Kurten to miss Olympia after CAS rejects appeal

THE Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) yesterday dismissed Jessica Kurten’s appeal against the two-month suspension imposed by an International Equestrian Federation (FEI) tribunal after the mare Castle Forbes Maike tested positive for a banned medication.

As a result, the German-based Antrim rider must serve out the three weeks remaining in the suspension — which was put on hold in July by CAS — while also paying 10,000 Swiss francs (€6,351) towards the FEI’s legal fees and expenses.

The ruling means Kurten will miss next week’s lucrative World Cup show in London’s Olympia, with the suspension recommencing on Tuesday and running until January 6.