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Three-time Olympic equestrian gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin was suspended from all competitors for one yr on Thursday following a horse-whipping scandal that noticed her withdraw from the Paris Video games in July.
Dujardin was provisionally suspended by the Worldwide Federation for Equestrian Sports activities on July 23 because the governing physique launched an investigation right into a video from 4 years in the past exhibiting her repeatedly whipping a horse whereas teaching one other rider.
A grievance was made to the FEI by Dutch equine lawyer Stephan Wensing on behalf of an unnamed shopper.
Dujardin can not compete once more till July subsequent yr, with the suspension back-dated to July 23 of this yr. The FEI’s sanction, for “participating in conduct opposite to the ideas of horse welfare,” additionally included a nice of 10,000 Swiss francs ($11,300).
Dujardin accepted the sanctions and won’t be interesting.
In its ruling, the FEI mentioned it thought of that the video “constituted the one prevalence of horse abuse dedicated by” Dujardin and due to this fact seen it as an “remoted incident.”
The 39-year-old Dujardin gained gold on the 2012 London Olympics in group and particular person dressage and gained one other particular person gold on the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Video games. She took bronze in group and particular person on the Tokyo Video games in 2021 and a silver within the group occasion in Rio.
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AP sports activities: https://apnews.com/sports activities
From reproductive rights to local weather change to Huge Tech, The Unbiased is on the bottom when the story is creating. Whether or not it is investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our newest documentary, ‘The A Phrase’, which shines a light-weight on the American ladies combating for reproductive rights, we all know how necessary it’s to parse out the info from the messaging.
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There may be one North Star on the Olympics, one inalienable fact that guides this motion via unsure occasions. Athletes measure success in gold, silver and bronze however the Worldwide Olympic Committee is a little more brutal about the true backside line.
With out sponsors and broadcasters, the Olympics could be a shell occasion, which is why the Worldwide Federation for Equestrian Sports activities (FEI) might quickly be pressured to make some tough choices about the way forward for dressage.
Video reveals Olympian Charlotte Dujardin whipping horse repeatedly
The footage confirmed her utilizing a protracted whip at the least 24 occasions in a single minute throughout a lesson at her personal steady in Gloucestershire.
Dujardin’s Video games had been prematurely completed – she withdrew from the staff hours earlier than she was handed an preliminary six-month provisional ban earlier than the FEI concluded its report. Her future past the suspension and the street to LA28 stays unsure.
Six Olympic medals have translated into vital monetary success, with a string of organisations as her official sponsors, together with high-end equestrian manufacturers Charles Owen and Le Mieux. For 9 years, she has labored as a worldwide ambassador for animal welfare charity Brooke. These endorsements look on extraordinarily skinny ice at the moment.
Much more unclear is the way forward for dressage on the Video games – and there’s precedent for the game’s concern, the FEI is already on the watch listing, with Olympic organisers extremely involved about reputational harm, particularly of their bid to steer youthful audiences to have interaction. The game is ready for LA28, but the venue is pending the town of Los Angeles’ approval.
“What it’s essential perceive is what occurred right here with Dujardin is just not an remoted incident on this sport,” Mr Wensing instructed The Unbiased this summer time. “That is actually the tip of the iceberg and I don’t count on this story to be the final, extra riders will likely be watching this involved, I’ve little doubt about that.
“There’s a concern tradition in dressage and that’s why my shopper needs to stay nameless however issues want to vary – this isn’t sport, it’s merely animal cruelty.
“It’s unacceptable that dressage as a sport needs to be accompanied by animal abuse – how may we watch this particular person (Dujardin) perhaps gather one other Olympic gold and keep silent? If top-level sport can solely be carried out in such a manner that the welfare of the horse is compromised, then top-level sport needs to be abolished, it’s that easy. That’s the query dealing with the FEI and the Worldwide Olympic Committee now.”
Charlotte Dujardin had been related to a number of high-end equestrian manufacturers (Getty)
Dujardin was eager to emphasize the video confirmed an remoted incident, an “error of judgement” from a number of years in the past. Nevertheless, the harm she has achieved to her profession and model is incalculable and the influence on her sport even perhaps better. Now her suspension has been confirmed, the game should rebuild at first of a brand new Olympic cycle.
And maybe there needs to be no shock, earlier this 12 months seven-time Olympic dressage champion Isabell Werth wrote to FEI president Ingmar de Vos and FEI secretary common Sabrina Ibanez to precise concern in regards to the sport’s future after a string of animal cruelty instances.
“Our sport is in critical hazard,” she mentioned. “The present scandals and the dangerous popularity threaten its existence and will imply the tip of dressage as an Olympic self-discipline.”
Equestrian circles will be famously nepotistic and high dressage horses can value as much as £200,000 – usually making the game the protect of the rich and well-connected, a pattern that Dujardin bucked. And with this amount of cash comes big strain to carry out.
Final 12 months, a Danish tv channel broadcast an undercover investigation from the using college of Andreas Helgstrand, a former Olympic dressage bronze medallist. Horses had been exhibiting bleeding from their mouths and flanks after coaching periods and the rider was banned till 2025.
Dujardin is Staff GB’s joint most adorned feminine athlete with six Olympic medals (PA Archive)
Earlier this 12 months, graphic movies had been launched from the stables of American dressage rider Cesar Parra. He was proven repeatedly whipping and even kicking his horses.
It’s greater than a decade for the reason that FEI banned the controversial dressage coaching methodology often called Rollkur, which includes a rider pulling the horse’s mouth far down with the reins, in order that the animal virtually bites its personal chest.
Nevertheless, there’s a perception that behind closed doorways the apply stays. German worldwide Matthias Rath was pressured to disclaim utilizing the Rollkur on his horse Totilas throughout a coaching occasion 4 years in the past, the horse dying later that 12 months.
Equestrianism has high-profile supporters throughout the Olympic motion, together with Anne, Princess Royal – a European champion and Staff GB Olympian in eventing. However the sport is conscious about the strain that may very well be utilized if welfare scandals proceed.
It’s not low-cost to stage and each aspect of each sport on the Video games is ruthlessly scored by the IOC, together with press protection and social media sentiment.
The very way forward for dressage as an Olympic sport is unsure (AP)
Two years in the past, double Olympic eventing champion Mark Todd was pressured to apologise after a video posted on TikTok confirmed him repeatedly putting a horse with a department.
And in Tokyo, German fashionable pentathlon coach Kim Raisner was suspended from the Olympics after punching a horse in the course of the present leaping aspect of the competitors.
The FEI might quickly come underneath related strain and dressage, which delivers a lot much less business income than different equestrian disciplines, might pay the value. And Dujardin will finally share the blame.
A model of this story was initially printed on 25 July
