Watching High Finance romp to second place in the CCI** at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event with Melissa Miller aboard, you’d never know that three years ago the off-the-track Thoroughbred was fighting for his life.

Eight months ago, Flexible’s career was supposed to be over. The winner of the 2012 Rolex FEI World Cup Final couldn’t trot for more than a few minutes without going dead lame.

A year ago, overmedication in the horse show world dominated conversations at the U.S. Equestrian Federation Annual Meeting as the membership reeled from a Dec. 27, 2012, New York Times article by Walt Bogdanich titled, “Sudden Death of Show Pony Clouds Image of Elite Pursuit.”

A new category of rules referred to as Prohibited Practices has been introduced to the U.S. Equestrian Federation Rule Book, which will take effect Dec. 1. The first rule to be adopted in this category is commonly referred to as the “12-Hour Rule.”

In the wake of news that Clifton Promise, Jock Paget’s Land Rover Burghley CCI**** winner, tested positive for reserpine as well as Kevin McNab’s Burghley ride Clifton Pinot, we did some research on the drug.