Toxic plant found in hay causing positive drug tests

The deadly autumn crocus has caused a number of positive tests for a banned substance at international competitions

A CLUSTER of positive tests this spring for banned substance demecolcine has drawn attention to the widespread contamination of hay by the deadly autumn crocus plant in mountainous regions of Europe.

Showjumpers Severly Hille (Michael Kearins, Ireland), Finest Quality V&K (Emile Karim Fares, Lebanon) and eventer Inception 2 (Felix Etzel, Germany) all tested positive at FEI competitions in Germany, the Netherlands and Austria respectively.

All three riders had their provisional suspensions promptly lifted prior to their legal hearings in anticipation of the crocus link.

The FEI will also re-categorise demecolcine as a “specified substance” — meaning it has a “credible, non-doping explanation” — from January.

Demecolcine is used in human chemotherapy, for treating rheumatism, and in animal cloning. It has no known use in veterinary medicine. In fact, “colchicum autumnale” is highly toxic. People have died after confusing it with the Alpine leek, which is edible for humans.

CONTAMINATION

SOENKE LAUTERBACH, secretary-general of the German equestrian federation, is preparing the legal case for Etzel.

“Contamination seems to happen with hay from southern Germany as well as Austria, Switzerland and Italy,” he said. “I have no scientific proof for that yet — this is only the preliminary result of our research.”

The Swiss federation had to reimburse a national rider’s legal costs in 2015 after he successfully appealed against sanctions for a positive demecolcine test attributed to autumn crocus.

When Swiss para rider Matthias Klausener’s horse Dendros tested positive in June 2016 at a FEI show in Italy, his federation acted quickly to get him exonerated.

Klausener lives in the Swiss Jura where crocus is a known issue. A scientific study in 2011 concluded that crocus affected 73% of grassland in Austria.

Charles Trolliet, president of the Swiss federation, is also a vet and would have preferred the

FEI to remove demecocline from its prohibited substances list altogether.

“No one would treat a horse with these substances as they are not performance-enhancing, simply toxic,” said Mr Trolliet.

“These cases only create cost, effort and work for everybody, and damage for the sport as no one understands exactly what is going on, especially not the public.”