Isabell Suspended!

Ms Werth’s “defence“ is nothing short of ridiculous.
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Dr. Hans Stihl is the Dr. Fuentes of the horsey world, if you call for his services, then you def. know what for. This is, very simply, the most clear case of doping to date in the sport of riding.
 
SIX DAYS for the drug to withdraw?? Oh please! Even if he DID tell her that, she should still have left four weeks. Though I very much doubt a drug that could have such an effect could be withdrawn in such a short time.. Doesn't add up to me.

Also, the shivering thing is just a bit odd to me. OK, he was "only" a small tour horse, and there aren't always profound physical effects, but would a horse with shivers really be on a top dressage yard? I say that because, while working on an equine magazine, I used to deal with rider's queries, and had a few on shivers answered by (UK) vets. Many of the horses with shivers DID have some kind of physical problems under saddle - a bit like stringhalt - also problems walking straight, halting, and moving off again after a halt.

On the same mag, I was lucky enough to visit a few top dressage riders' yards, and they all run a tight ship. The riders don't have time to spend on horses that aren't 110%, and horses that looked to me, utterly stunning, were often described as being "not really destined for the top", and were only passing through to another, lower-level rider.

I just find the whole thing very, very fishy.
 
Quite frankly her response makes it much worse, as others have mentioned what place in top level competition or on in fact any competition is there for a horse with a medical condition that needs these drugs to manage it. This drug clearly does have an effect on performance regardless of why they are given in this case.

I have no problem with the horse having this drug if it gives it a better quality of life but why compete it at all? Use it as a schoolmaster/training horse or send it to a home that does not want to compete?

Stinks of either blatent cheating or just putting money first, I'm sorry but there is no excuse for this.
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Excellent if she has and the FEI carry through on the threat. Trouble is they've been shown to be a toothless wonder so many times in the past I am looking for the news story now which says she's got a 30 day suspension or some such.
 
Nothing on the FEI website as yet.

This from another website
BERLIN (AFP) — Olympic dressage gold medallist Isabell Werth has decided not to proceed with analysis of a 'B' sample after her horse returned a positive drug test, Germany's equestrian federation said Thursday.

The decision means Werth, a five-time Olympic gold medallist who won gold in the team dressage event at last year's tournament in Beijing, has now been suspended from competition.

The German has been ordered to appear before the International Equestrian Federation's disciplinary tribunal and is facing a two-year ban which would rule her out of the London Olympics in 2012.

Werth was riding 10-year-old gelding Wallach Whisper at an event in Wiesbaden when the test revealed the presence of fluphenazine, a banned stimulant.

The 29-year-old had said on Wednesday that she would exercise her right to demand analysis of a second sample from the horse.
 
I'm not surprised to read some of the remarks on this thread -this is a very contentious and emotive issue. However, knowing Isabell as I have for some years, I cannot just join all those who are rushing in to condemn her. She is a wonderful horsewoman who adores her horses, that is a fact.
 
I think she's a fantastic rider and by all accounts a great horseman. I think it's very likely there wasn't any great intention to deceive. BUT she's done something very dumb - either make a bad decision or take bad advice - in a climate that has zero tolerance for such things. Even if she had no intention of using the drug to alter performance, it is well known, even a cursory check of the internet would have yielded information on the potential problem of using it even for the situation she describes (putting the best spin on things) and a clear indication of it's "regular" use and why it's a banned substance. The fact is we all know that it comes down to the rider's responsibility in these cases.

It really won't matter if the FEI upholds the ban or not. If she is deemed ultimately responsible then the German FN - as they have recently proven - will likely mete out their own sanction in addition to/instead of the FEI one. I actually feel very sorry for the people who have been trying so hard to clean house there this year - to go to the lengths they have to prove they're trying to keep things on the straight and narrow and then have this happen. . .

Perhaps it is just a mistake. There is no PROOF she gained - we don't even know what level of the drug was in the horse's system or if it was enough to have effect - but in then end there seems no chance the drug got in the horse by accident. What will be interesting is to see if there is any sanction for the vet, although he's done nothing technically wrong.
 
I think that Isabell is carrying a very heavy load right now. Because I think she is taking the blame for something which wasn't decided by her. The same VET was also involved with the doping affair of Ulla Salzgeber and Rusty. And the owner of Isabell's horses is the same owner as the horses of Ludger Beerbaum and Rusty of Ulla.
 
In yesterday's issue of the Rheinische Post there was an article stating she has 'sacked' Dr Stihl and the journalist seemed to think that, partly because of this (distancing herself from vet) the ban would be likely to be around 6 to 8 months (but I don't know whether that was just the journalist's opinion or more of a 'fact')
 
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