Jessica Kurten will miss Olympia
Irish show jumper Jessica Kurten is banned from competition until 6 January after losing her appeal to the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS).
Mrs Kurten was given a two-month ban by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) on 7 May this year after a positive anti-doping test on her horse Castle Forbes Maike at the CSIO La Baule, France on 13 May 2007.
In July CAS lifted the ban on Mrs Kurten competing until after they had considered her appeal against the ban, but today (12 December) they upheld the FEI suspension, meaning the ban is reinstated
FEI secretary-general Alex McLin said: “The FEI welcomes the decision of the CAS, which is not surprising.
“The FEI judicial process is fair and respects the rights of the parties. The CAS now routinely confirms this, which is encouraging, and should be seen as such by those who seek justice before the FEI Tribunal.
“In this case the CAS panel needed fewer than three days of deliberation to reach this conclusion. While of course no two cases are ever the same, this is a positive and noteworthy trend.”
Mrs Kurten must also pay CHF 10,000 as a contribution towards FEI’s legal fees and expenses.
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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.