Is it true about Charlotte Dujardin withdrawing from the Olympics?

[Freakwave897]

Or is it fake news?

It’s so disappointing if true…

I am a huge fan and can’t quite believe what I am hearing.

They may well be true but you do something as downright cruel as that what did she expect would happen?

They may well be true but you do something as downright cruel as that what did she expect would happen?

You would have to think that what she did is commonplace. Not just in dressage but across all equestrian sports.

I think this is a valid point but I'm struggling to find much compassion because I feel people who deliberately hurt animals are extremely unpleasant.

I thjnk that her plenty of her friends in equestrian circles won't be particularly bothered by what she has done because sadly many of them also train using force and brutality. They will be gutted that she's been caught out, and are probably worried that they might be next. I predict that many professional riders are having a sleepless night wondering if anyone has got a video or two of them in action.

millie101
Fat chance. Others have said the top tier have been told to not comment. It’s deplorable that not one of them have the decency to speak out. They clearly care more about their sponsors, their medals and their glory to condemn any wrongdoing. Sets the worst example to junior riders. I’m really disgusted at the silence today.

I wonder if they’re not speaking out because they’re doing it too.

Most definitely this is the case. I'd bet the farm on it. Plus it's so widespread that they won't have been covering it up and there is highly likely to be plenty of footage and witnesses to it.

I predict that her replacements may decline to take part because stepping away as quietly as possible might mean they aren't scrutinised.

I wonder if companies who sponsor other riders will be asking for reassurance that they haven't got similar skeletons in the cupboard. I hope so.

This must be a frightening time for people who use force and pain to train horses. They are getting a taste of their own medicine but I doubt the irony of it will occur to them.

They will all be desperately keeping a very low profile because they have form for similar behaviour.

I'm going to say something that's going to make me unpopular on here. But it needs to be said.
I think people need to calm down and take a step back now. Take a step back and let the FEI do their job. Charlotte has been suspended and rightly so. In due course an investigation will take place and the consequences of Charlottes actions will become apparent. We need to let that process happen and trust in it.
Yes a wider discussion is needed around abusive practices in the equine world. Reform is needed at every level but Particularly at high level sport. If they are to survive this every discipline need to do better.

Charlotte has screwed up epically! She has probably just lost pretty much everything. Her career, her financial security and a hell of a lot of friends and support. Yes it's due to her own actions. But she has a young family. Tomorrow morning she has to get up and be a mum to her daughter. Her daughter needs her mum. And the frenzy of hate directed at Charlotte right now on top of everything she has lost has the potential to drown her.

We need to keep some level of perspective here. We need to allow proper process to take place. The response need to be proportionate to the crime.

She basked in the sunshine of sponsorships and adulation.

Was the face of ''anti cruelty'' Brooke hospital for equines.

She has brought this on herself.

She thought she was above exposure.

She's not a nice person - anyone whipping an animal with such callous arrogant mockery deserves all they get.

Edit: That whipping was so gratuitous. It looked so spiteful and senseless.

The horse had no idea what he was supposed to be doing, tormented by a stinging lash.

Would you want your horse- or child- taught that way??

Animals and children can't speak out.

As much as I find todays revelation unpalatable, I agree that all out trial by SM is unfair. Let CD face the FEI when their investigations are complete. There should be no hateful rhetoric. We’re all angry but you are right, there’s a larger issue at stake.

@needtonamechangeforthis1 you are absolutely entitled to that opinion, and I can see here you are coming from.

I have a different perspective which is that this is the tip of the iceberg. This type of behaviour is deeply ingrained in a worrying proportion of the equestrian world so I have no confidence in the governing bodies acting to stamp this type of behaviour out. I believe their aim is to be seen to deal with CDJ and then move past this asap.

So although I take your point that trial by SM is problematic, I feel in this instance that those of us who feel strongly are right to speak out, and share opinions and information. How else can we act to stop this being swept under the carpet?

@oakleaffy but where does it stop?

When she's dead in a box?

