Video Reveals Dressage Olympian Whipping Horse's Legs, Unveiling Cruelty in the Sport

The 2024 Paris Olympics is making headlines for all the wrong reasons, after news broke that one of Great Britain's Olympic members had withdrawn from the competition. Charlotte Dujardin has dropped out of Olympics after a video of her beating a horse was leaked to the public. The three-time gold medalist has since apologized for her actions, but it doesn't seem like the mea culpa is enough to sway public opinion or that of her peers.

Here's everything you need to know about the video that has put Dujardin's highly decorated career in jeopardy, including what this means for the future of dressage — plus, a look into whether dressage is cruel to horses.

Animal lovers and casual fans alike were horrified after a video from several years ago was released by a whistleblower, who captured Dujardin's heinous acts on her camera. In the clip, Dujardin can be seen using a long whip to beat the horse that was being ridden by one of her students in an attempt to get the animal to raise their hoofs more during a canter.

The horse was hit more than 24 times in a single minute, according to the attorney representing the whistleblower, Stephan Wensing.

Per The Guardian, Wensing said that his unnamed 19-year-old client decided that it was time to release the old footage after seeing how many other trainers were being suspended over claims of abuse. For instance, there's the infamous case of Cesar Parra, who was suspended from dressage as a result of a viral video that surfaced in February 2024.

Dujardin released a statement after the video dropped, saying that the incident was completely out of character for her, adding that it “does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils, however there is no excuse. I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment."

Watch the video of Dujardin whipping the horse below — but be warned, some viewers may find it upsetting.

The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) was alerted to the video by Wensing, who he says took the matter "very seriously." But, before the FEI could make a formal ruling in response to the clip, Dujardin decided to pull herself from the Olympics on her own. According to her statement, her decision was not an attempt to avoid the investigation, but instead to remove herself from the spotlight until the FEI has finished their inquest and come to a decision.

“We are deeply disappointed with this case, especially as we approach the Olympic Games in Paris 2024,” Ingmar De Vos, FEI President, said via a statement. “However, it is our responsibility and crucial that we address any instances of abuse, as equine welfare cannot be compromised.”

For those who never heard the term dressage before this incident, it's a type of specialized horse riding, which features horses that have learned to perform through extreme measures. In fact, according to Vice, this style of training was developed back when horses were ridden into physical battle to teach them to go against their instincts and gallop into harm's way. In order to achieve that degree of training, horses have to be taught how to submit to their trainers.

As for how they get them to submit, well, many call it abuse. Allegations of animal cruelty have plagued the sport of dressage, including claims against other trainers and riders which have made headlines even outside the world of equestrian sports, raising concerns about the future of dressage. For now, it seems like the incident with Dujardin will at the very least highlight some of the changes that need to be made when it comes to using animals for sport.