FEI Tribunal Clears Paget in Doping Scandal

The tribunal found that Jock Paget’s horse tested positive for reserpine after consuming a contaminated supplement.
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A Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) tribunal has cleared New Zealand three-day eventer Jonathan "Jock" Paget of any wrongdoing after his mount, Clifton Promise, tested positive for the prohibited sedative reserpine after winning the 2013 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials. As a result, the tribunal said they would impose no further sanctions on Paget.

In its 36-page decision dated July 7, the tribunal found that Clifton Promise's positive drug test was the result of consuming a supplement—LesstressE, which the horse had consumed and competed on numerous times in the past without a positive drug test—contaminated with the prohibited substance during its manufacture. The decision stated that, prior to starting the horse on the supplement—which Paget said he used to manage Clifton Promise's stress levels during competitions—in 2010, he took steps to ensure the supplement was legal for use in FEI competitions.

"The tribunal takes note of the steps taken by the person responsible (PR, Paget) in order to avoid a positive finding for prohibited substances, namely requesting and receiving confirmation from his veterinarian that the product was safe to use, confirming with the manufacturer that the product was free of prohibited substances, and checking the product's representation on the manufacturer's website," the tribunal stated in the decision.

The tribunal noted that Paget could have obtained a third-party analysis on the substance to ensure it was free of prohibited substances, but noted that "the PR had used LesstressE at (Burghley) after having used it numerous times in the past and multiple testing for prohibited substances, which the tribunal considers comparable to an independent third-party testing authority

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Written by:

Erica Larson, former news editor for The Horse, holds a degree in journalism with an external specialty in equine science from Michigan State University in East Lansing. A Massachusetts native, she grew up in the saddle and has dabbled in a variety of disciplines including foxhunting, saddle seat, and mounted games. Currently, Erica competes in eventing with her OTTB, Dorado.

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