Kevin McNab: ‘It’s been tough… I’m ready to move on’

Australian event rider Kevin McNab has said he is ready to “move on with his career” after being cleared of doping charges.

“It’s been tough for my whole team to be in limbo for so long,” he said.

“I am very pleased that this is finally over and I can move on without it hanging over me.”

Both Kevin’s horse, Clifton Pinot, and Jock Paget’s mount, Clifton Promise, tested positive for banned drug reserpine at last September’s Burghley Horse Trials.

Jock, who won the event, was subsequently stripped of his Burghley title.

Yesterday (Thursday 7 August) both riders were cleared of blame by the FEI Tribunal. They were found to have “no fault or negligence for the rule violation”.

The Tribunal found the substance had entered the horses’ system through the supplement LesstressE, which had been contaminated at the production stage.

“I knew I had done nothing wrong — I’m not a doper and I’m careful about what I feed my horses. I always knew that it had to be contamination and the written decision by the FEI Tribunal makes it absolutely clear that I was not at fault,” added Kevin.

“I am a strong supporter of anti-doping, but I was an innocent bystander who got caught up in something that wasn’t my fault. It has been a very unpleasant experience.”

For more analysis and reaction on the verdict, don’t miss next week’s issue of H&H magazine, out 14 August.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now