Earlier this year Olympic equestrian Charlotte Dujardin withdrew from participating in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France after a video surfaced showing her beating a horse.
Once the video surfaced, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports suspended Dujardin provisionally.
She has now been banned from competing in any event for one year. She will be eligible to return to competition next July. The sanction was issued due to “engaging in conduct contrary to the principles of horse welfare”. She was also fined $10,000 Swiss francs – a little over $11,000.
The FEI noted that the video was apparently the only incident of any type of abuse and considered it as an “isolated incident.”
The three time Olympic champion has elected to accept the penalty with no appeal.
Dujardin competes in dressage – according to the FIE, dressage is “the highest expression of horse training, where horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements”.
She has won gold medals in the event in London and Rio de Janeiro, a silver medal in Rio, and bronze in Tokyo.