Olympic show jumper Bernardo Alves banned for 105 days
Olympic show jumper Bernardo Alves has been banned from competition for three and a half months following an investigation into claims he used a prohibited substance on his horse at the Games in August.
Mr Alves, who rode Chupa Chup on the Brazilian Olympic team, is suspended from 21 August until 3 December and was fined 1,750 Swiss Francs (£925).
Two samples from the horse tested positive for the banned substance capsaicin in tests at the Hong Kong Jockey Club laboratory.
Mr Alves’ team mate Rodrigo Pessoa was banned for 135 days after his horse Rufus tested positive for the same substance.
Mr Alves has 30 days to appeal the FEI tribunal’s decision.
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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.