Charlotte Dujardin

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Charlotte Dujardin

Var · Pro player

Stircrazy wrote:
I was shocked & saddened by the news yesterday that Charlotte Dujardin had withdrawn from the British dressage team for the Paris Olympics following the emergence of a four-year-old video which showed her, as she terms it, "making an error of judgement". My shock & sadness turned to horror, disgust & disbelief earlier today when further details emerged. I just can't get my head round it. The Olympic equestrian events are among my favourites & I've never forgotten watching her gold medal-winning performance on Valegro at Greenwich Park during the 2012 Olympics. The horse just seemed to float round the course.

I agree stircrazy, but from what is coming out now about the sport, there seems to be more revelations to come from other countries. I have to say I am not that surprised, especially when I watched the VT.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

I saw the video clip on the ITV lunchtime news & found it very hard to watch.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Suspicion is this is tip of the iceberg. When someone says its a one offmmm. And to think its only one person doing thismmm.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Some interesting thoughts from Owen Slot in today's Times. And a couple of responses from ToL readers:

Whilst not condoning what has happened, I sincerely hope the Dutch dressage team finish outside the medals as the timing of this complaint stinks. Personally, I am just sad that after the high of watching Ms D and Valegro at London 2012, this is now the low, brought about by her inexcusable treatment of her horse, allegedly.

To which another replied:

This has nothing to do with the Dutch dressage team. The incident happened 2 years ago, not 4. Dujardin was giving a first lesson to the 19 year old daughter of a British sponsor at her private stables in Gloucestershire. The student and her parents did not know this was not common practice until they read about another (non-British) equestrian being banned for a similar offence. They then asked around and were told they dare not tell anyone in the UK due to Dujardin's reputation and connections in high places. So they eventually approached a Dutch equestrian lawyer, who filed the complaint.

Also, it's not the first time Dujardin has been banned from competition (she was banned from the Euros in 2019 for bloodying her horse; a commentator on the Dressage Channel also noticed a lot of scars on her horses).

A telling second paragraph... Perhaps it is just the tip of the iceberg, as Jon suggested. cry

The actual report on the withdrawal/expulsion & its ramifications has so far generated getting on for 2,000 readers' comments...

Tanaqui · Club Coach

Stircrazy wrote:
I saw the video clip on the ITV lunchtime news & found it very hard to watch.

A big part of what makes it so hard to watch is that (having ridden myself a very long time ago) I can't see how the way she's mostly using that whip is helping either horse or rider to learn anything (let alone the collected canter they appear to be attempting).

SC, I saw the comments you just copied and this is a thousand times more true if it's the rider's first lesson!!!

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Whistleblower "wants to save dressage", according to this latest report from the Beeb (includes a link to the now infamous, hard-to-watch video).

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Latest update from the Beeb.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

A fascinating perspective on the affair from the former Chief Sports Writer of The Times, Simon Barnes. I'd forgotten how much I used to enjoy reading his regular column.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the governing body for equestrian sports at the international level, has imposed a one-year ban & a CHF 10,000 fine on Charlotte Dujardin for her gross "error of judgment", the ban backdated to the start of her provisional suspension, which means that she'll be able to compete again from July next year. British Equestrian & British Dressage have followed the FEI's example (not "reciprocated" it, as the Beeb would have us believe! ), so she will be ineligible to enter national competitions or training events for the same period. It will be interesting to see what kind of reception she receives when she does reappear - if she reappears.