Embarrassing images have come to light of British equestrian star Charlotte Dujardin, which have just cost her participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The rider suffered a setback not only in terms of sports but also in terms of image after being caught on video.
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At 39 years old and with three gold medals under her belt in dressage, Charlotte was facing the Paris Games as one of the most important moments in her career. In fact, she was even considered a candidate to carry the British flag at the opening ceremony.
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What happened to Charlotte Dujardin at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris?
On Tuesday afternoon, just before the International Federation announced the sanction that could be up to a six-month ban from competing, Dujardin announced that she was withdrawing from the Games after the leak of the video, in which, several years ago, the woman was seen training a young rider by hitting her horse up to 24 times in less than a minute: "Charlotte was yelling at my client that the horse needed to jump higher and lift its legs higher," said lawyer Stephan Wensing, before adding: "The horse received up to 24 lashes in less than a minute, as if it were an elephant in the circus."
Stephan, who has wanted to preserve his client's identity at all times, stated: "My client thought it was normal because she was an Olympic medalist and who was he to question her methods? She was even advised not to say anything, not even outside of Great Britain. But we started to see how other coaches were being fired for similar issues and this weekend we filed a complaint with the FEI, which immediately took it very seriously."
On the other hand, the British Equestrian Federation has not issued a comment on the matter, but its CEO stated, personally: "As guardians of this equestrian sport, we must uphold the highest standards of care and welfare for the horses, complying with FEI rules and collaborating with all investigations that are carried out from this moment on."
Dujardin, on the other hand, expressed embarrassment for her past behavior: “What happened was completely out of line and does not reflect the way I train my pupils. There are no excuses. I feel deeply ashamed and I should have been a better example. I am devastated by my actions and feel that I have let you down, including the British team, fans, and sponsors. I will collaborate with the FEI in whatever they require and will not comment further on this matter until the investigations have concluded.”