Paris (AFP) – Charlotte Dujardin's Olympic teammate and mentor Carl Hester has signed a letter "universally condemning" the British rider for abusing a horse.
25/07/2024 -
Britain's Charlotte Dujardin competes at the London 2012 Olympics
JOHN MACDOUGALL / AFP/File
Three-time gold medallist Dujardin withdrew from the Paris Games on Tuesday after a video emerged of her repeatedly whipping the animal on the legs.
Dujardin, the joint most-decorated British female Olympian, said she had made an "error of judgement" and was suspended by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI).
The 39-year-old embarked on her dressage career under the tutelage of Hester, who part-owned Valegro, the horse on which she secured team and individual gold at the London 2012 Games.
Hester, taking part in his seventh Olympics, won gold alongside Dujardin in the team dressage event in London, claiming a silver in Rio and bronze in Tokyo.
The 57-year-old, who will compete for Team GB next week, is one of 10 signatories to a statement from the International Dressage Riders Club board addressing the incident involving Dujardin.
The group said they "universally condemn" the actions of Dujardin.
"The board members are resolute that equine welfare must always be placed uppermost and at all times," it said.
The letter added: "The IDRC board supports the actions taken by the FEI, the British Equestrian Federation and British Dressage to provisionally suspend Ms Dujardin.
"It notes that Ms Dujardin has stated she has no excuse for her actions and has also expressed her shame and regret."
A day after horse welfare charity Brooke dropped Dujardin as an ambassador, the London International Horse Show followed suit.
Two of Dujardin's sponsors confirmed they had ended their arrangements with her -- riding helmets manufacturer Charles Owen and Fairfax Saddles.
Dujardin could have become Britain's most decorated woman Olympian in Paris. A medal of any colour would have taken her clear of cyclist Laura Kenny, with whom she is currently tied on six medals.
She was due to compete in both the individual dressage and the team event alongside Hester and world champion Lottie Fry at the Paris Games.
Team GB confirmed on Wednesday that Dujardin had been replaced in the team by Becky Moody.
The dressage competition at Paris 2024 begins on July 30 at the Chateau de Versailles.
© 2024 AFP
Three-time gold medallist Dujardin withdrew from the Paris Games on Tuesday after a video emerged of her repeatedly whipping the animal on the legs.
Dujardin, the joint most-decorated British female Olympian, said she had made an "error of judgement" and was suspended by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI).
The 39-year-old embarked on her dressage career under the tutelage of Hester, who part-owned Valegro, the horse on which she secured team and individual gold at the London 2012 Games.
Hester, taking part in his seventh Olympics, won gold alongside Dujardin in the team dressage event in London, claiming a silver in Rio and bronze in Tokyo.
The 57-year-old, who will compete for Team GB next week, is one of 10 signatories to a statement from the International Dressage Riders Club board addressing the incident involving Dujardin.
The group said they "universally condemn" the actions of Dujardin.
"The board members are resolute that equine welfare must always be placed uppermost and at all times," it said.
The letter added: "The IDRC board supports the actions taken by the FEI, the British Equestrian Federation and British Dressage to provisionally suspend Ms Dujardin.
"It notes that Ms Dujardin has stated she has no excuse for her actions and has also expressed her shame and regret."
A day after horse welfare charity Brooke dropped Dujardin as an ambassador, the London International Horse Show followed suit.
Two of Dujardin's sponsors confirmed they had ended their arrangements with her -- riding helmets manufacturer Charles Owen and Fairfax Saddles.
Dujardin could have become Britain's most decorated woman Olympian in Paris. A medal of any colour would have taken her clear of cyclist Laura Kenny, with whom she is currently tied on six medals.
She was due to compete in both the individual dressage and the team event alongside Hester and world champion Lottie Fry at the Paris Games.
Team GB confirmed on Wednesday that Dujardin had been replaced in the team by Becky Moody.
The dressage competition at Paris 2024 begins on July 30 at the Chateau de Versailles.
© 2024 AFP
Equestrian federation spells out horse welfare reforms in wake of horse-whipping video
A U.S. Olympic Eventing Team horse looks through a holding pen door at The Ark at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Wednesday, July 17, 2024, (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin, riding Gio, competes in the equestrian dressage individual final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 28, 2021, in Tokyo. Three-time Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain has withdrawn from the Paris Games after a video emerged that she says shows her behaving inappropriately while coaching other riders. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
Hailey Burlock, groom for U.S. Olympic Eventing Team member Will Coleman, comforts Off The Record at The Ark at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Wednesday, July 17, 2024, (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
The Olympics are more than fun and games. They’re a billion-dollar business with political overtones.
Breakdance will make it’s debut as an Olympic sport in Paris. Here’s what else will be different at this year’s games.
“We didn’t invent the rules now that are applied today,” Ibáñez said. “These have been ongoing throughout the years. And what we’re doing now is strengthen them even more so. There’s always room for improvement, and there’s a lot to be improved, of course.”
De Vos said he was saddened and surprised by the video, which is part of an official complaint filed against Dujardin and was published by multiple media outlets Wednesday. Dujardin said Tuesday in a statement that the video is from four years ago, and it “shows me making an error of judgment during a coaching session, adding it she was deeply ashamed and calling the actions “completely out of character.”
“One thing that’s been much discussed in the last few days is training methods, obviously, and one of the action points we have is on ethical training methods, and we will be looking to how horses are trained, what form they are trained, what they are ridden in and what is ethical,” De Vos said. “Where do we draw the lines with what we can do and cannot do with horses? That’s one of the key items.”
