Eventer’s sanctions overturned by sport’s top court
Olympic event rider Vittora Panizzon’s four-year ban and fine for a missed human dope test that was not her fault has been entirely overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Vittoria missed a season, including the Olympics, as a result of the ban. She was also blocked from any activity related to affiliated sport of any kind, so she was unable to coach riders for affiliated competition. Her career was “in tatters”, she told H&H at the time, even though she had complied with all the testing programme’s requirements, as she has for decades. Following the CAS verdict, Vittoria said: “I am thrilled, relieved and so, so grateful to everyone for the support I have had from my owners, sponsors, the [Italian air force], friends, staff and the wider horse sport community, but I am also exhausted, frustrated and disheartened.”
Watch Olympic medallist Tina Cook walk three key fences on course-designer Eric Winter’s 2025 Mars Badminton Horse Trials cross-country course. Tina, who has also given her exclusive insight on all 32 numbered fences in this week’s magazine (1 May), walks viewers through the Mars Lake, Mars Equestrian Sustainability Bay, and Equidry Huntsman’s Close in three exclusive videos for H&H. “It’s the cumulative effect of the questions Eric has set that make this course testing, rather than individual fences that stand out for their difficulty. There’s plenty out there, and it’ll be great fun to watch,” says Tina.
A riding centre that has touched the lives of thousands of people has been granted a last minute lifeline to keep the gates open, as it continues work to secure its future. Clwyd Special Riding Centre, in North Wales, was founded 40 years ago and provides riding, carriage driving, hippotherapy and access to horses for people with additional needs and their families. It is appealing to raise £365,000 – a year’s running costs. The initial deadline had been 1 May, but the lifeline has given the centre some welcome breathing room. “We know how uncertain the past week has been, and we are so grateful for the patience, resilience, and loyalty shown by our team and community,” said a spokesperson for the centre. “This development also allows us to extend our Crowdfunding campaign deadline to 23 May, giving us more time to raise vital funds and to strengthen the foundation we need for a sustainable future.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
