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Tokyo 2020 Olympics marred by equestrian cruelty and legal fallout

From fatal injuries to banned training tactics, the dark side of Olympic equestrian events exposed systemic failures. Why did no one stop the suffering?

,   and  Administrator
5 min read
The image shows an old book with a drawing of a horse on it. The horse is depicted in a galloping...
The image shows an old book with a drawing of a horse on it. The horse is depicted in a galloping motion, with its mane and tail flowing in the wind. The text on the paper reads "Excessive Fear Causes and Treatment of".

We have filed a criminal complaint with the Lausanne Public Prosecutor's Office against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) for animal cruelty during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.

1. Animal Cruelty Against the Gelding Jet Set: Incident of August 1, 2021

The Swiss eventing rider Robin Godel's gelding, Jet Set, had to be euthanized at a veterinary clinic in Tokyo after sustaining a severe, inoperable ligament injury during an extremely demanding cross-country test that clearly overtaxed the horse (**Evidence Submission A**). * **Olympic Eventing: "The Height of Animal Cruelty"**

2. Animal Cruelty Against the Gelding Kilkenny: Incident of August 5, 2021

During a round ridden by Cian O'Connor (IRL), the nine-year-old Kilkenny—whose jumping style, incidentally, raises serious questions about training methods—began bleeding heavily from both nostrils. The blood flowed so profusely that the horse struggled to breathe, its chest drenched in blood, and by the end of the round, it was visibly exhausted. No competition official intervened, either because none was present or because they were indifferent to the animal's suffering as it was forced to perform at its limits despite clear respiratory distress. Both scenarios lead to the same conclusion: the accused parties lack any genuine interest in preventing such suffering or taking effective measures to stop it. They not only allowed an unfit horse to compete in a grueling show-jumping course but also failed to halt the ordeal once the animal's distress became evident. By not disqualifying the rider, they knowingly prolonged the horse's agony. This case reveals that the FEI's regulations are not designed to safeguard animal welfare but instead serve to obscure and tolerate such incidents. While the rules state that blood on a horse's flanks from spur use in show jumping—or a bloody mouth in dressage—can lead to disqualification, it remains inexplicable why a bloody mouth in show jumping only results in elimination if the judge attributes it to excessive bit pressure. Equally baffling is the lack of any action when a horse suffers severe nasal bleeding and respiratory impairment. Moreover, disqualification can only be considered a protective measure if it occurs immediately at the first sign of distress. In practice, however, any disqualifications—if they happen at all—come too late, doing nothing to spare the animal suffering (**Evidence Submission B, B2, B3**).

3. Animal Cruelty Against the Horse Saint Boy: Incident of August 6, 2021

During the modern pentathlon event on August 6, 2021, rider Annika Schleu repeatedly struck the horse Saint Boy with a whip and dug in her spurs in an attempt to force it through the course and over the obstacles. Meanwhile, a trainer standing nearby punched the clearly distressed, sweat-soaked, and panicked animal. Once again, the accused parties made no effort to intervene and end the horse's suffering—despite organizing a competition format in which highly sensitive horses are randomly assigned to unfamiliar riders, inherently risking their distress and pain. In Saint Boy's case, the horse had already shown severe signs of stress under its previous rider. Yet no action was taken to protect it (**Evidence Submission C**). * **Pentathlete Annika Schleu Abuses Horse on Live Television** (**Evidence Submission C1**)

