British Equestrian Star Withdraws from Paris Olympics After Horrifying Video
Charlotte Dujardin Seen Whipping Horse on its Legs
Equestrian star Charlotte Dujardin once considered carrying the flag for her country Friday at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. However, in stunning Olympic news, Charlotte Star withdraws from the Olympics after a sickening video of her striking a horse’s legs repeatedly surfaced.
Team GB dressage star Charlotte Dujardin withdraws from Paris Olympics over video showing “error of judgement” in coaching session https://t.co/av77MgKpwN
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) July 23, 2024
Dujardin won six Olympic medals and the sport in Britain considered her an icon. She released a statement after the terrible video surfaced. The 39-year-old aimed to become the most decorated female British Olympian with another medal.
That dream is done, Charlotte Star withdraws from Olympics. Authorities have suspended her provisionally for six months pending a review:
British Equestrian (BEF) and British Dressage (BD) announced today that, following an official complaint lodged with the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) on July 22, 2024, Team GB dressage star Charlotte Dujardin has been forced to withdraw from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The complaint outlined allegations of animal welfare misconduct which the FEI will now fully investigate. Miss Dujardin voluntarily accepted a provisional suspension from the FEI while the investigation takes place.
Both the BEF and BD also imposed a provisional suspension on Miss Dujardin from all national and international competition pending the outcome of the FEI investigation.
Charlotte Dujuardin Statement
Dujardin offered a statement:
A video has emerged from four years ago which shows me making an error of judgment during a coaching session. Understandably, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) is investigating, and I have decided to withdraw from all competition—including the Paris Olympics—while this process takes place.
“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. 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. I will cooperate fully with the FEI, British Equestrian Federation, and British Dressage during their investigations, and will not comment further until the process is complete.”
British Equestrian Executive side
The British Equestrian Executives commented:
British Equestrian Chief Executive Jim Eyre commented
“As the guardians of equestrian sport, we must uphold the highest standards of equine welfare – the horse’s wellbeing is paramount. We have been in close liaison with the FEI on the matter and will fully comply with any requests to fulfill their investigation and support the robust processes around such complaints.
The allegations 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. We will continue to work with the FEI and Charlotte to complete the process.”
British Dressage Chief Executive Jason Brautigam added
“At British Dressage, our commitment is to ‘bring people and horses together in harmony,’ and as part of this, we constantly strive to achieve the highest standards of horse care. We do not condone any behavior that goes against our guiding principles and take a zero-tolerance approach to any breach of our equine welfare policies.
These historic allegations are deeply upsetting for everyone involved in our sport, but we fully support the FEI investigation and will take any appropriate disciplinary action when this process is complete. Our priority now is to rally behind our athletes and horses representing Team GB in Paris as they take on the responsibility of showcasing the best of our sport on the world stage.”
Animal Weldare Party
The Animal Welfare Party weighed in with a comment:
AWP is saddened but not surprised to learn of the alleged abuse of a horse by a professional & much celebrated rider. Horses are sentient beings, capable of experiencing pain & distress. As with all animals, they aren’t ours to ‘use’ simply as we see fit. https://t.co/wJmjBlXpiy
— Animal Welfare Party (@AnimalsCount) July 23, 2024
Unacceptable behavior and treatment of any equine athlete occur anywhere in the world. Nevertheless, the price Dujardin pays is small compared to the indignation and harm she allegedly inflicted on the horse.
Charlotte Star withdraws from Olympics, leaving a significant impact on the equestrian community.
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