There is still no concrete information about the identity of the prohibited substances found in Olympic gold medal horse Waterford Crystal's A sample.
The definitive answer will not be available until confirmatory analysis has been done on the B sample, the results of which are not expected until the end of the month at the earliest. Cian O'Connor's veterinary surgeon James Sheeran and the Olympic champion himself have both stated that the horse was given a sedative for treatment of an injury a month before the Games in Athens which was expected to be out of the animal's system within 10 to 14 days.
Sedatives and their use in horses were the subject of a statement issued by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) veterinary department more than two months ago, following a spate of positive dope tests related to low concentrations of sedatives found in competition horses. The FEI has a zero tolerance policy on the use of sedatives in competition. In a warning issued to riders on August 5th of this year, the FEI named five drugs - Acepromazine, Detomidine, Reserpine, Fluphenazine and Guanabenz - that have consistently shown up in recent tests.
Acepromazine or ACP is one of the most commonly used equine tranquillisers. Detomidine, another well-known equine tranquilliser, is a potent non-narcotic sedative agent that also has a strong analgesic effect. It is widely used to sedate horses for veterinary procedures.
The other three - Reserpine, Guanabenz and Fluphenazine - are all human drugs that have crossed over into the equine world. The first two are used for the treatment of hypertension in humans but also as long-acting tranquillisers in horses. Reserpine is a psychotropic agent, meaning it has an altering effect on perception, emotion or behaviour.
Fluphenazine is an anti-psychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia in humans. Its use in horses is not uncommon, as it produces mild sedation while still keeping a horse focused on a performance event. This neuroleptic drug, which has its principal effect on brain function, will suppress spontaneous motor activity, conditioned avoidance and aggressive behaviour.
Although several of these drugs remain traceable for up to 45 days, previous testing procedures were failing to produce positive results. But improved testing has resulted in more successful screening for these banned substances, hence the FEI warning in August. Dr Frits Sluyter, head of the FEI's veterinary department, told The Irish Times
this week that the use of human drugs is considered a "serious infringement".
In its August 5th statement, the FEI said: "These substances are being used, in low dosages, to improve manageability of 'hot' horses and are therefore regarded as serious attempts to influence the performance of the horse by medication."
This warning is particularly important as, in the past, some riders have pleaded therapeutic treatment to explain the presence of a sedative in a sample.O'Connor could face a two-year suspension, as well as the loss of his medal, if it is proved that there was a deliberate attempt to influence the performance of Waterford Crystal in Athens.