Alex Hua Tien and Chicko at Millstreet. ©Irish Eventing Times
Team China has lost it’s place at the 2024 Paris Olympics,and instead, Japan will take a team spot, following disqualification for China’s leading rider, Olympian Alex Hua Tian, and his horse Chicko from the Millstreet Group F & G Olympic Qualifier event held in July, after testing positive for controlled medication altrenogest (commonly known under the trade name Regumate).
An independent investigation conducted into the incident concluded that the horse’s ingestion of the medication was inadvertent.
Statement from Alex Hua Tien
Alex was notified on the 10th of July 2023 and, ‘with the support of Richard Davison, Schelstraete Equine Law, JunZeJun Law and Penny Ecroyd we put together a team of specialist vets, equine scientists and toxicologists to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to this adverse analytical finding.’
In the following statement issued by Alex, he outlines the background to the findings:
“The investigation has found conclusively that the trace amount of altrenogest detected, inadvertently entered Chicko through urine contaminated hay that he had accessed and consumed from the next-door stable at this competition.
The following background is of particular significance:
On evening of the 1st of June, Chicko was attended by the Chinese team vet and the treatment vet at Millstreet as he was behaving unusually with some behaviour symptomatic of mild colic. As mild colic could not be ruled out, the attending vets directed us to remove Chicko’s feed and hay until the following morning. The following morning, Chicko was back to his normal self and was passed by all the vets fit and healthy to continue with the competition. We were directed to give Chicko his hay but in regular handfuls throughout the day.
Due to the nature of temporary stabling, the gap between panel and floor and in the absence of his own hay, Chicko gained access to hay from the mare in the stable next door. This was noted when Chicko was checked on that evening and despite trying to block the hole, was also suspected during the following day when he had run out of his own hay.
The mare next door was being medicated with Regumate during this competition and routinely urinated on her remaining hay.
It was unknown to me, my team and everyone I have been able to discuss this matter with, including vets and equine scientists, that altrenogest is not only excreted in the urine in its whole compound (not metabolites as almost all other medication), but excreted in reasonably high concentrations.
The blood and urine sample was taken from Chicko at 15:15 on the afternoon of the 2nd of June.
As altrenogest is a controlled substance*, not banned, I have not been subject to a provisional suspension which has meant that I have been permitted to continue competing whilst this matter was still ongoing. Due to my previous clean record, the FEI have offered me their “Administrative Procedure”, which I have accepted. This includes a fine but no ban or further sanction.
However, the core principles of the FEI, clean sport and the level playing field which I not only accept but support wholeheartedly is that a horse that is found to have a controlled medication in its system during competition is a rule violation and as a result is automatically disqualified from that competition, regardless of how that substance entered the horse.
The disqualification of my result means that our team result at Millstreet drops from 2nd to 4th, in turn resulting in China losing our team qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. I am in total disbelief.
Despite the findings of the investigation, as a rider, I take full responsibility for the consequences. This matter has far reaching impact on my teammates, supporters of the sport and the National Chinese Equestrian Eventing Team. I sincerely apologise to the country, the Chinese Equestrian Association, my teammates Bao Yingfeng, Sun Huadong, Liang Ruiji, our horse owners, partners, our equestrian community and supporters.
I intend to continue flying the flag for Chinese equestrianism on the international stage, uphold the principles of clean sport and the Olympic movement whilst taking every possible measure to ensure that issues related to doping and controlled substances for both humans and horses do not occur.”
Team China qualify for the Paris Olympics after gaining qualification at Millstreet
Elation for Team China at Millstreet
Millstreet International. June 2023. Celebrations for Team China.© Irish Eventing Times
