Double particular person Olympic dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin says she “totally respects” the choice to droop her for one yr following a horse whipping controversy, and revealed she was pregnant on the time the incident got here to gentle.

Dujardin was provisionally suspended by the Worldwide Federation for Equestrian Sports activities (FEI) on July 23 – the week that the Paris Olympics began – because it launched an investigation right into a video from 4 years in the past displaying her making what she described as “an error of judgement” throughout a training session.

The FEI mentioned on Thursday that Dujardin had admitted three fees, and that it had issued a one-year suspension backdated to July 23 and a ten,000 Swiss franc nice (£8,881).

Dujardin accepted the governing physique’s ruling, whereas revealing she had been pregnant on the time the video got here into the general public area.

In a press release to the PA information company following the announcement of the FEI sanction, Dujardin mentioned: “I totally respect the decision issued by the FEI, launched at present.

“Because the federation has recognised, my actions within the video don’t mirror who I’m and I can solely apologise once more. I perceive the accountability that comes with my place within the sport, and I’ll perpetually purpose to do higher.

“This has undoubtedly been one of many darkest and most tough intervals of my life, and I want to take this chance to thank everybody who has supported me throughout this time. To these of you who’ve despatched messages, emails and tried to succeed in me to verify in on how I’m – thanks. All types phrase really has made a distinction, greater than you’ll ever know.

“What I used to be unable to share on the time is that I’m at present pregnant, with my child due in February.

“This was deliberate effectively earlier than the Olympics and one thing my companion Dean and I’ve been enthusiastic about for a very long time.

“In the mean time, the power I’ve is targeted on Dean and our daughter Isabella, and we’re all very a lot wanting ahead to the arrival of our new member of the family.”

The video confirmed Dujardin repeatedly hitting a scholar’s horse with a whip from the bottom, behaviour which sparked widespread condemnation.

The criticism was made to the FEI by Dutch equine lawyer Stephan Wensing on behalf of an unnamed consumer. Wensing’s agency has been contacted for remark relating to the sanction imposed on Dujardin.

Dujardin, who has received six Olympic medals together with particular person gold in 2012 and 2016, was ditched by sponsors and dropped as an envoy by world horse welfare charity Brooke and the London Worldwide Horse Present when the video surfaced.

UK Sport, in the meantime, suspended Dujardin’s eligibility to obtain public funding in the summertime pending the result of the FEI investigation.

The elite sports activities funding physique issued an replace by way of a spokesperson on Thursday which learn: “We count on all employees and athletes in Olympic and Paralympic sport to stick to the very best requirements of behaviour, ethics and integrity.

“Consistent with the UK Sport eligibility coverage, Charlotte Dujardin is ineligible to obtain public funding and publicly-funded advantages for a similar time interval because the FEI sanction.

“Her eligibility to obtain public funding past the sanction imposed by the FEI can be reviewed underneath our eligibility coverage.”

The 39-year-old might have turn out to be Britain’s most embellished feminine Olympian in Paris. A medal of any color would have taken her away from bike owner Dame Laura Kenny, with whom she is at present tied.

Dujardin rose to prominence with particular person and crew golds at London 2012 whereas using Valegro – to a soundtrack that included Land of Hope and Glory. The duo retained the previous title and received silver within the latter at Rio 2016.

British Equestrian chief govt Jim Eyre mentioned: “We’re assured that this has been an intensive disciplinary course of and thank these concerned for his or her skilled method. The sanctions had been mentioned at board degree by BEF and British Dressage and each agreed that the suspension and nice are according to the parameters outlined within the FEI’s regulatory framework.

“The welfare and moral therapy of horses has at all times been a precedence and nobody concerned in our sport needs to be in any doubt that we count on highest requirements always.”

British Dressage chief govt Jason Brautigam mentioned: “We stand united with the FEI in taking a zero-tolerance method to any breaches of our equine welfare insurance policies – and this case has proved that these disciplinary processes work, whatever the standing of the person involved.”

Roly Owers, the chief govt of the World Horse Welfare charity, mentioned: “What all of us want to remove from this unhappy episode is that how we practice our horses have to be moral – which in observe means respecting our horses and the way they be taught, utilizing methods that the horse understands, that reward and don’t trigger worry or misery.”