Four horses involved in Olympic equestrian events have failed a drug test, casting a shadow over last night's finale in Hong Kong.
Their riders - including Tony Andre Hansen, a member of the Norwegian team that won a bronze medal in showjumping on Monday - were suspended after their horses tested positive for capsaicin, a drug that increases sensitivity and relieves pain.
The others were Bernardo Alves of Brazil, Christian Ahlmann of Germany, and Denis Lynch of Ireland.
'This is certainly a serious blow to the sport,' International Equestrian Federation (FEI) jumping committee chairman Sven Holmberg said.
The equestrian events at the 2004 Athens Games were also marred by four doping cases - two of them in showjumping; Irish rider Cian O'Connor and Germany's Ludger Beerbaum lost gold medals.
Capsaicin is a derivative of the chilli plant used both in human and veterinary medication.
