Lynch faces long ban as 'B' horse sample tests positive
Irish show jumper Denis Lynch. Photo: Jean-Sebastien Evrard, Getty Images
Suspended Olympic show jumper Denis Lynch was last night facing the prospect of a long ban from the sport after a "B" sample for his horse proved positive.
The Irish rider was dumped out of the Olympics last week after his horse, Lantinus, failed a doping test -- and last night's confirmation of the result brings a ban even closer.
Mr Lynch (32) will now face a hearing before a three-man panel of the Federation Equestre Internationale, the governing body for all Olympic equestrian disciplines.
News of the "B" sample comes as the Board of Horse Sport Ireland, headed up by Chairman Joe Walsh, meets today to discuss the equestrian Olympic fiasco.
Mr Lynch flew straight back to his base in Germany and did not accompany his fellow Irish Olympians when they returned home on Tuesday.
The "B" sample for Lantinus was confirmed positive by the FEI and it was confirmed Mr Lynch will attend the hearing in Switzerland next week when evidence and written submissions will be considered.
Mr Lynch, from Kilfeacle in Tipperary, looked set for a medal in the individual show jumping final at the Sha Tin equestrian Olympic stadium in Hong Kong last week.
But his name was removed from the start-list and it was revealed during an FEI press conference later that his 10-year-old gelding was one of four show jumping horses to test positive for the same banned substance, capsaicin.
The substance is a derivative of the chilli pepper and is classified as a "doping" prohibited substance due to its hypersensitising properties and as a "Medication Class A" prohibited substance because of its pain-relieving properties.
But Mr Lynch hit back in a hastily-convened press conference when he insisted he had done nothing wrong.
The rider said he had used a lotion called Equi-Block to loosen up his horse's back and that, although he was aware it contained capsaicin, he did not realise he had done anything illegal.
He had been using it for over a year and his horse had never tested positive. Team vet, Marcus Swail, said capsaicin was not specifically mentioned on the list of banned substances by the FEI.
All riders were repeatedly warned prior to these Games that the testing procedure conducted by the world-class Hong Kong Jockey Club veterinary laboratory would be second-to-none and with fresh samples, the "A" test results were turned around in just five days.
Mr Lynch was handed down a provisional suspension along with Germany's Christian Ahlmann, Brazil's Bernardo Alves and Norway's Tony-Andre Hansen -- a member of the Norwegian team that claimed bronze four days earlier.
All riders have a right to a hearing and yesterday the FEI proposed dates on September 5, 6 and 7. Horse Sport Ireland last night confirmed that Mr Lynch will take up his right to be heard and is available on any of the proposed dates.
And there was more bad news for international equestrianism when the FEI also confirmed yesterday that Mythilus, the Olympic dressage horse ridden by America's Courtney King who finished 13th individually, has tested positive for the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory preparation Felbinac.
- Louise Parkes
