“We are deeply disappointed with this case, especially as we approach the Olympic Games in Paris 2024,” said FEI President Ingmar De Vos, following the release of old videos showing Charlotte Dujardin whipping a horse at a private stable. This revelation has sparked widespread concern over equine welfare and the adequacy of training practices in dressage. As the debate intensifies, another professional equestrian now faces allegations of animal cruelty and awaits a decision from an Austrian court.

Amidst this turmoil, Dujardin’s return to the equestrian spotlight has become one of the year’s most talked-about events. With the Austrian Equestrian Association poised to make a crucial decision, all eyes are on the British dressage star. Her illustrious career and recent controversy have ignited intense speculation about the sport’s future, both in Austria and internationally.

Austrian equestrian under heat from authorities

In an article from The Sun on July 26, 2024, they revealed another dressage controversy has emerged from the Olympic Village. Max Kühne will have to appear in front of a German court after allegations of hitting his horse’s legs with a metal bar, known as rapping, went viral. The third-ranked equestrian was set to compete in the individual and team jumping competitions at Versailles before the allegations. He is now awaiting a decision from the Munich II public prosecutor’s office for allegedly violating the German Animal Welfare Act by engaging in “active bar jumping” or “barring,” which became illegal in Germany last year. The Austrian Equestrian Federation has confirmed that Kühner denies all claims.

A Newspaper named Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote, “We can confirm, based on everything we have observed during the years of working with Max, that the way his horses are kept, trained and presented is of the highest quality.” Furthermore, they added, given his impeccable attitude, there is no reason to believe he has ever mistreated the horses under his care. The Kuhner case came to light after British equestrian champion Charlotte Dujardin was given a provisional six-month ban by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) and the British Equestrian Foundation. 

Dujardin withdrew from the Olympic race a day before footage was released showing her cruelly whipping her horse 25 times. As a result, her UK Sports funding has been suspended pending investigation. She has also been dropped by a horse and donkey charity and two sponsors. The athlete, who has won three Olympic gold medals, was reported by a former student’s lawyer, Stephan Wensing.

FEI said, “Charlotte has expressed genuine remorse for her actions, and we recognize and appreciate her willingness to take responsibility.” The issue has gained global attention, with groups like PETA calling for the removal of equestrian events from the Olympics. Experts have also called for harmonious training methods in dressage that prioritize the well-being of the horses over the accolades they can win for the jockeys and professional equestrians.

Max Kuhner’s long history with equestrian sports 

German-born Austrian equestrian Max Kuhner is among the world’s top horse riders and a valuable asset to the Austrian team. His success is partly due to his commitment to scouting and developing young horses for elite sports. At his stables, around thirty horses are cared for by a team of ten, with young horses competing under the guidance of Helmut Schoenstetter.

However, unfortunately his methods have now been called into question by the Austrian court. This isn’t the first time Kuehner has faced scrutiny over allegations of animal cruelty. In 2008 too he was accused of animal cruelty. It was after he was filmed jumping a horse over a wire at a water obstacle. However, the Bavarian Riding and Driving Association was unable to prove that it violated animal welfare laws.

OEPS President Elisabeth Max-Theurer also weighed in saying, “These old accusations were deliberately spread before the Olympics, when the media attention is particularly high. This is a witch hunt like in the Middle Ages against him as a person and against the entire equestrian sport.” The deliberation from the Munich Court will be announced in September. For now, Kuhner is still eager to participate in the Olympics. Though he never won an Olympic medal, he finished 6th in the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tyron.

In 2021, he experienced his greatest victory at the ‘s-Hertogenbosch Grand Prix which is one of the four grand Slam titles in show-jumping. He had hoped to recreate that magic in the Olympics this year as well. His absence would make winning a medal more difficult for the other members on the Austrian equestrian team.