The events involved took place between June 2018 and November 2019.

Kocher earned the first five-star Grand Prix win of his career at the Calgary Grand Prix on July 6 2019 with his horse Carollo, but was severely criticised for running his horse the next day on obstacles, where it appeared weary and picked up 28 penalty points.

Kocher has also been fined CHF 10,000 (£7,900/$11,000/€9,000) and ordered to pay CHF 7,500 (£5,900/$8,200/€6,800) in costs.

In June 2020, the French equestrian magazine Grand Prix published a photographic investigation supporting suspicions of the use of electric spurs by Kocher on at least five of his horses.

According to its investigation, the system "would allow the rider to send electric shocks to his horse's flanks via the spurs with a control placed in the palm of the hand and controllable with a push button.

"The latter would send current through wires hidden in the rider's pants, which would end their course at the end of the spurs."

Kocher, from Ocala, Florida, was provisionally suspended on October 28 last year pending an FEI hearing.

An FEI release said that Kocher "was provisionally suspended on 28 October 2020 pending a hearing before the FEI Tribunal, and this period will be credited against the full suspension, meaning that the athlete is ineligible through to 27 October 2030.

"During the suspension the athlete is barred from participating in or attending, in any capacity, including as a spectator, any competition or event that is authorised or organised by the FEI or any National Federation.

"The sanctions also include disqualification of all results obtained at events for which the FEI Tribunal was provided with photographic evidence establishing the athlete’s use of electric spurs."

The FEI considers using electric spurs animal abuse.