Top show producer fined
Show producer and British Show Hack Cob and Riding Horse Association (BSHCRA) committee member and producer Richard Ramsay (pictured) has been fined £250 and issued with a reprimand by the organisation after Carol Bardo’s cob Dandini tested positive for Isoxuprine during a random dope test at the BSHCRA championships last September.
A disciplinary tribunal comprising William Norris QC, BSHCRA member Valerie Stanton and veterinary surgeon John McEwen was called in to hear the case against Ramsay and Bardo.
Both owner and producer denied that the prohibited substance had been deliberately administered to Dandini and the tribunal found that it was likely that the substance had found its way into the horse’s feed by cross-contamination, possibly from another horse’s bucket.
Veterinary surgeon Paul Farrington, acting for Bardo and Ramsay, produced records to show that a horse stabled close to Dandini was being treated with the drug Navilox, which contains Isoxuprine.
The tribunal ruled that Dandini should be disqualified from the events in which he competed at the championships.
BSHCRA chairman Brian Williams commented: “As Mr Ramsay is a committee member, we felt that the only appropriate course of action was to refer the matter to an independent tribunal. As far as we are concerned this is the end of the matter.”
Richard Ramsay says: “I’m very relieved that the case is over. We had a Dutch show jumping horse in the yard, which suffered from chronic navicular disease and was treated with Navilox.
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“We have now changed our procedure for giving medicines to horses on our yard so that the drugs are kept by the animal’s stable rather than in the feed room.
“Dandini certainly has no need for Navilox – he was sold after HOYS and has had a full season hunting with the VWH.”
| Read the full story in this week’s Horse & Hound (17 April), or click here to subscribe and enjoy Horse & Hound delivered to your door every week. |
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