Second Olympics Rider Accused of Striking Horse

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Facts

  • The world's third-best show jumper, Max Kühner of Austria, has been subject to criminal proceedings in Germany for allegedly striking a horse's legs with a bar.[1]
  • According to the Starnberg District Court, the Munich II public prosecutor's office had requested a penalty order against the German-born rider in March.[2]
  • Kühner has allegedly breached the Animal Protection Law as he resorted to 'active barring' — a training method banned in Germany, which involves hitting a horse's legs with a bar to force it to lift them higher while jumping obstacles.[3]
  • According to a spokesperson for the German court, a date for a potential trial has yet to be set. Meanwhile, Kühner will compete as planned in Olympic showjumping competitions.[4]
  • He faced similar proceedings in 2008 for allegedly using a wire to force his horse to jump higher, but the case was dropped after a disciplinary commission found no act of abusing animal welfare laws.[5]
  • This comes days after British three-time Olympic dressage gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin was suspended and withdrew from the Olympics over a horse-whipping scandal.[6]

Sources: [1]The Telegraph, [2]Kronen Zeitung (a), [3]Kronen Zeitung (b), [4]Aussiedlerbote.De, [5]The Sun and [6]Daily Mail.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Guardian. As the Paris Games kick off, scandals of such magnitude further underscore the need for all equestrian events to be ditched from the Olympics. It's utterly unacceptable that the International Olympic Committee still allows horses to be abused and forced to participate in these competitions.
  • Narrative B, as provided by The Telegraph. Allegations against Kühner and Dujardin are undoubtedly shocking, particularly due to their stature, but there's no reason to tarnish the entire sport's credibility. The equestrian community ensures that horses are treated with kindness and respect, with their welfare as the highest priority.
  • Nerd narrative, as provided by Horse & Hound. There's a 49% chance that the use of whips will be banned on or before the 2026 Melbourne Cup thoroughbred horse race, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Predictions