Equestrian riders at the Paris Olympics say they were shocked by a recent video showing three-time gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin of Britain repeatedly whipping a horse during training, a scandal that has thrust the issue of animal welfare and abuse into the spotlight.
American rider Boyd Martin, taking part in his fourth Olympics, said he was “horrified” by the video.
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“Horse welfare is incredibly important, these wonderful animals mean so much,” Martin told The Associated Press after the first day of individual eventing Saturday. “Your teammate is an animal in this sport and what we saw was inexcusable.”
Martin spoke a few hours after another rider, Carlos Parro, was formally warned by horse racing’s governing body — the Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) — for potentially causing “unnecessary discomfort” to his horse Safira. It did not take place at the Paris Games but further highlighted the issue of animal welfare.
The FEI reviewed photos sent to it by animal welfare group PETA showing Parro hyper-flexing Safira’s neck in a prohibited movement called “Rollkur” — which comprises the horse’s breathing.
“While we’re relieved the FEI addressed our complaint and took action, we remain deeply concerned about the horse,” PETA’s senior vice president Kathy Guillermo said in an an email to the AP. “The rider should have been disqualified by the safety team.”
Martin did not comment on the decision and said he had not seen the photos at the time of speaking, but he said pressuring a horse through punishment or fear is wrong.
“To get the best out of an animal you’ve got to train in a way that it wants to please you,” Martin said. “It’s got to be positive and understanding.”
But The British team has been under heavy scrutiny since a video emerged showing Dujardin repeatedly whipping a horse while coaching another rider. Dujardin withdrew from the Games and is provisionally suspended from all events, pending an FEI investigation.
“We are here 110% behind horse welfare,” the 33-year-old rider Tom McEwen said Saturday. “I do agree it was a massive shock to the equestrian world. But I believe that this week, all of us here will show the sport to be the amazing sport that it is.”
Former American star David O’Connor, who won gold in individual eventing at the 2000 Games, is chief of the FEI’s eventing committee and sits on its board. He is also the chief of sport for the U.S. Equestrian Federation.
He called Dujardin’s actions “completely unacceptable in every aspect” but said the increased spotlight on the sport was entirely justified.
“I don’t mind public scrutiny at all because you really want to make sure that unacceptable behavior is (exposed),” O’Connor told the AP on Saturday. “We are trying to do everything we can to find out about unethical behavior and put our foot down wherever it happens.”
Asked if a U.S. team rider would be thrown off if a similar video of ill treatment surfaced, O’Connor was unequivocal.
“Yes,” he said. “There’s no statute of limitations.”
He does not think cruelty toward horses is endemic and is hopeful that wider scrutiny will improve horse welfare.
“One of the big changes now is to reach out beyond the competition. (Before) it was always within the competition,” O’Connor said. “It’s the only way that practices like that can be taken away.”
Equestrian also features in the modern pentathlon, but for the final time these Games. Show jumping will no longer be included at the Los Angeles Games in 2028. It was dropped after a German coach was sent home from Tokyo 2020 for punching a horse when it refused to jump.
The day after the Dujardin video emerged, the FEI spelled out a series of reforms — such as more ethical training methods and clearer directives on how horses should be treated and ridden.
For the first time at the Olympics, there is an equine welfare coordinator on site. The FEI’s veterinary director, Goran Akerstrom, said it is paramount to recognize physical and emotional stress in horses.
Also on Saturday, Emiliano Portale and his horse Future were eliminated from dressage after blood was found in the horse’s mouth during post-competition checks. This was in line with horse welfare protocol and did not imply there was “any intention to hurt or harm the horse,” the FEI said.
Welfare of riders is also important.
Britain’s Laura Collett almost died in a fall while competing in 2013. She was resuscitated five times and suffered a fractured shoulder, two broken ribs, a punctured lung, a lacerated liver, and kidney damage.
The highest risk of serious injury is caused by falls during the cross country discipline. Studies show there are more injuries compared to dressage and jumping.