Double individual Olympic dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin says she “fully respects” the decision to suspend her for one year following a horse whipping controversy, and revealed she was pregnant at the time the incident came to light.
Dujardin was provisionally suspended by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) on July 23 – the week that the Paris Olympics started – as it launched an investigation into a video from four years ago showing her making what she described as “an error of judgement” during a coaching session.
The FEI said on Thursday that Dujardin had admitted three charges, and that it had issued a one-year suspension backdated to July 23 and a 10,000 Swiss franc fine (£8,881).
Dujardin accepted the governing body’s ruling, while revealing she had been pregnant at the time the video came into the public domain.
In a statement to the PA news agency following the announcement of the FEI sanction, Dujardin said: “I fully respect the verdict issued by the FEI, released today.
“As the federation has recognised, my actions in the video do not reflect who I am and I can only apologise again. I understand the responsibility that comes with my position in the sport, and I will forever aim to do better.
“This has undoubtedly been one of the darkest and most difficult periods of my life, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me during this time. To those of you who have sent messages, emails and tried to reach me to check in on how I am – thank you. Every kind word truly has made a difference, more than you’ll ever know.
“What I was unable to share at the time is that I am currently pregnant, with my baby due in February.
“This was planned well before the Olympics and something my partner Dean and I have been excited about for a long time.
“At the moment, the energy I have is focused on Dean and our daughter Isabella, and we are all very much looking forward to the arrival of our new family member.”
The video showed Dujardin repeatedly hitting a student’s horse with a whip from the ground, behaviour which sparked widespread condemnation.
The complaint was made to the FEI by Dutch equine lawyer Stephan Wensing on behalf of an unnamed client. Wensing’s firm has been contacted for comment regarding the sanction imposed on Dujardin.
Dujardin, who has won six Olympic medals including individual gold in 2012 and 2016, was ditched by sponsors and dropped as an ambassador by global horse welfare charity Brooke and the London International Horse Show when the video surfaced.
UK Sport, meanwhile, suspended Dujardin’s eligibility to receive public funding in the summer pending the outcome of the FEI investigation.
The elite sports funding body issued an update via a spokesperson on Thursday which read: “We expect all staff and athletes in Olympic and Paralympic sport to adhere to the highest standards of behaviour, ethics and integrity.
“In line with the UK Sport eligibility policy, Charlotte Dujardin is ineligible to receive public funding and publicly-funded benefits for the same time period as the FEI sanction.
“Her eligibility to receive public funding beyond the sanction imposed by the FEI will be reviewed under our eligibility policy.”
The 39-year-old could have become Britain’s most decorated female Olympian in Paris. A medal of any colour would have taken her clear of cyclist Dame Laura Kenny, with whom she is currently tied.
Dujardin rose to prominence with individual and team golds at London 2012 while riding Valegro – to a soundtrack that included Land of Hope and Glory. The duo retained the former title and won silver in the latter at Rio 2016.
British Equestrian chief executive Jim Eyre said: “We are confident that this has been a thorough disciplinary process and thank those involved for their professional approach. The sanctions were discussed at board level by BEF and British Dressage and both agreed that the suspension and fine are in line with the parameters outlined in the FEI’s regulatory framework.
“The welfare and ethical treatment of horses has always been a priority and no one involved in our sport should be in any doubt that we expect highest standards at all times.”
British Dressage chief executive Jason Brautigam said: “We stand united with the FEI in taking a zero-tolerance approach to any breaches of our equine welfare policies – and this case has proved that these disciplinary processes work, regardless of the status of the individual concerned.”
Roly Owers, the chief executive of the World Horse Welfare charity, said: “What we all need to take away from this sad episode is that how we train our horses must be ethical – which in practice means respecting our horses and how they learn, using techniques that the horse understands, that reward and do not cause fear or distress.”