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British dressage star Charlotte Dujardin suspended for alleged horse cruelty

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PARIS – A few days before the opening ceremony, the Olympic Games in Paris have seen their first bizarre scandal: an excellent British dressage rider withdrew from the Games, shortly before the International Equestrian Federation provisionally suspended her for “behavior that runs counter to the principles of horse protection,” as can be seen in a video.

Charlotte Dujardin, whose six Olympic medals are the most of any British female athlete, has announced the release of a video showing her making a self-described “error in the judgement of a training session” four years ago. The Times of London reported that the video shows Dujardin whipping a horse on the legs.

“What happened was completely out of character for me and does not reflect how I train my horses or train my students,” Dujardin wrote. “However, there is no excuse. I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.”

The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) received a video on Monday showing Dujardin allegedly cruelly abusing horses, the federation said in a statement. The federation gave Dujardin until 5 p.m. Tuesday to respond to the video. Dujardin admitted it was her and released her statement before the public became aware of her distress. She is barred from competing until the FEI’s investigation is complete, which will bar her from her fourth Olympic Games.

“We are deeply disappointed by this case, especially with the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in mind,” said FEI President Ingmar De Vos. “However, it is our responsibility and crucial that we address all cases of abuse because the welfare of horses must not be compromised.”

What happened remained unclear for several hours on Tuesday evening. Dujardin did not provide any details about the content of the video. Shortly after Dujardin released her statement, a British press spokesman said the Olympic governing body did not know what the video showed.

Dujardin, 39, rose to prominence in England when she won two gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics on her horse Valegro. A golden postbox was erected in her honour in her home town of Enfield. After retiring Valegro at the age of 14, she won two bronze medals in Tokyo on another horse, Gio.

Allegations of animal cruelty have also overshadowed other Olympic equestrian events. At the Tokyo Games, a video showed German modern pentathlon coach Kim Raisner hitting a horse. Dujardin is not even the first dressage rider to lose an Olympic spot this month: Carina Cassøe Kruth was pulled from the Danish dressage team earlier this month after an old video surfaced of her allegedly mistreating a horse, trade magazine Horse Sport reported.

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