Update on Olympic Equestrian Doping Allegations

The FEI has received confirmation of the presence of a banned substance on four horses in the Olympic Show Jumping competitions. "Capsaicin" is a topical medication derived from peppers that is used as a counter-irritant for pain relief. If you've ever used a cream like A535 or Deep Heat, that gives you the sensation of heat, you've experienced what a counter-irritant is. While useful for pain relief, capsaicin will also make the skin more sensitive. When a horse knocks a rail with sensitized skin it will hurt more. Previous to the competition the horses legs were examined and nothing was found. But traces of the drug were found in blood and urine samples. Capsaicin disperses from the horse's body quickly, making it difficult to detect. Whether the substance was used for pain relief or to encourage the horses to jump higher is questionable. But the FEI has strict rules about the use of drugs during competition. A fifth horse in the dressage competition was found to have tested positive for the banned substance Felbinac, a NSAID. The FEI will be giving their final decisions regarding any sanctions at the end of September.