Australian Olympic jumper suspended - oh the irony!

[Event_Horse]

[quote=“skydy, post:78, topic:762310”]
What a mess. Such a selfish thing to do. I’m not impressed with the traveling reserve rider who backed out either.[/quote]

I don’t think it’s fair to be hard on the reserve rider. He would have had to foot the entire cost of the trip for himself and the horse. There was some mention in an article (can’t find it right now) of him also feeling it was in the best interest of the horse. We are not privy to all the details of the horse’s health.

@skydy

There is, obviously, a good reason why there is a traveling reserve. If you are in contention for your country’s team and are selected for any spot, I think you should put your team mates and your country ahead of your ego, and show up.

So, by this same reasoning, Simone Biles should be vilified for dropping out?

[skydy]

No. That is a completely different situation. She showed up and did her best but couldn’t continue.

[Event_Horse]

@skydy

That would be unfair. Were the other riders subsidized?

Yes, the Australian Olympic Committee paid for all expenses of the other team members. So, Jaimie Kermond, allowed them to pick up the tab of flying his horse (and one would assume grooms also) over there KNOWING that he had taken cocaine. Did he think the test wouldn’t come back positive???

[skydy]

Well, that’s certainly not fair. I don’t blame him for declining then. If they want an alternate for their team they should pay the expenses.

Who knows what Kermond was thinking. Though, if he has a substance abuse problem it’s not surprising that he is thinking only of himself. That attitude goes with the territory of drug abuse.

[MHM]

@Event_Horse

Yes, the Australian Olympic Committee paid for all expenses of the other team members.

Well, if they wanted to have their reserve on hand, maybe they should have paid his way.

I’m glad the other two will get to show as individuals, but it sounds like the whole situation is a bit of a hot mess.

[Event_Horse]

@skydy

No. That is a completely different situation. She showed up and did her best but couldn’t continue.

And how do we know that Rowan wasn’t too “stressed out” given how he was treated?

[MHM]

@Event_Horse

So, Jaimie Kermond, allowed them to pick up the tab of flying his horse (and one would assume grooms also) over there KNOWING that he had taken cocaine.

I wonder if there’s any sort of clause in the athlete’s agreement that he has to reimburse those travel costs if he or his horse flunk a drug test. If not, maybe there should be.

Does anyone know the cost for the horse’s quarantine and travel to and from Australia? I feel like I saw the number $30,000 somewhere, but I’m not sure if that’s correct.

[skydy]

As I said, if the Australian team wanted him to pay his own way I don’t blame him for staying home.

[skydy]

It’s bound to be expensive. It seems like Australia has a lot of organization work and tidying up to do.

[Old_Mac_Donald]

It is expensive. $30k AUD is about right. To send a horse to the US is about $15k (AUD) one-way, possibly not including quarantine costs. Japan may be a bit cheaper. NZ shuttles failed racehorses from HK back to NZ on a regular basis, so there must be an affordable repatriation scheme going there.

[Darkwave]

@Old_Mac_Donald

It is expensive. $30k AUD is about right. To send a horse to the US is about $15k (AUD) one-way, possibly not including quarantine costs. Japan may be a bit cheaper. NZ shuttles failed racehorses from HK back to NZ on a regular basis, so there must be an affordable repatriation scheme going there.

Did they have the option of going straight from Australia to Japan? Or would they have been required to pass through Aachen first for quarantine?

(of course, I’m guessing many of the Australians are already based in Europe, so Japan via Aachen might be the route anyway)

[MHM]

I saw an article within the last few days that said originally, the American horses were supposed to quarantine at Gladstone and then fly from New York to Tokyo. But that changed due to pandemic restrictions, which is why they had to travel to Aachen first and quarantine there.

So the whole shipping routine may have been drastically changed this time around.

[OverandOnward]

@MHM

I saw an article within the last few days that said originally, the American horses were supposed to quarantine at Gladstone and then fly from New York to Tokyo. But that changed due to pandemic restrictions, which is why they had to travel to Aachen first and quarantine there.

So the whole shipping routine may have been drastically changed this time around.

But didn’t they have to quarantine before going to Aachen? This is all very complicated.

[MHM]

@OverandOnward

But didn’t they have to quarantine before going to Aachen? This is all very complicated.

They probably did, but maybe not for as long as the quarantine to go to Tokyo.

And then to throw another wrench into the works, they were in Aachen when those torrential rains made the news in Germany and the surrounding areas. Including around Liege in Belgium, which is where the Olympic horses go to fly to Tokyo. What a year!

[Old_Mac_Donald]

I believe they went direct to Japan. Mary Hanna did a “farewell” post as they left Sydney, and a few hours later was walking her mare into the Japanese stabling.