Tim Bonner: Activities involving animals all risk a Dujardin moment

The definition of cruelty is the deliberate infliction of unnecessary suffering and it is difficult to argue that the video of British Olympian Charlotte Dujardin whipping a horse she was ‘training’ does not meet that test.

Equine sports have been walking a tightrope as far as Olympic participation is concerned for decades, first because of the perception of exclusivity and then the scandal around a German coach punching a horse during the Modern Pentathlon in Tokyo 2021. This story will bring the threat of equestrian sports being removed from the Games back to the fore.

I know the release of this video will be a body blow to many in the equestrian world. From racing to eventing the sector has embraced a social licence agenda and made significant strides on horse welfare and standards. I distinctly remember a seminar last year, however, when a representative of an international equestrian body talked very honestly about the challenges of changing culture within traditional communities.

I do not know Charlotte Dujardin, but I am absolutely certain she is not a stupid person. You cannot have had the remarkable success she has without intelligence and huge talent. Yet, she was using methods which were so obviously and unarguably unacceptable. That is the power of culture. It can override even the most obvious logic with even the most astute people.

Nearly all activities involving animals risk a ‘Dujardin moment’ when cultural blindness meets public scrutiny. Whether it is sitting on a dead racehorse, throwing live foxes to hounds or the casual euthanasia of greyhounds, different activities have faced very similar crises.

There are two key questions that come out of these experiences. Firstly, how to avoid them, and secondly how to react when they happen. Avoidance requires brave people inside a community to stand up and demand change. This is a difficult thing to do as the reaction of a significant part of that community will often be angry and negative. Upsetting anyone is unpleasant, but angering peers and friends is even more so. Yet, unless someone takes a stand, change will not happen. Even then there will always be the possibility that elements of a community will refuse to change and that they will be exposed. That requires a response that separates the progressive from the reactionary to protect those elements of an activity which retain social licence. This can be incredibly hard, but as a wise man once said to me “it’s not change if you don’t leave anyone behind.”

When a crisis does arise, there are basically two reactions; acceptance and radical change, or denial and lip service. The best examples include greyhound racing which faces prohibition after the exposure of casual euthanasia of thousands of retired dogs in the 2000s. The sport has subsequently transformed itself, introduced strict and effective regulation, instituted birth to death traceability of racing greyhounds, practically eliminated euthanasia of healthy dogs and put welfare at the heart of the entire industry. Also, the Grand National which has faced more than one crisis and responded with radical reform of the race itself to protect its social licence.

I am sure that dressage and other equestrian activities will make the right choices and come out of the dark place they currently sit and back into the light of public acceptability, but this moment should be a reminder to us all that culture does not make cruelty acceptable and that you cannot hide unacceptable behaviour.