Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin ‘whipped horse 24 times like an elephant in the circus’, claims lawyer
23 July 2024, 22:07
Three-time Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin ‘beat a horse more than 24 times in one minute’, a lawyer has claimed.
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Britain’s three-time Olympic champion has been suspended from competing in the Paris games after a video showed her 'repeatedly hitting a horse on the legs'.
She was officially suspended pending an investigation by the International Federation of Equestrians this evening.
In a video obtained by a Dutch lawyer Stephan Wensing, Ms Dujardin can allegedly be seen whipping the horse's legs during a slow-motion trot.
“My client used to be a sponsor, and she was in the UK, and she sponsored a lesson for Charlotte to a student,” he told The Telegraph.
“It was a young girl of 19 years old riding her horse, and she got a lesson from Charlotte Dujardin in the UK.
“Charlotte Dujardin was in the middle of the arena. She said to the student ‘your horse must lift up the legs more in the canter’. She took the long whip and she was beating the horse more than 24 times in one minute and really hard, really harsh, really tough.”
Earlier today, Dujardin, Britain's joint-most decorated female olympian, said there was “no excuse” as she claimed to be “deeply ashamed” of the “error of judgment”.
The six-time Olympic medallist decided to pull out of all competition while the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) investigates the video, which was taken four years ago.
The 39-year-old dressage medallist is also under investigation from the British Equestrian Federation and British Dressage.
She has said in a statement: "A video has emerged from four years ago which shows me making an error of judgement during a coaching session.
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She continued: "What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils, however there is no excuse. I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.
"I am sincerely sorry for my actions and devastated that I have let everyone down, including Team GB, fans and sponsors."
She had been expected to compete in both the individual dressage and team event in Paris.
Dujardin won team and individual gold medals at the London 2012 Games before claiming individual gold and team silver four years later in Rio and two bronzes at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games.
Dujardin was set to compete in the individual dressage and team event alongside Carl Hester and world champion Lottie Fry.
She needed just one more medal to become outright most-decorated British female Olympian ahead of now-retired cyclist Dame Laura Kenny.
Becky Moody is Team GB's alternate for the team event with her horse Jagerbomb.
