- Charlotte Dujardin withdrew from the Olympics after a shocking video emerged
- In the clip, Dujardin allegedly hit a horse on its legs 24 times
- The disgraced rider now faces the risk of having her CBE title revoked before the Olympics
Team GB’s Golden Girl Charlotte Dujardin will miss out on the ‘Dame’ title after being banned from the Olympic Games.
The disgraced 39-year-old would certainly have clinched the honour had she won the one medal she needed in Paris to become Britain’s most successful female Olympian of all time.
However, Whitehall sources have revealed such an honour is now off the table after shocking footage emerged showing her repeatedly whipping a horse “like an elephant in a circus”.
On another day, Dujardin’s funding from UK Sport was withdrawn and she was fired as an ambassador for a horse welfare charity.
Dujardin dramatically withdrew from the Games and was banned for six months yesterday, before the disturbing video was made public.
Disgraced dressage athlete Charlotte Dujardin has been told her dream of becoming a Dame is dead
Dujardin has been told she will never receive the top honour after footage emerged of her whipping a horse ‘like an elephant in a circus’ – and it could lead to her CBE title being revoked
Dujardin (pictured at the 2012 Olympics, left, and 2020, right) hoped to become Britain’s most decorated Olympian but was forced to withdraw from the Games on Tuesday
Now that her career appears to be in tatters, she is also at risk of having her CBE status stripped.
According to sources, the committee will await the outcome of the International Federation of Equestrian Sports (FEI) investigation before deciding whether to reassess the award, which was presented by Queen Elizabeth II in 2017.
The Enfield-born rider, who won six dressage medals in London, Rio and Tokyo, withdrew from what would have been her fourth appearance yesterday and apologised for her behaviour.
This morning, footage emerged of the incident, which led to a suspension by the International Federation of Equestrian Sports.
The photo, taken at a private stable in Gloucester, shows Dujardin whipping a horse 24 times with a long whip as the horse is trained in piaffe, a form of slow trot.
A UK Sport spokesperson said: ‘We expect all staff and athletes in Olympic and Paralympic sport to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, ethics and integrity.
‘We are concerned about the serious concerns raised over the past 24 hours about the welfare of horses and Charlotte Dujardin.
Footage shows her continuously whipping the horse as she tries to teach it the ‘piaffe’
The horse appears to buck in response to the multiple lashes Dujardin gives it
National sport governing bodies are required to notify us when they become aware of any conduct-related issues involving an athlete or staff member of the World Class Programme so that the matter can be assessed against the funding eligibility policy.
‘In accordance with our eligibility policy, Charlotte Dujardin’s eligibility for government funding and access to government-funded benefits has now been suspended, pending the outcome of the FEI’s investigation.
‘We must now wait for the FEI investigation to be completed before making any further comment.’
Meanwhile, animal welfare group PETA has called for equestrian events to be removed from the Games following the Dujardin incident.
U.S. Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said: “The message to the International Olympic Committee should now be clear: remove equestrian events from the Olympic Games.
Dujardin (pictured, at the London 2012 Olympics) saw her funding from UK Sport cut off
‘Once again, an Olympic equestrian has been captured on video abusing a horse and forcing it to behave in completely unnatural ways, solely for her own glory.
“Horses do not volunteer – they can only submit to violence and coercion. It is time for the Olympics to enter the modern era.”