On January 6, 2009, the FEI Tribunal decided to strip Swedish FEI Pony rider Elin Aspnas of the individual bronze medal which she won at the 2008 European Pony Championships in Avenches, Switzerland, in July 2008, following a positive medication test of her pony Tim.
Tim tested positive to lidocain, a Medication Class A prohibited substance. 16-year old Elin Aspnas has been disqualified from the event, suspended for two months as of January 6, 2009, and fined 1,000 Swiss Francs.
Tim's positive medication test caused quite an uproar in the FEI pony world as Aspnas' parents suspected fraud in the matter. Furthermore, the Aspnäs family was notified by the FEI of the positive test on 29 October 2008, two and a half months after the show instead of the normal three weeks.
Aspnäs had rubbed Arnika on her pony, a Swedish product presented as “Natural Product for Massages” and as “approved for veterinary use." The bottle Elin used at the European Championships mysteriously contained lidocain, while two other bottles tested on request of the Swedish Equestrian Federation proved to be medication free. This may suggest that somebody from outside the Aspnas team might have tampered with the rider's bottle of Arnika Gel, but the Tribunal cannot accept this as a decisive proof.
FEI weaseled out of its slow processing of the case by stating that "given circumstances had led to a notification of the positive results only some three months after the testing" were mainly due to "the enormous and unforeseeable workload at the FEI resulting from the Olympic Games in Hong Kong during August 2008." The FEI Tribunal responded that it "understands that this delay might have caused inconvenience to the rider, but the Tribunal accepts the explanation from the FEI for the delay. The Tribunal is of the opinion that the FEI, in its fight against doping, must be able to prosecute cases even if the workload sometimes creates delays like the one in the present case. This should, of course, in no way jeopardize the Person Responsible’s due process rights. The Tribunal is of the opinion that the PR had more than ample opportunity to present the case and defend her position."
Aspnas's lawyer further argued that the security provided at the CDI Falsterbo, where Tim had competed two weeks before the European Championships, had been insufficient and that the family of the rider, since spring 2008, had felt hostilities towards them from other families in the circle around the Swedish national pony team, and had also received handwritten anonymous threats. Aspnas explained that a criminal investigation had been initiated in Sweden three days prior to the hearing with respect to those threats.
Aspnas concluded that she could not prove that any other person had added the Prohibited Substance to the bottle used by her, but that it was not unlikely that this could be the explanation for the findings.
The Tribunal ruled that "lack of stable security is not an excuse in doping cases and
the person responsible is to ensure sufficient stable management and proper security over any horse used in international events in order to ensure that they are not administered any prohibited substances either negligently or willfully."
Due the disqualification of Tim, the individual bronze medal will go Belgium's Julie van Olst with her pony Haasendonk's Sultan.
Related Links
European Pony Bronze Medallist Tim Tests Positive to Medication
Swedish Surprise: Elin Aspnas and Tim Conquer Bronze