Dujardin's horse-whipping scandal puts dressage at risk

IOC may axe event from future Games due to animal cruelty

- JAMES TONEY

There is one North Star at the Olympics, one inalienable truth that guides this movement through uncertain times. Athletes measure success in gold, silver and bronze but the International Olympic Committee is a bit more brutal about the real bottom line.

Without sponsors and broadcasters, the Olympics would be a shell event, which is why the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) may soon be forced to make some difficult decisions about the future of dressage.

The whistleblowing lawyer who reported Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin to the FEI insists the incident is just the tip of the iceberg – and the sport simply cannot afford any more negative headlines.

The four-time Olympic champion admitted she was “deeply ashamed”after Dutch solicitor Stephan Wensing sent a video to the international governing body, which saw Dujardin whipping a horse’s legs during a training session.

The footage showed her using a long whip at least 24 times in one minute during a lesson at her private stable in Gloucestershire.

Dujardin’s Games are over – she withdrew from the team hours before she was handed a six-month provisional ban – which is likely to be increased after the FEI concludes its report. However, her long-term future remains even more uncertain.

Six Olympic medals have translated into significant financial success, with a string of organisations as her official sponsors, including high-end equestrian brands Charles Owen and Le Mieux. For nine years, she has worked as a global ambassador for animal welfare charity Brooke. Those endorsements look on extremely thin ice today.