A group of 10 International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC) board members expressed strong disapproval toward Charlotte Dujardin's conduct following the release of video footage showing her disciplining a horse. Stephan Wensing, on behealf of European Equine Lawyers representing his client, circulated the contentious material depicting Dujardin delivering 24 strokes to an equine within a minute.
The letter from IDRC's board members, which was signed by Carl Hester among others, emphasizes that they believe in prioritizing horse welfare above all else and calls for ethical training methods and practices among dressage riders. They urge adherence to the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Code of Conduct on Horse Welfare along with FEI rules, which aim at upholding equine standards during both competitive events and non-competitive activities.
"The IDRC Board supports the steps taken by the FEI, British Equestrian Federation, and British Dressage in suspending Ms Dujardin," states the letter. It cites a statement from Dujardin acknowledging her mistake and expressing regret for the incident.
Following this revelation, Dujardin is now facing consequences that have greatly impacted her career. Along with being removed from Olympic participation, she has encountered a six-month suspension as well as the withdrawal of lottery funding by UK Sport due to public exposure of the footage.
Dujardin addressed these issues in a statement made on Tuesday, where she expressed no excuses for her actions but also acknowledged that they do not reflect how she typically trains horses or instructs pupils.
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