Williams dope case closes after 15 months

Show jumper Guy Williams, who is ranked 11th in Britain, has heard the outcome of his prolonged FEI doping case — 15 months after one of his horses tested positive for bute at HOYS in 2003.

Williams requested that both his horses at the show be tested after he was concerned that they were not well and was suspicious that a third party had given a substance without his knowledge.

He asked a stipendiary steward to request that the vets in attendance blood test both of his horses. But the vets at HOYS were unable to authorise the test because this could only be done with the authorisation of the FEI, who had at that time not asked for the horses to be tested.

When Williams won a class, his horse was tested, and returned positive for phenylbutazone and oxyphenbutazone. Both horses had time off after the show, but one never recovered and later died.

The FEI judicial committee accepted that “in the circumstances of the case, there had not been a deliberate attempt by Guy Williams to affect the performance of the horse”.

Williams, who maintains that an unknown third party administered the substances, has to pay a fine and return prize-money from HOYS.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (14 April ’05)

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