Clean Olympics

FEI President Ingmar De Vos confirmed this week that all human and equine samples taken during the Rio Olympic Games have returned negative. A total of 60 equine samples - 30% of the 200 competing horses - were tested during the Games. The samples were sent to the FEI’s Central Laboratory in Newmarket (GBR), one of the five FEI Approved Laboratories worldwide, with the final batch of results returned to FEI Headquarters this week. This marks back-to-back clean Games in London 2012 and Rio.

Nino steps down

SWITZERLAND’S Steve Guerdat has announced that his 2012 London Olympic winning mount Nino Des Buissonnets will no longer compete at championship level. The 15-year-old gelding by Kannan finished fourth at the Rio Olympic Games last month and will be given a short break before getting back to the sport. He will continue to jump an international level and Guerdat hopes Nino will return to CHI Geneva in December to defend his Grand Prix title.

Leprevost injured

LEADING French lady rider Penelope Leprevost has announced she will take a short break from competition after picking up an injury during her first round fall from Flora De Mariposa at the Olympic Games two weeks ago. Although Leprevost continued to ride in Rio, helping France to a team gold medal, medical examinations show that she has torn a muscle in her thigh, which will rule her out for a couple of weeks.

Rosheen Yeats

IRISH Draught stallion Rosheen Yeats passed away on Wednesday at the age of 17. The versatile stallion, by Huntingfield Rebel, excelled in all disciplines and was named the top Irish Draught dressage horse in 2005.

He was last seen under carriage just last Saturday with his owner Ken Bryan at the Irish Draught Horse Breeders Association national show in Punchestown.

Doda/Onassis row

ATHINA Onassis has denied her husband, Brazilian rider Doda de Miranda, access to his Olympic mount Cornetto K. The former show jumping couple are in the middle of divorce proceedings after 11 years of marriage and Onassis will no longer allow de Miranda to ride Cornetto K, who is owned by A&D Sporthorses, at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup final in Barcelona this month.

As we went to press it was reported that a Belgian court wold rule on the matter in the coming days.

Maher loses horse

BEN Maher’s top horse Untouched, a 9-year-old Westfalian stallion by Untouchable, has passed away after a reported lunging injury this week.

Untouched was produced by Dutch rider Mathijs Van Asten as a young horse before Nick Skelton took over the ride in 2015. The Olympic champion campaigned the stallion at the four-star show in Wellington, Florida, earlier this year and finished runner-up in a 1.60m Grand Prix in February.

Maher debuted Untouched at the CSI***** GCT in Antwerp in April, and the combination were in action at the five-star show in St Moritz just last weekend.