Two-time Olympic dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin has withdrawn from the British team for the Paris Games. The rider, who was in the team with Imhotep, released a statement today (23 July). She said a video had emerged from four years ago that showed her “making an error of judgement” in a coaching session, which the FEI is investigating, and that she has decided to withdraw from all competition during this process. “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,” she said. “I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.”
A competitor who swore at volunteers and staff at a hunter trial has been banned from the venue. Munstead organisers told H&H the rider repeatedly told people to “F off” at the event this weekend, and have spoken up to make it clear to their volunteers that they will not tolerate such behaviour. The organisers said the rider first swore at a jump judge when asked to replace a flag they had knocked off a fence while walking the course, and the situation escalated from there.
On a lighter note, you’ve heard of “girl maths” – here’s horse maths. We are all participants in a pastime that is not cheap, and so we are experts at convincing ourselves and others that financially, things are not as bad as they may appear. Becoming proficient in horse maths can help bring about a return of harmony in today’s troubling times…
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