suspension | Horse Racing Free Tips

U.S. Showjumper Receives 10-Year Suspension For Shocking Show Horses

Jumper Andy Kocher, who has represented the United States in multiple international competitions, has received a 10-year suspension for using electric spurs on his horses. The ban was initiated by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the international governing body of horse sport.

An investigation was launched after the FEI was informed that Kocher had used an electric shock device on horses in multiple competitions. The FEI considers shocking a horse in any manner horse abuse.

The FEI Tribunal has suspended U.S. Jumping athlete Andrew Kocher for 10 years and disqualified him from eight events between June 2018 and November 2019 for using electric spurs on horses. The athlete has also been fined approximately US$11,000 and ordered to pay costs of approximately US$8,255.

The FEI Legal Department notified the athlete on June 29, 2020, that an investigation had been opened following allegations about electric spur use reported to the independent Equestrian Community Integrity Unit (ECIU). It was alleged that Mr. Kocher had used electric spurs on a number of FEI registered and national horses in international and national events, and during training.

Following the investigation, the FEI formally opened disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Kocher in October 2020. He was provisionally suspended on October 28, 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 October 27, 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 authorized or organized 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 eight events are: CSI4* Hickstead (GBR), 21-24 June 2018; CSI3* Lexington (USA), 14-18 May 2019; CSI2* Lexington (USA), 22-26 May 2019); CSI5* Calgary (CAN), 5-9 June 2019; CSI5* Calgary (CAN), 27-39 June 2019; CSI3* Traverse City (USA), 7-11 August 2019; CSI3*-W Columbus (USA), 2-6 October 2019; and CSI4*-W Toronto (CAN), 5-9 November 2019.

These sanctions form the operative part of the FEI Tribunal decision. The full reasoned decision will be published here in due course. Parties can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the full decision.

Rob Havlin Cops 21-Day Ban

Jockey Rob Havlin was banned for three weeks by the Lingfield stewards after finishing second aboard John and Thady Gosden's 16-1 second string Stowell (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}) on Wednesday evening. The Sky Sports Racing HD Virgin 535 Novice S. was won by fellow Gosden trainee Polling Day (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) with Frankie Dettori in the irons as the 2-9 crowd's pick. Havlin's mount met with some traffic throughout the race, but was making up ground while under a conservative ride to miss by a head. There was a stewards' inquiry into the finish as they felt Stowell had been given “an apparently tender hands and heels ride” entering the straight.

According to Havlin, his instructions were “to settle the colt and ride him to obtain his best possible position. [Stowell] was a fragile type who had a high knee action, and that John Gosden had instructed him to ride the colt hands and heels and not to use his whip.” From the jockey's point of view, he stated that the winner had idled in front and “therefore it appeared that Stowell had finished faster than he actually had.”

The stewards reported that the trainers' representative said they were satisfied with the ride and pleased with Stowell's debut effort. However, they ruled that Havlin had not taken all reasonable and permissible measures to ensure Stowell obtained his best placing possible. Havlin's ban lasts from May 5-8 and May 10-26.

The post Rob Havlin Cops 21-Day Ban appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Joe Sharp Handed 30-Day Suspension, Will Appeal

Trainer Joe Sharp has been hit with a 30-day suspension and fined $2,500 by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) after five horses he trained tested positive for the medication levamisole during a 16-day period at Churchill Downs in November, 2019.

Sharp has said that the levamisole was found in an over-the-counter dewormer he purchased and used to treat his horses. He said he consulted with veterinarians before using the product and was told that it complied with pertinent racing and medication regulations.

In addition to the Kentucky positives, eight Sharp-trained horses tested positive at the Fair Grounds around the same time. For the Louisiana violations, Sharp was not suspended, but did have to pay a $1,000 fine for each horse.

The Kentucky commission could have suspended Sharp 150 days, or 30 days for each positive, but decided not to do so because Sharp was not notified of the initial positive before the others occurred.

Sharp's suspension is scheduled to run from Feb. 12 through Mar. 13. However, his attorney, Clark Brewster said that an appeal will be filed and he expects to get a stay of the suspension before Feb. 12.

According to the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) website, levamisole is a Class 2 drug and carries a B penalty. With Class B medication violations, the minimum penalty suggested by the ACRI is a 15-day suspension and a $500 fine for the first violation.

Brewster's defense will rest on his contention that levamisole itself is not a banned substance in Kentucky. Brewster said that levamisole is only prohibited when it metabolizes into a more serious drug, aminorex, which, he said, did not happen in the case of Sharp's horses. Aminorex is a stimulant and, under ARCI classifications is a Class 1 drug.

Brewster also cited a 2015 cause in which the KHRC suspended trainer Daniel Werre for a full year after a levamisole positive. The suspension was reversed by the Franklin Circuit Court, which cited its finding that the KHRC had improperly classified the drug at the time. Werre was eventually given a seven-day suspension.

“The stewards sent out this notice saying [levamisole] is a class B drug,” Brewster said. “Not only is it not a class B, it's not listed at all. They held a hearing where I strongly urged them to dismiss this and they got real quiet. Then they returned a suspension of 30 days and fines. It was truly astonishing, We expect public servants to apply the law based on what is set forth.

Brewster continued, “He was initially denied stalls at the Fair Grounds and owners pulled horses from him. That's all because the stewards issued a notice of positives on him and didn't even understand what was and was not on their list. Once they took that course, they weren't courageous enough to look back and make the right call.”

The five Sharp-trained horses who tested positive in Kentucky are Street Dazzle (Street Sense), Blackberry Wine (Oxbow), Chitto (Into Mischief), Zero Gravity (Orb) and Art Collector (Bernardini). All five have been disqualified. Blackberry Wine and Art Collector won the races in questions, Art Collector was later taken away from Sharp and turned over to Tom Drury. He went on to win the GII Blue Grass S. and the Ellis Park Derby.

The post Joe Sharp Handed 30-Day Suspension, Will Appeal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Assistant Starter At Zia Park Suspended For Possession Of Electrical Device

According to a recent ruling posted on the Association of Racing Commissioners International website, Zia Park assistant starter Jamie Aldavaz, Jr. has been summarily suspended by the New Mexico Racing Commission after the discovery of an electrical device in his possession.

Assistant starters work on the starting gate, loading horses and holding their heads straight prior to the start of a race.

A search was conducted by the Lea County Drug Enforcement Agency, and Aldavaz was also cited for “disruptive behavior interfering with the orderly conduct of this race meet prior to the start of the races at Zia Park on Dec. 22, 2020.”

Stewards will hold a hearing with Aldavaz via teleconference on Dec. 30, per 15.2.1.9(B)(3)(a) Summary Suspension, which states in pertinent part, “If the Stewards determine that a licensee's action constitute an immediate danger to the public health, safety, or welfare, the Stewards may summarily suspend the licensee pending a hearing.”

The post Assistant Starter At Zia Park Suspended For Possession Of Electrical Device appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post