The FEI has provisionally suspended Jonathan Clarke of South Africa ©FEI

South African jumper Jonathan Clarke has been provisionally suspended by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) after horse Felix Van De Mispelaere tested positive for a banned substance following their victory at a CSI1*-W event in August.

Clarke topped the standings at the competition on home soil in Polokwane, the duo’s second win of the season, but has now been hit with a ban after a sample taken from the horse found traces of Minoxidil.

The substance is on the FEI’s Prohibited List as it is a vasodilator, which causes blood vessels to dilate which brings about an increase in blood flow.

Felix Van De Mispelaere has been suspended for two months and both the athlete and the horse owner have the opportunity to appeal the decision at an FEI Tribunal to request the lifting of the respective bans, which came into effect on October 21, the date of notification.

The 40-year-old’s suspension is the latest on a growing list of doping failures which have been punished by the sport’s governing body.

At the beginning of October, Uruguayan endurance rider Fernanda Villar and LG Muneerah were both given provisional bans by the FEI after the horse tested positive for Guanabenz, a sedative with analgesic effect, during a CEI2* event in Trinidad, Uruguay in August.

London 2012 Olympic champion Steve Guerdat was recently cleared of any wrongdoing after a doping failure by his horse was attributed to poppy seed contamination
London 2012 Olympic champion Steve Guerdat was recently cleared of any wrongdoing after a doping failure by his horse was attributed to poppy seed contamination ©Getty Images

Clarke’s ban follows London 2012 Olympic champion Steve Guerdat and teammate Alessandra Bichsel being cleared of any wrongdoing by the FEI after doping failures by their horses were attributed to poppy seed contamination.

The duo were provisionally suspended on July 20, but their bans were lifted a week later, with the FEI admitting there was a high chance of unintentional contamination.

French eventer Maxime Livio was handed a six-month suspension in May after horse Qalao des Mers tested positive for a controlled medication substance at last year’s World Equestrian Games in Normandy.



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