24 Jul 2024
The equine charity said Charlotte Dujardin is no longer one of its ambassadors after she was suspended just days before she was due to compete at the Paris Olympics.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Image by Equestrian - Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro at the London 2012 Olympic Dressage, CC BY-SA 3.0
A leading equine charity has cut its ties with one of the UK’s most successful sportswomen following her suspension over welfare allegations.
Brooke said it was “deeply disturbed to learn” of the footage showing three-time Olympic dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin as it confirmed she is no longer one of its ambassadors.
Ms Dujardin was provisionally suspended by equestrian’s governing body, Fédération Equestre Internationale, yesterday (23 July) after it received a video showing her “engaging in conduct contrary to principles of horse welfare”.
The body said Ms Dujardin had confirmed she was the individual shown in the video and requested suspension, pending the outcome of an investigation.
Footage has since emerged that appears to show her repeatedly striking a horse with a long whip.
In a statement on its website, Brooke said: “We were deeply disturbed to learn of the recent video of Charlotte Dujardin and understand the action taken by the equestrian governing body.
“Our whole ethos is around kindness and compassion to horses, and to see the opposite of this from someone with such a high profile is beyond disappointing.
“Charlotte is no longer an ambassador for Brooke. There can never be any justification for the mistreatment of animals and clearly any such behaviour is incompatible with representing Brooke.”
Ms Dujardin, who said she was “deeply ashamed” of her actions, is Britain’s joint-most decorated female Olympian and had been due to compete at the Paris Games where dressage events are due to begin next Tuesday (30 July).
