‘It’s been a living nightmare’: dressage rider to miss Olympics after suspension increased

French dressage rider Morgan Barbançon Mestre will miss the Paris Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) extended her competition ban from three to 18 months.

The 31-year-old had been shortlisted for the French team but was suspended by the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) for failing to comply with athlete anti-doping regulations.

Under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) World Anti-Doping Code, riders must provide their whereabouts for random out-of-competition drug-testing.

Morgan faced allegations of non-compliance three times within 12 months. Initially, AFLD issued a three-month suspension from April 10, 2024, after Morgan failed to update her whereabouts on the anti-doping administration and management system three times in a year. This meant she was retrospectively eliminated from the World Cup Final and Fontainebleau CDI5*.

Morgan appealed to CAS, arguing that her failures were owing to technical issues.

Despite this, CAS dismissed the appeal and extended her suspension to 18 months, which is not subject to further appeal and is recognised by the FEI and the French equestrian federation.

CAS has previously increased athletes’ suspensions when it has determined the original penalty was insufficient. An increase this large is uncommon but is accounted for in the World Anti-Doping Code.

In the absence of CAS publishing its exact reasoning for the sanction, allegations were made online that the increased suspension was related to horse abuse – although this would have been outside the scope of this arbitration.

“The last few days have been a living nightmare, and I feel compelled to address the horrendous false accusations that have been circulating online,” Morgan said today (25 June).

“The fact that these allegations are riding off my CAS sentence is so far from the truth. My CAS sentence was a heavy burden to bear, and I accepted it with the hope of moving forward.

“The truth is, my CAS sentence stemmed from not entering my location three times over the course of 12 months due to issues I faced trying to upload to the system due to flight delays, airport shutting down and lack of internet and connection access that prevented me from updating it… not from any wrongdoing involving my horses or team.”

Morgan added that the spreading of these allegations “shatters my heart”, and that people should verify what they see online before they share it.

“I have always believed that success with horses comes from a place of love and mutual respect,” she said. “I thought I was able to showcase this through the many four-legged friends I have brought up, with their long careers and their roles as my long-time partners, my very old retirees that are enjoying their retirement at my home and the wonderful memories we share. That’s always what I have aimed for.

“To those who stand by me, believe in me, and trust in my integrity, I cannot thank you enough. It means the world to me as I navigate through this challenging time. Thank you from the depths of my heart.

“My horses are my life; they are the reason I wake up every day, and they are the reason I am who I am.”

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