Waterford Crystal B-sample stolen on route to testing in UK

The International Equestrian Federation has revealed that the B-sample taken from Olympic winning horse Waterford Crystal has been stolen.

Tests on the A-sample revealed a banned substance, which if confirmed in the B-sample, could cost Cian O’Connor his and Ireland’s only gold medal.

The FEI said in a statement today that a portion of the B-sample was illegally taken while it was being shipped by a third party courier service from the Medication Control Programme Central Laboratory in Paris to the Horseracing Forensic Lab in Cambridgeshire in the UK.

Local police are investigating the case and the FEI is also conducting an internal investigation.

The President of the Equestrian Federation of Ireland, Avril Doyle MEP, has requested further information, as well as an immediate meeting with the FEI in Lausanne, in Switzerland.

Ms Doyle said this afternoon: “At this stage there are more questions than answers, but I don’t like what I’m hearing.”