Because this is where this could end up. The online hatred, trolling and death threats are completely out proportion.

Remember Caroline Flack?

Charlotte needs to face the consequences of her actions. And she will once the FEI investigate.

We do not have trial by social media for a reason. What is currently going on is the metaphorical equivalent of modern day stoning.

@Wishitwasstraightforward there is a difference between making sure that pressure is kept on the FEI to demand change, and an all out witch hunt on social media.

We ALL need to be calling it out more. At all levels. At livery yards, riding schools, pony clubs. We need to vote with our feet and not accept anything we are not comfortable with. We need to teach the next generation to do better.

She has money, lives rurally, and can keep her head down.
She should have enough money to live on for the foreseeable future.
Probably has friends who are like her, where animals come a poor second in terms of respecting them- like the horrible cackler in the video.

Unlikely the friends who also disrespect animals will cut ties.

Her net worth is upwards of £12 million. Perfectly capable of funding more than a modest lifestyle for the rest of her days.

Not an ounce of sympathy from me. If she didn’t want to be judged she should have trained with kindness not cruelty.

Imagine the video if she had hopped on to make sure the horse was a) physically capable and b) understood, before gently coaching the rider.

CD is a grown up, perfectly capable of choosing not to engage or read what’s being written.

She is just sorry that she’s been filmed.

She has spent years positioning herself as this gentle, horse first equestrian, who appeared to be getting amazing results by riding gently and kindly and keeping horses in a more natural way with more turnout and more downtime. She was an ambassador for horse cruelty charities. She seemed to have a natural affinity with her horses, and she absolutely capitalised on that. She's made a fuck ton of money out of that public persona and it's a lie. Shes conned people.

That's what people are angry about. Turns out she's the same, or worse, than everyone else.

I'm not going to lose any sleep over her mental health, tbh. I don't think someone should get a free pass because she's a mum - how regressive is that? If it was a large male whipping that horse, nobody would be worrying about him.

All she had to do to avoid this was not choose to pick up a lunge whip and thrash a horse with it. It's not that hard.

Totally agree

I think some of us, myself included, do not trust that the FEI will ‘do their job’. It is not in their interests to declare that a large number of trainers use such methods, however, it would be a surprise if CD were to be found to be the only one.
Absolutely do not hang CD out to dry, but let’s not have a whitewash

Charlotte Dujardin is a disgusting human being who should be completely banned from owning animals. God only knows how long she has been abusing animals for. Pity this news wasn’t made public earlier to protect the horses from ongoing harm. Nasty, vile, pathetic woman.

She didn’t beat the horse to a pulp. At least be accurate.

Agree. Let’s comment on the facts.

She’s didn’t beat ONE horse to a pulp. You have no idea what other injuries she’s inflicted over the years. People upthread talking about horses bleeding from spurs and frothing blood at the mouth. That counts as a beating to me.

To me the video is very bizarre. What is the point of the whipping? If it actually appeared to be be teaching anything then I could see what her motivation to do it was - but it's not clear to me at all what it's supposed to be 'teaching' and the horse doesn't appear to have a clue either. The horse is just leaping around trying to avoid the whip, how could that possibly be teaching anything?

Do I think dressage should be finished as a sport now though? Personally I'd rather see the Grand National finished, horses die every year. Why would dressage end as a sport because some people are abusive while the Grand National carries on with horses dying at every event? There is plenty of horse abuse within horse racing and IMO it's probably far worse than dressage.

It's good that CD has been kicked out the Olympics and there's a spotlight on abusive practices, but come on, the Grand National is on ITV with horses dying every year - why are people more up in arms about this awful incident then they are about horses actually dying?

@Cadela And you have NO idea either! So stop the hyperbole. Many horses aren’t looked after by their owners who leave them uncared for in fields. Competition horses are mostly well cared for. This is a discussion about training methods and no horses are beaten to a pulp that cost vast sums of money. It’s ludicrous to even think that.

Totally agree.

Well said Oakleaffy.