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.

This will feed the public’s perception that horses are for rich, spoilt brats and dressage (and horse riding generally) is not a ‘sport’

Why will whipping a horse feed the public’s perception that horses are for rich, spoilt brats?
Cruelty to animals has got nothing to do with income or background.

@Freakwave897 your distress is obvious and I’m sorry you’ve had such a shock today concerning a sport you very obviously love.

What a vile human being she is.

Thanks for that video @powershowerforanhour The riding is beyond anything I've seen before and so different to a modern Olympic dressage performance.

I haven't ridden for years, and only got as far as doing a very bad shoulder in.

But I do vividly remember how normal abusing horses was on some yards, and given we all started as kids, we thought it was normal too.

I don’t entirely believe still pictures as they can be retouched and recoloured. Video is different which is why this matters. She’s suspended for 6 months pending investigation but this has been sat on for years. There’s clearly been a decision to get her before the Olympics. Maximum impact.

Thank you Annie that’s very kind.

Can help thinking about Blueberry 😢 (if allegations proven)

And I do love the sport but obviously you can’t look at this situation in isolation.

Not a good way for the UK equestrian team to start the Olympics either.

Ive not seen the video, but the fact she has pulled out suggests guilt. If she has abused an animal I dont want her in our team. End of.

Unfortunately this is more common than people realise. My boss came home years ago after watching a former Olympic rider school her young event horse. She was in floods of tears as he'd thrashed the living daylight out of it. If he did that infront of the owner, goodness knows what he was doing behind closed doors.

It is disappointing about Charlotte as she's a role model to many youngsters but it's not going to be something minor.

You're welcome. Here's another one- Klimke on Ahlerich and Anna Grethe Jensen on Marzog.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eEytZ9WGvWI&pp=ygUXQW5uYSBncmV0aGUgamVuc2VuIHBhcyA%3D

You have sent me down a rabbit hole @powershowerforanhour comparing Klimke with current winners.

The sad thing is, I don't think Reiner Klimke would win now

Years ago I took my then five year old to a clinic with a well known dressage rider. She took my schooling whip out of my hand to guide her sideways from the ground. All fine until she belted her as hard as she could when she didn’t understand. My mare cow kicked at her. She was furious.

I gave her a piece of my mind and we left. People didn’t stand up to this woman because she was this and that. I did and we found someone whose views aligned with mine to teach us.

I bet there are few people who dare to stand up to someone with her profile.

It seems the allegations of her hitting a horses legs with a whip over and over are true. Breaking news is that she's been handed a six month ban from the sport.
Clearly she knew this was coming hence her withdrawing voluntarily from the Olympics.
What a cruel creature she is

What sad and shocking news for those of us who have admired and followed her career over the years.
Interesting timing to release this video and complain publicly after 4 years. Surely this should have been done immediately if this is a regular event to avoid any other horses suffering. Also for those saying it’s common knowledge and implicating CH as well why then haven’t you all spoken up if you care so much for horse welfare. 😞

If Charlotte mistreated horses for four more years that sits on her shoulders, no one else's.

I can't believe the knots people are tying themselves in to push the blame anywhere else

Tbf, as other posters here have said, I can't think that just a one off using a whip from the ground would mean her voluntarily withdrawing from the Olympics. Sadly, I suspect more will come out and I wonder if she's trying to close it all down by withdrawing.

I only watch eventing dressage now because Grand Prix dressage is shit and has been for 30 years IMO. It started going downhill in the 90s when I was a teenager- ever since it has just reminded me of the riding my mother deeply disapproved of in the warmup ring for pony showing which we did a bit at a low level as children. On arrival you'd see at least one unfortunate pony trotting around the grass behind the trailers with the older sister on board and its head dragged into its chest with draw reins, then just before the class you'd see the wee sister on board with buttonhole matching the velvet browband and sawing at the reins to obey her mother's hissed instruction to "get it's head in" . Grand Prix dressage is just a grown up version of that now.

If the allegations are proven to be true, she should be prosecuted for cruelty to animals. End of!! That poor horse.

Who says we haven’t spoken up? What do you think happens when things like this get reported? She’s had previous disqualifications for abusing her horses in the ring. Nothing else happens. They’ll kick her out of the sport for a few months, and then she’ll be back. Unless she’s caused hideous injury to an animal, or is severely neglecting it, then no authority cares

Not one person is defending the abuse of horses on here.

And we are allowed to express shock and disappointment at the allegations. Charlotte was at the very top of her sport. The implications are massive and wide reaching for everyone who knew and covered this up. And for the entire sport of dressage and the British equestrian team.

I am in no way defending Charlotte either as she has expressed guilt herself. But it takes time to process her falling from the very top to being eliminated, all in the space of half an hour!

But on the other hand, apparently many people who have worked with her say she is very heavy handed with her training/coaching methods. Also eye rolling at her statement that it was a one off error of judgement. The reality being is that it was the only time she was caught on film, and is probably just one of many incidences. I have no sympathy for her at all, and hope those that have witnessed any bad behaviour come forward so the ban can be longer than the totally inadequate 6 month one.

My dd, 11 is very into riding, I know next to nothing. She has read about 1000000 books about dressage and she seems to think that 'Charlotte wouldn't do that' she says the one main terrible thing in dressage is roller and that it is banned.

My own uneducated question: is dressage generally a bit cruel? I don't wish to be offensive.

I wonder whether her Olympic medals will be removed if the allegations are found to be true.

It’s hard for me (a non-horsey person) to understand how show jumping or horse racing or dressage can be done humanely. I always feel bad for the horses when I catch events on TV. But maybe it can be, as all the posters on here seem like very caring animal owners.

It’s hard for me (a non-horsey person) to understand how show jumping or horse racing or dressage can be done humanely. I always feel bad for the horses when I catch events on TV. But maybe it can be, as all the posters on here seem like very caring animal owners

A lot of horse owners share your concerns about top level horse sport. When people’s careers and finances depend on a horse, it’s hard to trust that they will act in its best interest rather than their own.

i think i read a thread on here about how dressage used to be cruel but the practice changed.

i enjoy watchign dressage since 2012 olympics probably because of charlotte Dujardin and her success so that is a real shame

You quoted my post which also says explictly:

"Charlotte is at fault here and if she's mistreated a horse then unfortunately she deserves whatever is coming her way. There's no excuse for hitting a horse, not ever. "

Of course the blame sits with Charlotte. I never said otherwise. In fact, I said very clearly that Charlotte is entirely at fault and deserves the punishment. She chose to strike a horse, she is entirely culpable. There's no ambiguity there so I'm not clear why you're trying to suggest I'm moving the blame?

What I'm saying is that if someone else had evidence that Charlotte was mistreating horses, and they deliberately sat on that evidence for tactical reasons, they were not putting the welfare of horses first as they are now claiming.

The statement says the anonymous complainant "long hesitated" about whether to submit a complaint. Bearing in mind an anonymous complaint can be made, I think it's beyond shitty that this evidence has been sat on for years.

Thinking that someone should have handed over the evidence sooner about a horse being abused to try and prevent any further mistreatment is not the same as suggesting the abuser isn't responsible.

Once again, just to be clear, Charlotte is responsible for any aggression or violence towards the horse/s.

Still doesn't mean that the video evidence shouldn't have been handed over sooner.