A British trainer who administered anabolic steroids to horses in his care has been banned for five years.
Gerard Butler was handed the punishment on Wednesday following a British Horseracing Authority hearing that considered seven breaches of racing rules.
Butler, who is based in Newmarket, admitted to giving four horses a substance that contained the anabolic steroid stanozolol, which is designed for use in humans and involves using a method that should only be carried out by qualified veterinary surgeons.
The BHA says Butler’s actions “were an appalling breach of his duty to look after the interests of the horses in his care and amounted to conduct that was seriously prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct and good reputation” of British horse racing.
