The Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) has said that it will not be taking sanctions against show jumper Jessica Kürten for bringing the sport into disrepute.
This follows her outburst in front of RTÉ television cameras on the final day of the European show jumping championships in Mannheim on Sunday.
"Her conduct was intemperate and what happened on camera was petulant, but it was said in the heat of the moment and I wouldn't consider that this particular incident brought the sport into disrepute," EFI president Charles Powell told The Irish Timesyesterday.
The federation also issued a brief statement on Kürten's explosive reaction to a question from an RTÉ journalist.
"While recognising the pressures to which riders are subjected at the highest level of international competition, it is not the policy of the Equestrian Federation of Ireland to condone intemperate behaviour by its officials or competitors towards members of the media or public."
A federation spokesperson said that the governing body could apply sanctions if a rider was considered to be in breach of conduct. The level of sanctions would be at the federation's discretion, but no action would be taken following Kürten's outburst.
The EFI has also officially confirmed that the horse Castle Forbes Maike tested positive for a prohibited substance at the French show in La Baule last May.
Kürten herself had confirmed the positive test to The Irish Timeslast Friday.
The federation stated yesterday that Kürten had requested confirmatory analysis on the B sample, but that a test date had not yet been confirmed.