Isabell Werth's small tour horse Whisper tested positive to doping after a medication test carried out on Monday 30 May 2009 at the CDI Wiesbaden in Germany. Werth has been immediately suspended by the FEI and will not be able to compete at Aachen.
Werth's 10-year old chestnut gelding Whisper (by Wolkentanz I x Einstand) tested positive to Fluphenazine, a drug usually applied as antipsychotic for humans. It is used for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. One of its side effects is sedation, which is a reason why it could be used by equestrians.
Breido Graf zu Rantzau, president of the German Equestrian Federation, made the following statement: "This is a catastrophe for the horse sport. But we don't let ourselves be discouraged by all this negative news as we pave the way to a fair horse sport."
There will be an FEI Tribunal hearing on 25th June 2009, at which it will be decided whether the suspension is temporary or not. A suspension after a positive A-test is internationally obligatory since one year and a half.
Isabell Werth has requested the disclosure of the B-test.
Madeleine Winter-Schulze, Isabell Werth's sponsor and owner of her competition horses, has reacted to the news of the positive doping test of Werth's Whisper and to the suspension as Werth as rider. In an interview with the German Sport Information Service (SID), Winter-Schulze has commented the Whisper underwent a treatment a few days before Wiesbaden, but it was the veterinarian who said it was safe to compete.
"It is awful," Winter-Schulze told SID. "Everybody is so disappointed" in the stable of Isabell Werth. "I'm not angry at her. She can't do anything about it.
Sönke Lauterbach, secretary-general of the German Equestrian Federation, showed a very unsolidary disposition towards Werth in a day time television show on the ARD broad cast station. He stated that where success, money and power is involved, one can find manipulation.
St. Georg interviewed several veterinarians about the banned substance Fluphenazine, which can mainly be found in the human medicine Dapotum. It is not allowed for horses but it has been widely used on spooky horses for many years now.
"When a horse is a bit cuckoo, Fluphenazine is the means to an end, but people know for more than ten years now that the substance is traceable," said a vet to St. Georg, who wanted to remain anonymous.
It is surprising that Professor Wilhelm Schänzer of the Technical Sport School of Cologne stated to the German press agency DPA that the substance is allowed as sedative for transport or medical examinations.
Dr. Henry Ottilie of the University of Leipzig explained that "Fluphenazine is part of the neuroleptics group. It is only allowed in Germany in veterinary medicine in the substances of Sedalin and Vetranquil (with Acepromzine) and Stresnil (Azaperone).
Apparently, the professor from Cologne seems to be wrong as the substance is listed on the positive doping list and is normally not applied on animals, but the drug can be used illegitimately.
It must be noted that the Technical Sport School of Cologne has been working together with Ludger Beerbaum for years. Beerbaum has been suspended by the FEI because of doping suspension.
How very sad for everyone involved. Whether it is true or false, things like this can only hurt the image of equestrian sports.
AntwortenLöschenRomy
If I got the correct information Fluphenazine has a depot effect - usually you have to give it to your horse continuously every three weeks. It has been a quite "popular" drug even on smaller horse shows in Germany within the last years.
AntwortenLöschenI wonder if it could have been a trailering or horse shoeing administration-- in my administrative law work we recently dealt with a situation where a racehorse was unlawfully medicated without knowledge of the trainer-- by the equine dentistry practitioner. Mistakes sometimes happen--best to reserve judgement until all the facts are in--:)
AntwortenLöschenMarielon,
AntwortenLöschenI agree with you very much. Until we know the facts, it is wrong to point fingers. Sadly, even if it is an innocent mistake, people's reputations will be tarnished. I will hope for the best outcome for them. We don't need any more of our top athletes to fall like this.
Romy
Sometimes I wonder if they are really interested in the truth or just in protecting their image - willing to pay every prize. So we'll wait and see if we ever will know all the facts...
AntwortenLöschenThere are some various aspects in this case.
