The British rider can be seen hitting a horse’s legs several times with a whip. After the footage surfaced, Dujardin was suspended for an indefinite period by the World Equestrian Federation. She herself was remorseful and spoke of a misjudgment.
In the video, which was broadcast on Wednesday on the news program “Good Morning Britain,” Dujardin walks next to the horse he is riding during a training session and whips it. FEI chief veterinarian Göran Akerström called this unacceptable behavior.
“It is clearly a shocking image.” Akerström said the FEI has taken action to address similar violations. “It’s about making sure that everyone involved in the sport does not do anything that is contrary to the welfare of the horse.”
The FEI received the material from a lawyer on Monday, but it is not clear where the images came from. The world association subsequently launched an investigation. Dujardin announced her withdrawal from the Olympics after the incident became known.
An incident in the German camp during the modern pentathlon had already caused a stir at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The athlete Annika Schleu had not been able to cope with a horse that had been assigned to her and was completely unsettled, and had desperately used a whip and spurs. Germany’s coach Kim Raisner had hit the horse with her fist and demanded: “Hit it properly!”
After the games in Paris, the modern pentathlon will take place without horse riding. The animal rights organization PETA, meanwhile, has once again called for an equestrian-free Olympics.
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