Dujardin out of Olympics over ‘whipping horse 24 times like circus elephant’
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Charlotte Dujardin, a key member of Team GB set to compete in the Olympics, has been excluded from the Paris Games due to accusations that she excessively whipped a horse, likened to the treatment of an elephant in a circus.
Dujardin, who has won three Olympic gold medals, recently decided to pull out of all upcoming competitions after a video surfaced showing the dressage rider making a mistake during a coaching session with a young rider four years ago.
Stephan Wensing, an attorney representing the 19-year-old who lodged the complaint against Dujardin, stated that the incident occurred while the 39-year-old was instructing the student to raise the horse's legs.
In an interview with The Telegraph, he described how she repeatedly whipped the horse over 24 times in just one minute. He compared her actions to the treatment of an elephant in a circus.
The FEI received a video showing Dujardin behaving in a way that goes against the welfare of horses. As a result, they have temporarily banned her from competing for six months starting now.
The FEI released a statement saying that Dujardin was very helpful during their investigation, confessing to being the person in the video and recognizing that her behavior was not appropriate. As a result, she decided to pull out from the Olympics.
Dujardin was hoping to win more medals than any other British woman at the Olympics this summer in Paris. She released a statement expressing her regret, saying that the incident was not typical of her behavior and does not represent the way she cares for her horses or teaches her students.
The 39-year-old decided to stop competing in any events while the International FEI looked into the video. The organization has now chosen to pause Dujardin for six months as they still investigate.
A recently resurfaced video, which has gained attention just days before the start of the Olympics, reportedly shows Dujardin behaving poorly towards a horse at a private stable. The video was shared with the FEI on Monday by a Dutch lawyer representing a confidential complainant.
An article on the Dutch site Horses.nl mentioned that the attorney in question was Stephan Wensing. The report claimed that the footage captured Dujardin striking a student's horse with a whip.
"It's not right that dressage sport involves animal cruelty," Wensing said in an interview with Horses.nl. "If taking part in elite-level sport means harming the well-being of the horses, then elite-level sport should no longer exist."
Dujardin, the British Equestrian team, and British Dressage were told about the accusations and the FEI's inquiry. They were given until 4pm UK time on Tuesday to reply.
Dujardin made a public announcement about her choice to pull out of the Olympics right before the deadline.
"We are very upset about this situation, especially with the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris 2024," stated Ingmar De Vos, the president of the FEI. "It is important that we take action and deal with any cases of mistreatment, as the well-being of horses is essential and cannot be ignored."
Charlotte has shown true regret for what she did, and we acknowledge and value her readiness to admit her mistakes. Despite the bad timing, we feel that this gesture confirms the FEI's dedication to caring for our horse companions and maintaining the honesty of our sport.
In a recent statement, Dujardin admitted to a mistake made during a coaching session that was captured in a video from four years ago.
It makes sense that the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) is looking into the matter. As a result, I have chosen to pull out of all competitions, including the upcoming Paris Olympics, until their investigation is completed.
I am really sorry for what happened because it is not typical of me to act that way. It doesn't show how I usually teach my horses or students. I feel embarrassed and I know I should have behaved better.
I deeply regret my actions and feel ashamed that I have disappointed everyone, including Team GB, supporters, and sponsors.
"I will work closely with the FEl, British Equestrian Federation, and British Dressage as they conduct their inquiries. I will refrain from making any additional comments until the investigation is finished."
The kickoff event for the Olympics is happening this Friday, and the dressage competition for Paris 2024 will start on July 30th at the Chateau de Versailles.
A medal of any shade would have moved Dujardin ahead of cyclist Laura Kenny as the most decorated female Olympian in Britain, as they both have six medals to their name.
At the London 2012 Olympics, Dujardin achieved victory in both the team and individual events, earning gold medals. She continued her winning streak at the Rio Olympics in 2016, clinching another individual gold medal and a team silver medal. Throughout both competitions, she rode her horse Valegro.
At the postponed Tokyo Games three years ago, Dujardin rode a different horse named Gio. This summer in Paris, she was planning to ride Imhotep instead.
Gio, a small horse that Dujardin purchased at the age of five after Rio, was later sold shortly after the Tokyo Games.
One of the most talked-about incidents at the postponed Tokyo Games in 2021 involved a German coach in the modern pentathlon who was expelled from the Olympics for hitting a horse.
The event caused a big change to a long-standing sport, leading to the decision to completely eliminate the horseback riding component from the upcoming Paris Games.
Talking before the Olympics, Dujardin thought she had a "great opportunity" to do well in Paris. She was set to take part in the individual dressage and team event with Carl Hester and Lottie Fry.
Dujardin expressed her excitement at the prospect of potentially making history at the British Olympics. She emphasized that while it would be an amazing achievement, she is not stressing herself out about it.
