The Qatari administered the hormone, which boosts red blood cells and is a banned substance, to horses SUR and Centurion at an endurance event in Doha on April 22, 2016.

United Arab Emirates rider Mohd Butti Ghemran had steered Centurion to victory while his compatriot Abdulla Mubarak Rashed Al Khaili came second on board SUR.

Both have been handed one year bans although the FEI found there was "no significant fault of negligence" on their part.

As a result, they avoided two year sanctions.

"The trainer of both horses, Mohammed Ali Khalifa Al-Attiyah, admitted that he had administered the horses with EPO just before the competition," an FEI statement said.

Al-Attiyah's ban has been backdated until July 5, 2016, when he was first provisionally suspended.

It means he will be eligible to return on July 4, 2018.

In addition to the ban, the FEI has fined the trainer CHF3,000 (£2,800/$3,500/€3,200) while he must pay CHF1,500 (£1,200/$1,500/€1,400) in legal costs.

Both riders' bans have been backdated to June 2, 2016 while they have been fined CHF2,000 (£1,600/$2,000/€1,800).

They will each pay costs of CHF1,000 (£810/$1,000/€935).

Doping in endurance racing has proven to be a problem for the FEI, particularly in Middle Eastern countries where there have been a number of cases.

Earlier this month, Jordan's Nayef Al Fayez was banned for 30 months after his horse tested positive for five illegal substances described as a "cocktail of drugs".

Last year, UAE city Dubai was stripped of the 2016 FEI World Endurance Championships due to welfare concerns.

The governing body has demanded a series of safety measures are introduced in the country in a bid to address the problem.