The equestrian sport will be excluded from the Olympics for cruelty to horses. And this sport is one of the oldest in the Olympics. We’ll explain why these measures were taken and how horses were prepared for the Tokyo games.
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Why are horses to be excluded from the modern pentathlon
Animal rights activists have long called on the Olympics organizers to stop the mockery of animals and stop equestrian sports at the Games. And because of the events at the Games 2020 in Tokyo, the number of opponents of the equestrian sport noticeably increased.
- In August, the heartbreaking news that Swiss jockey Robin Godel’s horse had been put to sleep at the Olympics because of the injuries he sustained while competing in the 20th cross-country hurdles during the event went around the world.
- A few days later, the German pentathlete Annika Schlew tried to get her horse to obey a command with whips and spurs during a show jumping competition. Later, Kim Reisner, her coach, began to hit her horse with her fist and urged her to be more challenging. The event was followed by the disqualification of Kim Reisner and the social media harassment of Schlew.
- The animal advocates immediately took up the cause. The organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sent a letter to the IOC leadership and demanded to exclude equestrian and show jumping from the program of the modern pentathlon at the Olympics.
- Defenders of animal rights managed to achieve their goal. In early November, despite the athletes’ resistance, the International Federation of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) decided to remove horseback riding from the Olympic program after 2024. Instead, an official UIPM statement said that another discipline would replace equestrianism. The modern pentathlon competition began in 1912 and included five disciplines – fencing, swimming, equestrianism, shooting, and running.
However, equestrian sport is still represented in the Olympic Games as a separate discipline. At the Games 2020 in equestrian sports, six sets of awards have been drawn, and at the moment, the committee does not plan to reduce the program.
However, the equestrian programs may have to be reconsidered in the coming years because of public pressure. The facts of the cruel treatment of the horses were fixed before. For example, in May of this year, the Equestrian Federation of the USA fined the rider, Kevin Lemke, for four months and $4 thousand for “unsportsmanlike conduct with use of excessive force to a horse.” At the U.S. championships, Lemke used the whip twice in a row and two more times after the horse refused to go forward. His actions were deemed aggressive.
Kilkenny’s nose bled at the Tokyo Olympics, but Irish rider Cian O’Connor forced the horse to complete the course. PETA says this animal treatment is unacceptable; therefore, equestrian sports have no place in the Olympics.
It is not a sport for everyone.
Horseracing in the Olympics is a niche sport with complicated rules for determining the winner. Secondly, it is a sport for the rich. One can often meet daughters and sons of celebrities and royalty.
For example, the daughter of multiple Grammy and Oscar winner Bruce Springsteen performed at the Tokyo Olympics. Two horses on the Swedish team were owned by Charlotte Söderström, daughter of Stefan Persson, co-owner of H&M.
Equestrian sport is a costly sport because it is not only expensive to maintain the team but also to participate in competitions. For example, 325 horses were brought to the Tokyo Olympics (the cost of delivery of one horse can reach $30 thousand) to participate in equestrian competitions. Also came 59 grooms, 20 tons of feed and water, and 100 tons of special equipment. In addition, eight flights were made to Tokyo from the Belgian city of Liege, where horses were brought from different parts of the world. The fact is that this city has built the most convenient airport for the transportation of horses. There is also a unique hotel for fans of equestrian sports, the Horse Inn, where the horses and their companions can rest.
An equestrian delegation of 64 people
Horses spend about 20 hours on board their flight from Liège to Tokyo, with a stopover in Dubai. But for some horses, the flight lasts several times as long, such as the U.S. team. Using the U.S. team as an example, here’s how equestrian delegations get to the Olympics.
Nine U.S. athletes competed in three equestrian disciplines at the Tokyo Olympics, and three athletes competed at the Paralympics. In addition to the athletes, there are four reserve riders in case the main competitors are injured, seven coaches, and six team leaders who handle logistics. Sixteen stablemates take care of the horses, a farrier takes care of the hooves and shoeing, and four veterinarians and two equine physical therapists.
The U.S. equestrian delegation to Tokyo consisted of at least 64 people. There would have been even more, 76, if not for the restrictions of COVID-19. And that’s not counting the mountain of equipment or the show’s real stars – 16 horses.
So it’s not surprising that even without the contributions of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees and the significant costs incurred by the athletes, the equestrian program at the Tokyo Games is valued at a six-figure sum.
Difficulties in organization
In an ideal situation, coordinating an event of this scale starts long before the Olympics. Athletes take on most of the financial responsibility for the competition – they ride their horses, hire their grooms and buy most of their equipment. But the national federation also takes care of many things.
Lodging is arranged for a couple of years in advance, and flights of horses are booked a year in advance. Pre-export quarantine of horses is planned, a requirement of each country’s agricultural regulations. General brigade equipment is shipped by container. Will Connell, U.S. equestrian sports director, told Forbes that the federation is planning next year’s logistics for the 2024 Olympics and the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
