Jock Paget aims for World Equestrian Games
Jock Paget has told H&H he is set to make his return to competition later this month. He is now aiming for the World Equestrian Games (WEG) after his ban was lifted following a partial decision by the FEI.
The eventer was suspended from competition for 8 and a half months after his ride Clifton Promise tested positive for banned substance reserpine at Burghley last September.
He attended an FEI tribunal last week (3-4 June) to give evidence. The FEI announced on Friday (6 June) it had made a “partial decision” to allow Jock to return to competiton.
Jock now has 7 horses entered to run at Salperton Park on 21 June.
“I don’t think I will be completely relaxed about it until the final verdict is announced,” Jock told H&H.
“I don’t want to count my chickens too early but it is obviously a positive sign and my focus now is purely on WEG.
“For the past 8 and half months it has been the first thing on my mind every morning so it’s nice to have some of the pressure lifted.”
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Jock is hoping to be selected on his Badminton winner Clifton Promise who will run in the open intermediate at Salperton.
“I have always prepared Promise the same way and he knows his job very well,” Jock said.
“I don’t want to change anything because of this.”
Kevin McNab’s horse Clifton Pinot also tested postive for the same substance at Burgley and it is expected he will also make a return to competition soon.
Both Clifton Promise and Clifton Pinot are owned by Frances Stead of Clifton Eventers.
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Sophia Heath joined Horse & Hound in July 2013 having previously worked for the Daily Telegraph's Olympics website, CNN International and Omnisport. A Durham graduate with a Masters in journalism from City University, Sophia has evented, showjumped and hunted. Sophia left Horse & Hound in early 2015 to join an international boating website.