The Horse Magazine understands that after Rotterdam, Remmington was tested twice, once by the FEI vets with the results released on August 3, but also by the Australian team vet! Rotterdam was at the end of June, the Australian vet team should have received the report by mid July. So who did they tell? Not Ton de Ridder who didn’t know until he was woken in Rio by the German Press. Seemingly the Australian selectors didn’t know – and EA President, Judy Fasher assures me the first she knew was when the FEI test result came out (thanks to Kenneth Braddick at dressagenews.com). So who was told at a time when the whole issue could have been carefully analysed? We need to know the time line, and who was told what and when…
unfreaking believeable.
funny how quiet this whole thing (debacle) has been kept quiet here at home, while we know all about the Ruskies and Justin Gatlin…
I find it amazing that Sue is saying that it was contaminated by WHO! It s not as if Remmington is Totrtillas.
If she is saying it was contaminated why did she accept the sanction.
The sad thing is no one will ever know what Sue did or didn’t know, it must be sad for her to know that her ego over rode the Olympic ethos of drug free .
She will always be under the cloud of the dressage rider that got to ride with a positive drug test.
While I feel terrible for the rider who did a great job representing Australia as a taxpayer whose money funded these athletes answers should be provided. This is highly embarrassing and puts a black mark on dressage as an Olympic sport. Assuming the rider knew her horse had been given this medication. Did they the riders and management think it wouldn’t be discovered? Unbelievable at this level. This happened in June well before horses were flown to rio.
As well as the Aussies did to get a team in rio it would be good to see some changes in selection policy, and a focus on new talented riders bringing through the next generation to have an opportunity to compete at the Olympics.
Seeing as how our Australian athletes are hurling stones at others…. Chinese swimmer – 100 metre USA runner and beating their chests about being clean… maybe they should move out of their glass house/
we NEED answers… WHO KNEW… WHO decided… the whole dressage management team needs lining up
I believe we really need both sides of the story, and the facts. Otherwise, there will ALWAYS be a stain on the reputations of many. Keeping people in the dark only leads to mistrust. IMO.
Well I for one would like some answers……. Any information at all !!!!
What does logistically impossible to get the reserve horse there mean!!??! Rio is only 9 hours away and they knew at least a week before the test……. Just one of 100 questions I have!!
Typical EA. Just ignore it until it goes away. Maree and her supporters would like answers.
Clearly the rider knew, because it was ‘just a clerical error’?!? The shame is that she continued to accept the points towards her qualifying total allowing her to take someone else’s rightful place in Rio.
We want answers.. Chris Webb, Julia Battams? Front and centre please.. Team Vet – AOC where are you
There definitely needs to be answers, there are to many questions & doubts unanswered which is extremely disappointing.
Shame on the management of Dressage Australia AOC
So EA, will you be attempting to sweep this little fiasco under the rug as usual? Like the one with the $$ spent on certain para riders for horses to gain selection while others got nothing, or the one where a number of horses were found and tried in Europe, also for a para rider, only one suitable which was competed once without a qualifying score yet listed as qualified but did not make the team. The reputation of Australia as a clean sport nation should be uppermost here, not the feelings of a questionable competitor and large amounts of money h Ave been spent by the high performance manager on who’s authority! The membership want answers to all these and many more questions
What a debacle – drugs and bribery! Not what I sponsored.
Good on you people for asking the questions.
Andrew Hearn has submitted a detailed letter about the whole debacle which I just read on the Equestrian Life website. He is insisting the horse was totally sound & has NEVER received Meloxicam in Australia or abroad & that they were not notified about the positive reading before they got to Rio.
http://www.equestrianlife.com.au/articles/BREAKING-A-statement-from-Sues-husband-Andrew-Hearn
duh that is the report that he sent to us this morning, the report that has been up on our site all day…