Jukka Hakkarainen has been banned from competition.
Jukka Hakkarainen is on the sidelines for the whole summer due to a ban from competition. Maisa Hyttinen
Hippos has been prescribed by a trotting trainer Jukka Hakkarainen a three-month suspension from competition and a 500-euro sanction for a pharmaceutical violation.
Oxazepam was found in a urine sample taken from Callela Callmeboss, a horse trained by Hakkaraine. The substance is strictly prohibited in trotting competitions, and it is not used in horses at all, for example as medicine.
Oxazepam is a sedative drug belonging to the benzodiazepine class, which is used in humans, for example, to treat temporary anxiety and insomnia. It is sold in Finland under the trade names Opamox and Oxamin. The substance is also classified as a narcotic, and it can cause addiction.
The horse’s competition performance at the Kuopio raves on March 23 was invalidated due to a violation. According to Hippos, the horse will be released from the competition ban when the prize money of 1,000 euros has been returned to the trotting organizer.
Hakkarainen’s suspension from competition starts on June 23 and ends on September 22.
Jukka Hakkarainen photographed in Vermo in the spring. Maisa Hyttinen
Hakkarainen denies an intentional doping violation. Restaurant owner Jukka Hakkarainen has taken a stand on the verdict in a Facebook post.
– The medicine in question is not in use, and has not been used in any form at our stable. So far, we don’t know how the medicine intended for humans ended up in the horse.
According to Ravitalli, nothing abnormal was observed in the horse’s behavior, performance or competition performance on the day of the competition.
– At our stable, horses are tested regularly and we have no previous drug violations. We do not accept the use of prohibited medicinal substances in any form. The well-being of the horses is the most important principle of operation at our stable.
During Hakkarainen’s suspension, his wife is the responsible coach of the stable Riina Korhonen. Korhonen has already been marked as Callela Callmeboss’ coach in Hippos.
The staff of the stable says that they take the situation seriously. According to the Facebook post, the stable’s safety and control practices have been strengthened to prevent similar situations.
– The whole process has been very difficult for the entire team staff, because we have not found a reason for the contamination of the medicine.
During the past year, Hakkarainen has registered 42 starts, in which he has won a total of around 89,000 euros. The coach from Kuopio won a total of around 480,000 euros last year. In January, he finished second in the Coach of the Year competition.