Australian Olympic dressage rider suspended after video appears to show him repeatedly whipping horse
Heath Ryan, who represented Australia in dressage at the 2008 Olympics, can be seen in the video – which the rider said is about two years old – hitting a horse around 40 times.
Ryan said in a lengthy Facebook post defending the incident that everything in the video 'transpired sincerely with the (horse's) best interests the sole consideration.'
CNN Sports has reached out to Ryan for comment.
EA said the provisional suspension will last until 'a thorough investigation of this matter' has been completed, adding that it had also received a formal complaint about the incident.
'Equestrian Australia is extremely alarmed and concerned by the treatment of the horse shown in this footage,' the governing body said in a statement.
'Equestrian Australia has this afternoon imposed a provisional suspension of this person's membership of Equestrian Australia and their rights, privileges and benefits associated with their membership.'
EA said it 'takes matters of animal welfare very seriously.'
In his Facebook post, the 66-year-old equestrian rider said the horse was brought to him on the way to the 'knackery,' where animals go to be killed, after a riding accident had left his owner in intensive care.
Ryan described the horse, Nico, as a 'problem child' that got 'worse and worse until the accident.'
'I felt obliged to the horse to just have a look and see if it was possibly salvageable,' Ryan wrote on Facebook. 'Well did I get a shock and so the video. I have never ridden anything like it. I am so sad this was caught on video.
'If I had been thinking of myself I would have immediately just gotten off and sent Nico to the knackery. That video was a life or death moment for Nico and of that I was very aware.
'I felt I genuinely had to try my very hardest to see if Nico would consider other options. Anyway by the end of that initial ride I did feel Nico was responding. I rode Nico for another couple of days and he responded very well and started to go without the use of excessive driving aids.'
Alongside his statement, Ryan posted a new video, which he described as Nico 'thriving in a loving and competitive home with an exciting future.'
Ryan said the video which prompted the EA suspension was posted by an 'unhappy ex employee.'
'All I can say is that this awful video was collateral damage of me from the bottom of my heart launching a rescue mission,' Ryan added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Farrell says win over Australia 'what dreams are made of'
Coach Andy Farrell said the British and Irish Lions' 29-26 comeback win over Australia Saturday was "what dreams are made of", saluting his players for the way they fought back. The tourists looked down and out after slumping 23-5 behind in the first-half at the cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground. But they conjured an incredible turnaround with two tries in quick succession before half-time -- winger Hugo Keenan's 79th-minute effort sealed the three-Test series and shattered Australian hearts. "It's fairytale stuff. To leave with a win like that, it means everything," said Farrell after the nail-biting triumph. "The lads have dreamed of being Lions all their lives. To get to the point at the MCG with 90,000 odd people and win it with a dramatic finish like that, it's what dreams are made of. "We are absolutely delighted, we showed courage. "The drama and how it unfolded is what makes it so special," he added. Australia was a different team to the one beaten in the first Test at Brisbane, with dangermen Will Skelton, Rob Valetini and Dave Porecki all back from injury. Their added muscle made the Wallabies far more physical in the collisions, rattling the Lions with three tries inside eight first-half minutes before they tired in the second-half. "Australia said they were going to show up, and they did," said Farrell. "It was more than physical. They played some nice rugby and capitalised on our ill-discipline." Valetini failed to show for the second-half while Skelton departed soon after the restart. It was in their absence that the Lions were able to pull off the remarkable comeback. "It wasn't great, especially in the first-half," said Farrell. "We started with back-to-back penalties and yellow cards, and it really cost us on the scoreboard. "But we found a way back into the game, and that gave us confidence heading into the second half. And, wow -- what a finish." The series now heads to Sydney next weekend for what is a dead rubber Test but one the Lions want to win to seal a rare series whitewash. They have so far won all eight tour games since arriving in Australia. mp/dhc
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt bemoans the decision that gave Lions late win in 2nd test
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt spoke about the 'wicked backlash that sport can have" after his team was denied victory in the second test against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday by a last-gasp try. Hugo Keenan slid over in the corner in the last play of the match to give the Lions a 29-26 win after they had trailed 23-5 in the first half. The Lions hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Schmidt asserted Keenan's try should have been disallowed because of an illegal cleanout on Wallabies backrower Carlo Tizzano at the breakdown from which the try stemmed. Tizzano was stooping over a ruck, attempting to win a turnover, when he was struck on the back of the neck by Lions flanker Jac Morgan, arriving late and fast at the breakdown. The referee considered replays of the incident before ruling the players had arrived at the same time, ruling out a penalty and awarding the match and series-winning try to the Lions. 'We led for 79 minutes and I couldn't quite believe that we didn't get a decision at the end to lead for 80,' Schmidt said in a television interview. 'That's the wicked backlash that sport can have sometimes but I'm incredibly proud of the performance the players put in. "I think it was described as arriving at the same time and we can all see that was not the case. We can all see clear contact with the back of the neck which might be a different decision on another day and another time.' Lions replacement flyhalf Owen Farrell, son of head coach Andy Farrell, was on the field when the incident occurred and saw it from a different perspective. 'When I saw it, and I'll speak honestly here, I thought there's no way that (a penalty) is going to be given,' Farrell said. 'Obviously there will always be two sides to the story.' ___ AP rugby:
Associated Press
6 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt bemoans the decision that gave Lions late win in 2nd test
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt spoke about the 'wicked backlash that sport can have' after his team was denied victory in the second test against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday by a last-gasp try. Hugo Keenan slid over in the corner in the last play of the match to give the Lions a 29-26 win after they had trailed 23-5 in the first half. The Lions hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Schmidt asserted Keenan's try should have been disallowed because of an illegal cleanout on Wallabies backrower Carlo Tizzano at the breakdown from which the try stemmed. Tizzano was stooping over a ruck, attempting to win a turnover, when he was struck on the back of the neck by Lions flanker Jac Morgan, arriving late and fast at the breakdown. The referee considered replays of the incident before ruling the players had arrived at the same time, ruling out a penalty and awarding the match and series-winning try to the Lions. 'We led for 79 minutes and I couldn't quite believe that we didn't get a decision at the end to lead for 80,' Schmidt said in a television interview. 'That's the wicked backlash that sport can have sometimes but I'm incredibly proud of the performance the players put in. 'I think it was described as arriving at the same time and we can all see that was not the case. We can all see clear contact with the back of the neck which might be a different decision on another day and another time.' Lions replacement flyhalf Owen Farrell, son of head coach Andy Farrell, was on the field when the incident occurred and saw it from a different perspective. 'When I saw it, and I'll speak honestly here, I thought there's no way that (a penalty) is going to be given,' Farrell said. 'Obviously there will always be two sides to the story.' ___ AP rugby:
