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3 months ago
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An ammeter horse rider has slammed under fire Olympian dressage star Charlotte Dujardin for calling a mare a 'b****' years before footage emerged of her whipping an animal 'like a circus elephant'.
The Team GB golden girl was forced to pull out of the Paris Olympic Games on Monday - just days before the Opening Ceremony - after she was banned by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) from competing.
The video of the dressage star allegedly lashing a horse 24 times in one minute at stables in Gloucestershire was made public by a Dutch lawyer on behalf of an mystery client, who filmed it several years ago but has chosen to release it only now.
A horse owner has now released more footage which shows the equestrian star at Stoneleigh show ground swearing at her animal, calling it 'you b****' shocking the woman filming her idol.
The woman who filmed the clip in September 2016 and asked to remain anonymous said: 'I was around her a lot. I was taking a video at the time. I've not been a fan of her since [then]. I had looked up to her since I was younger.'
New footage filmed an ammeter horse rider in September 2016 shows under-fire Olympian Charlotte Dujardin saying 'you b****' to a horse
Team GB 's Olympic dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin has withdrawn from the Paris Games over a video showing her making an 'error of judgement'
It comes after shocking video footage allegedly showed Dujardin beating a horse '24 times' within a minute
The clip appears to show Dujardin struggling to control the horse before she becomes frustrated and swears at the animal.
Commenting on video showing Dujardin allegedly whipping a horse repeatedly, the woman added: 'It is absolutely awful. I've had horses my whole life. It's the completely wrong representation of the horsey world. They are treated like absolute princesses.'
Dujardin declined to comment until the investigation process is complete.
It comes as those within the equestrian world have continued to raise questions about the timing of the complaint made to the sporting body.
Madeline Hall, former dressage correspondent at Horse & Hound magazine, said: 'The timing of this video days before the Olympics smells of sabotage. To me it is suspect.'
Meanwhile CEO of British Dressage Jason Brautigam also raised suspicions stating the grievance was 'timed to cause maximum damage' before urging people to 'kind' to the fallen athlete.
Dutch lawyer Stephan Wensing refused to divulge his client's identity. It is unknown if she is also from the Netherlands, which has always been a strong rival of Team GB in equestrian sports.
But yesterday, TeamNL swiftly batted away any suggestion the leak had come from them insisting that they 'only just saw the video after it was published'.
Dujardin (pictured at the Olympic Games in 2012) was hoping to become Britain's most decorated Olympian but was forced to pull out of the games yesterday
The clip from 2016 appears to show Dujardin struggling to control the horse before she becomes frustrated and swears at the animal
The timing of the complaint has raised suspicions with CEO of British Dressage Jason Brautigam stating the grievance was 'timed to cause maximum damage' before urging people to 'kind' to the fallen athlete
Charlotte Dujardin with her Tokyo 2020 Olympic winning horse Gio (left) and former Olympic gold medal winner Valegro (right) in 2021
Ms Dujardin narrowly defeated TeamNL at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and they were due to clash again next Tuesday at the Palace of Versailles.
A spokesperson for the Netherlands team said they 'regret the expulsion of our fellow athlete' but 'also condemn the training method used by Dujardin in the video', adding: 'This has no place in our equestrian sports where the welfare of the horse comes first.
'We are aware the video was released by a Dutch lawyer but would like to emphasise that the origin and the release has got no relation whatsoever to the Dutch Olympic team. We only just saw the video after it was published.'
On Monday Dujardin declared that she was 'deeply ashamed' by her behaviour as she bid farewell to her chance to become Britain's most decorated female Olympian.
As well as being given a six-month provisional ban by the FEI, Ms Dujardin was dumped by at least three of her sponsors – riding helmet brand Charles Owen, insurance company KBIS and Danish equestrian equipment company Equine LTS.
Dujardin with her fiancé Dean Wyatt-Golding after winning the gold old medal at the Dressage in the 2016 Rio Olympics
The video shows Ms Dujardin lashing a horse as it was trained in how to perform a 'piaffe', a form of slow trot. Mr Wensing likened it to a circus elephant being mistreated.
In a statement on Tuesday evening, Ms Dujardin apologised to her sponsors, fans and Team GB.
She said: 'A video has emerged from four years ago which shows me making an error of judgment during a coaching session.
'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. I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example at that moment.'
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