Hamburg - The German equestrian federation (FN) on Thursday disbanded its national teams in the Olympic disciplines of show-jumping, dressage and three-day event after a string of accusations of doping and illegal medication. The FN said in a statement on its website that any rider who wants to be part of a future team must pass before an independent panel set up by the German Olympic Committee (DOSB).
The move is unprecedented in German high-performance sport.
The FN also suspended top rider Ludger Beerbaum, a four-time Olympic champion, indefinitely for team events over the issue.
"We want to make an important step towards credibility with the disbanding of the (national team) squads," said FN president Breido Graf zu Rantzau.
"A rider who wants to return into the squad must face the special commission and must speak about his attitude and behaviour as a top rider."
DOSB general director Michael Vesper told the German Press Agency dpa: "I welcome this move. It is a radical step by the FN."
The DOSB panel, due to start its work in June and headed by Udo Steiner, a fomer judge at Germany's Constitutional Court, is to probe athletes and officials after several positive tests for medications ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
That does not lead to sanctions, but rider Christian Ahlmann was the among several riders caught in Beijing for using forbidden substances on his horse and banned for six months.
The FN also said that another horse may have been treated illegally in China.
Horses are allowed to be treated with medication ahead of competitions, but some substances are then illegal during event. In addition, there are doping substances which are always illegal.
Beerbaum, who was part of the Olympic show-jumping team, was suspended after effectively admitting to dubious practices last weekend in a newspaper interview.
"In the past I had the attitude: anything that isn't found is allowed," he said.
Germany is one of the most successful nations in equestrian. Its athletes won three gold, one silver and one bronze medal in Beijing. Beerbaum's sister-in-law, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, tops the show-jumping world rankings.
"I have to accept this. I want us to have clear rules which are understood by eveyone," Beerbaum told dpa.
