regulations governing the use of drugs in competition horses. She said it was generally left up to the vet as to what treatment to administer.
“We got a list [of substances] at the start of the year, showing what’s legal and not legal. Basically, you have to rely on [the] vet. With a good horse, you wouldn’t let just any vet treat them. They would be very professional people, but at the end of the day, they’re human too,” said Hughes.
“Maybe, in Cian’s case, he got bad advice.”
Meanwhile, an army spokesman said he expected the findings of an investigation into practices at the Army Equestrian School will be presented to them either today or tomorrow.
The investigation, conducted by vets from UCD, aims to protect the school’s reputation amid rumours of abuse of horses in show jumping.
