就是愛騎馬

由於 Isabell 參加 small tour 的馬 Whisper 在Wiesbaden 的 CDI 比賽後，5月30日被檢出使用了違規藥品(Fluphenazine)，她當即被FEI 禁賽，開始進一步的調查，七月初，在 Aachen 的比賽她是不得參加的。

Isabell Werth's small tour horse Whisper tested positive to doping after a medication test carried out on Monday 30 May 2009 at the CDI Wiesbaden in Germany. Werth has been immediately suspended by the FEI and will not be able to compete at Aachen. Werth's 10-year old chestnut gelding Whisper (by Wolkentanz I x Einstand) tested positive to Fluphenazine, a drug usually applied as antipsychotic for humans. It is used for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. One of its side effects is sedation, which is a reason why it could be used by equestrians. Breido Graf zu Rantzau, president of the German Equestrian Federation, made the following statement: "This is a catastrophe for the horse sport. But we don't let ourselves be discouraged by all this negative news as we pave the way to a fair horse sport." There will be an FEI Tribunal hearing on 25th June 2009, at which it will be decided whether the suspension is temporary or not. A suspension after a positive A-test is internationally obligatory since one year and a half. Isabell Werth has requested the disclosure of the B-test.

在接到FEI的通後的隔天(6/25)，Isabel 發表了一份聲明。表示使用該藥乃因 Whisper 有"Shivering Syndrome" 當他因為釘蹄、打綁腿等因素必須三隻腳站立時，因懼怕失去平衡會有發顫、狂跳的行為，疾病本身不會帶來疼痛，馬匹也可以比賽，但有危及在其旁工作的馬事人員的可能。獸醫建議藥物治療，於5/16日第一次使用，並依經驗認為六天就不復存在馬身上，Isabell 給了 Whisper 12天才去比賽，沒想到可能因為新的分析方法而仍被檢出。

Yesterday I was informed by the German Equestrian Federation (FN) that during a medication test on 30 May 2009 at the CDI in Wiesbaden, traces of the substance Fluphenazine were found in a sample taken from my small tour horse Whisper. Therefore I feel the need to inform the public personally about the background of this matter, in addition to today's FN press release.

Whisper suffers from the so-called "Shivering Syndrome". This affects the central nervous system and causes imbalances if the horse has to stand on three legs for a longer time, for example when being groomed, bandaged or shod. Because he feels insecure, the horse begins to shiver and makes uncontrollable jumps out of fear of losing its balance. This illness is not painful and does not influence the horse's ability to compete, but it entails an increased risk for the persons working with the horse (farrier, groom, rider).

Therefore I asked my veterinarian Dr. Hans Stihl (SUI) if and how this Shivering Syndrome can be treated. Dr. Stihl explained to me that so far there is no cure for this illness, but that several horses in his care had showed positive reactions to a drug called Modecate. This drug contains Fluphenazine as an active substance. So we treated Whisper once with this drug on May 16, 2009 in order to find out if he responds to it. This was the case, the shivering was reduced, and there was less uncontrolled movement when we raised one of his legs.

When asked for the settling time, Dr. Stihl told me that according to his experience six days are enough, but one could never be completely sure. So to be on the safe side we decided to let Whisper compete again on 30 May 2009 in Wiesbaden. I took this decision to the best of my knowledge. In spite of this, the FEI doping lab has now found traces of the forementioned substance. One reason may be that the lab has used new analyzing methods.

The FEI has suspended me immediately as dictated by the rules of procedure. The fact that only ineffective traces of the drug were found does not matter according to those rules. I deeply regret this incident, but I was convinced that I had acted correctly.

I wish the rules would be revised as quickly as possible in a way that allows reasonable treatment of sport horses without risking long suspensions. The settling time changes constantly with each new method of analysis and it becomes literally “incalculable”.

I am aware that I have given reason to doubt the honesty and fairness of my person and of our sport. I herewith apologize to everyone who is close to me and to the equestrian sport. Of course I will do everything to help clarifying any questions that still remain.

6/25 FEI 舉行聽證會，結果還是禁賽。不過在聽證會之前， Isabell 已同意禁賽裁決，不再等 B-test 的結果。

Isabell Werth remains suspended from all competitions following the FEI Tribunal hearing today on her positive doping test. Already at the beginning of the hearing with the FEI, Werth said she agreed with the suspension and is no longer requesting the disclosure of the B-test.

Due to this suspension Werth will not be participating in the nations' cup at Aachen and it remains a question whether she will be able to compete at the 2009 European Dressage Championships.

The whole equestrian world reacts shocked to the news that the five time Olympic gold medallist Isabell Werth got caught using doping. Messages are pouring into Eurodressage headquarters from shocked riders and fans.

"Today was a hard day for one of my pupils (aged 12) at school," a school teacher and dressage lover told Eurodressage. "This girl is the greatest Isabell Werth-fan you can imagine. When I asked her how she was doing, she started crying. The whole thing is a big shame."

The FEI Tribunal will issue its final decision soon.

