Doping case opens after Dubai Sheik’s horse fails tests

GENEVA — The International Equestrian Federation said Tuesday it is investigating the husband of its president after a horse he owns and rides failed doping tests after two races. FEI president Princess Haya of Jordan, who has led a campaign for a drug-free sport, will step aside from her official duties when the ruling body meets to consider the case against her husband, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum. Sheik Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai, accepted full responsibility in an official statement for the doping cases, which include a steroid and emerged in testing by his own staff after endurance races run in Bahrain and Dubai this year. “Whilst completely unaware and utterly condemning the administration of these substances, His Highness has volunteered his acceptance that he is legally the person responsible," the statement issued from the emirate late Monday said. Details of Sheik Mohammed’s case were published Tuesday on the FEI Web site. His endurance horse Tahhan tested positive for guanabenz after competing in 120-kilometer (74.5-mile) races at Bahrain in January and Dubai in February. It is used to treat hypertension. After the Bahrain race, the horse also had traces of 16b-hydroxy-stanozolol, a metabolite of stanozolol, an anabolic steroid used to build muscle and increase production of oxygen-carrying red blood cells. It was used legally on 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, but also by disgraced Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson when he ran in the 100-meter final at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Sheik Mohammed, who is also one of the world’s leading breeders and owners of thoroughbred race horses, had his staff inform the FEI when told of the positive cases and instructed his race results be declared void, Monday’s statement from Dubai said. “He has offered the highest level of cooperation to the FEI," it said, and had ordered “a widespread internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the cases — the results of which will be shared with the FEI." The federation said Tuesday that Sheik Mohammed waived his right for backup samples to be tested. A case is likely to go before the FEI’s seven-man tribunal, which has the power to impose a suspension from riding in endurance races. Princess Haya was elected FEI president in 2006 and was voted on to the International Olympic Committee a year later. Her private office said in a statement that she would defer the presidency during the case to second vice president Chris Hodson and had told the IOC. “Although endurance is not an Olympic discipline, but in view of her position as an IOC member, Princess Haya immediately notified the IOC ethics commission of her decision to defer the presidency of the federation in this matter," the statement issued late Monday said. The 34-year-old Princess has campaigned to clean up the sport after six horses failed doping tests at last year’s Beijing Games. As part of wider attempts to modernize the FEI, she insisted on publicizing details of the Olympic cases and invited IOC medical commission chairman Arne Ljungqvist to lead a review of the sport’s methods of treating horses and educating riders. His report is due in the next few months. In an interview with The Associated Press last week, Princess Haya said she was doing the right thing for equestrian despite the damaging publicity. “We feel that we are a clean sport. Unfortunately the cases we have had have been individually huge in profile. That has left an enormously bad taste among the general public but it’s certainly not reflective of our family," she said. “We have paid a very, very high price for actually trying to do the right thing." – AP