Well, when it is an EA enquiry, it would seem. Back on the 2nd of September, EA (Federal) promised: In regard to the positive swab which was notified to us by the FEI in relation to the Rotterdam event, EA will be conducting a full investigation into the circumstances.
We hope you haven’t been holding your breath awaiting the outcome, and really hope you didn’t think the enquiry would actually cast any light on the matter because here it is:
DRUM ROLL, TRUMPETS SOUND…
EA convened an independent Review Panel chaired by Leigh Clifford AO and comprising Dr Derek Major, veterinarian and Georgia Widdup, Chair of the Eventing Selection Panel and lawyer.
The Panel reviewed the circumstances surrounding the nomination of Sue Hearn to the AOC for selection for the Rio Olympic Games. The Panel concluded that, based on the information available to the Dressage Selection Panel at the relevant time, the nomination of Sue Hearn to the AOC was appropriate.
EA regards the matter as concluded and does not propose to make further statements.
Normally enquiries set out to find the facts and make them public, and answer the questions raised. No, we must take the word of EA director, Leigh Clifford, and his daughter, and EA selector, Georgia, and vet, Derek Major, that everything was fine.
It’s nice that the conclusion is qualified by the statement ‘based on the information available to the Dressage Selection Panel at the relevant time’ the action was appropriate – but one of the questions that the investigation should have addressed was how much did the dressage selectors know at the time??? It seems they were finding out on FaceBook, and then as a result of a post from my mate, Kenneth Braddick on his website, www.dressagenews.com. Ken just happens to spend at least part of his life reading obscure stuff on the FEI website, and it was he who broke the news of the positive test.
The question was not what the selectors knew, but what Team Management – the chef, the high performance manager, and the team vets – knew and when, and whether they kept this vital information from the selectors.
The other question is whether the selectors followed their own selection guidelines. Since Sue Hearn was disqualified, she did not have the score to qualify for the Australian team in front of Maree Tomkinson. This question again hinges on what happened to the Australian blood test that was taken at the same time as the FEI one that resulted in the disqualification.
The AOC has confirmed in writing that despite Maree and Diamantina being named as reserves, and sent off to have the relevant inoculations and paperwork, they were never ever nominated, so they could not have been called into the team.
The entire dressage selection process was a farce. The riders were promised two head-to-head contests, but team management was so out-of-touch that they did not realise that this could not happen at a Nations Cup competition. The decision to allow riders to not compete, but still get a score, was another crazy bit of non-thinking. The decision to bring horses to Europe without a vet check before they left was another no brainer, with obvious consequences.
If EA thinks this matter is going to quietly go away as a result of their non-enquiry, they are sorely mistaken…
– CH
Surely whether the information was available or not is irrelevant? Surely it is a fact that the horse was given a prohibited medication – denied by the Hearns but somebody did it – and therefore the horse competed illegally at Rotterdam. Shouldn’t that be end of story or am I missing something?
Disqualification for Remmington at Rotterdam means that we would have had only a team of 3 team to compete – since Maree hadn’t been nominated and was therefore ineligible for selection … what a mess. And how terribly unfair to Maree.
Keep up the good work, Chris.
Well done Chris. Your assessment mirrors my own account of events. I have always considered Sue Hearn a friend and this is not persona. But, EA and the FEI pay lip service to “Clean Sport”, equal playng field, and all of these nice rhetorical ideals, then they do the opposite. I commend you for saying it, how it is! xxx
If this kind of thing happened in a big sport like afl, tennis etc. There’s no way this matter would be resolved like this. Think back to Essendon FC and the consequences of their actions, especially considering the fact some of those players had no idea what they were taking was illegal. But the punishments were still not light handed. If ASADA was involved in this, or if EA truly want a clean sport, there’s no way this would have ended like this.
So wrong this whole drug testing should be handled by ASADA. If they are going to take money off everyone for swabbing, yet all the high profile positives have been smoothed over and brushed under the rug. At least with ASADA There will be no exceptions to the rules.
I just feel sick to my stomach.
It is so very obvious that Maree has born the brunt of all this, she could have so easily stayed at home and saved herself the heartache.
I feel she has to be recompensed for every cent she and her supporters have put in. It is the very least EA can do. She’s been pretty good about all this mess up until now but if she goes to law.. more will come out, and EA has not one leg to stand on.,
They must at least pay her back for the flights, the travel expenses, the vet bills and everything else, including the heartache and disappointment.
It is simply impossible to understand why a premier body of a country’s sport be so bloody incompetent.
As Chris said, this isn’t going to go away, and it’s their own fault.
Unfortunately the AOC have decided that dressage teams are no longer going to be funded for the Olympics. I wonder how much the drug issue had towards the AOC decision.
When I was head gear checker at the Nationals years ago the “drug tests were lost”. Then the next year a Queensland “lady” who was in charge CANCELLED the drug tests! SERIOUSLY! I was head gear checker and I asked where do they go for drug tests and it was all hush hush and “shhh there’s no drug tests this time, but don’t tell anyone otherwise our Olympic qualifier scores won’t count!”
BUT CAN YOU BELIEVE IT…..Kerry Brydon then came out IN THE EFA MAGAZINE (I still have the copy to this very day!) and said “all the horses tested were negative”. I was FURIOUS! I rang each and every Grand Prix rider and asked them if they were tested..no they were not. I could name so many names I have SEEN WITH MY OWN EYES (and still on teams!) that drug their horses….Oh boy if I could only TELL THE TRUTH about the riders on the Aussie team….horses dead for insurance (remember the REAL famous one!!!), drugs, beatings…it goes on and on….After a judge of 34 years I couldn’t take it any more and I’m retired now. Good on you for chasing the EA….they’ve ALWAYS been corrupt, and seems they still are.
I so agree with the comments of fact written by Prof Colleen B Kelly re the mis management of our wonderful sport of Dressage.I have competed for 46 years,and the way that competition is heading at present,where ribbons and point scores are the total focus,leaves me cold.The love of being with our horses,and insuring their welfare 24/7 is far more important.
By the way ,I totally support Sue and Andrew Hearn,despite the arguments that go on re Sue’s ride in Rio.
Good on you Chris. EA need to start working for their members.
The EA needs to be accountable for this decision, as it is unacceptable, is there written rules or do the individuals on the committee decide how they choose for the decision to be made??
Maybe shift the goal posts to suit what they want!!
Drug testing is in place to keep all sports ” clean” what does the written rules stipulate?
The riders living in Australia, in good faith, leave the country knowing they are to compete in 2 qualifying events – some complete these two events as required and the compulsory tests as instructed to enable them to compete at Rio.
The EA announce the team and name Maree Tomkinson as the reserve of the team.
As it now known, Maree was not even nominated to compete at Rio so she had no chance of going to Rio to represent her country if she was required too.
The EA obviously announce this as a blatant lie knowing they did not nominate her – is this a personal vendetta?? I wonder
The EA must contact Maree and give an explanation as to the way she has been treated.
Her contribution to the ” sport” has been her whole life, she has set an amazing example and standard to her followers and young people setting their goals on her.
Is she ok – I doubt it, is she going to compete again – let’s all hope so and I certainly do not want her to finish in the state of mind as James Hird.
EA face up to what has happened and give Maree the respect and explanation she deserves.
Go Chris – bust it wide open