July 26th 2024.
Coming up next, a dressage trainer, Alicia Dickinson, has denied being a whistleblower after witnessing Charlotte Dujardin whipping a horse during a coaching session. According to Dickinson, the disgraced Team GB star has many enemies, and she believes that anyone could have leaked the shocking footage that emerged just days before the Olympics in Paris.
Taking to Instagram, Dickinson addressed the recent media revelations, stating that they have been difficult to process. She also made it clear that she did not film the footage and that any online speculation about her being the whistleblower is unfounded. She further clarified that her business relationship with Dujardin ended after the lesson shown in the video.
Dickinson, who is linked to a Dutch dressage stable, claims that she was thrown under the bus by Dujardin after the video from four years ago resurfaced. She believes that Dujardin has many enemies, and that it could have been anyone who leaked the footage. However, she faced the backlash and was falsely accused.
As a result of the incident, Dujardin, who was set to become the UK's most successful female athlete, was forced to quit the Olympics. This has caused her to lose the opportunity to compete in the games and potentially make history. Dutch equine lawyer Stephan Wensing, who filed a complaint of animal cruelty against Dujardin, has refused to reveal the source of the footage. He stated that it was not a pleasant experience to ruin someone's career, but he believes it was necessary to save the sport of dressage.
It is still unclear who leaked the footage, but it is speculated that it may have come from the Netherlands, one of Team GB's closest rivals in equestrian sports. However, Team NL, who narrowly lost to Team GB in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, has denied any involvement in sharing the clip. In a statement, a spokesman for the Dutch team condemned Dujardin's actions and emphasized that the welfare of the horse should always come first in equestrian sports.
British Dressage chief Mark Brautigam also criticized Dujardin's actions but questioned the timing of the video's release. He stated that the actions shown in the video were unacceptable, and they have all been shocked and appalled by it. However, he also believes that the timing of the video's release was intended to cause maximum damage to the sport of dressage.
Dujardin, who received a six-month provisional ban and had her lottery funding suspended, has been dropped by at least three sponsors. She has publicly apologized for her actions and stated that she is deeply ashamed of what she did. She also promised to cooperate fully with the investigations by the FEI, British Equestrian Federation, and British Dressage. Dujardin stated that there is no excuse for her behavior and that she has let everyone down, including Team GB, her fans, and sponsors.
The incident has sparked calls for the Olympics to ban all equestrian events, adding to the long list of scandals that have rocked this summer's games in France even before it has begun.
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