Is it cruel to hit a horse with a whip? Most folks would probably say, “Uh, yeah,” because no one wants to see an animal in pain. Whipping doesn’t just hurt; it can scare the horse, making things dangerous for both the animal and the rider. It’s been four months since the Paris Olympics, but let’s be real—people are now talking about the drama surrounding Charlotte Dujardin. Luck can make or break you, and sadly, Dujardin wasn’t so lucky this time around. The whole debate about using whips in equestrian sports has blown up. And poor Dujardin got caught in the middle of it all just before the Paris Olympics, facing a storm of criticism as the conversation about animal rights in sports rages on.

On December 5, equestrian’s governing body, the FEI, handed down a one-year suspension to double Olympic dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin after a video surfaced showing her repeatedly, almost 24 times in a minute, whipping a horse during a training session at her private stable. The footage, recorded four years ago, resurfaced just before the Paris 2024 Olympics, forcing Dujardin to withdraw from the Games. She called the incident “completely out of character” and insisted it didn’t reflect how she trains her horses or coaches her students. But the backlash was swift, and the FEI launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from Dutch equine lawyer Stephan Wensing, acting on behalf of an unnamed client.

The video, which showed Dujardin hitting a student’s horse from the ground, sparked widespread outrage, with many saying it violated the core principles of horse welfare. On July 23, the FEI provisionally suspended Dujardin while they reviewed the case. Their final decision, announced this week, not only banned her from all competitions under FEI and British Equestrian rules until July 2025 but also fined her CHF 10,000 (£8,881). UK Sport followed suit, suspending her eligibility for public funding. The suspension has been backdated to include her provisional ban, but still—no competing, no training events, nothing.

Now, here’s where it gets tricky: some feel the punishment is a bit much. Sure, the video is upsetting, but similar incidents in the past didn’t lead to such harsh penalties—those athletes got off with warnings or minor fines. Is it about giving a message about the rights of animals, or did Charlotte Dujardin just end up on the wrong side of public opinion?

Why did Charlotte Dujardin face harsh punishment while Lemke got off easy?

Previously, in a horse show in Southern California in 2021, Robert Lemke whipped a horse known as Good Luck with a whip 6 times, so hard that its sound could be heard on the replay. Arguably, the Jeremiah Lemke show happened after the horse declined to jump; in the second try, Good Luck ended up falling on the fence and knocking down the poles. The shocking video emerged, and as a result, it received much attention, and PETA demanded an investigation. Lemke was immediately thrown off the race for overusing the whip and later given a four-month suspension and a small fine, i.e., $4,000. “This sanction sends a clear message: Abuse horses, and you’ll be penalized,” said PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo, while urging whistleblowers to report animal cruelty wherever it happens.

But here’s where the controversy lies: Watching her at the age of 39, Charlotte Dujardin nearly became Britain’s most decorated female Olympian in Paris. She’s a legend in the equestrian world, due to her iconic partnership with Valegro, winning double gold at London 2012 and more medals in Rio 2016, including another individual gold. But everything came crashing down when a video surfaced of her whipping a horse during training. The fallout was brutal—a one-year suspension, dropped by sponsors, and even cut as an ambassador by the global horse welfare charity Brooke.

What has people really riled, however, is blatant unfairness. Dujardin lost her chance at the Olympics because of her punishment, while Robert Lemke, who was in a similar position, received only a four-month suspension. Why this harshest penalty for Dujardin while Lemke’s actions make almost no waves? The whole scenario has the individuals being raised on asking how standard and impartial equestrian sports are with regard to the violations of animal rights.