Jock Paget and Clifton Promise at Badminton. Photo by Jenni Autry.
The doping controversy that stripped Jock Paget of his Burghley title will start down the final path to resolution tomorrow as Jock and Kevin McNab present their case before the FEI Tribunal in London.
The hearing, which could take up to two days, will decide Jock and Kevin’s fate after Clifton Promise and Clifton Pinot tested positive for the banned sedative Reserpine after Burghley last year.
Throughout the process, Jock and Kevin have maintained their innocence, hiring the Bristol-based law firm Burges Salmon to represent them at the hearing. Burges Salmon submitted a defense to the FEI on Jan. 17.
The FEI has only ever exonerated one person following a banned substance violation: British endurance rider Christine Yeoman in 2009. Burges Salmon also represented Christine in her FEI Tribunal hearing.
If the FEI finds Jock and Kevin displayed no significant fault or negligence, a one-year ban is possible, though a two-year ban could also come down. The FEI Tribunal expects to take four to six weeks to make a decision.
Timeline of the Reserpine Controversy:
April 23: Jock Paget Loses Burghley Title in Partial FEI Tribunal Decision
March 3: Jock Paget Expected to Appear Before FEI Tribunal in Late April, Early May
Dec. 2: Clifton Pinot’s B Sample Also Positive For Reserpine
Nov. 26: Positive B Sample Result from Clifton Promise
Nov. 19: Jock Paget: ‘I’m Not a Doper’
Oct. 30: Paget, McNab Lawyer Up While Awaiting ‘B’ Sample Results
Oct. 21: Clifton Eventers Stands Behind Jock Paget, Kevin McNab
Oct. 16: Frances Stead Speaks Out in Radio Interview
Oct. 15: Jock Paget Reacts to Drug Test Results
Oct. 15: Badminton & Burghley Winner Clifton Promise Tests Positive for Banned Substance
