Fresh Olympic dressage abuse scandal as SECOND rider accused of striking horse – but this time with a bar
A SECOND Olympic dressage scandal has been sparked after another rider was accused of striking a horse.
Paris Olympics show jumping contender Max Kuehner, from Austria, will be hauled before a judge in Germany after allegedly hitting his animal with a bar.
The pro equestrian, ranked number three in the world, is claimed to have struck the horse’s legs to make it jump higher, as reported by the Telegraph.
He was set to compete in Versailles in the individual and team jumping competitions before accusations came to light.
Kuehner, 50, was accused by the Munich II public prosecutor’s office of violating the German Animal Welfare Act by engaging in “active bar jumping” or “barring”.
The cruel act, in which a horse’s legs are whacked with a pole when they go over jumps, has been dubbed “rapping” – and was outlawed in Germany last year.
The Austrian Equestrian Federation said Kuehner denies all claims.
In a statement, a spokesperson told German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: “We can confirm, based on everything we have observed during the years of working with Max, that the way his horses are kept, trained and presented is of the highest quality.
“Due to his impeccable attitude towards his horse as a sports partner, there is no reason whatsoever to assume that he uses methods in training that are contrary to animal welfare, or that he has used them in the past”.
The federation also stated the athlete would compete at the Olympics as scheduled.
It comes after Kuehner previously battled similar allegations in 2008.
He was accused of using a wire to make his horse jump higher but the case was dropped after a disciplinary commission ruled there had not been an act that abused animal welfare laws.
The Austrian Olympic Committee have been contacted for comment.
The fresh allegations come after three-time British Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin was slapped with a provisional six-month ban.
The equestrian pulled out of the Paris Olympics a day before footage was released of her allegedly whipping a horse 25 times.
She said she was “deeply ashamed” by her “error of judgement” in a coaching session at a private stable.
The six-time Olympic medallist has also seen her UK Sport funding scrapped pending the result of the investigation.
Meanwhile, she has been axed by a horse and donkey charity as well as two equestrian sponsors.
