Distressing scenes of German rider Annika Schleu in tears, and her coach punching her horse Saint Boy after it refused to jump at the Tokyo Olympics, made critical headlines around the world.
: After 109 years, modern pentathlon will see cycling replace riding following dramatic scenes at the Tokyo Olympics that brought the sport into disrepute, according to reports. This week the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne’s executive board secretly voted to modernise by removing horses from the sport. The governing body acted to preserve the sport’s reputation, particularly in the lead up to the Paris 2024 Games, after shocking stories rocked the sport this summer… The event currently tests competitors’ skill in fencing, freestyle swimming, showjumping, pistol shooting and cross country running…
Distressing scenes of German rider Annika Schleu in tears, and her coach punching her horse Saint Boy after it refused to jump at the Tokyo Olympics, made critical headlines around the world… Although the change has not yet been officially announced, some competitors are already reacting negatively, arguing that to remove riding would fundamentally change the nature of the historic sport that has been a core part of the Olympics since 1912. SOURCE…
BAN ALL EQUESTRIAN EVENTS…
PETA: The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were unprecedented in many ways, but one thing we all could have predicted was that the suffering of the horses used for the equestrian events would continue. Show jumping, dressage, cross country, and other equine “sports” can be extremely cruel…
The Tokyo Olympics… wasn’t an anomaly. Earlier this year, show jumper Kevin Lemke aggressively and repeatedly hit Good Luck in California. PETA reported the incident, and Lemke was suspended. But fines and suspensions clearly aren’t enough to deter other trainers or riders from similar reckless behavior…
Jet Set, ridden by Swiss competitor Robin Godel, appeared to be injured in the middle of a cross-country course during an Olympic competition. Veterinarians diagnosed the injury as an irreparable ligament rupture in one of his legs, and he was euthanized…
During another show-jumping event, blood poured from Kilkenny’s nose, and although it was clearly visible to those watching, Irish rider Cian O’Connor forced the horse to finish the course. Nothing was done by officials to stop the competition to check on him.
One thing is clear: Horses don’t care about gold medals. And unlike humans, they don’t choose to participate in dangerous events—they’re forced to. Please take action to call on the International Olympic Committee to remove all equestrian events immediately. Leave the Olympics to the willing participants. SOURCE…
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