4. Rollkur

**The Rollkur Method: Systemic Overstretching and Its Harmful Effects on Horses** The *rollkur* technique involves systematically overstretching a horse's neck, a practice that can cause severe pain and potentially disrupt the animal's natural movement patterns in the long term. The horse's posture, circulation, and breathing are severely impaired, while its vision—and thus its ability to orient itself—is drastically reduced, leading to immense physical and psychological stress. Research confirms that horses exhibit high levels of distress after just ten minutes in this forced position. Many animal welfare laws explicitly prohibit rollkur, yet it was widely observed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Many "competition horses" spend most of their time confined to stalls or isolated in small paddocks for hours out of fear of injury—a far cry from their natural living conditions. In dressage, horses are compelled to perform unnatural and complex movements, such as pirouettes. Riders use various aids to make the horse "responsive" and "supple." **Through questionable methods like rollkur—also known as hyperflexion—horses are forced into submission in dressage training.** These animals are pushed to perform, and if they fail to meet the rider's expectations, **they face punishment, harsher training techniques, or are "retired" and left with only minimal care.** For these sensitive creatures, such treatment inflicts deep psychological suffering. Under Article 21(h) of the Swiss Animal Welfare Ordinance, any method that causes excessive stretching of a horse's neck or back is prohibited. Yet numerous horses clearly show signs of being ridden in this abusive posture, both in training and during competitions. * **Isabell Werth and the horse Bella Rose in the team dressage competition using rollkur on July 27, 2021 (Evidence D)** * **Dorothee Schneider and the horse Showtime in the individual dressage competition using rollkur on July 28, 2021 (Evidence D1)**

**Horses Are Not Sports Equipment**

  1. **Teddy Vlock falls after animal cruelty in the team show-jumping qualifier with the horse Amsterdam on August 6, 2021 (Evidence E)**
  2. **After animal cruelty, a horse runs loose following a fall with Brazilian rider Ieda Guimaraes in show jumping on August 6, 2021 (Evidence E1)**
  3. **Shane Sweetnam's horse falls after animal cruelty on August 6, 2021 (Evidence E2)**
  4. **Italian pentathlete Elena Micheli falls before her mistreated horse bolts on August 6, 2021 (Evidence E3)**
  5. **Modern pentathlon animal cruelty spreads further (Evidence E4)**
  6. **Britain's Ben Maher and the horse Explosion in the individual show-jumping competition using rollkur on August 4, 2021 (Evidence E5)** In not a single case did the organizers take any proactive measures to prevent this animal cruelty or put an end to these abusive practices. What unfolded at Tokyo's Baji Koen Equestrian Park bore little resemblance to standard show jumping. Instead, it should be condemned as outright animal cruelty during the Tokyo Olympic Games. **Further Information:** * **Statement by the German Association for Animal Welfare Law on the use of force against horses at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics** * **German Animal Welfare Federation files criminal complaint against trainer and rider (Evidence F)** * **German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) statement on equestrian events in modern pentathlon (Evidence G)** * **Press release: Criminal complaint against the IOC and FEI** * **Horses Are Not Sports Equipment** * **Modern pentathlete Annika Schleu abuses horse on live television** * **Olympic eventing: "The peak of animal cruelty"** **November 2021 Update:** **Victory: Modern pentathlon will no longer include equestrian events.** The vice president of the International Modern Pentathlon Union, Joël Bouzou, confirmed to French sports newspaper *L'Équipe* that a replacement discipline has yet to be determined. **October 2021 Update:** The public prosecutor's office did not pursue the complaint. As an organization, we unfortunately lack legal standing to challenge the decision not to proceed—animal welfare groups are not considered "directly affected parties" under the law. While they have the right to report potential criminal offenses, they are not entitled to participate in the proceedings, such as by filing an appeal. Swiss criminal law follows the principle of territoriality: in general, only offenses committed within Switzerland are prosecutable (Article 3 of the Swiss Criminal Code). There are exceptions—for instance, crimes or misdemeanors abroad targeting Switzerland (Article 4), offenses against minors committed abroad (such as cases involving pedophiles in Thailand, under Article 5), and, under very specific conditions, certain other crimes (Articles 6–7). In this case, the Lausanne prosecutor's office has declared itself without jurisdiction, as the acts of animal cruelty—both their execution and their consequences—took place entirely in Japan (see Article 8 of the Criminal Code). The alleged orchestration of logistical arrangements from Switzerland does not fall under its purview. Nevertheless, we believe that by filing the criminal complaint—and particularly through the **media coverage** it generated—we have sent an important signal.

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