:Britain’s three-times Olympic dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin was given a one-year suspension by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports on Thursday after a video showed her whipping a horse’s legs multiple times.
Dujardin, who pulled out of the Paris Olympics when the video emerged in July, had been provisionally suspended for six months by the FEI in July after the equestrian governing body launched an investigation into her conduct.
“During her suspension, Dujardin is prohibited from participating in all activities related to competitions or events under the jurisdiction of the FEI or of a National Federation,” the FEI said in a statement.
“The time served during her provisional suspension will be credited towards the one-year suspension.”
The FEI also imposed a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs ($11,300) on Dujardin. She admitted the offences and accepted the sanctions, the statement added.
Dujardin has won six Olympic medals, including two golds in individual dressage and one gold in team dressage. She has the joint-most Olympic medals of any British woman, although track cyclist Laura Kenny’s total includes five golds.
The 39-year-old, who will be free to compete again in July, has said previously that she is deeply ashamed of the incident.
“What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils, however there is no excuse,” she said in a statement in July.
The FEI said the verdict underlined their commitment to animal welfare.
“It is regrettable that this case has put our sport in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, especially during a critical time leading up to the Olympic Games,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibanez said.
“These significant sanctions send a clear message that anyone, regardless of their profile, who engages in conduct that compromises the welfare of the horse will face serious consequences.”
($1 = 0.8846 Swiss francs)
