A video has emerged of the Team GB equestrian star Charlotte Dujardin repeatedly striking a horse with a long whip during a training session. The incident has led the animal rights group Peta to call for all equestrian events to be banned from the Olympic Games.
The 39-year-old Dujardin, who won six dressage Olympic medals in London, Rio and Tokyo, was banned from the Paris 2024 Games and suspended on Tuesday. The incident occurred when she conducted a coaching session to a young rider at a private stables four years ago.
However Peta’s US senior vice president, Kathy Guillermo, says the video hints at a wider trend of animal abuse, and that it is time for the International Olympic Committee to step in.
“The message to the IOC should be clear by now: remove equestrian events from the Olympic Games,” she said. “Yet again, an Olympic rider has been caught on video abusing a horse to force the animal to behave in an entirely unnatural way, simply for her own glory. Horses don’t volunteer – they can only submit to violence and coercion. It’s time for the Olympics to move into the modern era.”
Meanwhile, Dujardin has been dropped as an ambassador for the horse welfare charity Brooke, which said: “We were deeply disturbed to learn about this video. Our whole ethos is around kindness and compassion to horses, and to see the opposite of this from someone with such a high profile is beyond disappointing. There can never be a justification for mistreating animals.”
The World Horse Welfare chief executive, Roly Owers, says the controversy is a “massive wake-up call for anyone who thinks this is not important”. The charity welcomed Dujardin’s decision “to take full responsibility and withdraw from the Paris Olympics” after the British Olympian was provisionally suspended by equestrian’s governing body.
“This story is another salutary reminder of how vital it is that equestrians put the welfare of the horse first, all of the time, whether in the competition arena or behind closed doors,” Owers said. ““Horse sport rightly has high standards, as illustrated in the FEI Code of Conduct and British Equestrian’s Charter for the Horse, but it is a collective responsibility to maintain these standards.
“Respect for the horse must be at the heart of every equestrian, and every equestrian sport, and their actions must demonstrate that respect all of the time. We know that a successful future for horse sport has public trust at the centre of it, and this requires equestrians to be caring and to always treat their horses with respect, compassion and understanding.”
Modern pentathlon has already decided to scrap the equestrian element of the sport at the 2028 LA Games after it was heavily criticised in Tokyo. The German competitor Annika Schleu, who had been in the gold-medal position before the showjumping, was seen in tears after her ride, Saint Boy, refused to jump over the obstacles. The German coach Kim Raisner, who was seen punching Saint Boy, was sent home from Tokyo and the UIPM promised to conduct a full review as well as disciplining Raisner.
Dujardin has admitted that there is “no excuse” for her behaviour and that she was “deeply ashamed” of the error of judgement. “What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils, however there is no excuse,” she added. “I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.
“I am sincerely sorry for my actions and devastated that I have let everyone down, including Team GB, fans and sponsors,” she added. “I will cooperate fully with the FEI, British Equestrian Federation and British Dressage, and will not be commenting further until the process is complete.”
The Dutch lawyer Stephan Wensing, who is representing the 19-year-old who filed the official complaint against Dujardin, said that he was pleased that the International Federation for Equestrian Sports had taken such a strong stand.
“Charlotte Dujardin was in the middle of the arena,” he said. “She said to the student ‘your horse must lift up the legs more in the canter’. She took the long whip and she was beating the horse more than 24 times in one minute. It was like an elephant in the circus.
“At that time, my client was thinking this must be normal. She is an Olympic winner. Who am I to doubt? My client asked around and was warned against speaking out in the UK. But last year my client saw others suspended in the UK and elsewhere.
“And this weekend, she eventually made a decision to let me admit the complaint to the FEI and that happened yesterday. The FEI took this immediately very seriously.”
The suspension bars Dujardin from any competitions or events under the FEI’s jurisdiction and those run by by a national federation. The FEI president, Ingmar De Vos, said: “We are deeply disappointed with this case, especially as we approach the Olympic Games in Paris. However, it is our responsibility and crucial that we address any instances of abuse, as equine welfare cannot be compromised. Charlotte has expressed genuine remorse for her actions, and we recognise and appreciate her willingness to take responsibility.
“Despite the unfortunate timing, we believe this action reaffirms the FEI’s commitment to welfare as the guardians of our equine partners and the integrity of our sport.”
Dujardin could have become Britain’s most decorated female Olympian in Paris. A medal of any colour would have taken her clear of Laura Kenny, with whom she is currently tied on six medals. Dujardin was due to compete in both the individual dressage and the team event alongside Carl Hester and world champion Lottie Fry.
She is expected to be replaced in the team by alternate Becky Moody and her horse Jagerbomb, with the British Olympic Association (BOA) confirming: “We will be applying to bring in a reserve athlete under the IOC’s late athlete replacement rules.”
British Equestrian and British Dressage issued a joint statement confirming they have also provisionally suspended Dujardin. BE chief executive Jim Eyre said: “As the guardians of equestrian sport, we must uphold the highest standards of equine welfare – the horse’s wellbeing is paramount.
“The allegations made are serious and the consequences far-reaching but upholding the integrity of our sport remains our priority – we are privileged to enjoy the company of horses; we must never compromise on their wellbeing.”