Equestrian Sports New Zealand (ESNZ) has reacted to the news that Jock Paget is allowed to return to competion after the decision by the FEI to lift his temporary suspension.
Jock and Kevin McNab (AUS) have both been suspended from competition since their horses Clifton Promise and Clifton Pinot tested positive for the banned substance reserpine at last year’s Burghley Horse Trials. Both horses are owned by Frances Stead of Clifton Eventers.
Jock and Kevin attended an FEI tribunal last week (3-4 June).
“Paget faced the tribunal in London to explain how his horse Clifton Promise failed an equine anti-doping [EAD] test in 2013,” said a statement on the ESNZ website.
“In its ruling, which solely relates to the provisional suspension Paget has served since notification of the positive A sample on 14 October 2013, the tribunal states that it is ‘satisfied on a balance of probabilities, that the PR [person responsible, Paget] has demonstrated that he bore no fault or negligence for the EAD rule violation’.”
Although this is only a partial ruling on the matter, it allows Jock to begin his preparations to try to represent New Zealand at the World Equestrian Games in August.
ESNZ chief executive Jim Ellis said: “This is an encouraging step, but it is important to wait for the tribunal’s full ruling”.
It is still unclear when a full decision from the FEI tribunal will be released.
