Warning: Contains footage that some viewers may find offensive.
The controversial video which resulted in Team GB’s Charlotte Dujardin withdrawing from the 2024 Olympics has been released.
The footage – which was aired for the first time on ITV’s Good Morning Britain this morning – shows the six-time dressage medallist repeatedly whipping a horse across its legs during a coaching session.
With just two days to go until this year’s event in Paris kicks off, one of the country’s strongest hopes for a gold medal is now under investigation from the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) and the British Equestrian Federation and British Dressage.
The 39-year-old is Team GB’s joint-most decorated female Olympian. When announcing her withdrawal from the competition, the 39-year-old said: “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.”
Dujardin said her actions were “filmed four years ago” and that she is “devastated to have let everyone down.”
The Enfield native won team and individual gold medals at the London 2012 games on her horse Valegro and the pair went on to win individual gold and team silver four years later in Rio.
On a different horse, Gio, Dujardin won two bronze medals in Tokyo and was set to compete again in the individual and team dressage events on her new horse Imhotep.
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The disturbing footage shows Dujardin lashing the horse’s legs. The animal can clearly be seen attempting to move away from Dujardin, but is restricted in its movements as a result of being enclosed in a pen.
Despite the horse clearly experiencing pain from the lashings, Dujardin continues to follow and repeatedly whip the animal.
Speaking on his client’s behalf during an appearance on GMB this morning, Dutch equine lawyer Stephan Wensing said: “My client was present at this training and in the beginning she was not really in that [much] shock because she was thinking it was training by the best rider of the world and everything she presents, everything she will do, is okay.
“But after that she was was thinking, ‘This is not okay, this is animal abuse, I don’t know what to do’, and then she has spoken with a few people and they all advised her to not do anything because they come after you. There is a big fear and she was not brave enough.
“And then more riders were suspended last year, from Denmark etcetera, and then she got more courage so this is not a political thing. She has nothing to do with medals. Also, your life doesn’t depend on medals and a horse cannot speak. Somebody has to stand up for the horses.
“The most important thing is: this is not an incident. My client has seen this more times.”
The three-time Olympic champion was due to compete in both the individual dressage and team event in Paris alongside Carl Hester and world champion Lottie Fry.
If she won a medal in Paris, Dujardin would have become the most-decorated British female Olympian in history, surpassing cycling legend Laura Kenny.
