Steve Guerdat receives support from his showjumping colleagues following the investigation opened by the FEI. It was on Tuesday that FEI issued a press release, stating that Guerdat’s horses Nino des Buissonnets and Nasa have tested positive for prohibited substances - although opening for the fact that this could be the result of contamination.

Now, some of Guerdat’s colleagues have stepped up to support the Swiss showjumper. Gregory Wathelet was one rider to speak out today, issuing the following statement on Facebook:

“Dear friends and fans, I wanted to convey a more personal message, one that is just as important to me as my last victory. I want to support my friend Steve who is passing through a difficult time but just words are weak. I want to convey that my true belief is that Steve is a true horseman who always thinks of the welfare of horses and foremost I KNOW with my greatest belief that this is by no means a deliberate act. So I want to show my support for this little message. STEVE I AM WITH YOU”.

Rodrigo Pessoa also posted a picture titled “Courage Steve”, shared by many of his colleagues.