At the majestic Palace of Versailles, the home established by Louis XIV, Team GB’s Tom McEwen drew a royal comparison when asked about the horse abuse controversy that has shaken his sport.
“I would welcome any of you to come and spend an hour, a week, or however long it takes to see my yard,” McEwen stated, who clinched Olympic eventing team gold and individual silver in Tokyo. “What you witness here is the beauty of daily life at home. These horses are treated like royalty.”
The 33-year-old expressed his “shock” upon viewing the footage of his Team GB teammate Charlotte Dujardin striking a horse 24 times – seemingly while teaching it the “piaffe,” a slow-motion trot technique with origins in the Renaissance.
Typically, this is done by gently tapping the horse to encourage it to lift its legs, rather than striking hard with a long whip.
“This has clearly been a huge surprise for all of us,” he noted, after taking an early lead in the three-day eventing competition with only 25.80 penalty points. “However, I think it’s crucial for us to showcase the excellence of our wonderful sport. I consider eventing one of the premier sports; we are the triathlon of the equestrian world.”
McEwen assured that Dujardin’s actions do not reflect the reality of what occurs behind the scenes when the cameras are off.
“I can only truly speak for eventing,” McEwen remarked. “But if you observe any of the three other women on my team or others working here, you’ll see how well these horses are cared for. They perform beautifully.”
There was some sympathy for the 39-year-old Dujardin, who was striving to become Britain’s most decorated female Olympian before receiving a six-month suspension as the incident was revealed.
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“We are wholeheartedly committed to horse welfare,” he affirmed. “And these horses are extremely well cared for. While I do not condone Charlotte’s actions, she has taken responsibility for them. Ultimately, it is up to the courts and relevant bodies to determine her appropriate punishment. Remember, she is human too.”
McEwen also assured that the focus on equestrian sports in the media leading up to the Olympics did not hinder the team’s preparation. “Honestly, our concentration remains intact,” he said. “Initially, it was a complete shock. We were not anticipating it at all. However, our goal here is to do our jobs as the eventing team.
“Today we have dressage, tomorrow cross country, and then jumping on Monday. We have our own priorities, and in eventing, there is rarely much free time. There’s plenty to manage, like course walks and other details. We’ve acknowledged the news and it’s truly sad for our sport. But I don’t believe our sport is represented like that, so we will move forward.”