One of the immediate changes is the addition of an equine welfare coordinator on site at the Olympics for the first time. The FEI’s veterinary director, Goran Akerstrom, said the other areas of focus include recognizing physical and emotional stress and what horses do for the other 23 hours a day they are not training or competing.
“We have been almost completely focusing on the competition, but the horse lives mostly outside competition,” Akerstrom said.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in a statement earlier this week said Dujardin’s case is a message to the International Olympic Committee to remove equestrian events entirely.
Dujardin has been provisionally suspended from all events under FEI jurisdiction, pending results of the investigation. The FEI said Dujardin confirmed she is the person shown in the video and that she requested her own provisional suspension.
___
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
A U.S. Olympic Eventing Team horse looks through a holding pen door at The Ark at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Wednesday, July 17, 2024, (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin, riding Gio, competes in the equestrian dressage individual final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 28, 2021, in Tokyo. Three-time Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain has withdrawn from the Paris Games after a video emerged that she says shows her behaving inappropriately while coaching other riders. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
Hailey Burlock, groom for U.S. Olympic Eventing Team member Will Coleman, comforts Off The Record at The Ark at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Wednesday, July 17, 2024, (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
July 25, 2024
VERSAILLES, France (AP) — The organization that oversees equestrian competition at the Olympics spelled out a series of reforms for horse welfare on the eve of the Paris Games and in the wake of an abuse case involving one of the sport’s best riders.
Executives from the Federation for Equestrian Sports, or FEI, held a roundtable discussion Thursday in which they outlined a comprehensive plan already in place to improve horse safety. It took on greater focus after three-time Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin withdrew this week after video emerged showing her repeatedly whipping a horse.
“It’s an additional, I would say, justification, for me that we are doing the right thing by creating this plan,” FEI president Ingmar De Vos said. “I think it clearly illustrates that this plan that we have now created and the philosophy of ‘Be a Guardian’ is really what we need.”
The federation launched its “Be a Guardian” initiative last week, calling on members of the equestrian riding and training community to embrace their roles caring for horses. It also came with the development of the Equine Welfare Strategy Action plan, highlighting six priority areas and 30 recommendations on improvements.
RELATED STORIES
British equestrian Dujardin withdraws from the Olympics over coaching video
Charlotte Dujardin withdraws from Olympics over horse-whipping video
Horses take to the air with passports and carryons ahead of equestrian eventing at Paris Olympics
Asked why now and why they had not been introduced before, FEI secretary general Sabrina Ibáñez said this provides a more holistic approach about taking care of horses.
Paris Olympics
VERSAILLES, France (AP) — The organization that oversees equestrian competition at the Olympics spelled out a series of reforms for horse welfare on the eve of the Paris Games and in the wake of an abuse case involving one of the sport’s best riders.
Executives from the Federation for Equestrian Sports, or FEI, held a roundtable discussion Thursday in which they outlined a comprehensive plan already in place to improve horse safety. It took on greater focus after three-time Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin withdrew this week after video emerged showing her repeatedly whipping a horse.
“It’s an additional, I would say, justification, for me that we are doing the right thing by creating this plan,” FEI president Ingmar De Vos said. “I think it clearly illustrates that this plan that we have now created and the philosophy of ‘Be a Guardian’ is really what we need.”
The federation launched its “Be a Guardian” initiative last week, calling on members of the equestrian riding and training community to embrace their roles caring for horses. It also came with the development of the Equine Welfare Strategy Action plan, highlighting six priority areas and 30 recommendations on improvements.
RELATED STORIES
British equestrian Dujardin withdraws from the Olympics over coaching video
Charlotte Dujardin withdraws from Olympics over horse-whipping video
Horses take to the air with passports and carryons ahead of equestrian eventing at Paris Olympics
Asked why now and why they had not been introduced before, FEI secretary general Sabrina Ibáñez said this provides a more holistic approach about taking care of horses.
Paris Olympics
The Olympics are more than fun and games. They’re a billion-dollar business with political overtones.
Breakdance will make it’s debut as an Olympic sport in Paris. Here’s what else will be different at this year’s games.
“We didn’t invent the rules now that are applied today,” Ibáñez said. “These have been ongoing throughout the years. And what we’re doing now is strengthen them even more so. There’s always room for improvement, and there’s a lot to be improved, of course.”
De Vos said he was saddened and surprised by the video, which is part of an official complaint filed against Dujardin and was published by multiple media outlets Wednesday. Dujardin said Tuesday in a statement that the video is from four years ago, and it “shows me making an error of judgment during a coaching session, adding it she was deeply ashamed and calling the actions “completely out of character.”
“One thing that’s been much discussed in the last few days is training methods, obviously, and one of the action points we have is on ethical training methods, and we will be looking to how horses are trained, what form they are trained, what they are ridden in and what is ethical,” De Vos said. “Where do we draw the lines with what we can do and cannot do with horses? That’s one of the key items.”
One of the immediate changes is the addition of an equine welfare coordinator on site at the Olympics for the first time. The FEI’s veterinary director, Goran Akerstrom, said the other areas of focus include recognizing physical and emotional stress and what horses do for the other 23 hours a day they are not training or competing.
“We have been almost completely focusing on the competition, but the horse lives mostly outside competition,” Akerstrom said.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in a statement earlier this week said Dujardin’s case is a message to the International Olympic Committee to remove equestrian events entirely.
Dujardin has been provisionally suspended from all events under FEI jurisdiction, pending results of the investigation. The FEI said Dujardin confirmed she is the person shown in the video and that she requested her own provisional suspension.
___
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
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