The scandalous video of Charlotte Dujardin (39) has been released! The three-time gold medal winner withdrew her participation in the Olympic Games in Paris on Tuesday afternoon because an old training video surfaced internally, heavily incriminating her. Shortly after, the FEI World Federation suspended her indefinitely. In the video, the British rider is seen striking her horse with a whip 24 times – within one minute!
The footage was reportedly leaked to the FEI on Monday and then aired on the TV show „Good Morning Britain“ on Wednesday morning. The previous evening, Dutch lawyer Stephan Wensing, who filed the complaint with the FEI on behalf of a sponsor, revealed more details. A 19-year-old rider allegedly witnessed the Olympic champion’s actions about two and a half years ago and was filmed. Dujardin claimed the video was four years old.
The sponsor filmed the young rider, clearly showing Dujardin hitting the horse in a slow trot, a piaffe. The lawyer further explained that his client had been „warned“ not to press charges due to Dujardin’s reputation in the sport. „As the Olympics approached, she decided she had to take action,“ said Wensing, who had already announced the video’s release on Tuesday.
Describing the scene, the lawyer said, „Charlotte Dujardin was in the middle of the arena. She told the student, ‚Your horse needs to lift its legs more in the gallop.‘ She took the long whip and struck the horse more than 24 times in a minute. It was like an elephant in the circus.“ He continued, „At that point, my client thought this must be normal. She is an Olympic champion. Who am I to doubt it? My client asked around and was warned not to speak out in the UK. But last year, my client saw others in the UK and elsewhere suspended.“
Wensing concluded, „And this weekend, she finally made the decision to have me file the complaint with the FEI, and that happened yesterday. The FEI took this very seriously immediately.“ A spokesperson for the British equestrian team declined to comment on the lawyer’s allegations.
Previously, Dujardin had stated, „What happened was not at all characteristic of me and does not reflect how I train my horses or teach my students, but there is no excuse. I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.“
The release of this scandal has sparked a debate within the equestrian community about the treatment of horses in training and competition. Animal welfare organizations have called for stricter regulations and monitoring to prevent such incidents from happening in the future. It is crucial for athletes and trainers to uphold the highest standards of care and respect for their animal partners in all equestrian disciplines.