Saudi show jumpers banned from Olympics

Two top members of Saudi Arabia’s Olympic equestrian team will miss the London 2012 games after being slapped with an eight-month ban, it was reported. According to Associated Press, the International Equestrian Federation announced decisions against both Khaled Abdulaziz Al Eid and Abdullah Waleed Sharbatly, as their horses tested positive for anti-inflammatories. The kingdom’s Equestrian Federation said in a statement that it is “deeply disappointed” with the findings that resulted in banning the riders, adding that it will appeal in the Court of Arbitration of Sport. Even though bans for controlled substances are usually applied for months, the pair’s Olympic outlook is reliant on backdating any bans to the end of February, when they were suspended temporarily. In show jumping, the rider is held responsible when a horse fails a doping test. Al Eid, 43, is Sydney 2000 Olympic Games bronze medalist, and Al Sharbatly, 29, sprung to prominence in 2010 World Games with a silver medal. From Arabian Business