Cases of animal cruelty have occupied the dressage world for months. Now there is a particularly prominent incident before the Games in Paris. The Swiss Equestrian Federation condemns the incident.
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- Shortly before the start of the Olympic Games, the sport of dressage is rocked by a scandal. A secretly recorded video shows Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin beating her horse with blows.
- The FEI has opened an investigation and announced on Tuesday evening that Dujardin has been suspended until further notice. The 39-year-old has apologized for her inappropriate behaviour.
- The Swiss Equestrian Federation condemns the incident and makes it clear that there is zero tolerance with regard to compliance with animal welfare regulations.
Shortly before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris, a new dressage scandal is causing a stir. Cases of animal cruelty in the USA and Denmark have been keeping the dressage scene busy for several months. Secretly recorded videos had caused horror - and the same thing is happening now.
Dutch lawyer Stephan Wensing reported the incident to the World Equestrian Federation on behalf of a client and commented on the video in the Guardian: "Charlotte Dujardin was in the middle of the arena. She told the student: "Your horse needs to lift its legs more in canter." She took the long whip and hit the horse more than 24 times in one minute. It was like an elephant in a circus."
The video is said to be four years old. At the time, his client thought it must be normal because Dujardin was an Olympic champion, said lawyer Wensing. But then there were other cases. "And this weekend she finally decided that I could submit the complaint to the FEI," explained the Dutchman.
"The allegations are serious"
The FEI then began an investigation and announced on Tuesday evening that Dujardin had been suspended until further notice. The 39-year-old had also requested this herself until the investigation into the video had been completed. The video shows Dujardin acting against the welfare of a horse. She herself admitted that she was the person in the video and that her behavior was inappropriate.
"We are deeply disappointed about this case, especially in view of the Olympic Games," said FEI President Ingmar De Vos. "However, it is our responsibility and vital that we deal with all cases of abuse as the welfare of horses must not be jeopardized."
According to the British Equine Federation (BEF), the Dujardin case is being investigated for "misconduct in animal welfare". "The allegations made are serious and the consequences far-reaching," it continued. Dujardin himself had apologized in a statement, without going into detail about the video showing the training of a schoolgirl. "I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example at that moment," she wrote in a statement.
Swiss Equestrian Federation takes a stand
The British team, which was previously considered the gold favorite, has been significantly weakened by the absence of Dujardin. When the British team won the European Championships last year, she once again proved to be a reliable rider with the highest scores.
The Swiss Equestrian Federation condemns the incident and makes it clear that there is zero tolerance when it comes to compliance with animal welfare regulations. "Anyone who does not comply with these rules is crossing a red line and will be sanctioned accordingly," Damian Müller, President of Swiss Equestrian, told "20Minuten". Müller emphasizes: "We condemn any form of behaviour towards horses that is contrary to animal welfare in the strongest possible terms. They are our loyal partners who make our sport unique."
