FEI issues decision in the case Jessica Kürten

The FEI Tribunal has issued its decision in the case involving Jessica Kürten at last year’s CSIO 5* in La Baule (FRA), 10-13 May 2007, resulting in a two-month suspension for the athlete. Mrs. Kürten, who was placed first in the Grand Prix on Castle Forbes Maike, subsequently was the subject of a medication control violation when her mount tested positive to a prohibited substance.

The substance, Etoricoxib, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory classified by the FEI as medication prohibited in competition.

Under the FEI’s administrative sanctioning system, which results in disqualification and a fine for most minor offences, Mrs. Kürten had received the option of accepting such a disqualification and fine but opted instead to argue her case before the FEI Tribunal, emphasizing procedural aspects of the testing and analysis procedure.

Under the applicable rules, when a case is reviewed by the Tribunal, the person responsible does not benefit from the assumption that the presence of the substance can be explained. T

This meant that Mrs. Kürten needed to prove the absence of negligence on her part in ensuring that her horse was free from any prohibited substances in competition, which the Tribunal found she had not done.