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A video of Charlotte Dujardin whipping a horse has been shown live on Good Morning Britain after the Team GB star was suspended before the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Dujardin, a three-time Olympic champion, withdrew from the competitions on Monday due to a video, and then has been subsequently provisionally suspended by the International Federation for Equestrian Sport (FEI) for six months with immediate effect.
The video shows the Olympian using a long whip and repeatedly striking the horse, which is being ridden by a rider whose face is obscured.
The footage is not long, but the long whip is used repeatedly, with the horse bucking slightly and lifting its rear legs as it appears in discomfort.
“It’s not a video that makes anyone feel comfortable watching it and it’s not a video that I’ve ever seen in terms of the years that I’ve been working with horses and it’s not standard practice,” Alice Plunkett, a former eventer and currently working as a presenter on ITV Racing said on Good Morning Britain.
“That is not a standard way of training horses for top-level dressage, she knows that and I just don’t understand how she got into that situation because she’s somebody who has made her life from horses.
“She’s made her life from horses in the way that she manages them and the way that they work for her. Valegro would not have performed in the way that he did for her, if she was treating him like that.”
“She’s in systematic training sessions, she’s training somebody else’s horse in that training video and she’s made the wrong decision in how to solve a problem and she’s come up with – it is not acceptable what you’re seeing here.”
Stephan Wensing, the lawyer representing the 19-year-old who filed the complaint, said the incident took place when Dujardin was telling the student to lift up the legs of the horse.
“The video was made a little bit more than two years ago,” Wensing told Good Morning Britain.
“My client was present at this training and in the beginning she was not really in shock because she was training with the best rider in the world, (and thought) everything she will do is okay.”
Wensing also alleges, despite Dujardin’s statement, that: “The most important thing is that this is not an incident, my client has worked with Dujardin more times, and she has seen this more times.
“My client is saying this is a standard way of training horses at Dujardin’s place (stables).”
The FEI said in a statement that Dujardin fully cooperated with their investigation, admitting she is the individual in the video, and acknowledging her conduct was inappropriate before withdrawing from the Olympics.
Dujardin was bidding to become Britain’s most decorated female Olympian at this summer’s Games in Paris. In a statement, she said she is “deeply ashamed” and the incident “was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils”.
The 39-year-old withdrew from all competition while the FEI investigated the footage, and the organisation has now decided to suspend Dujardin for six months while it continues its investigation.
“We are deeply disappointed with this case, especially as we approach the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, said the FEI’s president Ingmar De Vos. “However, it is our responsibility and crucial that we address any instances of abuse, as equine welfare cannot be compromised.
“Charlotte has expressed genuine remorse for her actions, and we recognise and appreciate her willingness to take responsibility. Despite the unfortunate timing, we believe this action reaffirms the FEI’s commitment to welfare as the guardians of our equine partners and the integrity of our sport.”
The Olympics opening ceremony is on Friday while the dressage competition at Paris 2024 is scheduled to begin on 30 July, at the Chateau de Versailles.
