Equestrian riders at Paris Olympics ’horrified’ by video of Dujardin whipping a horse

Equestrian riders at Paris Olympics shocked by abuse scandal, highlighting importance of animal welfare in the sport.

Equestrian riders at the Paris Olympics say they were shocked by a recent video showing three-time gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin of Britain repeatedly whipping a horse during training, a scandal that has thrust the issue of animal welfare and abuse into the spotlight.

American rider Boyd Martin, taking part in his fourth Olympics, said he was “horrified” by the video.

“Horse welfare is incredibly important, these wonderful animals mean so much,” Martin told The Associated Press after the first day of individual eventing Saturday. “Your teammate is an animal in this sport and what we saw was inexcusable."

Martin spoke a few hours after another rider, Carlos Parro, was formally warned by horse racing's governing body — the Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) — for potentially causing “unnecessary discomfort” to his horse Safira. It did not take place at the Paris Games but further highlighted the issue of animal welfare.

The FEI reviewed photos sent to it by animal welfare group PETA showing Parro hyper-flexing Safira’s neck in a prohibited movement called “Rollkur” — which comprises the horse’s breathing.

“While we’re relieved the FEI addressed our complaint and took action, we remain deeply concerned about the horse,” PETA's senior vice president Kathy Guillermo said in an an email to the AP. “The rider should have been disqualified by the safety team.”

Martin did not comment on the decision and said he had not seen the photos at the time of speaking, but he said pressuring a horse through punishment or fear is wrong.