Charlotte Dujardin, Britain’s celebrated dressage star and six-time Olympic medalist, has withdrawn from the Paris Olympics after a video allegedly showing her whipping a horse surfaced.
The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) has provisionally suspended Dujardin for six months while investigating the incident, which reportedly took place during a training session four years ago.
Dujardin admitted to an “error of judgement” and expressed deep remorse for her actions, stating she would fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation and would not participate in any competitions during this period.
The video, reportedly submitted by a Dutch lawyer on behalf of an anonymous client, shows Dujardin striking the horse on its legs multiple times.
The scandal has halted her quest to become Britain’s most decorated Olympian, a title she currently shares with cyclist Laura Kenny.
Team GB is expected to issue a statement, and the equestrian events at the Paris Olympics will proceed without Dujardin.
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She should be deeply ashamed. I saw the video and I have never hit a horse or whipped them like that even when the horse was being a total biarch. What she did was cruel and just as disturbing was the rider and the photographer not calling her out on it.