Banned Team GB Olympic star Charlotte Dujardin is facing fresh controversy after a video of her riding at an event in Amsterdam sparked criticism from welfare groups and equestrian experts. The footage, filmed in the warm-up area at last month’s World Cup event in Amsterdam, shows Dujardin riding the mare Alive And Kicking. It has been shared widely online by welfare organisation Collectif Pour Les Chevaux and has attracted more than 100,000 views.
The clip has reignited scrutiny of the three-time Olympic gold medallist, who only returned to competition six months ago after serving a one-year ban imposed by the FEI for “engaging in conduct contrary to the principles of horse welfare”. That suspension followed the emergence of a video showing her repeatedly striking a horse during a coaching session prior to the Paris 2024 Olympics, which led to her withdrawal from the Games.
In the latest footage, critics have raised concerns about Dujardin’s use of spurs while holding the horse on what they describe as a tight rein. According to The Times, experts argue that applying driving pressure with the spurs while simultaneously restricting the horse with rein contact risks creating “behavioural conflict”. Mette Uldahl, former president of the European federation of equine vets, told The Times: “It’s like asking your car to drive while braking.” She added: “It’s way too much and the rider is conscious of riding the horse this way. It is subtle to most people on the outside but it is a very high degree of pressure and very unfair.”
Professor Paul McGreevy, a leading authority on horse welfare, said: “When we apply ethical principles, signals for different responses must never be applied concurrently. Riding the horse forward with spurs into bit pressure can easily send the horse into behavioural conflict.” World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers described the video as “a hard watch”, telling The Times that the mare appeared to show “clear signs of tension and conflict behaviour”.
The woman who filmed the clip, equine vet Eva van Avermaet, told the Daily Mail she was surprised by Dujardin’s approach given the rider’s recent suspension. “After the whipping incident and the one-year suspension surely she, more than anyone, would be careful about how they handle their horse, especially in public,” she said. Van Avermaet claimed she alerted a steward at the event but noticed no change in Dujardin’s riding afterwards.
Dujardin declined to comment when approached by The Times, referring questions to the British Equestrian Federation (BEF). The BEF said it was impossible to make an accurate assessment based on a shortened clip of a 45-minute warm-up session but added: “We will not compromise and will never stop in the pursuit of the wellbeing of the horse.” The 40-year-old, one of Britain’s most decorated Olympians, returned to competition last July and has since competed at events including the Dressage World Cup in London, where she said she was “very emotional” at the reception she received from fans.
