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Last Updated: Tuesday, 2 November, 2004, 21:42 GMT
Stolen papers linked to drug saga
Dublin-born Cian O'Connor
Documents stolen from the Equestrian Federation of Ireland were linked to the ongoing doping scandal surrounding Cian O'Connor's medal-winning horse.

A significant number of papers were stolen just hours after it emerged that a ''B'' drug test sample belonging to Waterford Crystal had gone missing.

EFI president Avril Doyle said the latest twist could have repercussions.

"The documents stolen during the break-in were relevant to the ongoing drugs investigation," she said.

She said the door of the office in County Kildare had been forced and a cabinet rifled through.

News of the break-in came hours after EFI officials sought an urgent meeting with the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) following the disappearance of the ''B'' sample from Mr O'Connor's gold medal mount.

They said the sample was "illegally taken" in Cambridgeshire on October 21 while it was being transported from a Paris lab for testing.

The FEI said the sample was being shipped by an independent courier service from the Medication Control Programme Central Laboratory in Paris to the Horseracing Forensic Laboratory.

Both drugs could conceivably get a calming effect in an agitated person or an agitated animal
Trinity College pharmacologist Dr Martin Henman

Police in Cambridgeshire and Lausanne, where the FEI is based, were informed and are investigating the case.

Mr O'Connor's lawyer, Andrew Coonan, said he and the 24-year-old show jumper had known nothing until Monday about the disappearance of the sample.

Mr O'Connor's vet Mr Sheeran has said the sample tested positive due to a sedative the horse was given while undergoing hydrotherapy.

He said he could not understand how this medication could be found in the A sample a month later and it was not a performance-enhancing substance.

Also on Tuesday, Irish national broadcaster RTE obtained an FEI document that identified two drugs found in the horse's first urine sample.

One of the drugs, fluphenazine, is used in humans to treat schizophrenia, paranoia, mania, high anxiety and violent behaviour.

The other, zuclopenthixol, is an even more powerful anti-psychotic.

All everybody wants to know is the truth, everybody's name to be cleared
Eddie Macken

An accompanying document obtained by RTE said both drugs can be used "to make 'hot' horses easier to handle" and so were potentially performance-boosting and illegal.

Dr Martin Henman, a pharmacologist at Trinity College Dublin, said both drugs "could conceivably get a calming effect in an agitated person or an agitated animal".

Eddie Macken, the former trainer of the Olympic team, joined other leading equestrian figures in calling for an inquiry to take place into the whole affair.

"It sounds very, very strange. I really think the only way to get to the bottom of this is there has to be an inquiry into this right from the top level," said Macken.

"All everybody wants to know is the truth, everybody's name to be cleared and I am sure that Cian O'Connor would like this very much as well.

"I think really this has to start with the FEI right from the top back down and the whole thing has to be traced down along."



Links to more Olympics 2004 stories


 

SEE ALSO
O'Connor insists he's not a cheat
11 Oct 04  |  Other Sport
O'Connor gold in jeopardy
08 Oct 04  |  Other Sport
O'Connor jumps to gold
27 Aug 04  |  Equestrian


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