One of the four show jumpers suspended from the Olympic competition in Hong Kong has blamed his horse’s positive test for a banned substance on a Deep Heat-like ointment used on the horse.
At the tribunal yesterday in Hong Kong the International Equestrian Federation indicated that the banned substance, capsaicin, was an ingredient in some equestrian products in regular use.
Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) has confirmed that it was identified by their rider Denis Lynch as an ingredient in a product called Equiblock used by him on his horse.
An HSI spokesman said : “Equi-block is a product used in similar circumstances to ‘Deep Heat’ used on humans and Denis Lynch explained to the tribunal that he commonly applies Equiblock to the horse’s lower back prior to exercise.”
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