Video of Dujardin Whipping Her Horse Sparks Debate on Equestrian Sports.
British Olympian Charlotte Dujardin has pulled out of the Paris Games due to a video clip showing her whipping a horse's legs multiple times. This has sparked a broader debate about equestrian sports just before the Olympics start.
The FEI International Equestrian Foundation has suspended the six-times Olympic medallist Dujardin – Britain’s joint-most decorated female Olympian – over inappropriate training methods.
“What is shown in this video is completely unacceptable at any point in a horse’s training,” said FEI Veterinarian Director Goran Akerstrom. He also noted that some of the whiplashes hit the horse and caused stress, describing the whiplashes as detrimental to the horse’s learning process.
The FEI is striving to improve horse welfare after the Tokyo Olympics severely harmed its image. In 2021, one horse died in a cross-country accident while another suffered severe nose bleeding from jumping, and spectators were shocked by scenes of abuse in a modern pentathlon competition.
FEI chief veterinarian Akerstrom stated that the FEI recently released an action plan with 37 measures to protect horses, including rules for the tightness of nosebands and flexible cross-country obstacles designed to prevent severe accidents.
The Dujardin video, which was aired on the Good Morning Britain news program, puts equestrianism in the spotlight again. Akerstrom emphasized the necessity for change and stated that the actions being taken will lead to that change.
Meanwhile, eventing horses have arrived at the Versailles chateau for Olympic equestrian competitions, aimed at setting new standards for horse welfare.
The stakes are high, and animal rights organization PETA has renewed its call for equestrian events to be banned from the Olympics. “The message to the International Olympic Committee should be clear: Remove equestrian events from the Olympic Games,” PETA said in a statement.
"I believe that this will help us to continue being a part of the Olympic Games," said Akerstrom.
In Versailles, horses from 28 nations, including Australia, Britain, and China, some worth more than one million euros ($1.08 million), passed through the compound's gates at dawn for final medical checks. They were then brought into climate-regulated stables with extra-large boxes and round-the-clock surveillance as the sport's governing body aims to prioritize animal welfare.
The FEI also appointed a dedicated "Horse Welfare Coordinator" for the first time. This coordinator leads a team of stewards responsible for monitoring every horse's movements throughout the games, including at night.
"My job is to be strict," said Richard Corde, the retired French veterinarian appointed for the role. "We will ensure that the horse is always in the most comfortable conditions without any constraints or abnormal movements."
The FEI launched an investigation in Dujardin's case, as announced on Wednesday. Officials of the body in Versailles and the British equestrian team declined to make further comments, citing the ongoing probe.
Dujardin stated in a video announcement on Instagram that footage showed her making an error of judgment that was out of character and did not reflect how she trained her horses or coached her pupils. "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," campaign group PETA said.
Dujardin's teammate, Carl Hester, emphasized the need for all equine athletes to pay close attention to horse welfare. "They got rid of animals in circuses, didn't they, because that was unfair, and we've got to make sure that doesn't happen in equestrian sport."
Dujardin has won three golds, a silver, and two bronze medals at the London, Rio, and Tokyo Games in individual and team dressage. With six medals, she is Britain's joint-most decorated female Olympian alongside cyclist Laura Kenny.
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