Why whistleblower revealed video that exposed gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin before Olympics

The anonymous whistleblower who released the shocking video showing British dressage star Charlotte Dujardin continuously whipping a horse several years ago said they “could not bring” themselves to sit by idly while Dujardin attempted to become England’s most-decorated female Olympian.

Dutch lawyer Stephan Wensing told horses.nl his client had “long hesitated,” as translated by Google, before releasing video from the private stable.

Dujardin, with six Olympics medals, including three gold medals, is tied for the most medals by a Team England female competitor.

“It is unacceptable that dressage sport should be accompanied by animal abuse. If top-level sport can only be performed in such a way that the welfare of the horse is compromised, then top-level sport should be abolished,” Wensing told the outlet, as translated by Google.

“Everyone who deals with horses has their own responsibility in this, and this also applies to bystanders who become aware of excesses. Equestrian sport must regulate itself and ensure that there can never be a discussion about horse welfare in sport again. This is a very important task for the jury members who have lost sight of the core value of dressage for far too long and have overvalued spastic movements of horses.

“It is extremely sad that one of the most successful riders in the world has to pay the price. But this rider has also not taken any responsibility and this cannot go unpunished. The federations and in particular the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale) can be expected to take even more adequate action against animal abuse, precisely to ensure the continued existence of equestrian sports.”

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Dujardin stunningly withdrew from the 2024 Olympics in Paris as the video came to light , which shows her continuously whipping a horse during training session.

The horse does not handle the repeated whippings well, even pulling away from Dujardin during one sequence and raising up on its front legs after another hit.

Wensing told Sky news his client was a then-19-year-old former student of Dujardin and reached out to him a few weeks ago to file the complaint, per The Sun.

He said his client — a woman — at first did not think anything of it since Dujardin is so respected, before beginning to worry that it was animal abuse.

Wensing said his client alleges it was not an isolated incident.

“My client has visited Charlotte Dujardin’s stable more times and she has seen it happen more times,” he said on “Good Morning Britain,” as transcribed by The Sun .

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The release of the video triggered an investigation from the FEI on Tuesday, and Dujardin has received a provisional suspension from the organization and the British Equestrian and British Dressage, resulting in bans in national and international events.

Dujardin owned up to her actions in an Instagram post announcing her withdrawal.

She said the video is from four years ago, while Wensing claims its from two-and-a-half years ago.

“A video has emerged from four years ago which shows me making an error of judgment during a coaching session,” Dujardin said in a statement.

“What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train horses or coach my pupils, however there is no excuse. I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.

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“I am sincerely sorry for my actions and devastated that I have let everyone down, including Team GB, fans and sponsors.

“I will cooperate fully with the FEI, British Equestrian Federation and British Dressage during their investigations, and will not be commenting further until the process is complete.”

British Dressage chief executive Jason Brautigam labeled the complaint as “historical allegations.”

“We do not condone any behaviour (sic) that goes against our guiding principles and take a zero-tolerance approach to any breach of our equine welfare policies,” Brautigam said in a statement from the British Equesstian and British Dressage on Tuesday . “These historic allegations are deeply upsetting for everyone involved in our sport, but we fully support the FEI investigation and will take any appropriate disciplinary action when this process is complete.”

Dujardin, 39, is one medal away from breaking a tie with cyclist Laura Kenny for most Olympic medals by a female British athlete.

She won gold medals in team and individual dressage in 2012 in London, and added another in individual dressage in 2016.

Dujardin also claimed two bronzes in the 2021 Olympics, plus a silver in 2016.

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