Irish show jumper Denis Lynch banned from competition for three months
Irish show jumper Denis Lynch has been banned from competition for three months and fined €1,142 (£897) with €1,305 (£1,026) costs, by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).
Lynch’s Olympic ride Lantinus tested positive for a banned substance, capsaicin, in Hong Kong during the Beijing Olympic Games in August.
Lynch’s ban from competition runs until 21 November.
Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) chairman Joe Walsh said that an expert group formed to eradicate prohibited drugs and practices from Irish equestrianism would look closely at the FEI decision.
“I want to assure people that we will be relentless in dealing with this issue,” he said.
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A self-confessed newshound, farmer’s daughter and journalist of many years' experience, Charlotte worked on regional papers before joining H&H in 2007. A regular rider, she visited Ireland in 2010 to investigate the fate of Irish horses through the recession, to much acclaim, and reported from the FEI General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. She left Horse & Hound in March 2013.