Tine Magnus and Dia van het Lichterveld Z. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Shortly following the Paris Olympics (summer 2024), the FEI released information regarding a provisional suspension of Belgian athlete Tine Magnus after her Olympic horse, Dia Van Het Lichterveld Z, tested positive for the banned substance Trazodone, commonly used in horses to facilitate stall rest and recovery, under the the FEI’s Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMRs).
Tine denied the allegations from the outset and vowed to investigate the matter alongside her team. A provisional suspension was issued by the FEI pending a Tribunal outcome, which has now been made formal.
“The athlete was able to trace the source of the Banned Substance in the horse’s system back to the supplement RELAX PRO – Global Medics – Equine Care Group,” a statement from the FEI this week reads. “This finding was based on an independent analysis requested by the athlete from two highly recognized toxicologists. This contamination hence accounted for the positive finding in the horse, and the athlete had clearly established on a balance of probabilities, how the Banned Substance Trazodone entered the horse’s system. Consequently, the FEI and the athlete entered into a Settlement Agreement.”
The settlement amounted to a total of five months of suspension from the original date (September 3, 2024), ending on February 3, 2025. Tine was also fined CHF 4,000 (approximately $4,412 USD). The Belgian team, which finished fourth in Paris, as well as Tine’s individual placing, will remain disqualified as a result of the positive test.
On February 3, Tine released a statement on her social media pages. The following text has been translated; please forgive any translation errors. You can view the full statement on Tine’s Facebook page here.
“After the FEI informed me on September 3, 2024 that the samples taken on July 27, 2024 during the Paris Olympics had tested positive for the banned substance “Trazodone”, I ended up on a roller coaster. I was suspended immediately and in addition the fourth place achieved by the Belgian Eventing Team was also up for discussion.
As so often is the case with doping and disciplinary cases, I was banned completely. I no longer existed. All of this while I was 1000 percent convinced I was doping positive was absolutely innocent. I have always worked to the extreme to make my horses perform top without tools.
Together with my attorneys, I investigated how on earth it was possible that my horse tested positive. After all, I want to spoil myself against a doping complaint. Therefore, the FEI writes that I as a responsible person must prove whether there is cross contamination or another cause. As an athlete, you must be able to explain and prove how the prohibited drug has ended up in your horse’s system. This is a heavy burden on the shoulders of athletes, and fortunately, I passed that ordeal. I can confirm with lifted head and declare that I have never deliberately used doping.
What turned out to be the case now, the vet team advised me to use some supplements. These supplements were sold by his company to the Belgian Federation and delivered. These supplements were then made available to me.
We asked Professor Tytgat, the most renowned toxicologist associated with KU Leuven to investigate all these supplements for the possible presence of Trazodone. When Professor Tytgat RELAX PRO tested positive for Trazodone, we have had RELAX PRO purchased buses elsewhere tested with the same lot number by Professor Tytgad and by Professor Kintz in Strasbourg. Once again, RELAX PRO tested positive for Trazodone.
These results were presented to the FEI because I wanted to demonstrate that I had never intentionally administered a prohibited drug to my horse. On the package of RELAX PRO said nota bene “doping free”. The FEI told me that even when in fact I have done nothing wrong as in this case, I cannot appeal to the concept of No Fault or Negligence. As an athlete carry your risk liability even if you don’t get a blame.
Article 10.6.2 of the FEI Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Rules states the following:
No Fault or Negligence does not apply in the following circumstances: where the presence of the Banned Substance in a Sample came from a mislabelled or contaminated supplement. Persons responsible are responsible for what their Horses ingest and have been warned about the possibility of supplement contamination.
The FEI has finally offered me to agree to a suspension until February 2, 2025 and pay a fine. Cause [sic] I’m sporting this black period fast as possibly wanted to close, I agreed to this. I will soon be able to participate in official competitions again.
I thank my partner Dieter, my brother Sam, family and the owner of DIA, Kris, for always trusting me, as well as my lawyers Klaas Koentges, Piotr Wawrzyniak and Luc Schelstraete, who assisted me in the procedure at the FEI.”
This case provides a strong reminder to perform due diligence as to the viability of supplement or medication use in terms of its relation to the Prohibited Substance List; as well as emphasizes the responsibility of manufacturers to ensure proper testing and labeling is undertaken to prevent scenarios such as this.
To read the full FEI Tribunal decision on this case, click here.
