Yahoo Sports Olympic Gold Medalist Charlotte Dujardin Suspended 1 Year After Horse-Whipping Scandal
"I understand the responsibility that comes with my position in the sport, and I will forever aim to do better,” the British equestrian said in a statement
Friso Gentsch/picture alliance via Getty
Olympic champion equestrian Charlotte Dujardin has been banned from the sport for one year, months after she withdrew from the Paris Olympics after a video surfaced that showed her whipping one of her horses.
The Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) handed down the ban on Thursday, Dec. 5, according to the BBC.
The 39-year-old British athlete and six-time Olympic medalist will be able to compete once again in July 2025, as the ban is backdated to July 2024 when she was provisionally banned.
"I fully respect the verdict issued by the Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), released today," Dujardin said in a statement on her Instagram. "As the federation has recognised, my actions in the video do not reflect who I am and I can only apologise again. I understand the responsibility that comes with my position in the sport, and I will forever aim to do better.”
She added, "This has undoubtedly been one of the darkest and most difficult periods of my life, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me during this time."
In its ruling, the FEI said it aimed to “send a clear message” to anyone who "compromises the welfare” of animals, and that Dujardin’s video seemed to be an isolated incident, according to the Associated Press.
Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The video in question surfaced after a 19-year-old former student of Dujardin’s saw the alleged abuse and filed a complaint, The Guardian previously reported.
Dujardin claimed the video — in which her accuser said that she beat “the horse more than 24 times in one minute” — was from four years ago and that it was “an error of judgment during a coaching session.”
"However there is no excuse,” she said in a statement at the time. “I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.”
Read the original article on People
