<
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jul/31/the-horses-dont-choose-to-take-part-should-equestrian-sports-be-removed-from-the-olympics>
"The video begins with a warning: “Some viewers may find the following footage
distressing.” Then there is the sound: the whoosh and crack of a whip.
It starts, and doesn’t stop. Team GB’s former dressage champion, Charlotte
Dujardin – a three-time gold medallist – is shown in a riding hall, shadowing a
horse and rider on foot as a third person films the scene. With a long whip,
she strikes the animal upwards of 20 times in one minute.
The incident was filmed a few years ago, during a coaching session held by
Dujardin in private stables, but footage was circulated last week alongside an
official complaint.
Having been hailed as the “golden girl” of dressage and widely tipped for a
damehood, Dujardin has been banned from the Paris Olympic Games amid public
outcry and a pending investigation by the sport’s governing body, the
International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI).
In a statement, Dujardin said she was “deeply ashamed” and “sincerely sorry”:
“What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train
my horses or coach my pupils.” Dujardin’s fellow Olympic riders have condemned
her methods, with Team GB’s Tom McEwen telling press: “We are here 110% behind
horse welfare.”
But the scandal, plus more recent reports of alleged equine abuse at the Games,
has provoked scepticism and renewed debate about the ethics of involving horses
at all."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
