Team GB’s horses are treated like “kings and queens”, Olympic gold medallist Tom McEwen has insisted, and he rejects claims whipping in equestrian is widespread.
McEwen, who landed team eventing gold and individual silver in Tokyo, said the video of Charlotte Dujardin hitting out 24 times had come as a “massive shock” to his sport.
As he began his pursuit for more medals in Paris by taking an early lead in the dressage session, the 33-year-old said the team is “110 per cent behind horse welfare”.
The British camp has been reeling since Dujardin, then on course to become Britain’s most decorated female Olympian, was banned over a video which was made public the following day.
McEwen, whose father is a vet, described a sense of horror at the sport’s reputational damage, as he maintained the horses are looked after “beautifully”.
“I’d be more than happy for anyone to come to our yard to see how well these horses are looked after,” he told reporters gathered at a rainswept but spectacular Château de Versailles. “I think our sport is amazing, and these horses are treated like kings and queens.
“I do agree it was a massive shock to the equestrian world. But I believe that this week, all of us here will show the sport to be the amazing sport that it is.”
Questionable timing
There is growing dismay within the sport at the timing of the release of the video, which was recorded several years ago.
Alicia Dickinson, a dressage trainer who previously had a business relationship with Dujardin, has said the three-time Olympic champion had “many enemies”.
The video was made public seven months after Dujardin was also involved in an acrimonious business split with Equestrian Management Agency chief executive Abby Newell, Telegraph Sport understands.
Multiple sources have described tensions between the pair, but Newell categorically denied being the whistleblower. “Of course not,” she said when asked if she had played a role in bringing the footage to light. “We are out of this.
“We stopped working with Charlotte seven months ago… we have nothing but sympathy for what has happened to Charlotte.”
Dujardin has been stripped of funding by UK Sport and dropped as an ambassador by an equine welfare charity. After equestrianism’s governing body, the FEI, suspended her for six months on Tuesday, pending an official investigation, animal charities reacted with horror to the footage.
But, as eventing disciplines began in Paris, McEwen said he “can completely assure you” there is no widespread abuse of horses. “I would invite any single one of you to come round and have a look at my yards, an hour, a week, a day, whatever,” he said, adding: “It’s really important for the rest of us to really put a shining light on our amazing sport”.
“We are 110 per cent behind horse welfare”
“We are here 110 per cent behind horse welfare and these horses are looked after incredibly. I definitely don’t condone Charlotte’s behaviour but she has put her hands up to it and she’s owned it.”
McEwen said “it’s not really for me to say” what Dujardin’s final punishment should be. “Realistically, at the end of it, she is a human being as well,” he said.
On the impact on the Team GB camp, he added: “To be honest it is all focused — complete shock to begin with — but realistically we’ve come here to do our job, which is the eventing team, and we’ve got dressage today, cross country tomorrow and jumping on Monday. You don’t really get too much time on your hands.
“It’s deeply sad for our sport but at the same time I don’t believe our sport’s like it.”
Source Agencies