6/28 Isabell 於德國電視節目受訪，把事件始末跟大眾說明。這件事對這位曾是五次奧運冠軍、擁有無數粉絲的她，是很不堪的一件事。

Yesterday evening, Isabell Werth was featured in the sports magazine "Das Aktuelle Sportstudio" (Sport Studio Now) on the ZDF German television channel. She opened up on her life now that she has been suspended by the FEI for a positive doping test on her small tour horse Whisper.

"My life has fallen apart. Everything I have been working for the past 20 years has been destroyed and I want to explain how this has happened," she told the moderator Wolf-Dieter Poschmann.

Werth told Poschmann she used the medicine Modecate on her horse Whisper to treat his Shivering Syndrome condition. It contains the banned substance Fluphenazine. " It is true that the substance is not allowed for horses here in Germany. I didn't know that and I'm sorry for that," she confessed. "But it is possible that when there is no equivalent medication in Germany, but it is available in other countries, you may use it. And my vet applied it because he thought necessary for the horse.

Isabell Werth's vet Dr. Stihl, a Switzerland based high performance veterinarian, told Isabell the substance would only be traceable for 6 days. "Americans have now revealed information that this substance is traceable for 90 days. My vet didn't have this information," she said.

Dr. Stihl treated Whisper with Modecate only once. "For me the treatment was over. I asked him when I was able to compete him again," Werth explained. "He told me that it takes 6 days to break down." Later on she stated, "I made a mistake by not inquiring further into the drug but that's because I trusted my vet." Werth has been using Dr. Stihl's services for the past five years.

The moderator responded by saying that "the product is on the doping list so you shouldn't have used it as medication. And such an experienced vet should have known."

Werth gave Whisper not six but twelve days for the medication to clear Whisper's system. "I gave him double the time before I showed him and I never really thought about it anymore."

Whisper suffers from Shivering Syndrome and the chestnut gelding makes uncontrollable moves and muscle spasm when he has to stand on three legs for a longer period of time, for instance, when he gets shod. "We have only tried it for the first time because the symptoms got worse recently," she admitted. "He has never shown any pain signals because of this disease though."

The moderator asked whether a horse with such a defect should actually be competed and Werth replied, "different horses which have more or less shivering syndrome are still ridden, both in competition and recreation sport. It is painless." She later continued, "there is the discussion [whether to compete or not] and you have to ask yourself this question, but so far there is no real veterinary limitation that this syndrome rules out competition use."

Isabell regrets the fact that she has been quoted again in this television show on her comment that "what I give or not give to my horses only concerns me, the owner and my stable crew." She stated that it was only one utterance in a 2-hour debate. "I never said I was against training control (control on medication/doping during off-show training periods). She claimed it was a reply to the question whether all medication should be published.

Werth said the answer was related to medical confidentiality and not to the fact that she was against the medical logbook which the German equestrian federation wants A-team riders to keep. "I am willing to have a logbook at all times," she said, "and to show it to be people who are authorized to read it. She added that, "there should be discretion about the general medication which takes place in a stable."

The reporter quizzed Werth about the commercial value a logbook has and mentioned that it could lead to the devaluation of horses. "Not every rider has a sales stable. I have been given the ride on horses from my sponsor and these horses stay in my stable. I also have 3 retired horses there (Gigolo, Fabienne, Anthony)." Then the reporter stated that "her sponsor would make money of the horses," but Isabell quipped, "no, no, she only spends and loses money on them. She doesn't sell her horses."

Werth stated that she's a supporter of the logbook. "I know most colleagues who would love to accept a logbook, especially after the accumulation of these cases, to get legal security for the riders and the vets and for everyone. It would have helped me so much and I would haven't experienced this disaster today."

Werth looked devastated and very sad about what has happened to her. "I understand that because of this situation many people distrust me because they might think I gave it to the horse to calm him down."

Werth was supposed to take a different horse to Wiesbaden but because he got injured, she decided to take Whisper. "He could do it also and needed the show experience," she admitted.

Isabell Werth, one of the most decorated dressage riders of all times, might risk a two year suspension by the FEI. "Honestly, I have no clue what is going to happen. Everything is speculation now," she said. "It can go up to two years and where does it start? I know it can take up to two years. I don't want to think about it because it's a nightmare!

7/5 Isabell 被禁賽應該已成定局，但7/5在 Aachen 賽事中的頭條新聞是 Isabell 已經懷孕五個月，父親是她長期的伴侶 63 歲的 Wolfgang Urban。希望能為人母的喜悅能沖淡些被禁賽的難過。

The major scoop of the day in Aachen is the news of Isabell Werth's pregnancy. Werth (39) is in her fifth month and is due to give birth in November 2009. The father of the baby is her long time partner Wolfgang Urban (63), a former manager of the Karstadt company. This news was confirmed today to Eurodressage by Werth's trainer Wolfram Wittig. Isabell Werth is not at Aachen as she is unfortunately suspended by the FEI due to a positive doping test of her horse Whisper.