Charlotte Dujardin, a British equestrian who is the country's joint most-decorated female Olympian, has pulled out of the 2024 Paris Olympics over a video she says she is "deeply ashamed" of. The Telegraph reports that the video shows Dujardin whipping a horse repeatedly on the legs during a training session. Dujardin said Tuesday that the video showed "an error of judgment during a coaching session" four years ago, the New York Times reports.
"What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils," the 39-year-old dressage star said. Dujardin has won six Olympic medals: Two golds in 2012, a gold and a silver in 2016, and two bronzes in 2021. She had been set to take part in individual and team events in Paris. The FEI, the international governing body for equestrian sports, said Tuesday that Dujardin has been provisionally suspended for six months, the Times reports. The FEI said it had received footage of Dujardin "engaging in conduct contrary to the principles of horse welfare" and an investigation is underway, the BBC reports.
In a letter seen by the BBC, a lawyer for the whistleblower who shared the video with the FEI and filed an official complaint said the footage "shows Ms. Dujardin beating a horse excessively with a whip." "It is our responsibility and crucial that we address any instances of abuse, as equine welfare cannot be compromised," said FEI president Ingmar De Vos. He said Dujardin has "expressed genuine remorse for her actions, and we recognize and appreciate her willingness to take responsibility." (More 2024 Paris Olympics stories.)
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