AntwortenLöschenFirst of all, there seems to be a sort of witch hunting in Germany concerning doping in the equestrian sports at this moment. Several (well known) show jumpers were expelled already recently. Justified or not, who knows? Also in human sports, there is the same public wave in Germany against doping at any level (compare f.e. the resistance of the German newspapers and television against the "Tour de France" during the last years)
Secondly the FEI has the policy of zero tolerance. Combined with present refined technical possibilities to trace any microgram of any drug, this means that even normal veterinary treatment (or unexpected residues from the nutrition) may cause a positive testing result.
Equestrian sports on the level as nowadays desired, demands a intensive support and sustaining of the horse. Sustaining treatment with modern veterinary drugs may help and enlighten the 4-legged athlete. If you might deny the horse this (like the FEI requires indirectly with their zero-tolerance) but nevertheless demand the highest performance, you will reach the edges of animal abuse (earlier).
So the basic problem is in fact the fragile balance between the highest thinkable performance of the 4-legged athlete and the horse's welfare. Is zero tolerance for drugs-residues justified, related to the demanded highest continuous sport achievements of the horse? And if not, how to define the limits of the acceptable veterinary support of the horse.... (the "playing-field" will be comparable with the human issues of doping...., I guess)
Pfffff...... All this is one of the reasons I do not like the present equestrian sport circuit.... (We are now speaking in this topic about a world champion dressage rider, but the attitude to win by all means is at any level of competition!)
But that is personal...
To my opinion, in common, you should give your horse the best thinkable treatment. At the other hand, you must be honest towards your horse in the limits of your demands and the attainability of your own (or your sponsor's) goals. All this requires a correct definition of the frame of your working-field. Independent of the level of your performance. And with the complete welfare of your 4-legged partner as basic principle. In training as well in nursing.
I think the objective of the zero tolerance policy is to assure that medications do not take the place of training and conditioning. This objective serves multiple purposes-- the competition remains true to its purpose; protects the safety of the horse, in that true athletic conditioning will enable the horse to compete without injury; and protects the safety and integrity of the rider, because a drugged mount is an unsafe mount for all the reasons we know very well (you don't want to load up on tranqs and drive a car, why ride a loaded horse?) I think the FEI drug rules are pretty reasonable and similar to what we see in other regulated horse sports. I am hopeful that Isabel Werth was able to present an explanation at her hearing. I am especially interested in what the horse's vet had to say . . .
AntwortenLöschenIch denke, ein pferdebegeisterter Mensch fängt an mit Passion. Der Erfolg stellt sich nach und nach ein, und irgendwann ist ein Punkt erreicht, wo die Hilfestellungen
AntwortenLöschensich umwenden in Druck ( Sponsoring, Pferdebesitzer, Erfolgswillen etc.),
da käme es an auf einen starken Charakter, der Verzicht leisten könnte.
Es gibt für mich nur wenige, von denen ich glaube, sie können abends noch in den Spiegel schauen, und letztlich sitzt die FN zwischen zwei Stühlen, auf der einen Seite muß (müßte) sie Vorbildcharakter haben, auf der anderen Seite wollen sie
Erfolg, Erfolg, Erfolg. Es ist ja nicht so, dass immer nur die Pferde gedopt werden,
die Menschen, die meinen, da mittun zu müssen, stehen selbst unter Druck.
Letztlich kommt es auf die Werte an, die ein Mensch für sich ganz persönlich
leben will. Der große Egon v. Neindorff z.B. verzichtete auf die Teilnahme an Turnieren. Hut ab, vor seiner Persönlichkeit, am Rande bemerkt.
Werte leben, heißt oft Verzicht. Wie oft meinen Menschen, vor Menschen groß dazustehen, hieße Glück. Reiten heißt ein ständiges arbeiten an sich, Minuten des Glücks, lange Phasen Besinnung, ein reifen lassen, aber da ist die Welt des Sportes schon entartet, eine hundertstel Sek. entscheidet bei Abfahrtsläufer über Sein und Nichtsein ( das meine ich genau so).
Ab und an tut es sicher gut, sich einen Kilometer nach oben zu begeben und nach unten zu schauen auf sein Tun in der Welt, und sich zu fragen, was machst Du da
eigentlich. Und schaut mehr in die Augen der Pferde.
Schön gesagt!
AntwortenLöschen