Eventing team berth to Paris 2024 reallocated from China to Japan after feed issue

IC

The Chinese Equestrian Association (CEA) responded Wednesday after losing its Paris 2024 eventing team ticket, saying to be "deeply shocked" for their top-placed horse testing positive for a controlled medication at last June's Olympic qualifier.

According to a statement released by the sport's world governing body FEI late on Tuesday, one of the two Paris 2024 team quota slots delivered at the Groups F&G Olympic qualifier in Millstreet, Ireland, where Australia finished first and China second, has been reallocated to Japan following a positive test of China's top eventer Alex Hua Tian's ride Chicko for controlled medication altrenogest, better known under its UK trade name, Regumate.

The drug, a hormonal treatment for mares, is listed as a controlled medication (not doping) for stallions and geldings on the FEI clean sport database, despite an independent investigation "found conclusively that the trace amount of altrenogest detected" was owing to Chicko eating contaminated hay from the next-door stable.

The positive test, however, means Hua Tian and the 13-year-old gelding Chicko, who finished fourth individually, the Chinese team's best result in the qualifier, were disqualified from the competition, and the formerly third-placed Japanese team, as a result, moved ahead of China in the team standings.

"As a passionate supporter of clean sport, with a pristine record at international level for 18 years and knowing how careful we are as a team with any risk of contamination, I was in total shock," Hua Tian, who's in "total disbelief," said in a statement responding to the positive test.

CEA also confirmed that Chicko was "cross-infected," but said, "The Chinese Equestrian Association has always pursued the goal of "zero occurrence" with a "zero tolerance" attitude in anti-doping work," indicating that the nation's equestrian ruling body has accepted the FEI decision.

As altrenogest is a controlled substance, not banned, Hua Tian has not been subject to a provisional suspension but offered an "Administrative Procedure", including a fine of 1,500 Swiss Franc but no ban or further sanction.

"However, the core principles of the FEI, clean sport and the level playing field which I not only accept but support wholeheartedly is that a horse that is found to have a controlled medication in its system during competition is a rule violation and as a result is automatically disqualified from that competition, regardless of how that substance entered the horse," Hua Tian said, adding that he took full responsibility for the consequences.

"I intend to continue flying the flag for Chinese equestrianism on the international stage, uphold the principles of clean sport and the Olympic movement whilst taking every possible measure to ensure that issues related to doping and controlled substances for both humans and horses do not occur," Hua Tian stated.