Charlotte Dujardin, three-time Olympic dressage champion, was suspended this Thursday by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) for one year.
The young woman was found guilty of an isolated act of mistreatment of a horse. “On July 22, 2024, the FEI received a video, submitted by a lawyer representing an unnamed plaintiff, showing Dujardin excessively whipping a horse during a training session at a stable private“, reported the federation.
The 39-year-old rider had been provisionally suspended since July 23 pending the conclusion of an investigation. In particular, this summer she had given up participating in the Paris Olympic Games after these revelations.
“What happened is not me or how I train my horses or how I train my students, but there is no excuse. I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example then“, said Charlotte Dujardin, specifying that the video in question dated from ago”four years“.
A fine of 10,000 Swiss francs, or approximately 10,700 euros, was also imposed on the rider, who was also deprived of national competitions during her suspension.
Dujardin acknowledged the facts and fully cooperated with the international federation, the latter said in a press release.
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