Wink and the Paris Olympics 2024 show begins! Indeed, the world is now on the brink of witnessing the ultimate sports extravaganza! Yet, days before the mega Games, an appalling side to the otherwise thrilling equestrian sport comes to light, dampening the enthusiasm. For those unaware, Great Britain’s veteran, Charlotte Dujardin’s Olympics hopes turned pear-shaped after being banned by the sport’s apex body for six months. Well, why? For, “… she was beating the horse more than 24 times in one minute,” scaring the living daylights out of the equestrian fans.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t stand as the only incident of this kind. In the recent past, another notable Swiss rider was banned on the grounds of animal cruelty. In a day and age where social media circulates with posts, this incident left a distasteful taste ahead of the Olympics.

Like Dujardin, Paul Estermann had once landed in a dire strait

As per Inside the Games, legal proceedings were initiated against Paul Estermann in 2017. Subsequently, he received a ban from the sport for 7 years. What did he do to land in such deep waters? Well, he was a showjumper from Switzerland who represented the side at the London Olympics. There were allegations of his ill-treatment with two horses, Castlefield Eclipse and Lord Pepsi. Shockingly, these were the same horses he had ridden in the past.

Specifically, Estermann held onto Eclipse’s reigns at the London Games, the 2013 and 2015 European Championships, and the 2014 World Equestrian Games. Whereas, Lord Pepsi had been his riding partner at the 2018 World Cup Finals and 2019 European Championships. Therefore, when the allegations surfaced, the Swiss Equestrian Federation (SVPS) Sanctions Commission initiated an investigation.

If you think this was shocking, wait until you hear that the showjumper was also devoid of repentance, despite criminal proceedings mounted against him. Per the official statements, Estermann showed “no remorse” for his wrongdoings. Also, he did not participate in a voluntary survey and this, to the Sanctions Commission, exhibited the rider’s behavior. Ultimately, it was upheld that “he intentionally injured a horse moderately and caused him severe pain.”

Thus, he was ordered a $1,340 fine and a 7-year ban from the sport. He knocked on the doors of multiple courts, but most charged him accountable for his intolerable acts. Eventually, the Lucerne Cantonal Court upheld he was guilty in December 2022. And now, in 2024, just at the cusp of segueing into the Paris Games, Charlotte Dujardin’s future got put on thin ice, because of her actions.

Charlotte Dujardin’s offense that snatched away her possible Paris glory

Gruesome. On 23rd July, a sad reality surfaced, leaving the entire equestrian community shocked to their guts. The International Federation of Equestrian Sports (FEI) banned the Brit star Charlotte Dujardin over a video that made rounds of her whipping a horse. As per the official words, Dujardin was reprimanded for “engaging in conduct contrary to the principles of horse welfare- during a training session conducted at Ms. Dujardin’s private stable.” 

Apparently, it was a 19-year-old who had officially complained about this misconduct. And as per Stephan Wensing, the complainant’s lawyer, the sight was like, “an elephant in a circus.” Eventually, after Dujardin bowed out from the Paris Olympics race, she took to her Instagram and apologized for the same.

She writes, “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 in that moment.”

But, this doesn’t change the fact that the one who spearheaded her nation to the 2023 Dressage World Cup is now barred from the sport for the time being. But while Charlotte Dujardin’s return to the sport hangs in balance, such an occurrence, in this sport, remains unacceptable.